A major change in Tennessee tort law occurred on June 11th, 2011, when controversial tort-reform legislation capped non-economic damages at $750,000 per plaintiff. Though certain catastrophic injury cases still allow $1,000,000, state law definitely cut back on reimbursement for pain, suffering and emotional trauma. This law is being challenged in the courts, but for now, it is fully in effect.
Despite these new limitations, however, economic damages can be collected for medical expenses, loss of work, inability to continue your career and more. Furthermore, most tort claims never reached as high as 3/4 million dollars per person to begin with, and some claims fall under federal law. Thus, with the help of a good Nashville personal injury lawyer, victims can still expect to secure extensive damages. Experienced personal injury attorneys, such as those at the Law Offices of Eric Beasley, know how to fight hard and win the maximum reimbursement allowed by the law.
Some of the most common causes of personal injury that lead to a lawsuit include auto accidents, slip and fall injuries at work, medical malpractice, defective and dangerous devices, nursing home abusive neglect and dog bites. There are, of course, many other types of cases, but they all have these fundamental facts in common:
- A person or corporate entity was negligent by taking actions that could reasonably be expected to lead to the injury or death of another or by failing to take actions that likely would have averted such a danger.
- A substantial injury actually occurred and can be demonstrated to have cost the victim money, time and bodily or emotional comfort.
- The negligent act in question can be shown to have caused or contributed to the injury sustained by the victim.
If the negligence of another person has caused you injuries, you have a right to be reimbursed for your loss. Hiring a professional Nashville personal injury lawyer with extensive experience in the field greatly increases your chances of receiving a fair settlement in court.
Tennessee, like most other states, has a statue of limitations within which you must file your tort action. It can be as short as 120 days or as long as a full year. The clock starts running, in most cases, from the day the injury occurred, so you should not waste any time in filing your case.