Riding through the scenic mountains and valleys surrounding Chattanooga offers motorcyclists unparalleled freedom and exhilaration. However, this joy can turn to distress in seconds when accidents occur. At Dennis & Winningham, our dedicated legal team stands ready to support motorcycle accident victims during their most difficult moments.
Motorcycle accidents often result in severe injuries that change lives forever. The physical, emotional, and financial toll can overwhelm victims and their families. Our Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer brings decades of combined experience to help riders recover the compensation they deserve.
Why Motorcycle Accidents in Chattanooga Require Specialized Legal Help
Chattanooga presents unique challenges for motorcyclists. The city’s combination of urban traffic, winding mountain roads, and seasonal tourism creates distinctive risk factors. Local roads like Highway 153, Interstate 24, and the curves of Signal Mountain Road each present their hazards for riders.
Tennessee law applies differently to motorcycle accidents compared to standard auto accidents. For example, Tennessee follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This becomes especially important in motorcycle cases where bias against riders can unfairly influence fault determination.
Motorcycle accidents also typically result in more catastrophic injuries than car accidents. Without the protective shell of a vehicle, riders often suffer:
- Traumatic brain injuries despite helmet use
- Spinal cord damage leading to paralysis
- Multiple fractures requiring surgical intervention
- Road rash causing permanent scarring and disability
- Internal injuries that may not be immediately apparent
These severe injuries demand appropriate compensation that accounts for both current and future medical needs. Our Chattanooga motorcycle accident attorneys work with medical experts to document the full extent of your injuries and their long-term impact.
How Dennis & Winningham Protects Your Rights After a Motorcycle Crash
When you contact our firm following a motorcycle accident, we immediately begin working to protect your legal rights. Insurance companies often attempt to minimize payouts to injured motorcyclists. They might contact you quickly with settlement offers that fail to address your long-term needs.
Our legal team handles all communication with insurance companies, preventing them from using your statements against you. We collect and preserve critical evidence, including:
- Traffic camera footage from Chattanooga intersections
- Witness statements from people who saw the accident
- Police reports documenting the crash scene
- Medical records detailing your injuries
- Expert testimony regarding accident reconstruction
This thorough approach allows us to build compelling cases that demonstrate the full impact of your accident. We negotiate aggressively but can also take your case to trial when necessary to secure fair compensation.
Compensation Available for Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident Victims
Tennessee law allows motorcycle accident victims to pursue compensation for various damages. Our Chattanooga motorcycle accident attorneys fight for recovery of:
- Medical expenses form a significant portion of most motorcycle accident claims. This includes emergency care at facilities, physical therapy, and any necessary long-term treatment or adaptive equipment.
- Lost income becomes crucial when injuries prevent you from working. We calculate not only your current lost wages but also diminished future earning capacity if your injuries cause permanent limitations.
- Pain and suffering compensation acknowledges the physical pain and emotional trauma resulting from your accident. This non-economic damage often represents a substantial portion of motorcycle accident settlements.
- Property damage coverage helps replace or repair your motorcycle and damaged personal property, such as protective gear, communication devices, and other items.
Chattanooga Statistics Regarding Motorcycle Accidents
According to WATE News, there were 154 fatal motorcycle accidents across the state of Tennessee in 2022, making up 11.7 percent of the total fatal crashes in the state. Statistics from tn.gov reported 2,875 total motorcycle accidents in the state in 2021, up 7.l7 percent from 2020. Hamilton County had 199 motorcycle accidents in 2021. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, it is likely your injuries are severe. Contacting an experienced, knowledgeable Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law ensures that your rights and your future will be protected as we fight for a full and fair settlement on your behalf.
How Do Motorcycle Accidents Differ from Car Accidents?
Those on a motorcycle lack the protection offered by a passenger vehicle-a steel and glass “cage,” seat belts, and airbags specifically. Motorcyclists have virtually no protection other than a helmet, leaving them very vulnerable to injury. According to the NHTSA, motorcyclists are about 24 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to die in a motor vehicle crash and 4 times more likely to suffer serious injury. Almost 98 percent of motorcyclists involved in an accident will suffer moderate to severe or catastrophic injuries.
What Should I Do Following a Motorcycle Accident?
