A silver semi-truck loaded with large industrial pipes secured by yellow straps drives on a highway.

Were You Hurt in a Truck Accident?

You may be entitled to significant compensation, and a truck accident lawyer in Chattanooga from The McMahan Law Firm, Chattanooga’s largest personal injury law firm, is ready to hear your case and fight for you. With extensive experience in handling truck accident claims, we are dedicated to helping you pursue the justice and compensation you could be entitled to. Don't wait! Reach out today for the legal representation you need during this challenging time.

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Your Chattanooga Truck Accident Lawyer

Chattanooga sits at the crossroads of 3 major interstates (i.e., I-24, I-75, and I-59) making it one of the most active commercial trucking corridors in the eastern United States. Thousands of tractor-trailers, tanker trucks, flatbeds, and delivery vehicles pass through Hamilton County every day. When a crash involving one of those vehicles occurs, the consequences for the people in its path are often catastrophic.

If you were injured in a truck accident caused by another party’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, long-term rehabilitation costs, and the pain and disruption you have suffered. The McMahan Law Firm has represented injured people across Chattanooga and surrounding Tennessee communities for decades, and our legal team is prepared to help you understand your options after a serious trucking collision.

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to review your case at no charge. Call today for a free consultation.

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Getting Help Is Simple

The McMahan Law Firm strives to make getting help as simple as possible. Reach out now, and our team will start reviewing your claim right away. With our help, finding out your legal options has never been easier.

You Deserve Compensation

Don’t let the insurance company or anyone else tell you what your claim is worth. You may deserve compensation for your losses, and our Chattanooga personal injury attorneys will fight for the maximum amount possible.

No Fees Unless We Win

We believe everyone should have access to a quality attorney after an accident. That’s why we offer our legal services on a contingency-fee basis. So, you’ll never owe us a penny unless we win your case.

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What Our Clients Are Saying About Us

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Why Truck Accidents Are Common in Chattanooga

Chattanooga’s location makes it a major transportation hub for commercial trucking companies throughout the Southeast.

Several major highways converge in the area, including:

  • I-24
  • I-75
  • I-59
  • U.S. Route 27
  • Highway 153

These roads connect Chattanooga to Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham, and beyond. Because of this heavy commercial traffic, drivers throughout Hamilton County regularly share the road with:

  • Tractor-trailers
  • Delivery trucks
  • Tanker trucks
  • Logging trucks
  • Flatbed trucks
  • Amazon and FedEx delivery vehicles
  • Utility trucks
  • Construction vehicles

Large trucks require more time to stop, make wider turns, and have significant blind spots. When truck drivers or trucking companies fail to operate safely, the results can be devastating.

Do I Have a Truck Accident Case?

If another party’s negligence contributed to your truck accident, you may have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim.

You may have a case if:

  • A truck driver violated traffic laws
  • The trucking company ignored safety regulations
  • The truck was improperly maintained
  • Cargo was loaded unsafely
  • The truck driver was distracted, fatigued, or impaired
  • A defective truck part contributed to the crash

Truck accident claims often involve substantial medical expenses, time away from work, and long-term recovery needs. Our legal team can review your situation and help determine whether you may be entitled to pursue compensation.

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Our Truck Accident Results Speak For Themselves!

18-Wheeler/Wrongful Death

$975,000.00

Truck Accident

$850,000.00

18-Wheeler Accident

$700,000.00

Commercial Vehicle Accident

$650,000.00

Commercial Vehicle Accident

$500,000.00

Truck Accident

$500,000.00

18-Wheeler Accident

$462,000.00

18-Wheeler Accident

$450,000.00

18-Wheeler Accident

$300,000.00

Truck Accident

$200,000.00

Truck Accident

$90,000.00

See More Results

Common Types of Truck Accidents

Commercial truck accidents can happen in many different ways. Some of the common accident types we see include:

A jackknife accident happens when the trailer swings outward and forms an angle with the cab. These crashes often occur during sudden braking or slick road conditions.

Underride crashes occur when a smaller vehicle slides underneath a commercial trailer. These accidents frequently result in catastrophic injuries.

Large trucks can roll over during sharp turns, sudden maneuvers, or cargo shifts. In some cases, those who loaded the cargo may be held responsible.

Because tractor-trailers require longer stopping distances, rear-end crashes involving trucks can be severe.

Commercial trucks have large blind spots along the sides and rear of the vehicle. Drivers who fail to check these areas carefully may collide with nearby vehicles.

Large trucks often require additional space when turning. Drivers who misjudge these turns can strike nearby vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians.

Improperly secured cargo can spill into traffic and create dangerous roadway hazards.

