75+

YEARS OF
INJURY EXPERIENCE

4.9/5

RATING ON
GOOGLE REVIEWS

2,000+

CASES AND
CLIENTS

$60 M

$60-MILLION IN
SETTLEMENTS & VERDICTS

PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS MCMINN COUNTY, TN

McMinn County Personal Injury Lawyer

Located in Chattanooga, Dennis & Winningham Law has won millions of dollars for injured people across Tennessee and Georgia. We believe that every client deserves honest, compassionate legal counsel tailored to their unique needs. If you have recently suffered an injury in McMinn County, TN you deserve fair compensation from the responsible party. When you work with a McMinn County personal injury lawyer at Dennis & Winningham Law we will help you get just that.

In almost all personal injury claims, insurance companies will offer you significantly less than what you deserve. It’s tempting to accept the first offer, especially if you are in a great deal of pain and unable to return to work. But if you’ve already taken a devalued settlement from the insurance company and your medical bills start to pile up, there’s little legal recourse to ask for more. That’s why it’s crucial to involve a McMinn County personal injury lawyer before you even file a claim.

With over 75 years of combined experience, the team at Dennis & Winningham Law will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, working tirelessly to secure a more substantial settlement than likely without skilled legal representation. If the adjuster doesn’t offer fair compensation, we can bring a lawsuit against the company. In other words, we will do the legwork so that you can focus on healing.

Case Illustration of a McMinn County Personal Injury Claim

Athens, Tennessee is the county seat and largest city in McMinn County. With approximately 60,000 residents, Athens is a great place to live, work, and raise a family, and is only an hour away from Chattanooga. Local resident Justus Glen was traveling from Angela’s Miami Grill to pick up her daughter at Inspiration Dance and Gymnastics via Highway 11 when suddenly a drunk driver pulled right in front of her and hit his brakes. Justus was unable to react in time and her vehicle slammed into the back of the impaired driver’s car. Justus ended up with cuts, facial lacerations, and broken bones—including two broken ribs.

Justus was unable to return to her job as the basketball coach at the local high school for several months and was forced to undergo multiple surgical procedures on her face. Because of the disfiguring nature of her facial injuries, Justus preferred to stay home, only choosing to go out into public on rare occasions. Justus’s father asked his friends and coworkers for a referral to a lawyer for Justus, and several of those he asked recommended Dennis & Winningham Law. After meeting with a McMinn County personal injury lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law, both Justus and her father were confident that they had chosen the right attorney for Justus’s needs.

McMinn County Personal Injury Practice Areas

Accidents usually happen in the blink of any eye, but their consequences can span months, years, or even a lifetime. You shouldn’t have to pay for another’s negligence or bad judgment.

Our McMinn county personal injury attorneys handle all types of personal injury cases, but the most common include:

  • Car accidents—A car accident can be a traumatic experience. One moment you are heading to work, school, or to run errands, and the next thing you know, a negligent driver has hit your vehicle. Unfortunately, car accidents often leave victims with injuries that may be severe enough to prevent them from returning to work for an extended period of time.
  • Motorcycle Accidents—According to Nashville News Channel 5, motorcycle deaths across the state of Tennessee climbed significantly in 2023, with 200 motorcycle-related fatalities. This figure is up by 51 deaths from 2022.
  • Boating Accidents are not especially frequent, but when they do occur, they can cause serious injuries to those involved. Impairment is often a factor in boating accidents.
  • Truck Accidents—Because of the size and weight of a large commercial truck, when a collision occurs with a much smaller passenger vehicle, the injuries to those in the smaller vehicle are likely to be severe or even catastrophic.
  • Premises Liability accidents occur when a known hazard exists on another’s property— usually a public property—but the owner neglected to give proper warning to visitors. Premises liability claims can also occur as the result of a dog bite or an “attractive nuisance” on another’s property, such as a swimming pool.
  • Slip and Fall Injuries are often discounted as not being “real” injuries when, in fact, slip and fall injuries can result in severe head and neck injuries, back injuries, and broken bones.
  • Brain Injuries can alter the life of the victim and his or her family for many months, years, or even a lifetime. Some traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can even alter the victim’s personality.
  • Bicycle Accidents can cause severe injuries or fatalities since the bicyclist has virtually no protection other than a helmet (if worn).
  • Nursing Home Abuse occurs more often than most people realize. In some cases the facility is understaffed while, in other cases, proper background checks are not performed on all employees.
  • Burn Injuries can occur from an automobile accident or a work accident, although most burn injuries occur in the home.
  • Wrongful Death claims occur when a person is injured as the result of another person’s negligence and those injuries are so severe that they ultimately cause death.
  • Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage—it is optional in most states for drivers to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, but it is always a good idea. If you are hit by an uninsured driver, you may have little recourse in collecting damages if you don’t have this coverage on your own policy.