Your first priority following a motorcycle accident should always be to get medical attention as quickly as possible. The sooner you are seen by a doctor, the more likely you are to recover from your injuries. If you are able, while at the scene of the accident, do the following:
- Exchange information with the driver of the vehicle, including contact information and insurance information.
- Call 911 for police and EMS. Never allow the at-fault driver to persuade you not to contact the police. You need a police report for your future claim, and the report may assign liability, making it easier for you to secure a full and fair settlement.
- If there are witnesses to the accident, get contact information for them.
- Take photographs of the accident scene with your phone, including the damage to your motorcycle.
- Once you are home, write down any details you can remember about the accident.
- Call your own insurance company and give them the basic details of the accident.
- Contact an experienced Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law, who can handle all the legalities of your accident while you focus your attention on healing from your injuries.
If you have suffered injuries from a motorcycle accident, you will need medical treatment from a licensed physician. At Dennis & Winningham Law, we connect our clients to our network of specialists to get them back on the road to recovery. While our job is to provide legal assistance, we also care about our client’s well-being and will help them get the medical help they need.
Additionally, you will also need to provide credible medical evidence if they want to be successful in obtaining compensation. Whether negotiating with liable insurance companies, putting together worker’s compensation claims, or filing a lawsuit, an injured victim will have to provide medical records and proof that their injury was caused by the accident.
Receipts from medical expenses are also helpful in determining how much compensation is fair. As such, if you have been in a motorcycle accident, the attorneys at Dennis & Winningham Law highly recommend that you contact a doctor before a personal injury lawyer. The following resources could be helpful following a Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident:
- Chattanooga Fire Department– 2103 Hickory Valley Road, (423) 643-5600
- Chattanooga Police Department-3410 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 698-2525
- CHI Memorial Hospital-2525 Desales Avenue (423) 495-2525
- Physicians Care Walk-In Clinic (Urgent Care) 2021 Hamilton Place Blvd (423) 899-6222
Do I Have a Case and What Is It Worth?
Only a highly qualified, experienced Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer can tell you whether you have a case following your motorcycle accident. Whether you have a case will usually hinge on liability-specifically, whether it can be shown that the other driver caused the accident. Liability can be proven after a comprehensive investigation into the accident, gathering all relevant evidence, speaking to witnesses, obtaining the police report, and determining whether there is a video of the accident.
The worth of your case will depend on the extent of your injuries, how long it will realistically take your injuries to heal, whether you can return to work, and whether your injuries resulted in pain and suffering. Pain may include actual physical pain as well as emotional trauma and can include depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. As soon as you speak to a Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law, we will immediately begin investigating your accident and calculating your actual damages.
What Types of Damages Are Available in a Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident?
While every accident is unique, you will generally be entitled to receive economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that are easily quantified because they have a specific dollar amount attached. Economic damages include medical expenses, lost wages, and lost future wages.
Medical expenses include current and future expenses related to ambulance costs, surgical expenses, physician costs, the cost of prescription drugs, and rehabilitative therapy expenses. Calculations for lost future wages are based on your age, your level of education, your current position, and whether it can be reasonably assumed that you would have moved up in your career.
Non-economic damages are more difficult to quantify and place a monetary value on as they can be subjective. Non-economic damages include actual physical pain as well as emotional trauma. You may be asked to keep track of all the ways your emotional trauma makes it difficult for you to return to your normal day-to-day routine and your work. Emotional pain and trauma may also affect your enjoyment of life and your ability to look forward to your future.
How Does the Claims Process Work?
After comprehensively calculating your actual damages, your Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law will submit a demand letter for the total amount to the insurance company of the at-fault driver. Negotiations will take place, however, if the insurer refuses to offer a fair settlement amount, your attorney will file a lawsuit on your behalf. Most lawsuits settle outside of court, although some will be heard by a jury.
Your Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Have you or a loved one been injured in a motorcycle accident? Under the law, you may be legally entitled to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The personal injury lawyers at Dennis & Winningham Law can help you receive all that you are entitled to in your motorcycle accident case.
- Do not rely on insurance companies.
- You are our top priority.
- Stay away from a settlement mill.
