When you are involved in a car accident, it is important to remember that the severity of your immediate damages is not always indicative of the magnitude of potential long-term effects. Some auto accident injuries may take weeks or months to impact your life, which is why it's so important to make informed decisions about how you handle your claim.
With more than 40 years of experience, Chattanooga car accident attorney Herbert Thornbury understands the dynamics of even the most seemingly minor incidents. If you have been injured in a car accident, contact our office to schedule your complimentary consultation and learn more about your rights.
To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Thornbury, call 423-752-0544 today. Located in Chattanooga, Herbert Thornbury, Attorney at Law serves all surrounding areas of Tennessee and Georgia.
- Leading Causes of Tennessee Car Accidents
- What to do After a Car Accident
- Common Car Accident Injuries
- Fatal Car Accidents
- Car Accident Damages
- When to Call an Attorney
- Contact Herbert Thornbury for a Complimentary Case Review
Common Causes of Car Accidents
There are nearly 7 million people living in Tennessee, almost 180,000 of them in Chattanooga alone. This means that, at any given time, hundreds of thousands of people may be trying to use the same roadways at the same time, a guaranteed recipe for car accidents.
While many drivers take time and drive safely, even the most cautious among us cannot always prevent being involved in a car accident when someone else is behaving recklessly or negligently. Some of the most common causes of car accidents in Tennessee include:
- Distracted driving
- Texting and driving
- Driving while intoxicated
- Reckless driving
- Defective vehicles
- Unmaintained or dangerous roadways
In many of these cases, the actions of another driver are the cause of the accident. In others, poor manufacturing practices or the negligence of state and local governments are to blame. In all of these instances, if you have been injured in a car accident, it is best to have an attorney on your side who can help you navigate the complexities of these cases and help you secure the total compensation you are due.
How to Protect Yourself Following a Car Accident
The steps you take on the scene of the accident and in the days that follow can have a direct impact on your ability to collect compensation for all of your damages. It is important that you know what to do after a car accident to help prevent issues from arising and to help ensure you are fully taken care of.
Immediately after a Car Accident
- Check for injuries. Your safety and the safety of those involved is the most important thing. Make sure that no injuries have been sustained and, if needed, call for an ambulance. If there are no immediate injuries, make sure to still get evaluated by a physician as some injuries, such as brain and spinal cord injury, are not always evident right away.
- Contact law enforcement. If someone is injured, you are required to call the police. If there are no injuries, it is still advisable to call the police and secure an accident report. The accident report may include the officers’ determination of fault and may help you with your case.
- Exchange information. Make sure to get the vehicle make, model, license plate, and VIN number of the other car involved. In addition, take down the other driver’s name, license number, insurance, and contact information.
- Obtain witness information. If there are any witnesses to the accident, make sure to collect their full name, address, telephone number, and email address. Witness recollection can help to clarify the details with your case.
- Take pictures. After an accident, pictures can help provide evidence of what happened and assist in determining who was at fault. If injured, it is also important to take photographs of any scars, bruises, or cuts right away to ensure proper documentation of your injury at its most severe.
- Contact your insurance company. Notify your insurance company. You are required to report an accident, even if you were not at fault.
Do not, under any circumstances, suggest to police, the other driver, or your insurance company that you are at fault. This is not a determination you are qualified to make. You need an attorney to investigate your accident for liability to properly be assessed.
In the Days after a Car Accident
- Contact your doctor for a full evaluation. There are some serious injuries that take time to manifest symptoms. Some of these, like TBI, can be deadly. Even if you are cleared from the scene of an accident, contact your physician for a full medical examination.
- Obtain documentation. Collect medical reports, police reports, and organize your photographs to help establish your right to seek damages.
- Call an attorney. An attorney will be necessary for investigating your claim, reviewing your documents, and providing a full assessment of your legal rights and options.
Herbert Thornbury is an experienced and dedicated car accident lawyer who knows how to identify the cause of an accident in order to establish liability. Call 423-752-0544 today to schedule a complimentary case review.
Common Car Accident Injuries
The type and severity of car accident-related injuries are often affected by:
- The location of the impact
- The use of seatbelts - or lack thereof
- The speed of the cars involved at the time of impact
- The vehicle make and model
Depending on these factors, your car accident injuries might include more than just a few cuts, bruises or broken bones. Some of the most common types of car accident injuries include:
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injury
- Neck injuries like whiplash
- Back and spinal cord injuries such as disk damage, compression fractures, or herniation
- Damage to internal organs
- Damage to extremities
All of these injuries can have a significant impact on your work and personal life, often resulting in time away from work and extensive medical bills. In some cases, car accident injuries may even necessitate adaptive technologies like a wheelchair, home modifications to accommodate new physical limitations, and round-the-clock medical supervision. When your accident is the result of someone else’s poor decisions, you shouldn’t be left holding the bag for these expenses. This is just one of the reasons you need an attorney who is willing to fight for every penny you are due following your car accident.
