Car Accidents While on Vacation

East Tennessee is a beautiful place for a vacation. However, there are many busy and dangerous roads in the area that are often the scene of serious crashes involving tourists. Car wrecks may be devastating, resulting in spinal cord injuries, brain trauma, broken bones and fractures, scarring, burns, and disfigurement. You may be unexpectedly left with substantial medical bills and the need to take time off work. At the Hartsoe Law Firm, Knoxville car accident attorney Mark Hartsoe can help people from around the country who are injured while driving on vacation in East Tennessee.

Each state has its own statute of limitations, which is the length of time that you have to bring a lawsuit after the event that triggers it. Tennessee's statute of limitations for car accident cases is one year after the crash. As in other states, you will likely need to establish the at-fault driver's negligence. This means that you will need to show that it is more likely than not that the other driver breached their duty to drive safely by engaging in some careless action, this breach caused your injuries, and you incurred damages like medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, and lost enjoyment of life.

Often in Tennessee and elsewhere, an at-fault driver may claim that the victim was partially or fully to blame for the accident. For example, if you are a tourist from outside the area, an at-fault driver may claim that you were distracted by the scenery or did not understand the road rules or conditions. The court will apply a modified comparative fault rule in such cases. This means that if you are 49% or less to blame, you still may recover damages, minus an amount equal to your proportion of fault.

Thus, if the jury determines that your damages are $100,000, but your percentage of fault is 50%, you will not be able to recover damages. On the other hand, if your percentage of fault is 30%, you may be able to recover $70,000 from the at-fault driver. As you can see, it is critical to retain a car wreck attorney who has a strong reputation and substantial experience. Mark Hartsoe has the ability to persuade an insurer or a jury that your version of events is what happened and that the other driver was largely or entirely at fault.

Knoxville car accident lawyer Mark Hartsoe understands the difficulties that victims and their families face as they undergo the process of recovering from their injuries. The team at the Hartsoe Law Firm is ready to represent you if you have been hurt in a car crash while on vacation. Call us at 865-804-1011 or contact us via our online form for a free consultation with a motor vehicle collision lawyer. Mark Hartsoe represents injured people throughout East Tennessee, including in Knox, Blount, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.