Murfreesboro Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

A drunk driving accident can be especially difficult to accept. These collisions are not unavoidable accidents. When someone chooses to drive after drinking and causes a crash, an innocent person may be left dealing with serious injuries, lost income, medical bills, and consequences that can continue long after the impaired driver leaves the scene.

If you were hurt by a drunk driver in Murfreesboro, the criminal case against that driver does not compensate you for everything you have lost. A separate personal injury claim allows you to pursue compensation for your medical expenses, income losses, pain and suffering, permanent impairment, and other damages.

Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers helps people injured by drunk drivers pursue the financial recovery they deserve. Our Murfreesboro Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers understand that no amount of money can undo a serious injury. Compensation can, however, provide the resources you need to pay for care, replace lost income, prepare for future needs, and regain financial stability.

Both of our partners began their careers representing insurance companies. We know how insurers evaluate accident claims, what influences their settlement decisions, and how they may try to reduce the amount paid to an injured person. We now put that experience to work for people whose lives have been disrupted by someone else’s negligence.

Throughout the process, our clients receive personal attention. Every case has a dedicated case manager, and clients have access to a lawyer from the beginning. Our goal is to pursue the best possible result while also providing the responsive, compassionate service you should expect from your law firm.

Drunk Driving Can Cause Devastating Injuries

Alcohol can impair many of the abilities a person needs to drive safely. An impaired driver may have difficulty judging speed and distance, staying within a lane, responding to changing traffic conditions, recognizing hazards, or making appropriate decisions.

These impairments can contribute to particularly violent collisions. A drunk driver may travel at excessive speed, cross the center line, run a red light, enter an intersection without yielding, or fail to brake before striking stopped traffic.

Victims may suffer injuries such as:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Broken and crushed bones
• Internal organ damage
• Severe orthopedic injuries
• Nerve damage
• Burns and scarring
• Permanent disability

A severe injury can affect much more than your health. It may prevent you from working, make ordinary household activities difficult, interfere with your relationships, and take away hobbies and activities that once gave your life enjoyment.

A personal injury claim should account for the full impact of those losses.

Tennessee’s DUI Laws and Your Injury Claim

Tennessee law prohibits driving or being in physical control of a motor-driven vehicle on a public road, highway, alley, certain other public areas, or premises generally frequented by the public while under the influence of an intoxicant or with a blood or breath alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit.

For most adult drivers, a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .08 percent or greater can satisfy the statutory alcohol concentration standard for DUI. Different rules can apply in particular circumstances.

A driver who violates Tennessee’s DUI laws may face arrest, prosecution, fines, license consequences, and potentially incarceration. Those consequences are part of the criminal justice system.

Your right to compensation is a separate issue.

A civil personal injury case focuses on the harm the driver caused you and the compensation available for that harm. You do not have to rely on the criminal prosecution to address your medical bills, lost earnings, physical suffering, or future needs.

That distinction is important because the goals of the two proceedings are different. The government prosecutes a DUI case to enforce criminal law. A personal injury lawyer represents you and pursues a financial recovery for your losses.

Compensation After a Drunk Driving Collision in Murfreesboro

The value of a drunk driving accident claim depends heavily on the nature and severity of the injuries and how those injuries affect the individual victim. Someone who suffers an injury requiring surgery and six months away from work has different needs from someone who suffers permanent paralysis and requires lifelong assistance. A fair recovery must reflect those differences.

Depending on the circumstances, compensation may include:

• Ambulance and emergency room expenses
• Hospitalization and surgical costs
• Doctor and specialist bills
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Future medical treatment
• Prescription medications
• Medical equipment and assistive devices
• Lost wages and benefits
• Reduced future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional and psychological harm
• Permanent impairment or disability
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Property damage

For people with catastrophic injuries, future damages can become particularly important. The financial impact of a life-changing injury may continue for decades.

Weir & Kestner works to pursue compensation that accounts for the future rather than allowing an insurance company to treat a serious injury as a collection of bills that have already been incurred.

Punitive Damages in Drunk Driving Cases

Most compensation in a personal injury case is intended to compensate the injured person for losses caused by the accident. These are commonly referred to as compensatory damages.

Tennessee law also allows punitive damages in certain cases. Punitive damages serve a different purpose. Rather than compensating a victim for a particular loss, they are intended to punish especially wrongful conduct and deter similar behavior.

Punitive damages are not available in every drunk driving case, and Tennessee imposes specific legal standards and procedures for obtaining them. Whether they may be appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case.

When the conduct that caused an accident is reckless and can be proven with clear and convincing evidence, our attorneys pursue punitive damages in addition to compensation for the victim’s injuries and other losses.

