Tennessee Personal Injury Lawyers

Serious Injury and Wrongful Death Cases

Car wrecks remain the most common reason families call us. Our attorneys handle car accident claims involving distracted, drunk, and reckless drivers, along with motorcycle, pedestrian, bicycle, and uninsured motorist cases. Tractor-trailer crashes and other commercial vehicle cases call for quick action, because driver logs, maintenance records, and electronic data can disappear if no one moves to preserve them.

We also represent people living with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and other permanent harm, as well as families who have lost someone they love. After the death of a family member, we pursue accountability and the financial support a family needs to move forward, including lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life that was taken.

Vacation and Tourism Injuries in the Smoky Mountains and Beyond

Millions of people visit East Tennessee every year, and many of our clients are visitors who were hurt far from home. We handle injuries that happen at Dollywood and other Pigeon Forge attractions, in Gatlinburg rental cabins, on the roads and trails of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and at hotels, restaurants, outlet malls, and water parks throughout Sevier County. We also help people who were injured while touring Graceland in Memphis or spending a weekend in Nashville.

If you live out of state, you will not need to make the trip back to Tennessee for every step of your case. We have represented visitors from Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia, and other states who were hurt in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, and we handle the investigation, insurance negotiations, and court filings here while keeping you updated wherever you live. Our attorneys regularly take on amusement park and ride injuries, rafting and outdoor recreation injuries, and crashes involving tourists on busy roads like the Parkway.

Injuries inside the national park can raise unique legal questions. When a federal employee or agency is responsible, the claim falls under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which generally requires a written administrative claim to the government within two years before a lawsuit can be filed. When a private driver, tour company, or business caused the harm, the claim is handled like any other personal injury case, including Tennessee’s one-year filing deadline for injuries on the Tennessee side of the park.

Slip and Fall, Hot Tub, and Carbon Monoxide Injuries

Property owners in Tennessee must keep their premises reasonably safe and address hazards they know about or should have discovered. Our slip and fall and premises liability cases include falls on wet floors, broken pavement, poorly lit stairs, and icy walkways at grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, parking lots, and rental properties. Many of these falls lead to broken hips, shoulder surgeries, and head injuries that change how a person lives and works.

Rental cabins and resorts bring their own dangers. Hot tub and spa injuries can involve bacterial infections such as Legionnaires’ disease, drain entrapment, electrical faults, and drowning. Carbon monoxide poisoning from gas fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, and generators can sicken or kill an entire family overnight, especially in a cabin without working detectors. We review maintenance records, inspection history, and alarm placement to find out who failed to keep guests safe.

Workplace Injuries and Third-Party Claims

Tennessee overhauled its workers’ compensation system for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2014, when the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act of 2013 took effect. Because workers’ compensation is generally the only remedy an employee has against their own employer, Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette focuses its workplace injury practice on third-party claims. These are lawsuits against someone other than the employer whose negligence caused the injury.

Third-party cases often arise when a worker is hit by a negligent driver while on the job, injured by defective machinery or safety equipment, or hurt on a construction site because of a subcontractor’s or property owner’s carelessness. Unlike workers’ compensation, a third-party claim can include pain and suffering and the full value of lost earning capacity. That difference matters most when an injury leaves someone permanently and totally disabled and unable to return to any kind of work. The employer or its insurer generally has a right to be reimbursed from the recovery for benefits it already paid, so these cases require careful coordination from the start.

Family Law and Divorce

While personal injury is the heart of our practice, Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette also helps Tennessee families through divorce and other family law matters. Landie Maness Kitts focuses her practice on family law, and Lauren Scieszinski Morse brings nearly thirteen years of public service with the State of Tennessee, including work as an assistant district attorney and as counsel for the Department of Children’s Services in custody cases.

We handle contested and uncontested divorces, high net worth divorces involving businesses, retirement accounts, real estate, and separate property claims, as well as child custody, support, and other family matters such as parenting plans, alimony, and modifications. Tennessee divides marital property based on what is equitable, which is not always an even split, so careful documentation of assets and contributions can make a real difference in the outcome.

Recent Verdicts and Settlements

Our attorneys have recovered significant compensation for injured Tennesseans and their families, including:

• $3.4 million for the family of a man killed in a Morgan County rear-end collision caused by a construction company driver
• $2.3 million for a Knox County motorcyclist who lost his leg after a driver struck him and fled the scene
• $1.9 million after a mother was killed and her daughter seriously injured by a driver who failed to yield on Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevier County
• $1.6 million for an Anderson County man struck head-on by a commercial delivery truck on his way to work
• $1.5 million for a roofer who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Knox County when his safety harness failed

Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. You can review more of our case results, including trucking, nursing home, and premises liability recoveries.