We understand the hardship and loss that people suffer after a serious motorcycle accident. Accident victims and families in East Tennessee and North Georgia rely on the experienced motorcycle accident attorneys at Dennis & Winningham Law to help them in the aftermath of difficult situations.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
There is nothing that compares to riding on a motorcycle. While people love the thrill and liberating feeling of riding a motorcycle, motorcycle accidents continue to rise. Although motorcycles account for only 3% of registered motor vehicles, they make up 14% of all traffic fatalities. Other riders will survive the crash but be seriously injured.
Unfortunately, motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than drivers or passengers in automobiles. Motorcycles do not offer the same protections as a car or truck. Additionally, motorcycles do not have seat belts or shoulder harnesses. A motorcyclist is vulnerable to a direct hit on the legs and hips or is at risk of being thrown off the bike. As such, motorcycle accidents can result in serious injuries for their victims. Some common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Negligence: One of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents is negligence. This occurs when a motorcyclist or other motor vehicle operator disregards traffic laws and safety. The relevant traffic laws can be found here for Georgia and here for Tennessee. Common negligent causes of accidents include speeding, failure to signal, disregarding traffic signage, etc. Drunk driving or distracted driving would also qualify as negligence. In these cases, injured victims may be able to seek compensation from the at-fault negligent driver by filing a personal injury suit.
- Bad Weather: Bad weather can impair a motorcycle’s abilities (such as braking or handling). This can occur even when a rider is being careful, as wet or icy roadways can seriously impair the ability to control a bike. Sometimes even gusty breezes can jerk a motorcycle out of control.
- Poor Road Conditions: Poor road conditions such as potholes, construction work, untended train tracks, fallen branches, or oil spots can seriously impair riders. Debris falling from another vehicle can also force a biker to weave or brake suddenly, creating an accident or collision.
- Changing Lanes: Many accidents occur during lane changes or at intersections. A motorcycle’s presence is not always clear to other motorists due to blind spots. Drivers of other vehicles often don’t see motorcycles when they are in traffic. While these instances are unfortunate, failure to see another driver doesn’t qualify as an excuse under the law in any state.
- Drivers Opening Their Car Door After Parallel Parking: Unfortunately, this scenario happens much more often than you might think. A driver parks, then fails to properly look for oncoming motorcycles before opening their car door into traffic. An oncoming motorcyclist slams into the open door, catapulting them from their motorcycle and into traffic.
Experienced Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyers Tricia Dennis and Lupton Winningham are avid fans of motorcycles, but they also realize how serious motorcycle accidents can be. With over 75 years of combined experience between them, Dennis & Winningham Law Injury Law knows the legal process to achieve fair compensation for motorcycle crash victims. Contact one of our lawyers today to learn more about how to start your motorcycle accident claim.
Common Types of Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Motorcycle accidents can result in severe injuries that need substantial medical care. Oftentimes, they can completely change and impact the life of their victim and their loved ones. Common types of motorcycle accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Compound fractures
- Head injuries
- Brain injuries
- Neck Injuries
- Nerve damage
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Paralysis
- Burns, cuts, and abrasions
- Catastrophic injuries, including permanent disability
If you are seeking compensation for injuries resulting from a motorcycle crash, contact a Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer today. Do not risk being left without compensation by handling your motorcycle accident on your own!
Do Not Rely on Insurance Companies
Do not accept any claim before you speak with a Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer. Many large insurance companies have adopted settlement policies that encourage their adjusters to offer quick payments to persons involved in motorcycle accidents. Insurance adjusters will contact you or your family shortly after a motorcycle accident to try to gain your confidence. In doing so, insurance adjusters often try to present themselves as the friend of the injured person or the family of the person who was killed in an accident. The goal of such contact is to settle the case on terms as favorable as possible for the insurance company.
At Dennis & Winningham Law, You Are Our Top Priority
Dennis & Winningham Law are old-fashioned Chattanooga motorcycle lawyers who limit the number of cases we take so we can give top-flight personal service. We are not a big “settlement mill” that will merely process your case. We maintain a state-wide reputation for the care we take with each of our clients. Our clients are very important to us, and they always talk directly to an attorney and are never brushed aside to a paralegal or legal assistant. Experience the Dennis & Winningham Law difference. Give us a call today at (423) 556-9467 or fill out our contact form.