Fatal Car Accidents
Auto accidents are never pleasant, but when fatalities are involved, the experience can be even more traumatic and devastating. Worse still is when a wrongful death occurs as the result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness.
The mental and emotional consequences that come with the unexpected death of a loved one in a fatal car accident can be heartbreaking and life-shattering. Though there is no amount of monetary compensation or legal justice that can alleviate the resulting pain and suffering incurred by surviving loved ones, it is important to protect your legal entitlements.
Wrongful death claims can be complicated and lengthy, but with prompt action on your part, our experienced wrongful death lawyer can avoid delay and begin pursuing the compensation you deserve. Once you file your claim, we can worry about the legal matters so you can focus on your personal life.
Damages Sought in Car Accident Claims
When you are injured in a car accident you did not cause, you may be entitled to full compensation for a range of damages. These include:
- All related medical and rehabilitation expenses
- Wages lost during recovery
- Wages lost due to an inability to resume full duties at work
- Home modifications and adaptive technology made necessary by your injury
- On-going care necessitated by your injury
- Property damage caused by your car accident
In addition to these damages, Herbert Thornbury will fight for compensation for your pain and suffering. While it is harder to place an actual dollar amount on these consequences of injury, Mr. Thornbury will take your case as far as needed to help secure compensation that is consistent with your struggles.
If a loved one is killed in a car accident, additional damages may be sought through a wrongful death claim. These may include:
- Immediate medical costs
- Funeral expenses
- Compensation for the loss of the victim’s future income
- Compensation for projected future contributions
- Loss of 401k or retirement benefits
- Pain and suffering reparations for the deceased and the surviving family members
- Punitive damages
Monetary reparations may seem trivial in comparison to your loss. However, pursuing compensatory damages will help you better manage the financial consequences of this ordeal so you can worry less about the monetary expenses and focus more on your personal and emotional recovery.
When to Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
After suffering an injury from an auto accident, you may be overwhelmed and angered by the expense, pain, and turmoil caused by your injury. To make a full recovery, you may require lengthy medical treatment, and this expense may be compounded by any damage caused to your vehicle.
For apparently minor accidents, you may be unsure of whether you should contact an auto accident attorney. Generally, you should seek the representation of an auto accident lawyer if:
- You sustained serious injuries in your accident
- Your injury will prevent you from working
- Your injury requires expensive or ongoing medical treatment
- Your injury will result in lasting physical pain
- Your injury has resulted in PTSD or emotional turmoil
- Full recovery from your injury is not guaranteed
Under these circumstances, you will be facing a considerable financial burden, as well as the physical and emotional stress of your injury.
Without an attorney, you will face the insurance company on your own. Insurance companies are for-profit corporations that are beholden to shareholders who demand record-breaking profits. These profits can’t be delivered if victims of serious injury are getting fair compensation. When an insurance company realizes you do not have representation, its agents may offer you a grossly unfair settlement. Insurance companies often sink to intimidation tactics to try and force victims into accepting an unreasonable sum – when they can’t deny compensation altogether. This is entirely unacceptable.
Attorney Thornbury has never backed down to an insurance company or buckled under pressure from defense attorneys. He is here to take viable claims as far as needed, fighting aggressively for the maximum amount of compensation victims of serious injury deserve.
Why Hire Herbert Thornbury, Esquire
Herbert Thornbury is familiar with the way auto accident cases unfold. He will handle the legal details of your accident, so you can dedicate your time to recovery and rehabilitation from its effects, which may take a significant amount of time for certain injuries.
Mr. Thornbury will take time to build a strong case on your behalf, which may include:
- Collecting relevant medical documents
- Collecting any documentation of your injury
- Communicating with insurance companies
- Investigating the details of your auto accident
- Collecting evidence and testimony proving the extent of your injuries
- Bringing the case to court if a fair settlement cannot be reached
As your attorney, Herbert Thornbury will be your advocate during all phases of your case, fighting for the compensation you need to recover from your injuries.
Trusted, respected, and highly reviewed, Herbert Thornbury welcomes an opportunity to meet with you free of charge, to listen to your account of your accident and provide you with honest and useful information about your rights, your options, and the best path forward.
Client Testimonial
"I really am grateful and hope that you know how happy I am to be telling you so. Thank you so very much, you all have made a change in our lives. Word of mouth is the best advertising and yes, we will pass word to anyone whom needs help in what kind of work you do. Just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you."
Contact our Chattanooga, TN office today
If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a car in Chattanooga, Nashville, or anywhere in Tennessee, please call Herbert Thornbury, Attorney at Law at 423-752-0544 for a complimentary case review. Working on a contingency basis, Mr. Thornbury does not get paid unless you do. You have nothing to lose by calling our office and discussing your case.
Attorney Thornbury serves victims of serious injury in Tennessee and nearby areas of Georgia including Atlanta, Marietta, and Athens.
