Do I Have to Go to Court After a Car Accident in Tennessee?

Posted in Car accidents on October 28, 2020

The last thing you are likely thinking about in the immediate aftermath of your vehicle collision in Tennessee is whether or not you are going to have to go to court.

However, when you are working to secure compensation for your injuries or property damage, you may run into roadblocks when dealing with insurance carriers.

In some cases, it may very well be necessary to go to court in order to secure the compensation you are entitled to.

Here, our team wants to discuss the most likely outcomes for your case if you are involved in a vehicle collision in Tennessee.

 

To go to court or not go to court – that is always the big question

 
If you or a loved one have sustained an injury in a car accident caused by the actions of another driver, you certainly want to obtain any compensation that you may be entitled to.

However, we want to point out that the vast majority of car accident injury and property damage claims are resolved through settlements negotiated between insurance carriers.

When this happens, there is no need for a personal injury lawsuit to be filed. Thus, no need to go to court.

Typically, the insurance carriers of the various parties involved in a Tennessee auto collision will hammer out the details of who pays and how much they will pay.

Unfortunately, there are times when the insurance carrier of the at-fault party refuses to offer a fair settlement to an injury victim or even denies a claim altogether.

When this happens, it may be necessary for the injury victim to file a personal injury lawsuit against the alleged negligent party.

Taking a car accident case to court in Tennessee

 
When you file a lawsuit against another party in the aftermath of a car accident, this officially means the case has entered the court system.

It is vital that you work with a skilled Tennessee car accident lawyer as soon as possible after you are injured due to another driver’s actions.

An attorney will understand how to negotiate with insurance carriers as well as the legal processes involved when a lawsuit is necessary.

Even after a Tennessee car accident lawsuit is filed, it is still very likely that the matter will be settled before it reaches a full jury.

Attorneys for both sides will enter into negotiations soon after a lawsuit is filed in an attempt to resolve the matter.

In fact, negotiations can continue all the way through until the day the trial occurs.

Often, though, personal injury jury trials are not scheduled for one or more years after the lawsuit is filed.

This increases the pressure on all parties involved to reach a fair settlement.

If the two sides are still unable to reach an acceptable agreement, the case will need to be heard in front of a jury.

As a victim, you will certainly have to participate in court if your case does end being heard in front of a jury.

During this ongoing personal injury process, you can be sure that your attorney will have spent a significant amount of time preparing you for what will happen in court.

Again, most Tennessee car accident cases are handled before they reach a jury trial. If you have any questions regarding your car accident case, work with a skilled lawyer as soon as possible.