Common Causes of Chattanooga Truck Accidents

Truck accidents often involve preventable negligence, such as:

  • Driver Fatigue: Federal hours-of-service regulations are intended to limit how long truck drivers can remain on the road without rest. Even so, fatigue remains a major issue in the trucking industry.
  • Distracted Driving: Texting, GPS use, dispatch communication, and other distractions can take a driver’s attention away from the road.
  • Speeding: Commercial trucks traveling at high speeds require significantly more distance to stop safely.
  • Aggressive Driving: Truck drivers under pressure to meet delivery deadlines may follow too closely, change lanes aggressively, or exceed speed limits.
  • Improper Maintenance: Brake failures, tire blowouts, steering issues, and mechanical defects may result from inadequate inspections or poor maintenance practices.
  • Unsafe Cargo Loading: Improperly balanced or unsecured cargo can increase rollover risks and lead to shifting loads.
  • Driving Under the Influence: Alcohol or drug impairment can severely affect a commercial driver’s reaction time and judgment.
  • Poor Weather Conditions: Heavy rain, fog, steep grades, and congested interstate traffic around Chattanooga can make truck accidents more likely.

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Truck Accident Hotspots in Chattanooga

Certain roads and intersections in the Chattanooga area frequently experience heavy truck traffic and serious collisions.

Common truck accident areas may include:

  • I-24 near the Ridge Cut
  • I-75 near East Brainerd
  • The I-24/I-75 split
  • Highway 153
  • U.S. 27 near downtown Chattanooga
  • Amnicola Highway industrial areas
  • Interstate construction zones throughout Hamilton County

Heavy congestion, steep terrain, construction, and merging traffic can all increase accident risks in these areas.

Choose Board Certified—Not Just Billboard

Advertising can make a law firm familiar, but it doesn’t tell you whether an attorney has demonstrated advanced qualifications in civil trial law. Board certification does.

Jay Kennamer, Brent Burks, and Herbert Thornbury are Board Certified Civil Trial Specialists through the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Board certification is voluntary and requires qualifications beyond those needed to practice law. Certification standards include substantial involvement in the practice area, peer review, additional legal education, and a written examination.

For an injured client, this distinction provides meaningful information when choosing a lawyer. It shows that an attorney’s civil trial knowledge and experience have been evaluated through an independent certification process—not simply described in an advertisement.

Why Trial Experience Matters Even If Your Case Settles

Many personal injury cases settle without a trial, but the strength of a settlement claim depends partly on whether the legal team is prepared to take the case further. Insurance companies evaluate the evidence, the damages, and the risk they would face if a lawsuit proceeds.

A board-certified civil trial attorney can prepare the case with that possibility in mind from the beginning. This may include preserving evidence, interviewing witnesses, documenting future losses, working with qualified professionals, and developing a clear account of how the catastrophic injury changed the client’s life.

Board certification doesn’t guarantee a particular result. It does, however, help injured people identify attorneys who have met recognized standards in civil trial advocacy.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Truck accidents often result in severe or catastrophic injuries because of the massive size difference between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles.

Common injuries include:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Neck and back injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Crush injuries
  • Internal organ damage
  • Severe burns
  • Nerve damage
  • Amputations
  • Permanent disabilities

Some injuries may require surgeries, rehabilitation, mobility assistance, or long-term medical care.

What Compensation Can I Recover?

Truck accident victims may be able to pursue compensation for both financial and personal losses. The compensation in your case may include both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages may include:

  • Emergency medical treatment
  • Hospital bills
  • Surgeries
  • Physical therapy
  • Prescription medications
  • Future medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Loss of future earning capacity
  • Property damage

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages may include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Mental anguish
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Permanent impairment
  • Disfigurement

The value of a truck accident claim depends on factors such as the severity of injuries, insurance coverage, long-term medical needs, and liability issues.

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When a Truck Accident Causes Long-Term Work Limitations

Because of their size and force, truck accidents can leave people with catastrophic injuries, permanent impairments, and long recoveries. A truck accident claim may help you pursue compensation for medical treatment, lost income, future care, and reduced earning capacity, but when an injury is expected to keep you from sustaining regular work for at least 12 months, you may also need to consider whether Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) could provide support.

The McMahan Law Firm offers one team for your injury and your future. We can address the legal claim arising from the crash and help you understand whether your long-term condition may support a Social Security disability claim.

How Truck Accident Cases Differ From Car Accident Cases

Truck accident cases are often significantly more complex than standard passenger vehicle accidents.

Federal Trucking Regulations

Commercial trucking companies and drivers must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations involving:

  • Driver hours
  • Vehicle inspections
  • Maintenance
  • Drug testing
  • Cargo securement
  • Driver qualifications

Violations of these regulations may help establish negligence.

Multiple Insurance Policies

Truck accident claims often involve large commercial insurance policies with aggressive defense teams.

