Truck Accidents In Tennessee

Nearly every American will be involved in a truck or auto accident at some point in their life. Having the right legal team on your side after the crash can affect your ability to collect fair compensation for your injuries. At the Kingsport law firm of Hawkins, Bingham & Miller, we rely on our experience to steer you through the legal process and secure the settlement to which you are entitled.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic accidents killed 41,059 people in 2007. Another 2,491,000 people were injured.

Proving a driver's negligence in a truck or auto crash requires a thorough investigation. If fault is disputed or there is doubt regarding the accident’s cause, preserving the evidence is essential.

Let us move your case in the right direction

Our chief investigator's law enforcement experience is particularly helpful in the investigation of your case:

• Interviewing the investigating officers, eyewitnesses, and emergency medical personnel
• Photographing the accident scene
• Taking measurements of the vehicles and the crash scene

We often work with qualified accident reconstructionists who examine the physical evidence and provide expert opinions on the cause of the accident. Their input can corroborate eyewitness testimony and lead to a victory in the case.

Truck accidents

A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, while the average passenger car barely hits 4,000 pounds. In a truck vs. auto accident, the odds heavily favor the truck. The drivers and passengers in autos account for most of the fatalities in these accidents.

In a truck accident, who is at fault?

Truck accidents can be deadly. If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a truck accident in Kingsport, Johnson City or elsewhere in east Tennessee, your first question may be "who is at fault?"  Since truck drivers are bound by the law of negligence, those who drive unsafely or break the rules of the road are negligent. Truck drivers and their companies must also adhere to local driving regulations and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, which include:

Trucking companies involved in interstate commerce are required by federal law to maintain liability insurance. Since the truck driver, the trucking company, and the insurance company bear the financial responsibility for injuries and damages the driver may cause, these insurance policies may total more than a million dollars.

Helpful links

• Tennessee Highway Patrol 
• Tennessee Department of Safety 
• The National Transportation Safety Board
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Contact us today

If you or a loved one was injured in a truck or auto accident, you must prove that the other driver was negligent or careless. Contact us for a free initial consultation by calling 423.246.9100—and put the experienced attorneys at Hawkins, Bingham & Miller to work for you.