Bristol Car Accident Scene

Northeast Tennessee is picturesque and a beautiful place to drive, but it also has its share of dangerous roads and intersections. The Tri-Cities area in particular has several Interstate and state highways where extra care should be taken.

The Tennessee Department of Safety reports that Interstate 26 and Interstate 81 are the most heavily traveled major highways in the Tri-Cities. Not surprisingly, these roads tend to see a large number of car accidents, truck wrecks and motorcycle crashes. Serious collisions also occur with alarming frequency on these area roadways:

  • US 11W/Lee Highway
  • US 11E/Volunteer Parkway
  • State Highway 126/Blountville Highway
  • Tennessee State Route 394
  • Fort Henry Drive

These roads are dangerous due to various factors, including some short on-ramps, limited visibility in certain areas and inconsistent drainage after heavy rains. Human factors also contribute to making these roads more hazardous. Heavy traffic at certain times of day tends to bring out aggression in some drivers who tailgate, swerve in and out of traffic and engage in other types of risky driving. Speeding, distracted driving and drunk driving are all far too common as well.

In Bristol itself, the police department released a list of their top five frequent crash locations:

  • West State Street at Medical Park Boulevard
  • Highway 11W at Pinnacle Parkway
  • Volunteer Parkway at Windsor Avenue
  • Volunteer Parkway at Broad Street
  • Volunteer Parkway at Weaver Pike

In most auto accident claims, the injured person was struck by another driver and seeks compensation through an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. But when accidents keep occurring along the same stretches of road, there is cause to ask whether the state, a city or other official entity could be held liable for injuries resulting from these accidents. Sometimes the answer is yes. Government entities can be liable if they were notified of a dangerous road condition and did not address it in a reasonable time. We handle cases in the Tri-Cities area where people’s injuries stemmed from hazards such as:

  • Lack of guard rails
  • Poorly designed lane configurations
  • Lack traffic signs or signals

If you were injured in a crash on any roadway in Tennessee, make sure you retain a personal injury law firm that will examine the crash from all angles and seek the payment you need to cover medical bills, lost income and other harm stemming from the crash. At Massengill, Caldwell & Coughlin, PC, our lawyers have successfully handled cases against negligent drivers and public entities in charge of dangerous roads. Please call 423-797-6022 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation at our office is in Bristol. Our lawyers can also visit you at home or in a care facility if you cannot come to our office.