If you suffer an injury in your hometown, you can take comfort in the fact that you have familiar faces nearby to help—including your own doctors, family, and friends. However, if you are involved in an accident while visiting Nashville on vacation, you may have to rely on strangers for your medical treatment, car repairs, and even advice on what to do next. The best way to learn about your compensation options—and ensure that negligent parties do not take advantage of you—is to seek the advice of an attorney before you leave Tennessee.
Waiting Until You Return Home to Hire an Attorney May Cause Problems
Whether you already have an attorney in your hometown or are planning to look one up when your vacation is over, you should try to meet with a lawyer who practices in the area where the accident occurred. Seeking legal counsel as quickly as possible offers many benefits, including:
- Knowledge of Tennessee injury laws. Most injury laws vary from state to state, and the rules of your home state may not apply in your accident case. Some common mistakes made by out-of-state attorneys include not knowing the applicable statute of limitations for your type of injury or an unfamiliarity with Tennessee’s comparative fault laws.
- Medical and specialist recommendations. As injury cases rely on medical evidence gathered in the hours and days after an accident occurs, victims should seek medical attention before returning home. Your attorney may be able to recommend a local doctor who can evaluate and document your injuries in a timely manner, or may be able to refer you to a specialist after you are released from the emergency room.
- Context for your type of accident. A local injury lawyer will have access to small details that can have a big impact on your case. For example, if you suffered a car accident at a particularly dangerous intersection, the local attorney is more likely to know if this intersection has seen similar accidents and whether a third party (such as a construction crew or landscaping company) may be liable for the crash. Your attorney should also know how much accident cases in the city or county are typically worth, and use commonalities with similar cases to negotiate your settlement.
- Proper jurisdiction. Even if a lawyer back home can advise you on your case, he or she may not be able to file the case in Tennessee court. Attorneys can only file a lawsuit in court if they are licensed to practice law in that state—and in most cases, injuries that occur in Tennessee will be processed through the Tennessee court system.
- Familiarity with state courts and procedures. A local lawyer should understand the state laws applicable in your case, and he or she is likely to have experience with the Tennessee court system. In addition, a Tennessee injury attorney will know which professionals in the area are qualified to perform investigations and offer testimony on your case, such as local accident reconstructionists and medical experts.
- Preserving evidence. Evidence disappears with each passing day after an accident, and it may be impossible to recover once you are back home. A local attorney can photograph or record a video of the accident scene, take note of any defects on the premises or roadway, note damage to vehicles or personal property, document the weather conditions, and obtain contact information for the at-fault party and witnesses.
- Preventing you from making mistakes. Many victims are eager to resolve their cases as quickly as possible so they can return home. Unfortunately, this may lead them to give recorded statements to the insurance company, fail to obtain a copy of the police report, or make additional mistakes that can devalue their claims.
If you have suffered a car accident, truck crash, slip and fall, or other injury while on vacation in Nashville, we are here to help. The injury attorneys at GriffithLaw are proud to provide initial consultations to victims free of charge, and we do not collect any legal fees until your case is resolved. To learn more about your rights, simply fill out the short contact form on this page or request a free copy of our book, The 10 Worst Mistakes You Can Make With Your Tennessee Injury Case.
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