What to do after a Fender Bender in Tennessee

Getting into a car accident can be a jolting experience, whether it’s a fender bender or a major collision. And, depending on where you live, there are different ways to ensure that your rights are protected in the case of a car wreck.

Because each state has different laws and regulations surrounding car accidents of different types, it’s important to research what you should do in the event of a car accident in your area.

This article focuses on the proper steps to take after you’ve been in a fender bender (or minor car accident) in Tennessee, how to protect yourself and your rights, and whether or not you should call an accident lawyer after the wreck.

What is a Fender Bender?

“Fender Bender” is a term used to describe a minor car accident in which there is damage to a vehicle but not necessarily the persons involved.

Fender benders generally happen at lower speeds, and said damage is minimal enough to leave the cars involved still fully functional.

Do You Have to Report a Fender Bender in Tennessee?

While many states have different laws on reporting car accidents of any magnitude, Tennessee law requires drivers involved in vehicular accidents that involve injury to a person or cause more than $400 in property damage (including vehicle damage) to report said accidents within 20 days.

So, even if you don’t think you were injured or your car was severely damaged, it’s important to see your primary care physician and your mechanic in the days that follow a fender bender. This will ensure that you are following the law closely.

Where to report your fender bender in Tennessee?

If a police report isn’t filed on the day of the accident, you have 20 days to contact the Tennessee Department of Safety to report a car wreck you were involved in.

What happens if I don’t file a personal accident report with the Department of Safety in Tennessee?

Should a fender bender result in more than $400 worth of damage or personal injury, and you don’t report it, your license can be suspended, and you can lose registration privileges. Because this can be a costly repercussion, you may find that it’s in your best interest to report a fender bender to the Tennessee Department of Safety, even before you get confirmation on the cost of damages to your vehicle.

Do You Have to Call the 9-1-1 After a Minor Accident in Tennessee?

While it’s not necessary to call 9-1-1 after a minor traffic accident where there are no visible or apparent injuries and the vehicles can be moved safely out of traffic, TN.gov does state that you should call the non-emergency number in your area to ensure that authorities know where the accident occurred and whether or not it is impeding traffic.

If you or another party has sustained injuries in the accident, it’s important to call 9-1-1 to ensure the proper care is given to the injured party in a timely manner. This is especially true if there is a head injury involved, as some head injuries may seem less severe than they actually are.

Potential Injuries from Minor Car Accidents

Even low-speed collisions can cause serious medical issues, including concussions and whiplash. The most common type of brain injury after a minor car accident is a concussion, which may occur without direct head contact. This happens when sudden acceleration or deceleration causes the brain to move violently inside the skull, potentially damaging brain cells and disrupting normal brain function.

Symptoms of a concussion may include:

• Headache or pressure in the head
• Confusion or memory problems
• Nausea or dizziness
• Sensitivity to light or noise

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, around 2.8 million people in the U.S. suffer a traumatic brain injury each year.

Other common injuries in car accidents may include the following:

• Whiplash, which affects the neck and upper spine
• Soft tissue injuries, such as bruises or muscle strain
• Back pain, sometimes signaling a herniated disc

Never assume you’re fine after a fender bender; some injuries can take hours or days to appear. Left untreated, these conditions may worsen or delay healing. Prompt medical evaluation not only protects your health but also creates a record that can support your legal claim, should compensation become necessary.

When Should You Call an Auto Accident Lawyer in Tennessee?

If you were in a fender bender in Tennessee, it’s important to protect your rights and ensure that you are given the proper compensation for personal injury or property damage. If you were injured in the wreck, you can call a personal injury lawyer near you within one year of the accident to help you through your claim.

Additionally, if the property damage to your vehicle was extensive enough for an insurance claim and you sustained injury, consider doing additional research before accepting what you’re initially offered by the insurance company. Getting a free consultation from a car crash lawyer in your area might help you recover more than the first offer.

Steps to Take After You’ve Been in a Fender Bender in Tennessee

When you’re in a fender bender, you may initially feel angry that your car has been damaged or that your day is off track. However, it’s important to focus on the situation at hand, not how it has affected you.

Here are the steps you should take immediately after you’ve been in a fender bender in Tennessee:

1. Assess your situation. Make sure that you, your passengers, and the person or persons in the other vehicle are all alright. Check for visible injuries and ask the other parties if they are feeling any pain or damage. If anyone involved in the accident is injured, call 9-1-1 immediately, and don’t attempt to move any injured person.
2. If possible, move the vehicles involved. If no one involved in the wreck has apparent injuries, be sure to safely move all vehicles involved out of the roadways. This will help ensure traffic can continue to move smoothly as well as keep the roads safe for other drivers who may not know an accident has occurred.
3. Call the non-emergency number in your area. If you haven’t called 9-1-1 due to an injury, be sure to look up the non-emergency number in your area and call right away. When dispatch answers, give them all the information about the accident, including the vehicles involved and your location. Follow the instructions given to you by the operator to ensure you’re safe and following the law.
4. Be sure to exchange contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved in the fender bender. This will help you down the road, should you have to file an insurance claim or contact personal injury lawyers near you.
5. File a report. As stated above, you must file a report within 20 days of your fender bender, if that fender bender resulted in injuries or more than $400 worth of property damage.
6. Contact a car accident attorney near you. While not all fender benders in Tennessee will require getting an attorney involved, if the accident resulted in injuries or extreme property damage, contacting a car wreck lawyer could help you get the compensation you deserve.

If you’ve been injured in a fender bender in Tennessee, you can contact Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. Call 800-800-4600 to learn more.

Contact a car accident attorney near you in Tennessee:

• Nashville car accident lawyer
• Clarksville car accident lawyer
• Murfreesboro car accident lawyer
• Gallatin car accident lawyer 
• Columbia car accident lawyer 

Contact a car accident attorney near you in Kentucky:

• Louisville Car Accident Lawyer
• Lexington Car Accident Lawyer
• Bowling Green Car Accident Lawyer
• Elizabethtown car accident lawyer