Lebanon Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

The goal after a crash that leaves you hurt on foot is simple to state and hard to reach: full payment for medical care, lost income, and the long-term cost of the injury, without being blamed for the driver’s mistake. Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette is a Tennessee personal injury law firm that represents injured pedestrians and the families of people killed by drivers, and our reach includes Lebanon, Wilson County, and the communities around them. If you need a Lebanon pedestrian accident lawyer, the most important thing to know early is that Tennessee gives you very little time and very little room for error.

Pedestrian cases are decided on small details. Where exactly were you when the vehicle struck you? Was there a marked crosswalk, a signal phase, a driveway, a shoulder? Was the driver looking at a phone, impaired, or backing out without checking behind the vehicle? Lebanon combines older downtown streets near the Square with fast, heavily traveled corridors, and parking lots at shopping centers, schools, and restaurants add another category of low-speed collisions that still cause broken bones and head injuries. A pedestrian has no steel frame around them, so even a modest impact can mean surgery, months of rehabilitation, and permanent limits on work.

Insurance companies know this too, and they know the pedestrian often cannot tell the story as well as the driver can. Our job is to build the account that the police report may leave out.

Why Choose Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for a Pedestrian Injury Case

Clients work with us on a contingency basis: there are no attorney fees in a personal injury case unless we recover compensation, and the first consultation is free. If your injuries make travel difficult, we can meet you at home or in the hospital. We are an East Tennessee firm whose attorneys bring more than 170 years of combined experience to serious injury and wrongful death cases, and we have recovered over $100 million for clients. Hablamos español, and trial attorney Michael C. Beehan is fluent in Spanish and represents Spanish-speaking clients in their own language.

Two of our partners spent the early years of their careers defending insurance companies, trucking companies, and businesses before moving to the plaintiff’s side. In a pedestrian case, that matters because the defense almost always turns on comparative fault, and those partners know how adjusters and defense lawyers build that argument. Partner Brad C. Burnette holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and serves on the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors. John Willis also serves on that board and is a past president of the Anderson County Bar Association. Co-founder Bruce D. Fox has tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal court, is a past president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Our attorneys are regularly voted among Knoxville’s Top Attorneys by CityView Magazine.

Results matter more than titles. Our attorneys recovered $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, and $2.3 million for a Knox County motorcyclist who lost his leg when a driver struck him and fled. Those cases involved vulnerable road users and drivers who did not stop to think, the same dynamic behind most pedestrian claims. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Situations That Lead to Pedestrian Injury Claims Around Lebanon

• Crosswalk and Intersection Strikes: Drivers turning left or right often watch for oncoming cars and never see the person crossing in front of them. Disputes usually center on signal timing and whether the pedestrian had the right of way.
• Distracted Driving Collisions: Tennessee’s Hands Free law prohibits holding a phone, texting, or watching video while driving. A driver who violated it gives your case strong liability evidence, and phone records can be requested early.
• Impaired Drivers: A driver at or above the 0.08% per se limit, or impaired by drugs, may also face criminal charges. That can extend your filing deadline and, in some cases, lift the cap on noneconomic damages.
• Parking Lot and Driveway Impacts: Backing vehicles at stores, restaurants, schools, and apartment complexes strike people who are walking to their cars. These claims can involve the driver and the property owner whose layout or lighting made the area dangerous.
• Roadside and Shoulder Crashes: People walking along rural roads outside town, stranded motorists, and roadside workers are hit by vehicles that drift or fail to slow. Poor lighting and missing sidewalks often become part of the liability picture.
• Hit-and-Run Cases: When the driver flees, recovery may come through your own uninsured motorist coverage, which makes prompt investigation and policy review essential.
• Child Pedestrian Injuries: Children struck near schools, bus stops, and neighborhoods have special protections, including a longer filing window when the injured person is a minor.
• Fatal Pedestrian Crashes: When a pedestrian dies, the family may bring a wrongful death claim for lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life that was taken.