Motor vehicle and car wreck accidents are among the most common causes of accidental injury, and neck and back injuries are frequent in these accidents. Injuries to the neck and back often require more time to heal, which means more medical treatment, more pain and suffering, and more time out of work. In these cases, it’s always in your best interest to hire a McMinn county personal injury lawyer without delay.

Is My McMinn County Injury Claim Valid?

While most personal injury claims hinge on being able to prove the liability of one party, there are other things that can make a difference in whether an injury claim turns out to be valid. The primary way to determine whether your injury claim is a strong one is to speak to a knowledgeable McMinn County personal injury lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law. In addition to ensuring that liability for the injury is clear, your attorney will also want to make sure you don’t do anything that could potentially hurt your claim, including:

  • Posting information or photographs about your case on social media
  • Speaking on the record with an insurance appraiser from the at-fault party’s insurance company
  • Failing to seek immediate medical attention
  • Ignoring doctor’s orders regarding medical treatments

Serious injuries can take a physical, emotional, and financial toll on you—at Dennis & Winningham Law, we are dedicated to advocating for your future.

Resources for Accident Victims Located in McMinn County and the Athens Area

If you have been involved in an accident in the Athens area of McMinn County, the following resources could benefit you.

Hospital:

Starr Regional Medical Center
1114 West Madison Avenue
Athens, TN 37303
(423) 745-1411

Police:

Athens City Police Department
815 North Jackson Street
Athens, TN 37303
(423) 744-2730

Fire Department:

Athens City Fire Department
815 North Jackson Street
Athens, TN 37303
(423) 744-2770

Urgent Care:

AFC Urgent Care
2037 Congress Parkway South
Athens, TN 37303
(423) 381-0152

Fast Pace Health Urgent Care
1019 Decatur Pike
Athens, TN 37303
(423) 746-2907

The Dennis & Winningham Law Difference

You won’t find other attorneys like us in McMinn county. At Dennis & Winningham Law, most of our cases settle within four months, possibly making us the fastest in the area without sacrificing value.

As our client, you control your case. We aim to help you make informed legal decisions about your case. To do this, we advise you on all the factors that impact your unique situation and give examples of jury verdicts from similar cases. But in the end, you decide whether to take a settlement or go to trial. If you want to tell your story, we will help you tell it.

Our intake process for new personal injury clients in a nutshell:

  1. One of our legal assistants takes your call and listens to your story. He/she then relates your problem to one of our lawyers, who determines whether you have a case.
  2. If you have a case, we schedule an initial interview within 12 to 24 hours of your call.
  3. The initial interview usually lasts about 60 to 90 minutes. One of our McMinn County lawyers will explain:
  • why it’s crucial to get consistent medical treatment and physical therapy for your injury;
  • why you do not want to use Tennessee medical payment car insurance if you have it;
  • why you do want to use health insurance if you have it;
  • the importance of staying closely in touch with us;
  • how the settlement and settlement memo processes work;and
  • how quickly you can expect to receive payment.
  1. Within 24 hours, we send a notice letter to the involved insurance companies. If they have not started reviewing the claim, we demand that they do so.
  2. We’ll be in touch at least four times in the first two weeks of our relationship. We want to make sure that your claim is going well, and follow up on your medical treatment progress.