Attorneys Recognized by Their Peers

Our attorneys are regularly voted among Knoxville’s Top Attorneys by CityView Magazine, and several hold leadership roles in Tennessee’s legal community:

• Co-founder Bruce D. Fox received the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 and its Paladin Award in 2011, and he is a past president of the association.
• Bruce Fox is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, has been selected to Mid-South Super Lawyers 17 times since 2007, has been named a CityView Top Attorney every year since 2008, and has tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal court.
• Bruce Fox served on the Tennessee Advisory Council on Workers’ Compensation from 2008 to 2021.
• Partner Brad C. Burnette holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has served on the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors since 2015, and is a graduate of the Keenan Trial Institute.
• Partner John Willis serves on the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors, is a past president of the Anderson County Bar Association, and has tried cases from the Tri-Cities to Chattanooga.
• Co-founder Michael S. Farley, a former Anderson County sheriff’s deputy and Clinton police officer, focuses his practice on criminal defense.
• Trial attorney Michael C. Beehan is fluent in Spanish and represents Spanish-speaking clients in their own language.

Serving Knox County, Sevier County, Roane County, and All of Tennessee

Our roots are in Clinton and Anderson County, and our offices in Knoxville, Maryville, Sevierville, and LaFollette keep us close to clients in Knox County, Blount County, Sevier County, and Campbell County. We have also represented people from Roane County, Claiborne County, Morgan County, Jefferson County, Monroe County, and beyond. Whether you live in Johnson City, Nashville, Memphis, or a small town in between, we can review your case, explain your options, and travel to you when your injuries make it hard to come to us.

Rooted in East Tennessee

East Tennessee is home, and we are proud to give back to it. Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette is a proud sponsor of Tennessee Athletics and of Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette Friday Night Football, and our founders have donated more than $250,000 to local schools and athletics. The firm established a scholarship fund for graduating seniors who excel in the classroom and in community service, and our attorneys support CASA of the Tennessee Heartland, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, where Bruce Fox serves as chairman, and Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding. You can read more about our community work and the causes our team cares about.

Tennessee Personal Injury FAQs

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Tennessee?

Most personal injury claims in Tennessee must be filed within one year of the injury, which is one of the shortest deadlines in the country. The deadline can extend to two years when the person who caused the injury faces criminal charges for the same conduct, such as a DUI, but a municipal traffic citation generally does not qualify. Medical malpractice, product liability, and claims against government entities can involve additional rules, so it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault?

Yes, in many cases. Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault rule, which allows you to recover damages as long as you are less than 50% at fault. Your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault, so insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured people. A thorough investigation helps push back against those arguments.

I was hurt on vacation in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, but I live in another state. Can you help?

Yes. We represent many out-of-state visitors who were injured in Sevier County and throughout Tennessee. We can handle most of the work here while you recover at home, and we keep you informed by phone and email as your case moves forward.

What if I was injured in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

It depends on who caused the injury. Claims against the federal government go through the Federal Tort Claims Act, which has its own notice requirements and deadlines. Claims against private drivers, businesses, or tour operators follow the usual personal injury rules. We can review what happened and determine which path applies.

Can I sue my employer after a workplace injury in Tennessee?

In most cases, workers’ compensation is the only remedy available against your own employer. However, if someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, such as a negligent driver, an equipment manufacturer, or another contractor on the job site, you may have a third-party claim that can recover damages workers’ compensation does not pay.

Who is responsible for carbon monoxide poisoning at a rental cabin?

Depending on the facts, responsibility may fall on the cabin owner, a rental management company, a maintenance or HVAC contractor, or the manufacturer of a defective appliance or detector. These cases depend on quick action to preserve the equipment and inspection records.

How much does it cost to hire your firm for an injury case?

Personal injury clients pay nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means we are paid only if we recover compensation for you. Your first consultation is free and comes with no obligation.

How is property divided in a Tennessee divorce?

Tennessee courts divide marital property equitably, which means fairly based on the circumstances, not automatically 50/50. Courts look at factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse’s contributions, and each spouse’s earning ability. Property owned before the marriage may remain separate, although it can become part of the marital estate in some situations.

Do you handle high net worth divorces?

Yes. Our family law attorneys handle divorces involving business interests, retirement and investment accounts, multiple properties, and disputes over whether an asset is separate or marital. These cases often call for financial records and professional valuations, and we help clients prepare for both settlement and court.

Do you have attorneys who speak Spanish?

Yes. Michael C. Beehan is fluent in Spanish, and we welcome Spanish-speaking clients throughout Tennessee. Hablamos español.

Contact Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for a Free Consultation

If you or someone you love was hurt anywhere in Tennessee, call Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette at 865-457-6440 or reach out online to schedule a free consultation. There is no fee in a personal injury case unless we recover compensation for you, and if your injuries keep you from traveling, our attorneys can come to your home or hospital room.