What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Lebanon

Get medical care first, even if you feel you can walk it off. Adrenaline hides concussions, internal injuries, and fractures, and gaps between the crash and your first treatment give the insurer an argument that something else caused your pain. Tell every provider exactly how you were hurt, and follow the treatment plan, because missed appointments are used against injured people later.

Call the police so a report is made. In Lebanon, that usually means the city police department or, outside city limits, the sheriff’s office or Tennessee Highway Patrol. Ask for the report number and the names and insurance details of the drivers involved. If you are able, photograph the scene, the vehicle, your injuries, skid marks, signage, and the crosswalk or lighting conditions, and get names and numbers for anyone who saw it. Security cameras at nearby businesses often overwrite footage within days, so the sooner someone asks for it, the better.

Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. Adjusters often call within a day or two and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one, and casual remarks like “I didn’t see the car” or “I’m fine” can be recast as admissions. Do not sign medical releases that give broad access to your history, and do not accept an early offer. Early offers tend to arrive before anyone knows whether you will need surgery or long-term care.

Most Tennessee personal injury lawsuits must be filed within one year of the injury. The period can stretch to two years when criminal charges are brought against the driver and the prosecution begins within that first year, but you should not count on that. Claims against a city or county, such as a pedestrian injured because of a government vehicle or a defective public road, fall under the Governmental Tort Liability Act, which also requires filing within 12 months and limits damages to $300,000 per person and $700,000 per occurrence. For a wrongful death, the one-year period runs from the date of the injury, not the date of death. Property damage claims have a separate three-year deadline. If the injured person is under 18, the clock is tolled until their eighteenth birthday, and then the one-year period begins.

Cases in Wilson County are generally filed in the circuit court for the judicial district that includes Wilson County, and smaller claims can begin in General Sessions Court, whose civil jurisdiction is limited by dollar amount and type of action. Serious injury cases almost always belong in circuit court, where a jury can hear them.

How a Lebanon Pedestrian Claim Unfolds From Crash to Resolution

The first phase is investigation and preservation. We obtain the crash report, identify the driver and every insurance policy that might apply, request surveillance video, and send preservation letters before evidence disappears. If a commercial driver, delivery vehicle, or employee on the job was involved, the employer’s coverage and records come into play. In a hit-and-run, we look at your own uninsured motorist coverage. Tennessee requires drivers to carry only minimum liability limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, which is often far below what a serious pedestrian injury costs, so identifying every available source of recovery matters.

The second phase is treatment and documentation. We generally avoid settling while you are still treating, because the value of a case depends on knowing the full medical picture: surgeries, rehabilitation, future care, and how the injury affects your ability to work. Economic damages such as medical bills and lost earnings are not capped in Tennessee. Noneconomic damages for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life are generally capped at $750,000, rising to $1 million for catastrophic injuries such as paraplegia or quadriplegia, loss of two limbs, or the wrongful death of a parent of minor children. The jury is not told about the cap; the judge applies it afterward. The cap does not apply when the defendant was intoxicated, intentionally caused the injury, destroyed evidence, or was convicted of a related felony, which is one reason a driver’s impairment matters beyond criminal court.

The third phase is negotiation and, if necessary, litigation. Tennessee follows modified comparative fault. You can recover only if you are less than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your percentage. Defense lawyers know that, and they will look for any reason to push your share toward that line: dark clothing, crossing outside a crosswalk, looking at a phone, stepping out between parked cars. Fault can also be allocated to people who are not even in the lawsuit, and joint and several liability has been abolished in most negligence cases, so each defendant pays only its own share. Careful reconstruction of what the driver could and should have seen is how those arguments get answered. Most cases settle, but the willingness to try them is what makes settlement offers realistic. When an insurer will not pay what a case is worth, our trial lawyers are prepared to take it in front of a jury.

Questions Lebanon Pedestrians and Families Ask

How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in Tennessee?

