No matter how straightforward the details of your case may seem, you will still have to make a clear case of negligence in order to get compensation after a crash. It all comes down to what you can prove and what you use to prove it, making the quality of your evidence vital to winning your case.
How to Prove Negligence in an Injury Claim
Most state laws provide a framework of what must be proved in order to recover compensation in an injury case. In order to prevail in a Tennessee car accident claim, you will have to prove the following:
- You were owed a duty of care. The other party who is named in your lawsuit must have owed you consideration for your safety, called a “duty of care.” A driver who struck you owes you a duty of care, since all road users have a duty to obey local traffic ordinances and drive as safely as possible. If you are suing someone other than a driver, you must establish that he or she owed you a duty of care.
- The negligent party breached the duty of care. Once you have shown that someone owed you a degree of safety, you must show that his or her actions were in violation of that duty. This proof hinges on showing that a reasonable person would not have acted as the negligent party did. Common breaches of care can include distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, tailgating, or road rage.
- The breach of care resulted in your injury. It is not enough to show that a driver was negligent, or even that a driver’s negligence caused an accident. You must also prove that the negligent party’s actions directly caused your injuries and property losses. This may be difficult for a victim who suffered aggravation to a previous injury, as they will have to show that the accident was the primary cause of the injury becoming worse.
- The breach of care resulted in financial losses. In order to recover the costs of an accident, you must prove that all of the losses you are claiming are directly related to the crash. This can include property damage (such as the cost for repairs to a vehicle), costs related to your injuries (such as medical bills and rehabilitation), and income losses (including the wages you were unable to earn while you were out of work).
- You were less than 50% to blame for the accident. Tennessee injury cases rely on a system of modified comparative negligence. Simply put, this means that a victim can recover damages even if he or she shared some of the fault for the accident; however, damages will be reduced by each party’s percentage of blame. In addition, state law requires that accident victims can only collect damages if they are less than 50% at fault for the accident. If you are more than 50% to blame, you will not be eligible to receive any payment in your injury claim.
Evidence That Can Help You Win Your Car Accident Case
All of the evidence you gather should have one goal: proving one (or more) of the factors above. Pictures and videos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and road conditions are an effective way to demonstrate the extent of injury and financial loss. Physical evidence, such as the clothes you were wearing at the time of the crash, can show the extent of physical and emotional trauma. Police reports are inadmissible as evidence in the state of Tennessee. On the other hand, the reports can be used to track down witnesses, recreate the scene, and serve as leads for gathering other forms of evidence (such as a police officer’s or eyewitness’s testimony). Finally, statements from repair shops and medical providers are necessary to provide an accurate estimate of your accident costs.
If you have been injured in a car accident, we can help you collect evidence of your injury costs, loss of income, property damage, and pain and suffering. Fill out the quick contact form on this page to have the attorneys at GriffithLaw explain your rights in your free case evaluation, or order a free copy of our book, The 10 Worst Mistakes You Can Make With Your Tennessee Injury Case.
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