I-240 Accident Lawyer

Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette represents people hurt in crashes across Tennessee, and a good share of the highway cases that reach us start on or near the Interstate 240 corridor in Memphis, where fast commercial traffic, heavy congestion, and sudden lane changes collide. If you were injured in a I-240 accident, the evidence that will decide your claim starts disappearing almost immediately, and Tennessee gives you only a short window to act.

I-240 is the loop that wraps around Memphis, and it carries a mix that makes crashes especially serious: local commuters, long-haul tractor-trailers moving freight through one of the country’s busiest logistics hubs, and drivers merging on and off the interchanges where the loop meets the interstates feeding the city. A rear-end collision at highway speed, a truck changing lanes into a car in its blind spot, or a driver who drifted while reading a text can produce injuries that change how a person lives and works. Our team handles those cases for people who live in Memphis and for travelers who were only passing through.

Common Ways I-240 Crashes Happen and Who May Be Responsible

• Rear-End Collisions in Stop-and-Go Traffic: Congestion can turn to free-flowing speed within seconds on a loop highway. Following too closely and inattention are the usual causes, and the injuries often include whiplash, herniated discs, and head trauma.
• Tractor-Trailer and Commercial Vehicle Crashes: Memphis freight traffic puts large trucks on the loop at all hours. Liability can reach the driver, the trucking company, a broker, or a maintenance contractor, and driver logs and electronic data must be preserved quickly.
• Merge and Lane-Change Collisions: Interchange ramps and short merge lanes produce sideswipes and forced-off-road crashes. Fault is often disputed, which makes witness accounts and vehicle damage patterns important.
• Distracted-Driving Wrecks: Tennessee’s Hands Free law bars holding a phone, reading or sending texts, and watching or recording video while driving. A violation is a Class C misdemeanor, and phone records can help show what the other driver was doing.
• Drunk and Impaired Driver Crashes: The per se alcohol limit is 0.08 percent, and impairment from prescription drugs can also support a claim even though there is no set numerical limit for those medications.
• Motorcycle, Pedestrian, and Disabled-Vehicle Incidents: Motorcyclists are vulnerable to debris and sudden braking, and people who stop on the shoulder after a breakdown can be struck by passing traffic.
• Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims: Tennessee’s minimum liability coverage is modest, so serious injuries can exceed the at-fault driver’s policy. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may become part of the recovery.
• Fatal Crashes: When a loved one dies, the family may pursue a wrongful death claim for lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life taken.

Why Choose Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for an I-240 Crash

This firm has recovered more than $100 million for injured people and families, and our attorneys carry more than 170 years of combined experience. Results that relate directly to highway crashes include $3.4 million for the family of a man killed in a Morgan County rear-end collision caused by a construction company driver, $1.6 million for an Anderson County man struck head-on by a commercial delivery truck on his way to work, and $2.3 million for a Knox County motorcyclist who lost his leg when a driver hit him and fled. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Two of our partners began their careers defending insurance companies, trucking companies, and businesses, so they know how a carrier builds its defense and where it looks to cut a claim down. Bruce D. Fox, co-founder, has tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal court, belongs to the American Board of Trial Advocates, and has been named to Mid-South Super Lawyers 17 times. Brad C. Burnette, partner, holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and serves on the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors, as does partner John Willis. Trial attorney Michael C. Beehan is fluent in Spanish and represents Spanish-speaking clients in their own language; hablamos español. The firm is regularly voted among Knoxville’s Top Attorneys by CityView Magazine.

Injury clients pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation, and consultations are free. If you are hospitalized or cannot travel, we can meet you at home or in the hospital, which matters after a serious wreck far from where you live.

What to Do After a Crash on I-240

Start with safety and medical care. Move out of live lanes only if you can do it safely, call 911, and accept evaluation even if you feel fine; adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the crash and your first medical visit is something insurers use against you. Ask the responding officer how to get a copy of the crash report, and write down the names and contact details of witnesses before they drive away. Photograph the vehicles, the lane markings, skid marks, debris, and your injuries while they are still visible.

Deadlines in Tennessee are short. A personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within one year of the injury under Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104. If criminal charges are brought against the person who hurt you, such as a DUI, and the prosecution begins within that first year, the period can extend to two years, but you should never count on that. A wrongful death claim follows the same one-year clock, and it starts on the date of the injury, not the date of death. Property damage claims have a separate three-year window. If a government vehicle or employee was involved, the Governmental Tort Liability Act requires a lawsuit within 12 months and caps damages at $300,000 per person and $700,000 per occurrence.

Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. Adjusters call quickly, sound friendly, and ask for recorded statements. You can decline to give one until you have spoken with a lawyer, and you should not sign medical releases that sweep in your whole history. Keep every bill, pay stub, and record of missed work. If a tractor-trailer was involved, a lawyer can send a preservation demand for driver logs, dash camera footage, maintenance files, and electronic control data before the carrier routinely overwrites them.