More Severe Injuries

Truck crashes frequently result in catastrophic injuries and higher-value claims.

Corporate Defendants

The trucking company may deploy investigators and insurance representatives immediately after the crash to protect its interests.

The Insiders Know How Trucking Companies Defend Claims

Trucking companies and their insurers often begin protecting themselves soon after a crash. They may send investigators to the scene, review the driver’s account, examine electronic truck data, and look for facts they can use to place blame elsewhere or limit the company’s responsibility.

The Insiders know where trucking cases can become vulnerable. A company may control driver logs, maintenance records, inspection reports, dashcam footage, and electronic data that could help explain what happened. If those records aren’t identified and preserved early, the company may have more control over the story the evidence tells.

Our attorneys know how to respond when a trucking company begins building its defense. We work to preserve the records and data that matter, examine whether the driver and company followed safety rules, identify every potentially responsible party, and prepare the claim with the insurance company’s tactics in mind.

Who May Be Liable for a Truck Accident?

Truck accident claims may involve several potentially responsible parties.

Liable parties may include:

  • The truck driver
  • The trucking company
  • Cargo loading companies
  • Maintenance providers
  • Truck leasing companies
  • Vehicle manufacturers
  • Manufacturers of defective truck parts

Determining liability often requires extensive investigation and evidence review by an experienced truck accident attorney.

Important Evidence in Truck Accident Claims

Evidence can disappear quickly after a trucking accident, making early investigation important. The McMahan Law Firm can obtain the police accident report for you at no cost and take steps to identify and preserve other evidence that may help explain how the crash occurred.

Critical evidence may include:

  • The police accident report
  • Officer body-camera footage
  • Traffic-camera or nearby surveillance video
  • Truck and passenger-vehicle dashcam footage
  • Event data recorder (EDR) or other electronic vehicle data
  • Driver logbooks and electronic logging-device data
  • Inspection reports
  • Maintenance and repair records
  • Driver qualification files
  • Cell phone records
  • Drug and alcohol testing records
  • Witness statements

A truck’s electronic data may reveal information about speed, braking, steering, engine operation, or other events leading up to a collision. This evidence can be especially important when the trucking company or driver disputes how the crash happened.

The McMahan Law Firm has a certified electronic data-retrieval expert in-house. When vehicle data may be relevant, that capability helps our team act quickly to retrieve it before important information is lost. Because trucking companies may only retain certain records for a limited time, contacting an attorney promptly can help protect evidence needed for your claim.

What to Do After a Truck Accident in Chattanooga

Taking the right steps after a truck accident can protect your health and your legal claim.

Your health should come first after a truck accident. Even if you feel okay, call 911 if anyone is hurt, vehicles are blocking traffic, or there is major property damage. Emergency responders can treat injuries at the scene, transport anyone who needs urgent care, and help make sure the accident is properly reported.

Prompt medical care also creates a record of your injuries. This can help connect your injuries to the truck accident if you decide to file an insurance claim or lawsuit later. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan, attend follow-up appointments, and keep copies of all medical records, prescriptions, bills, and discharge papers.

If you’re physically able and it’s safe to do so, take photos and videos before vehicles are moved or debris is cleared. Truck accident scenes can change quickly, and photos may help show what happened.

Try to photograph:

  • Vehicle damage
  • The truck, trailer, and license plates
  • Road conditions
  • Traffic signs and signals
  • Debris in the road
  • Skid marks
  • Visible injuries
  • Weather conditions
  • The position of the vehicles
  • Any nearby cameras or businesses that may have footage

Photos can help preserve details that may otherwise be lost. They may also help accident reconstruction professionals, lawyers, and insurance companies better understand how the crash occurred.

After a truck accident, an insurance adjuster may contact you and ask for a recorded statement. You should be careful before agreeing to one. Insurance companies may use your words to reduce the value of your claim, shift blame onto you, or argue that your injuries are not as serious as you say.

You should avoid guessing about what happened, downplaying your pain, apologizing, or making statements about fault. Even simple comments can be taken out of context. Instead of giving a recorded statement, tell the insurance company to speak with your attorneys at The McMahan Law Firm. Our team can handle communication with the insurance company and help protect your claim.

Truck accident claims often involve more evidence than regular car accident claims. In addition to your own records, key evidence may include the truck driver’s logs, maintenance records, inspection reports, cargo records, dashcam footage, black box data, and company safety records.

You can help protect your claim by saving:

  • Medical records
  • Medical bills
  • Prescription receipts
  • Photos and videos
  • Repair estimates
  • Towing receipts
  • Rental car receipts
  • Lost wage records
  • Emails, letters, and texts from insurance companies
  • The names and contact information of witnesses

Keep everything related to the accident in one place. Don’t repair or dispose of damaged personal property until you’ve documented it.

