Top-Rated Nashville, Tennessee Personal Injury Lawyers
The long road of personal injury litigation is overwhelming for victims, especially those still trying to recover. When the unthinkable happens, our Nashville personal injury lawyers are prepared to take a case from complaint to trial so that you can focus on family, recovery, and rebuilding your life.
Do you have a case?
Understanding Your Personal Injury Claim
While every claim is unique, there are four key elements that are required to bring a successful personal injury lawsuit in Tennessee. Knowing these elements, and how your case can meet each one, will give you an idea of how an experienced attorney will approach your case.
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Element 1
Duty of Care
When one party is responsible for an individual’s safety or well-being, they owe that individual a duty of care. Many human relationships establish a duty of care, such as parent/child, doctor/patient, or business/customer relationships.
In order to bring a successful personal injury claim, the first thing a plaintiff must prove is that the defendant owed them a duty of care by assuming some degree of responsibility for the plaintiff’s safety.
Element 2
Breach of Duty
The second element that a personal injury plaintiff must prove is that the defendant breached the duty of care owed to the plaintiff. A breach occurs when a defendant fails to adequately provide for the plaintiff’s safety, as required by their duty of care. Examples of such breaches include unmarked wet surfaces in a grocery store, a doctor operating on the wrong limb, or a driver running a red light.
Element 3
Damages
A plaintiff must be able to show some type of damages in order to bring a personal injury claim. Damages may include pain and suffering, medical expenses, psychological or emotional trauma, or permanent disability. Obtaining your medical records and bills will be crucial to your personal injury lawsuit.
Even if a defendant breaches their duty of care, a plaintiff will not have a valid personal injury claim if no damages are shown. Likewise, if the damages are very small—a few bruises or scratches—it is generally not worth the time and expense to bring a personal injury lawsuit.
Element 4
Causation
Finally, a plaintiff must prove that their damages were caused by the defendant’s breach of duty. The causation element is the link between the defendant’s wrongful action and the plaintiff’s harm; if no causation can be shown, then the defendant’s act and the plaintiff’s harm are unrelated, and the plaintiff cannot recover.
When establishing causation, a plaintiff must show that the defendant’s action was both the proximate or legal cause, as well as the “but-for” or actual cause, of the plaintiff’s harm. Proximate cause means that the defendant’s action was sufficient to cause the plaintiff’s harm, and “but-for” cause means that the plaintiff’s harm would not have occurred without the defendant’s action. If a plaintiff cannot prove both proximate and “but-for” cause, the link between the defendant’s action and the plaintiff’s harm will not be strong enough to support a personal injury claim.
What are the stages of a personal injury lawsuit?
For a detailed description of the stages of a personal injury lawsuit, please check out this post, which includes a video. Our Nashville personal injury lawyers will:
- Investigate your case
- Identify all potential defendants
- Prepare your lawsuit
- Handle all stages of your lawsuit, including discovery, despoitions, motions
- Prepare your case for settlement or mediation, and
- Prepare your case for trial
What do I need to know about Tennessee law for my personal injury case?
Here are four important things to know about Tennessee law for your personal injury case in Nashville or any of the surrounding areas.
- The Statute of Limitations is generally one year
- There are caps on damages you can recover
- The jury must be unanimous in your case
- Tennessee follows the rule of modified comparative fault
For a deeper explanation of the concepts above, click here and watch the video at the link.
What areas of Tennessee do your personal injury lawyers serve?
Our Nashville personal injury law firm provides services throughout the entire state of Tennessee. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Tennessee towns, counties, and cities, where we have helped injured Tennesseeans get the justice they deserve:
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We are known for getting life-changing results and fighting to make our communities safer.
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Why Choose Us As Your Nashville Personal Injury Attorney
With us on your side, you can focus on what’s most important – your recovery.
Decades Of Experience
Our Nashville personal injury and accident attorneys have over 75 years of combined practice handling cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, civil rights, medical device lawsuits, wrongful death, trucking accidents, and much more.
Excellent Reputation
DRS Law is a well-respected Nashville personal injury law firm. For over 35 years, our founder, David Randolph Smith, has been named as a Mid-South Super Lawyer and one of the best personal injury attorneys in Nashville and Tennessee.