Most Memphis-area injury lawsuits are filed in state court in Shelby County, though a case involving a commercial carrier from another state can sometimes belong in federal court, and decisions from the federal district court for the Western District of Tennessee, which sits in Memphis, are appealed to the Sixth Circuit. We handle the filings and keep you informed wherever you live.

How Fault and Damages Work in Tennessee Highway Cases

Tennessee uses modified comparative fault. If a jury finds you less than 50 percent responsible, you recover, but your award drops by your percentage. At 50 percent or above, nothing is recoverable. Insurers know this, which is why they look for any reason to assign blame to you: a lane change, a few miles per hour over the limit, a late brake. Fault can also be placed on someone who is not a party to the suit, and because joint and several liability has largely been eliminated, each defendant usually pays only its own share. On a highway with several vehicles, that makes it important to identify every responsible party at the start.

Medical bills, lost wages, future care, and lost earning capacity are economic damages, and Tennessee does not cap them. Noneconomic damages, meaning pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life, are generally limited to $750,000, rising to $1 million for a catastrophic loss such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, amputation of two limbs, or severe burns. The jury is not told about the cap; the court applies it afterward. The cap does not apply when the defendant intentionally caused the harm, was intoxicated, destroyed evidence, or was convicted of a related felony. Punitive damages, reserved for the worst conduct, are limited to the greater of two times compensatory damages or $500,000.

Insurance limits matter too. Tennessee requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. A serious interstate crash can exceed those numbers quickly, so we look at every available source, including umbrella policies, a trucking company’s commercial coverage, and your own uninsured motorist coverage.

I-240 Accident Questions Answered

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after an I-240 crash?

Generally one year from the date of the injury. The period can reach two years if the at-fault driver is criminally charged and prosecuted within that first year, but treat one year as your working deadline.

Can I still recover if I was partly to blame?

Yes, so long as the jury places your share below 50 percent. Your recovery is then reduced by that share. Disputes over lane changes and following distance are common on the loop, so early evidence gathering matters.

Who can be held responsible for a truck crash on I-240?

Beyond the driver, the trucking company, a cargo loader, a maintenance provider, or a parts manufacturer may share fault. Which of them is responsible depends on logs, inspection records, and electronic data that must be preserved quickly.

Will the other driver’s phone use matter to my case?

It can. Tennessee’s Hands Free law prohibits holding a phone, reading or writing texts, and watching or recording video while driving. A violation supports a negligence argument, and phone records can be requested in a lawsuit.

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

Your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply, depending on your policy. We handled a case for a Knox County motorcyclist who lost his leg after a driver struck him and left the scene, so hit-and-run claims are familiar ground.

Is there a limit on what I can recover?

Medical and wage losses are not capped. Pain and suffering is generally limited to $750,000, or $1 million for catastrophic injuries, with exceptions such as an intoxicated defendant.

Do I have to come to Memphis for every step if I live somewhere else?

No. We represent visitors from other states, and we handle investigation, negotiations, and filings here while keeping you updated by phone and email.

The insurance adjuster offered a quick settlement. Should I take it?

Early offers tend to come before the full extent of your injuries is known. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the claim if surgery or long-term care turns out to be necessary. Have a lawyer review it first.

Will my health insurance pay while my claim is pending?

Often yes, and using it keeps treatment from stalling. Health plans and some benefit programs may seek repayment from your eventual recovery, so lien handling is part of resolving a case properly.

What if a family member died in a crash on the loop?

The claim passes to the surviving spouse, then children or next of kin, or may be brought by a personal representative. The one-year clock runs from the date of the crash, so families should not wait.

What if the crash involved a government vehicle?

Claims 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. These claims have their own rules, so early review is important.

How much does it cost to hire the firm?

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

Serving I-240 Crash Victims Across Memphis and Tennessee

We represent people hurt on I-240 in Memphis and throughout Shelby County, along with clients from the surrounding communities who commute or travel through the loop. Our work reaches Nashville, Johnson City, and everywhere between, and we serve injured people across East Tennessee, including Knoxville, Clinton, Maryville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and LaFollette.

In East Tennessee, our clients come from Knox County, Anderson County, Blount County, Sevier County, Campbell County, Roane County, Claiborne County, Morgan County, Jefferson County, and Monroe County. Whether your crash happened on the Memphis loop or you are a Tennessee resident who was hurt while driving through the city, we can review your case, explain your options, and travel to you if your injuries make it hard to come to us.

Talk With an I-240 Accident Attorney Today

The sooner a Memphis-area crash is investigated, the more evidence there is to work with, and Tennessee’s one-year deadline leaves little room to wait. If you want an I-240 accident attorney to look at what happened, call Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we recover compensation, and we can come to you at home or in the hospital.