Experience, expertise, and exceptional dedication to the needs of every client is the cornerstone of our reputation. Since negligence causes so many accidents, it is important that anyone involved in an accident contact an experienced Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyer. Please remember that it is vital to act swiftly after you’ve been injured. The sooner you involve an attorney, the better we will be able to preserve evidence, gather essential witnesses, and address any other important factors.
You Deserve:
- Medical reimbursement
- Payment for past and future income loss
- Full compensation for pain and suffering
- Peace of mind in knowing your financial interests are being protected
- We Are There For You
- Same-day, evening, and weekend appointments
- Home and hospital visits for the severely injured
- Never a fee until we receive a settlement for you
- We will go to trial if a fair settlement is not obtained
- Serving Georgia and Tennessee
How Do I Choose the Right Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
If you have never hired a personal injury lawyer, it can seem like an overwhelming task at a time when you are dealing with your injuries, medical expenses, and the inability to return to work and make a living. At Dennis & Winningham Law, we understand your frustration and even anger about the situation you find yourself in through no fault of your own. Our qualifications as personal injury attorneys are unparalleled. We offer the following:
- You will work directly with our attorneys, rather than being handed off to a paralegal.
- We have more than 75 years of combined experience representing injured people in Southeast Tennessee and Georgia. As two of the most experienced personal injury lawyers in the area, we both have extensive trial experience as well as a positive record of successful appeals in the Tennessee Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, federal court, and U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Dennis & Winningham Law have a very focused caseload, making sure we have the necessary time and resources to devote to every case we take.
- We offer a level of flexibility not often seen-if you are unable to come to us because of your injuries, we will come to you, either at your home or in the hospital. If traditional office hours simply won’t work for you, we will work around your schedule, whether that means seeing you after hours or on weekends.
- We will craft a very tailored strategy for your claim, based on the facts and circumstances of your accident. When you hire Dennis & Winningham Law, you can rest assured that you will never receive a “cookie cutter” approach to your case.
- While we are a smaller law firm that offers highly individualized services to our clients, we also have the resources of a large law firm, including the ability to fully investigate your case and bring in expert witnesses when necessary.
- Our reputation is stellar in the industry-Lupton Winningham is one of the best trial lawyers and negotiators in Chattanooga while Tricia Dennis excels at legal and medical research, writing, valuation of cases, and educating clients on how to make the best legal decisions for their futures.
- Dennis & Winningham Law has a solid track record of success. We have a 4.9/5 rating on Google Reviews from satisfied clients, have had more than 2,000 cases and clients, with more than $60 million in settlements and verdicts.
How a Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident Lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law Can Help
Contact Dennis & Winningham Law today to schedule a free strategy session on how to best pursue your claim. During your complimentary strategy session with one of our established attorneys, we will assist you in creating a legal strategy on how to best pursue your claim, whether it be the result of a Chattanooga motorcycle accident, an auto accident claim, an 18-wheeler injury, or another kind of personal injury case. The sooner you learn about your legal rights, the better you will be able to recover all the benefits you are entitled to receive.
At Dennis & Winningham Law, we offer unwavering commitment to each and every client, always prioritizing your well-being above all else. Understanding that you and your case are unique, we offer thorough case preparation, effective communication, and highly personalized attention to you and your needs. Ensuring you receive top-tier legal representation is our goal as we seek justice on your behalf. Tricia Dennis and Lupton Winningham stand against any action that could compromise your health and future, working tirelessly to seek justice, accountability, and a full and fair settlement. Contact us today to schedule a free strategy session.
Our firm offers a free initial strategy session to all prospective clients, where you can discuss your case with Lupton Winningham or Tricia Dennis.
You have nothing to lose by calling our office at (423) 892-5533 or booking a free strategy session to speak with one of our experienced Chattanooga wrongful death lawyers.
Contact Our Chattanooga Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Today
The aftermath of a motorcycle accident creates tremendous stress for victims and their families. At Dennis & Winningham, we shoulder the legal burden so you can focus on healing. Our Chattanooga motorcycle accident attorneys provide personalized attention to each case, treating clients as individuals deserving of respect and comprehensive representation.
Contact our Chattanooga office today for a consultation about your motorcycle accident case. Let our experienced team fight for the justice and financial recovery you deserve.