A DUI Conviction Does Not Mean an Insurer Will Pay Fairly

It is easy to assume that a drunk driving accident claim should be straightforward, particularly if the driver was arrested or convicted. Liability, however, is only part of a personal injury case. An insurance company may have difficulty disputing that its insured caused a collision while impaired but still aggressively dispute how much the injured person should receive. For example, the insurer may question whether all of your medical treatment was necessary. It may argue that your symptoms should have resolved sooner, attribute some of your condition to a prior injury, challenge your lost earnings, or dispute the amount necessary for future care. It may also undervalue losses that do not come with a simple invoice, such as chronic pain, permanent physical limitations, emotional suffering, or the loss of activities that were important to you.

That means the fight in a drunk driving case may ultimately center less on who caused the accident and more on what the insurance company is willing to pay for the damage its insured caused.

Weir & Kestner is prepared for that fight.

Our Insurance Defense Background Gives Us a Different Perspective

Both partners at Weir & Kestner started their careers in insurance defense. We saw firsthand how insurance companies approach personal injury cases from the other side. We learned how claims are evaluated, how insurers assess risk, how settlement decisions are made, and which arguments may be used to limit payments.

Today, our responsibility is to injured people.

Our defense background allows us to anticipate insurance strategies and build our approach around the issues most likely to affect a client’s recovery. When an insurer makes an inadequate settlement offer, we can explain why it falls short and push for more. When the company refuses to value a case fairly, we are prepared to pursue the claim through litigation.

Our objective is not simply to resolve your case as quickly as possible. It is to pursue a result that fairly compensates you for what the drunk driver took from you.

Insurance Limits Can Matter After a Serious Accident

Drunk driving accidents can cause damages far beyond the amount of insurance carried by the person who caused the collision. Tennessee’s minimum automobile liability limits may be insufficient when someone suffers a catastrophic injury. Hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, months of lost wages, and future medical needs can quickly result in losses that exceed minimum coverage.

An attorney can evaluate the available avenues for compensation based on the circumstances and applicable insurance policies.

This can be particularly important in cases involving severe or permanent injuries. Accepting a settlement without understanding the insurance coverage and the full extent of your damages can leave you responsible for substantial future costs.

Personal Representation During a Difficult Time

After a drunk driving collision, you may be angry about what happened, worried about your future, and exhausted by medical treatment. You should not have to spend your recovery repeatedly calling a law office just to find out what is happening with your case.

At Weir & Kestner, every client receives a dedicated case manager who helps provide communication and support throughout the case. Clients also have access to an attorney from the beginning.

We want you to understand your options and feel comfortable asking questions. We also want to take as much of the insurance burden off your shoulders as possible.

While you focus on your health and your family, we focus on pursuing the financial recovery you need.

Frequently Asked Questions About Murfreesboro Drunk Driving Accidents

Is the criminal DUI case the same as my personal injury case?

No. A DUI prosecution is a criminal proceeding brought by the government and can result in criminal penalties against the driver. Your personal injury case is a civil claim through which you can seek compensation for the injuries and losses the driver caused you. The two matters can arise from the same collision but serve different purposes.

Do I have to wait for the drunk driver’s criminal case to end before pursuing compensation?

Not necessarily. A civil injury claim and a criminal DUI prosecution proceed separately. You should speak with a personal injury attorney promptly rather than assuming you must wait for the criminal case to conclude, particularly because Tennessee imposes a short limitations period on many personal injury claims.

Can I recover punitive damages from a drunk driver?

Punitive damages may be available in appropriate Tennessee cases, but they do not automatically apply simply because alcohol was involved. Tennessee imposes specific requirements for punitive damages. An attorney can evaluate the driver’s conduct and determine whether pursuing punitive damages is appropriate.

What happens if my injuries are worth more than the drunk driver’s liability insurance?

This can become a significant issue in serious injury cases. An attorney can review the applicable insurance policies and circumstances to determine whether additional sources of compensation may be available. You should not assume that the amount of the driver’s stated liability coverage necessarily establishes the maximum possible recovery without having your case reviewed.

How long do I have to bring a drunk driving accident claim in Tennessee?

Tennessee has a one-year statute of limitations for personal injury actions, subject to certain exceptions, including some cases involving criminal charges, but those rules are fact-specific. Because missing the applicable deadline can prevent you from recovering compensation, you should have an attorney determine the deadline that applies to your case.

Talk to a Murfreesboro Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

You did not choose to be injured by a drunk driver, and you should not have to face the financial consequences without an advocate on your side.

Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers helps drunk driving accident victims pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, permanent injuries, future needs, and other losses. Our attorneys’ previous insurance defense experience gives us valuable insight into the companies responsible for paying claims, while our client-centered approach means you have a dedicated case manager and access to a lawyer when you need guidance.

Contact Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation with a Murfreesboro drunk driving accident lawyer. You owe us no attorney’s fee unless we secure compensation for you.