Hit and Run Accident Lawyer in Morristown TN

young woman broken car accident

While any traffic collision is frustrating, hit-and-run accidents are especially so. The shock, pain, and expense of the collision itself are bad enough without the other driver trying to avoid their legal responsibilities. Thankfully, there are ways to pursue compensation for your injuries, even if the other driver is never found. The Terry Law Firm is ready to help you pursue them.

Our Morristown hit-and-run accident attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience helping people seek fair compensation for their injuries. We are a family-run personal injury firm with multiple offices in East Tennessee and a proven track record of success for our clients. We are ready to explore your options for recovering compensation after a hit-and-run crash in Morristown and assist you with all the legal work in your case.

Don’t wait another day to demand the money and accountability you’re owed. Contact The Terry Law Firm now for a free case review with a hit-and-run accident lawyer in Morristown, Tennessee.

What Is a Hit and Run Accident?

A hit-and-run accident happens when a driver is involved in a collision with another vehicle and then flees the scene without stopping to exchange contact info or make sure the occupants of the other vehicle are okay. There are several reasons a driver might take this illegal action, such as:

  • The driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol and is worried about being charged with a crime.
  • The driver either has no insurance or does not have adequate insurance to cover the crash.
  • The driver doesn’t have a license or is afraid their license will be revoked.
  • The driver is wanted by the police for some other offense.
  • The driver panicked after the crash.

Common Injuries from Hit-and-Run Accidents

Some common injuries that result from hit-and-run accidents in Morristown include:

Can I Get Compensation for a Hit-and-Run Accident in Morristown?

In most cases, you can likely recover compensation for a hit-and-run accident in Morristown. However, how much you will be able to recover depends on whether the driver who hit you is ever found and the specifics of your auto insurance coverage.

Let’s start with what happens if the other driver is found. If the police can find the driver who hit you, your case basically works like a standard auto accident claim. You can pursue compensation for your injuries from the other driver’s insurance, just as you would after any other car accident. With the right evidence and help from the right lawyer, you may be able to recover compensation for:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Lost future earnings or other financial benefits
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Damaged personal property

If the other driver is not found, you will have to use other means to secure the money you need to cover your losses. If you have uninsured motorist (UM) coverage as part of your Tennessee auto insurance policy, you can file an uninsured motorist claim with your own provider. Insurers treat hit-and-run crashes as if you were hit by an uninsured driver, which means you can claim compensation up to the limits of your policy.

While UM coverage is not required in Tennessee, most policies include it by default. A policyholder must submit written notice to opt out of UM coverage. You may also be able to use other components of your auto insurance policy, such as optional Medical Payments (MedPay) coverage, to help cover your expenses.

Why You Need a Lawyer for an Uninsured Motorist Claim

If you are pursuing an uninsured motorist claim after a hit-and-run crash, you should speak with a car accident lawyer immediately. To receive compensation from your insurance provider, you must convince them that you were indeed hit by a driver who fled the scene. That can prove to be difficult without the help of an attorney.

You also want to recover maximum compensation to pay for all of your losses. An experienced lawyer knows how to tabulate the total value of your claim and demand the full amount you’re owed. Even though you are dealing with “your” insurance company, do not expect them to automatically pay out the full benefits you deserve on a UM claim. Their goal is still to protect their profits by minimizing the payout. You need the lawyers at The Terry Law Firm to fight for your best interests, not the insurance company’s.

Tennessee Hit-and-Run Accident Laws

Sections 55-10-101 and 55-10-102 of the Tennessee Code require drivers to stop as close to the scene of an accident as possible without blocking traffic if the crash involved injury or death or if any vehicle was damaged in the crash.

Once the driver has stopped, they are required to provide certain information spelled out in Section 55-10-103 of the Tennessee Code, including:

  • Their name
  • Their address
  • The registration number of their vehicle
  • Their driver’s license number, if requested

This law also requires drivers to provide as much assistance as possible to anyone injured in the crash and alert emergency medical services.

Additionally, Section 55-10-104 of the Tennessee Code states that if a driver hits an unattended vehicle, they must immediately stop and attempt to notify the person who owns or is operating the unattended vehicle. If the driver cannot find this person, they must leave a note in a “conspicuous place” with their name, address, insurance information, and a brief account of the crash.

What to Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Morristown

Here is what you should do after a hit-and-run accident in Morristown:

  • Stay safe, and do not pursue the other driver in your car.
  • Take pictures of the other vehicle and the driver, if possible.
  • Write down or record anything that could help identify the car and its driver – license plate number, make and model of the car, damage to the vehicle, a physical description of the driver, and so on.
  • Call 911 to report the crash and stay at the scene until the police and other emergency services arrive.
  • Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
  • Take pictures of your injuries and the damage to your vehicle.
  • Hold on to all your medical records and any receipts for crash-related expenses.
  • Do not speak to insurance companies until you have talked to a lawyer.
  • Hire an experienced Morristown hit-and-run accident lawyer.

Contact Our Experienced Morristown Hit-and-Run Accident Attorneys Today

If you’ve been injured by a hit-and-run driver, contact us online or call The Terry Law Firm now for a free consultation. Our Morristown hit-and-run accident attorneys are eager to meet with you and determine whether you could be owed money.

Car Accidents

How Do I Pay for My Car Accident Injuries?

If you have been involved in a car wreck case, there are generally three (3) avenues for payment of medical expenses. 

  1. The first and most common method of payment is for persons who have been injured to pay for their medical care with their own health insurance. This does not create any problems and, in fact, most of the time this is what we recommend at The Terry Law Firm.
  2. Persons involved in car wreck cases can use something referred to as “med pay” to pay for some of their medical bills associated with their car wreck case. “Med pay” coverage is coverage afforded by your automobile insurance to pay for injuries sustained in the car wreck. 
  3. Occasionally, persons will be on the job working when they are injured in a car wreck. In these circumstances, sometimes it is best to use workers’ compensation to pay for your injuries sustained in a car wreck.  

If one of these methods is not available to you, contact The Terry Law Firm at our Morristown, Greeneville, or Sevierville office.

Will My Insurance Rates Go Up If I Use Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

Under Tennessee law, insurance carriers cannot raise your insurance as a result of a person utilizing their uninsured motorist coverage. Tennessee law states explicitly that if you are in an accident that is no fault of your own, your insurance carrier cannot raise your insurance rates due to your use of uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage that you purchased.