It is hard to present a personal injury case to a jury and receive a favorable outcome. The jury needs to be convinced by the evidence provided and have believed your story to rule favorably in your case. The plaintiff has the responsibility to provide proof that their injuries were due to the negligence of the defendant.

Another issue in Tennessee is the fact that valuable information is often withheld from the jury. This can make pursuing a personal injury claim complex.

An example is that a jury in Tennessee is not able to know if the at-fault party has insurance. When this type of information is withheld, it can potentially have an impact on the trial’s outcome.

Why Does It Matter?

Let’s provide an example that helps bring this point home. Let’s say there is a 71-year-old woman as the defendant.

She rear-ended a 32-year-old man, causing a severe injury. In this case, the jury would likely feel some type of empathy for the old woman, causing them to believe that she should not be held responsible for paying a large settlement for her negligence and the plaintiff’s damages.

If the jury had knowledge that the woman was fully covered by her auto insurance plan, they would maybe feel better about having her pay for medical costs and damages to the plaintiff’s car.

This information would possibly cause them to rule favorably for the plaintiff.

The jury is not allowed to have access to the transcript or testimonies provided during the trial. This impacts the deliberation process, where they have to solely rely on notes taken or their own memories.

Specifics for Personal Injury Claims

On the other hand, the jury in a personal injury trial is allowed to know and have access to some items that may affect their final verdict:

  • Specific laws and regulations which are related to the case
  • Any photos taken of the crash and related injuries
  • Complete details of the crash and of the resulting injuries
  • Extra evidence which assists in determining the specifics of what took place

Because personal injury claims can be hard to successfully win, it is crucial that you obtain the counsel of an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you during the process.

Tennesee Area Personal Injury Accidents

Each day across the United States, over 3,281 individuals die every day due to being involved in a car crash. When someone is killed in a deadly crash, they leave behind families who are suffering from this hardship. In the event that they lose a loved one in a crash, they may be able to seek compensation with the help of a Tennessee wrongful death attorney in order to protect themselves after an accident.