Franklin Personal Injury Lawyer

Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette represents people hurt through someone else’s carelessness in Franklin and Williamson County, and across Tennessee, handling car and truck crashes, wrongful death claims, serious injuries, and premises cases. A Franklin personal injury lawyer has to think about more than the crash itself. Franklin sits in a corridor where Interstate 65 traffic, Cool Springs commuters, and heavy commercial deliveries all share roads that were not built for their current volume, and the claims that come out of those roads tend to involve insurance carriers who know exactly how to minimize them.

The first year after an injury is the one that matters most. Tennessee gives injured people one year from the date of the injury to file suit, with a narrow extension to two years when the person who hurt you was criminally prosecuted within that first year and you sue that same person. Evidence that decides these cases, such as vehicle data, surveillance video, and maintenance records, does not wait for a lawsuit to be filed. Calling a lawyer early is often what keeps it from disappearing.

What Makes a Franklin Injury Claim Different From the Average Tennessee Case

Williamson County is a high-income, fast-growing county, and that changes the economics of a claim. A serious injury to a professional who commutes to Nashville or Cool Springs can carry a large lost-earnings component, and Tennessee does not cap economic damages. Medical bills, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity are recoverable in full if you can prove them, which is why documenting your work history and future earning prospects early is so important.

Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life are treated differently. Tennessee generally limits these noneconomic damages to $750,000, rising to $1 million for a defined catastrophic loss, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia from a spinal cord injury, the loss of two limbs, severe burns over a large portion of the body, or the wrongful death of a parent with minor children. The jury is never told about the cap, and the judge applies it after the verdict. The limit also does not apply where the defendant intentionally caused the harm, was impaired by alcohol or drugs to a degree that substantially affected judgment, destroyed evidence, or was convicted of a felony connected to the conduct. That last point is one reason a drunk-driving crash can be worth more than an otherwise similar one.

Fault is the other battleground. Tennessee follows modified comparative fault: you can recover only if you are less than 50 percent responsible, and your award shrinks by your share. Joint and several liability has been largely abolished, so a jury can assign fault to people who are not even parties to the case, including an empty chair. Insurers use that rule aggressively. Our partners who earlier defended insurance companies, trucking companies, and businesses know how those arguments get built, and that experience shapes how we prepare a claim from the first day.

Common Injury Cases Our Franklin Clients Bring Us

• Car and Motorcycle Crashes: Collisions on Interstate 65, Franklin Road, and the busy Cool Springs area are among the most common. We also handle distracted-driving claims, where Tennessee’s hands-free law, which bars holding a phone or reading and sending texts while driving, can help show a driver was breaking the law at the moment of impact.
• Tractor-Trailer and Commercial Vehicle Crashes: Freight and delivery traffic through the Franklin area produces crashes where driver logs, maintenance records, and electronic data must be preserved quickly before they are overwritten or lost.
• Drunk and Impaired Driving Crashes: Tennessee’s per se limit is 0.08 percent. When a fatal crash involves an impaired driver, officers are required to investigate where the driver was served, which can open a claim against more than just the driver.
• Wrongful Death: When a family loses someone, we pursue lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life taken. The right to bring the claim runs first to the surviving spouse, then to children or next of kin, or to a personal representative.
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Injuries: Franklin’s historic downtown and its growing trail and sidewalk network put walkers and cyclists in close contact with turning and distracted drivers.
• Slip and Fall and Premises Liability: Retail centers, restaurants, hotels, parking lots, and rental properties must be kept reasonably safe, and owners are responsible for hazards they knew or should have discovered.
• Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries: These permanent injuries require life-care planning and often reach the catastrophic-loss category under Tennessee law.
• Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims: Tennessee’s minimum liability limits are only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, which rarely covers a serious injury.

The First Days After a Franklin Crash or Injury

Get medical care first, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the incident and your first treatment gives an adjuster something to argue about. Franklin-area crashes are typically documented by the responding police agency, and you should obtain the report number and later a copy of the full report. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, the road conditions, and your injuries while they are visible, and write down names of witnesses before memories fade.

Be careful with the other side’s insurance company. Adjusters often call within days, sometimes asking for a recorded statement or offering a quick settlement. Anything you say about fault, your symptoms, or “feeling okay” can be used to push your share of fault toward that 50 percent line. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s carrier, and you can tell them to speak with your lawyer.

Know which court will likely hear your case. Williamson County is in a different judicial district than Knox County, and local procedures vary, so we handle the filing and local practice details here for you. Most serious injury lawsuits are filed in the circuit court for the county where the injury happened or where the defendant lives, while smaller disputes may be heard in General Sessions Court, which has limited monetary jurisdiction. Federal court can come into play in cases with out-of-state defendants, and Tennessee has three federal districts, with Williamson County matters falling in the Middle District, which sits in Nashville.

If the at-fault party is a city, county, or other government entity, deadlines get tighter and the rules change. Suits under the Governmental Tort Liability Act must be filed within 12 months, and damages are capped at $300,000 per person and $700,000 per occurrence. Health care liability claims have their own one-year period and a three-year outer limit. If the injured person was under 18 at the time, the one-year clock is paused until their 18th birthday. Property damage claims get three years. Each of these deadlines is a reason to talk to a lawyer before you assume you have time.