Truck accident cases can be more complex than standard car accident claims. Several parties may be involved, including the truck driver, trucking company, maintenance company, cargo loading company, truck manufacturer, or insurance carriers.

A truck accident lawyer can investigate the accident, identify who may be responsible, gather evidence, communicate with insurance companies, and help calculate your losses. Acting quickly can make a difference because trucking companies and other parties may only retain records, video footage, and electronic vehicle data for a limited time. Our attorneys can take steps to preserve that evidence before it is overwritten, lost, or otherwise becomes unavailable.

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Tennessee Truck Accident Laws

Tennessee Statute of Limitations

In most Tennessee truck accident cases, injured individuals generally have 1 year from the date of the accident to pursue a personal injury claim.

Wrongful death claims are also generally subject to a 1-year deadline. Certain exceptions may apply depending on the circumstances.

Modified Comparative Fault

Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault system. If you’re found to be less than 50% at fault, you may still recover compensation. However, your compensation may be reduced based on your percentage of fault.

Trucking Regulations

Commercial trucking companies operating in Tennessee must comply with both state and federal safety regulations.

Violations involving maintenance, inspections, hours-of-service requirements, or driver qualifications may become important in a truck accident claim.

Wrongful Death Truck Accident Claims

Some truck accidents tragically result in fatal injuries. If your family lost a loved one in a truck accident caused by negligence, you may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Compensation in a wrongful death case may involve:

  • Funeral expenses
  • Medical bills related to the accident
  • Loss of financial support
  • Loss of companionship
  • Emotional suffering

Truck accident wrongful death cases often involve extensive investigation into the trucking company, driver conduct, maintenance history, and crash evidence.

Chattanooga Truck Accident FAQs

A truck accident case may take a few months to resolve, but some cases take longer. The timeline depends on the severity of your injuries, the amount of available evidence, whether the trucking company disputes fault, and whether the insurance company offers a fair settlement. If a lawsuit is needed, the case may take more time.

Many truck drivers who pass through Chattanooga are from outside Tennessee. You may still be able to pursue a claim in Tennessee if the crash happened here. Interstate trucking cases can involve out-of-state drivers, trucking companies, and insurers, but the location of the accident often plays a major role in where the claim can be filed.

A trucking company may deny responsibility after a crash, but that doesn’t mean you dn’t have a case. Evidence such as black box data, driver logs, maintenance records, inspection reports, witness statements, crash scene photos, and violations of federal trucking rules may help show what happened and who is responsible.

Many truck accident cases settle before trial. A settlement may be possible if the evidence clearly shows fault and the insurance company agrees to pay fair compensation. However, some cases go to court when the trucking company or insurer disputes fault, denies the severity of your injuries, or refuses to make a fair offer.

The McMahan Law Firm handles truck accident cases on a contingency-fee basis. This means you don’t pay attorney fees upfront. Attorney fees are only collected if compensation is recovered for your case.

How The McMahan Law Firm Can Help

Truck accident cases often require immediate investigation and extensive evidence collection.

Our legal team can:

  • Investigate the cause of the crash
  • Identify and preserve time-sensitive trucking evidence, including video footage, company records, and electronic vehicle data
  • Identify liable parties
  • Review trucking company records
  • Work with accident reconstruction professionals
  • Handle communication with insurance companies
  • Evaluate long-term damages
  • Prepare cases for litigation if necessary

The McMahan Law Firm has represented catastrophic injury victims throughout Chattanooga and surrounding Tennessee communities for decades. We understand the challenges injured individuals and families face after serious trucking accidents, and we are committed to helping clients pursue the compensation they could deserve.

Our Chattanooga Truck Accident Attorneys

Attorney Jay Kennamer

Attorney Jay Kennamer

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Attorney Brent Burks

Attorney Brent Burks

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Attorney William Joe Hollis, Jr. - McMahan Law Firm

Attorney W. Joseph “Joe” Hollis, Jr.

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Attorney Herbert Thornbury - McMahan Law Firm

Attorney Herbert Thornbury

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Attorney Katie Reed from The McMahan Law Firm in Chattanooga.

Attorney Katie Reed

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Gerard M Siciliano, Personal Injury Lawyer from The McMahan Law Firm in Chattanooga

Attorney Gerard M. Siciliano

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Attorney Mike Richardson of The McMahan Law Firm

Attorney Mike Richardson

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Contact a Chattanooga Truck Accident Lawyer

If you were injured in a truck accident in Chattanooga or the surrounding area, contact The McMahan Law Firm for a FREE case review. Our attorneys can review your situation, explain your legal options, and help you determine the next steps after a serious truck accident.

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