Small Case Volume
Unlike many Nashville personal injury lawyers who handle a large volume of cases, we concentrate on a select few cases. As a result, we ensure that every step is taken to obtain the most favorable outcomes for our clients.
We Prepare For Trial
To maximize the recovery for our clients, we prepare every case meticulously for trial. Because of this dedicated approach, we have obtained multi-million-dollar settlements and judgments in a variety of personal injury cases.
What to Expect
Our Legal Services Are Completely Personalized To You And Your Unique Needs
01 Free Consultation
Our dedicated personal injury and accident lawyers provide free, no-pressure case evaluations. We will help you determine if you have a case and will answer all your questions in plain English. We never charge any fees until we win your case.
02 Personalized Service
If we take your case, it’s because we believe we can help you. We will get to work outlining a strategic plan of action. We want you to feel taken care of during this difficult time — whatever questions you have, we’re here with answers. Frequent check-ins ensure you are comfortable with the progress of your case.
03 You Get Paid
We are passionate about the success of your case and will give it the close attention and focus it deserves. We find solutions that other lawyers miss, discovering key facts that help you win. We call upon our gifts in storytelling to argue your case with passion and conviction so you get the compensation and justice you deserve.
What Our Clients Say
“The intellect combined with compassion of these people is incredible.”
I am very thankful to David, Lyon, Chris and all professionals who represent this firm. This team made an incredibly difficult situation end successfully. The intellect combined with compassion of these people is incredible. Our concerns were quickly and appropriately responded to, with knowledge and compassion. Law suits are very scary situations, but they never stopped communicating until I felt comfortable with the process. - K. Boland
“They were extremely thorough and caring through the entire experience.”
The DRS team was simply tremendous. They were extremely thorough and caring through the entire experience. I felt cared for the entire time. I will recommend them enthusiastically to anyone who ever needs legal help. - Dick K.
“Very professional and very hard working guys that I would suggest to anyone!”
Chris and the rest of the guys at the firm did an amazing job handling my case and making me feel like I was heard and important. Very professional and very hard working guys that I would suggest to anyone! - T. Sapp.
“They kept me in the loop every step of the way and made me feel like family.”
This is a wonderful law firm. They kept me in the loop every step of the way and made me feel like family. I would highly recommend! - David S.
“There are really no words to adequately describe how thankful we are.”
There are really no words to adequately describe how thankful we are for Lyon and the others at this law firm. The events that led us to reach out to your firm were one the worst times in our lives. My husband’s illness and long recovery were something that we were not sure we would ever come back from. Thanks to the hard work, knowledge and dedication that you guys have put forth on our behalf we have been awarded a settlement that will ensure we have a secure financial future. You guys are the best! - Lorrie H.
“The only attorney that would take our case.”
David Randolph Smith was the only attorney that would take our case. We were up against the US Government and Virginia’s state laws. Mr. Smith’s experience and expertise was the only reason we were able to get a settlement. He always answered our calls and kept us informed. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were very professional and nice. God sent this law firm to help us at a very sorrowful time. We were blessed for such a great law firm. If I ever need a lawyer, this firm would be first on my list. Thank you. — Vicky F.
“The end results gave me the justice and satisfaction I so desperately needed.”
Thru what was an absolute nightmare of an ordeal, I was finally blessed with the very best legal team a man could ever want or desire. I can’t even begin to express my overwhelming gratitude and sincere appreciation to my entire legal team. You are all of the very best at what you do, and the end results gave me the justice and satisfaction I so desperately needed. And it also gave me back my health and independence! On a scale to 1 and 10, I would give you give you a 12! God bless all of you from the bottom of my heart! - Darrell H.
“It made all the difference knowing that we were in competent hands.”
My wife and I couldn’t have had a better experience. The whole team was incredibly responsive, attentive, respectful, & friendly. Lyon took our case and you couldn’t ask for a better guy to have on your side. Not only was he super sharp and resourceful, but also the type of person that makes you feel like an old friend. Since we were seeking legal help for a very awful situation it made all the difference knowing that we were in competent hands the whole time. - Mark D.
“They always set realistic expectations and even surpassed them.”
It was a wonderful experience. Everyone we dealt with was attentive and responsive. They always set realistic expectations and even surpassed them. We are very happy we decided to use Smith and Associates. We highly recommend them. - Whitney G.