Why Franklin Families Choose Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette

Bruce D. Fox, co-founder, has tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal court, and that courtroom record matters because insurers study which lawyers actually try cases. He received the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 and its Paladin Award in 2011, is a past president of that association, and belongs to the American Board of Trial Advocates. He also served on the Tennessee Advisory Council on Workers’ Compensation from 2008 to 2021.

The firm’s depth shows in its results. Our attorneys recovered $3.4 million for the family of a man killed in a rear-end collision caused by a construction company driver, $2.3 million for a motorcyclist who lost his leg when a driver struck him and fled, $1.9 million after a mother was killed and her daughter seriously injured by a driver who failed to yield, and $1.6 million for a man struck head-on by a commercial delivery truck on his way to work. We also recovered $1.5 million for a roofer with a traumatic brain injury after his safety harness failed. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Partner Brad C. Burnette holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and serves on the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors. Partner John Willis also sits on that board and is a past president of the Anderson County Bar Association. Michael S. Farley, a co-founder and former sheriff’s deputy and police officer, focuses on criminal defense, which gives our injury team a useful view when a crash involves criminal charges. Michael C. Beehan, a trial attorney, is fluent in Spanish, and the firm serves Spanish-speaking clients. Landie Maness Kitts and Lauren Scieszinski Morse handle family law matters.

Together, our attorneys bring more than 170 years of combined experience and have recovered over $100 million for clients. Two of our partners began their careers defending insurers, trucking companies, and businesses, so they know how those defenses are built. Cases are handled on a contingency basis with no fee unless we recover compensation, and we offer free consultations. When injuries make travel hard, we can meet you at home or in the hospital.

Franklin Personal Injury Questions Answered

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

Generally one year from the date you were hurt. The period stretches to two years only when the person who injured you faces criminal charges, the prosecution begins within that first year, and you sue that same person. Missing the deadline usually ends the case regardless of how strong it was.

What if I was partly to blame for the crash?

You may still have a claim. Tennessee bars recovery only when you carry 50 percent or more of the fault. Below that line, your compensation is reduced by your percentage, so a thorough investigation matters because every point of fault shifted away from you is money.

Is there a limit on what I can recover for pain and suffering?

Yes. Noneconomic damages are generally capped at $750,000, or $1 million for catastrophic losses defined by statute. Medical bills and lost income are not capped, and the limits fall away in certain situations, such as when the defendant was impaired or destroyed evidence.

What if the driver who hit me had little or no insurance?

Tennessee only requires $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage, which often falls short. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap, and we review every policy that might apply before any settlement is accepted.

Can punitive damages be awarded?

In some cases involving egregious conduct, such as drunk driving. They are limited to the greater of two times the compensatory award or $500,000.

Who can bring a wrongful death claim?

A personal representative or the surviving spouse can file, and if there is no spouse, children or next of kin may do so. A spouse can lose that right if the family proves the spouse abandoned the deceased or willfully withdrew for two years. The one-year clock starts on the date of the injury that led to the death.

Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?

Generally yes, and you should use it so you do not delay care. Health insurers often seek reimbursement from a settlement, so we work to address those liens as part of resolving the case.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a minor crash?

It can be. Soft-tissue injuries sometimes develop into long-term problems, and an early settlement signed before you know the full extent of your injuries cannot be reopened. A consultation costs nothing, so you can learn what your claim is worth before deciding.

Does a hands-free violation help my case?

It can. Holding a phone, reading or sending texts, or watching video while driving violates Tennessee law, and proof that the other driver was doing so is strong evidence of negligence. We look for phone records and witness statements to establish it.

What if I was hurt while visiting the Franklin area from another state?

We handle the investigation, insurance negotiations, and court filings in Tennessee and keep you updated by phone and email wherever you live, so you will not need to make repeated trips.

How much does it cost to hire the firm?

Nothing up front. We work on contingency, so we are paid only if we recover for you, and your first consultation is free.

Franklin Injury Representation Across Williamson County and Middle Tennessee

We represent injured people in Franklin and throughout Williamson County, including Cool Springs, downtown Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Thompson’s Station, Nolensville, Fairview, and Leiper’s Fork. Because our practice reaches clients across Tennessee, we also serve families in Nashville, Murfreesboro, and the communities that connect them along the Interstate 65 corridor.

Our work extends across East Tennessee as well, including Knox County, Blount County, Sevier County, Anderson County, Campbell County, Roane County, Claiborne County, Morgan County, Jefferson County, and Monroe County, and to clients from Johnson City to Memphis. Whether the crash happened on a Franklin street or a mountain highway in Sevier County, we can review your case and travel to you when you cannot come to us. We speak Spanish through Michael C. Beehan and serve clients in their own language.

Talk With a Franklin Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you were hurt in Franklin or elsewhere in Williamson County, speak with a Franklin personal injury attorney at Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette before the one-year filing deadline and the loss of evidence limit your options. Call us for a free consultation. We will explain what your claim may be worth, who may be responsible, and how we would approach it, and you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for you.