Why Choose a McMinn County Personal Injury Lawyer at Dennis & Winningham Law

In McMinn county and the surrounding area, the legal team at Dennis & Winningham Law treats clients like people, not numbers. There are many great reasons to choose a McMinn County personal injury lawyer from Dennis & Winningham Law to handle your case. Among other reasons, you can expect highly individualized attention and will always work directly with your attorney rather than being “handed off” to a paralegal. Our experience is unparalleled, and our caseload is focused and deliberate.

You can expect a strategy for your injury claim that is specifically tailored to you, your accident, your injuries, and the facts and circumstances surrounding your accident. Our resources are extensive. We can fully investigate your accident to determine liability, hire expert witnesses when appropriate, and be ready to go to trial when necessary. With a long track record of success and an exemplary reputation in the industry, we believe that—once you have spoken to Tricia Dennis or Lupton Winningham—you will know why Dennis & Winningham Law is right for you.

  • We accept contingency fees. You won’t pay unless we win your case.
  • We’re connected. About 50 percent of our clients do not have health insurance. To help them, we tap an extensive network of qualified medical providers and make referrals so that they get the best care for their injury. Most clients usually get an appointment within 24-48 hours of their initial interview with us.
  • We’re fact-based. We’ll only refer you to real doctors—no chiropractors under any circumstances. Above all, we want to see your health improve.
  • We work directly with our clients. At some large law firms or personal injury mills, you may never speak to your representing attorney. We want to build trust with our clients and truly understand their situation to best help them. There’s no more effective way to do this than to meet early and often with our clients.

Contact Dennis & Winningham Law Today

If you are the victim of a car accident or other personal injury in McMinn county, the skilled legal team at Dennis & Winningham Law can help. Our Tennessee lawyers will treat your case with the knowledge, dedication, and compassion needed to get you the compensation, and peace of mind, you deserve. Attorneys Tricia Dennis and Lupton Winningham strive to empower our clients through education, allowing each client to make the best decisions for their case and their future. We work hard to achieve the outcome you deserve and we’ll be the advocate in your corner when it feels like you are alone. Call (423) 892-5533 for a free and confidential strategy session about your case.

McMinn County Personal Injury Attorneys

YOUR SETTLEMENT

Get Paid Fast!

You have bills that need to be paid. We work with your insurance company to get you a settlement for your injuries fast. If you’ve been injured we can get you the money you deserve.

GET HELP

Medical Treatment

If you’ve been injured, you need medical treatment from a licensed physician. At Dennis & Winningham Law, we connect our clients to our network of specialists to get you back on the road to recovery.

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OUR SERVICES & REVIEWS

A Personal Approach for Accident Victims

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Personal Injury

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Car Accidents

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Truck Accidents

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Motorcycle Accidents

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ATV Accidents

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BICYCLE ACCIDENTS

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BOATING ACCIDENTS

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NURSING HOME ABUSE

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PREMISE LIABILITY

Personal injury 

In almost all personal injury claims, insurance companies will offer you significantly less than what you deserve. It’s tempting to accept the first offer, especially if you are in a great deal of pain and unable to return to work. But if you’ve already taken a devalued settlement from the insurance company and your medical bills start to pile up, there’s little legal recourse to ask for more. That’s why it’s crucial to involve a Chattanooga personal injury lawyer before you even file a claim.

About Personal Injury >

Car Accidents

Chattanooga car accident lawyers Tricia Dennis and Lupton Winningham have recovered millions of dollars in Georgia and Tennessee for car and motor vehicle accident victims like you.  If you or a loved one has been injured and need help with your medical bills, then you have come to the right place.   Auto accident victims and their family members in East Tennessee and North Georgia can confidently rely on the experienced auto accident attorneys at Dennis & Winningham Law. We are the law firm that has compassionately, yet effectively, helped victims and their loved ones navigate the aftermath of difficult situations.

