If you were hurt in a wreck in Blountville or anywhere in Sullivan County, attorney Robert Bates can help. Robert is a Kingsport trial lawyer who handles injury cases and nothing else, and he has represented injured people across Northeast Tennessee for more than 15 years. Call or text him at (423) 765-1215.
Where Sullivan County wrecks happen
Blountville sits in the middle of the Tri-Cities, and the traffic shows it. Interstate 81 runs just north of town, and I-26 meets I-81 at the Exit 8 cloverleaf only a few miles away. Highway 394 and Highway 126 carry commuters between Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City, and Tri-Cities Airport traffic adds to the mix.
Where your case is filed
Blountville is the Sullivan County seat, and the only county seat in Tennessee that is not an incorporated town. Sullivan County makes up Tennessee’s Second Judicial District, and a Sullivan County wreck case may be heard in Blountville, Bristol or Kingsport. Robert’s office is in Kingsport, so these are his home courts.
An 83-year-old driver hit by a company vehicle. $500,000.
Robert’s client was 83 years old when a vehicle owned by a local company hit her car at an intersection in Kingsport on a rainy evening. She broke her ankle, her sternum and several ribs, and hurt her knee. The defense argued that some of her fractures were old.
Robert sued the driver, the vehicle’s owner and the company in Sullivan County. The case settled for $500,000 just before her doctors were set to testify.
Every case is different. A past result does not guarantee the same outcome in your case.
After the wreck
People hurt in Blountville wrecks are usually taken to Bristol Regional Medical Center, Holston Valley Medical Center or Indian Path in Kingsport. Keep every bill, photo and insurance letter. Tennessee generally gives you only one year from the date of the wreck to file a personal injury lawsuit.
You never have to come to Robert’s office. 99 out of 100 of his clients hire him without leaving home. You call or text, you talk with Robert, and you sign the paperwork on your phone, even from a hospital bed.
Common questions after a Blountville wreck
A driver in a rental car from the airport hit me. Can I sue the rental company?
Usually not for the way the renter drove. A federal law, the Graves Amendment, generally protects rental companies from being blamed just because they own the car. The claim is against the driver, and the driver’s own insurance or the coverage bought at the rental counter often pays. Robert sorts out which policies apply.
The other driver says I was partly at fault. Can I still recover?
Yes, in most cases. Tennessee uses modified comparative fault. You can recover as long as you are less than 50 percent at fault, and your award is cut by your share of the blame. Insurance companies push that percentage as high as they can, so do not agree with their version of the wreck.
Who pays my medical bills while my case is open?
While the case is open, your own health insurance and any medical payments coverage on your car policy usually pay first. The at-fault driver’s insurance company does not pay as you go. It pays once at the end. Your health insurer may then want to be paid back, and Robert negotiates that number down so more of the money stays with you.
How long do I have to file?
Most Tennessee injury claims must be filed within one year of the wreck. If the at-fault driver was criminally charged, the deadline may stretch to two years, but that exception is read strictly. Call Robert early so the evidence can be saved.
Hurt in a wreck? Don’t wait. Call Bates.
Call or text Robert directly at (423) 765-1215. Free consultation. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.