In most cases, one year from the date of the injury. If criminal charges are brought against the driver and the prosecution begins within that year, the deadline can extend to two years. Claims against government entities must also be filed within 12 months, and property damage has a three-year deadline.

What if I was not in a crosswalk when I was hit?

You may still have a claim. Drivers owe a duty of care to people on foot regardless of where they cross, though your location can affect how fault is divided. As long as you are less than 50% at fault, you can recover, with your award reduced by your percentage.

Can I recover if the driver says I walked out in front of them?

Yes, if the evidence shows the driver was also at fault. Surveillance footage, witness accounts, vehicle damage patterns, and the driver’s phone records often tell a different story than a driver’s statement made after the fact.

What happens if the driver who hit me had no insurance or left the scene?

Your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay for your losses. We review your policy, the circumstances of the crash, and whether the driver can still be identified. Tennessee’s minimum coverage limits are low, so underinsured situations come up often as well.

How much is my pedestrian accident case worth?

It depends on the severity of your injuries, the cost of treatment now and in the future, your lost income and earning capacity, and the degree of fault assigned to each party. Economic losses are not capped, while noneconomic damages are subject to a statutory ceiling. We do not estimate value until the medical picture is clear.

Will I have to go to court?

Many cases settle without a trial, but some do not. We prepare every case as though it may be tried, because insurers evaluate offers partly on whether the other side is ready to go in front of a jury.

My child was hit by a car near school. Is the deadline different?

Yes. When the injured person is a minor, the limitations period is paused until they turn 18, and then the one-year clock begins. Even so, evidence and witnesses fade, so we recommend acting early, and parents may have their own claim for medical expenses.

Does the driver being charged with a crime help my case?

It can. A conviction or evidence of impairment can strengthen liability, and the criminal case may extend your filing deadline to two years. A DUI-related collision can also remove the cap on noneconomic damages. A criminal outcome is not required, however, to win a civil case.

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

Often yes, and using it keeps bills from going to collections. Health insurers and some other payers may claim reimbursement from your eventual recovery, so those liens need to be identified and negotiated as part of the settlement.

What if my loved one died in a pedestrian crash?

Tennessee law lets a surviving spouse bring the wrongful death claim, or if there is none, the children or next of kin, or a personal representative. The one-year deadline starts on the date of the crash, not the date of death. Recoverable losses include medical and funeral costs, lost income, and the value of the life lost.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer if my injuries seem minor?

Often, yes. Pedestrian injuries that seem minor on the day of the crash, such as a sore neck or knee, can turn into surgeries and lasting limits. Because the filing deadline is only one year, waiting to see how you feel can cost you the right to recover at all. Consultations are free, and we are paid only if we recover.

Serving Pedestrian Injury Clients Across Lebanon and Wilson County

Our work for injured pedestrians begins in Lebanon and extends across Wilson County and the surrounding communities, including Mt. Juliet, Watertown, Gladeville, Statesville, Norene, and the rural stretches between them. We also represent clients from neighboring counties and from across Middle Tennessee, including Nashville, as well as families throughout East Tennessee in Knoxville, Maryville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Clinton, and LaFollette. Our attorneys have handled cases in Knox, Sevier, Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Roane, Claiborne, Morgan, Jefferson, and Monroe counties, and we represent people from Johnson City to Memphis and everywhere in between.

If you were hurt on foot in Wilson County but live elsewhere, or if you live here and were hurt while traveling, we can handle the investigation, insurance negotiations, and court filings while keeping you informed wherever you are.

Talk With a Lebanon Pedestrian Accident Attorney Today

The filing deadline is short and the evidence is perishable, so speaking with a Lebanon pedestrian accident attorney early gives your case the best chance. Call Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for a free consultation. We will listen to what happened, explain how Tennessee’s fault rules apply to your situation, and tell you plainly what we see. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you, and if you cannot travel, we will come to you.