Our Car Accident Lawyers >

Trucking Accidents

Truck accidents in the United States are on the rise. Recent statistics show that almost 150,000 people are injured in truck accidents each year, and 6,000 people are killed. The regional area of Georgia and Tennessee is a crossroads and a center for car manufacturing, river traffic, and other industries. Large trucks, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and other commercial vehicles are constantly on the road. This has a downside as frequent truck accidents occur on I-75, I-24, I-59, Highway 153, U.S. 27, Amnicola Highway, Corridor J, and other roadways. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Georgia or Tennessee truck accident, you may be eligible for substantial compensation.

Our Truck Accident Lawyers >

Motorcycle Accidents

Experienced Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyers Tricia Dennis and Lupton Winningham are avid fans of motorcycles, but they also realize how serious motorcycle accidents can be. With over 75 years of combined experience, Dennis & Winningham Law Injury Law knows the legal process to achieve fair compensation for motorcycle crash victims. Contact one of our lawyers today to learn more about how to start your motorcycle accident claim.

About Motorcycle Accidents >

ATV Accidents

Under both Tennessee and Georgia law, ATVs are not authorized for use on paved road, but children continue to bring ATVs on to our roads and highways. Georgia and Tennessee laws also prohibit the carrying of passengers on most ATVs, require children below the age of 16 to take approved ATV training courses, and require kids younger than 16 to wear helmets, eye protection, and over-the-ankle boots when operating ATVs. However, these requirements apply only when ATVs are operated on public lands, leaving kids essentially without protection when riding ATVs on private property.

About ATV Accidents >

Bicycle Accidents

The most tragic type of bicycle crash is a bike-car collision. Cyclists are completely defenseless traveling on 30-pound bikes when they’re surrounded by 3,000-pound cars and trucks racing by them. Pedestrians, defective bike parts, recalled bike helmets, and other ineffective bicycle safety equipment can also cause bicycle accidents. Bike accidents can result in wrongful death or serious injuries such as broken bones, amputation, traumatic brain injury, neck, back, and spinal cord injuries.

About Bicycle Accidents >

Boating Accidents

One of three factors usually cause boat accidents: an inexperienced boater, an intoxicated operator, or a boat malfunction. More than a third of both fatal and non-fatal boat accidents are alcohol-related. It is estimated that boat operators with a blood alcohol content of .10 or higher are 10 times more likely to be injured or killed in a boat accident than sober operators.

About Boating Accidents >

Nursing Home Abuse

No one ever expects a family member or friend to be the victim of abuse or neglect in a nursing home. However, abuse and neglect do occur every day and in many ways.

Dennis & Winningham Law are Chattanooga nursing home abuse attorneys who will fight to recover all that you and your loved one deserve. With our experience in nursing home negligence matters, we thoroughly and carefully assess each individual case. We prepare each case for either settlement or trial in order to obtain compensation for injury, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. We help victims and their families hold these facilities accountable.

About Nursing Home Abuse >

Premises Liability

Premises liability is a vital facet of personal injury law, placing responsibility on property owners for maintaining a safe environment. When accidents occur due to negligence or hazardous conditions on someone’s property, victims have the right to seek compensation. This encompasses incidents like slip and falls or inadequate security leading to assaults. Dennis & Winningham Law excel in handling these complex cases, tirelessly pursuing justice for our clients.

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OUR TEAM IS STANDING BY

Free Strategy Session

During your initial strategy session, we will assist you in creating a strategy in how to best pursue your claim, whether it be the result of a car accident claim, 18 wheeler injury, or, other kind of personal injury claim.

There are 5 points to your free claim strategy session:

  • First, we will listen to your story. You will have a chance to tell everything to someone who wants to hear what happened to you.
  • Based on the information you provide, we will give you our best advice on both what claims you have and the next steps you should consider to go forward with your claim.
  • If you claim is something that we think we can help you with, we will explain the services that we can provide for you, and what the next steps are that we should take. We will start working immediately.
  • If your matter is something that we do not think we can help you with, then we will attempt to put you in contact with another lawyer that might be able to help you.
  • Either way, what should happen is we will put to rest some of the unknowns that you may be experiencing. We will start to shed light on what you can expect and how to best pursue the benefits you deserve.