Author: Ryan

Courts in Tennessee randomly select drivers from the state’s voter registration and Department of Motor Vehicles databases to serve as jurors in criminal and civil cases. Juries play a key role in the U.S. legal system. The Constitution ensures a fair trial for those accused of crimes or negligence by allowing a jury of their peers to decide.

Most people understand if they serve on a jury, they must listen to all the evidence in a case and decide whether the person is innocent or guilty based on the facts presented. However, most people have a dozen questions waiting for answers. In this guide about what to know when called for jury duty in Tennessee, we hope to answer some of those pressing questions.  

Can I get out of jury duty in Tennessee?

Many people panic the moment they receive a jury duty summons and immediately want to know how they can avoid serving. Unfortunately, jury duty is a civic obligation most people must attend. They may postpone your jury duty date temporarily for a conflict in the dates, such as a big project at work or a planned vacation.

You can also request a postponement if you have a temporary physical or mental problem that makes it difficult or impossible to serve. Imagine if you just underwent surgery and were on pain medication. This would be a good reason for a postponement.

There are only a few reasons they might excuse you from your jury duty obligation entirely. This includes any permanent physical or mental condition that would make it impossible for you to serve, or if your absence from work might cause an undue financial hardship on you or your employer. This latter exception often occurs when potential jurors work for small businesses that cannot afford to pay the employee unless the employee is working.

The preferred way to arrange a postponement is to report to jury duty and explain your reason during the jury orientation session. If you cannot attend this session, you may also contact the jury coordinator before your jury duty date. In Knox County, this number is 865-215-2550.

If you receive a summons from the United States District Court Eastern District of Tennessee, do not call. You must request postponement in writing. You can find the court address for your specific county here.

What if I fail to respond to a jury duty notice in Tennessee?

You cannot get out of jury duty by simply ignoring the notice. If you fail to respond to the summons, you may face contempt of court charges. In Knox County, there is also a fine of $500. Other counties have similar penalties.

There is no reason not to respond to your jury duty summons in Tennessee. Your employer cannot legally refuse to allow you to attend, and you will continue to receive your normal pay in most cases. The court also pays you $11 per day. If you have other concerns related to jury duty interfering with your job, you should report them to the jury coordinator during orientation.

How does the Knoxville jury selection process work?

Getting a jury duty summons does not mean you will serve on a jury. In fact, most people summoned for jury duty do not serve as jurors in a trial. Instead, you will go through an orientation and selection process to choose the best jurors for the current cases.

There is often a lot of waiting during this process, so you may want to bring a book, tablet or other quiet, relaxing entertainment. You cannot read during the jury selection process.

The jury coordinator, judge, and presiding lawyers may ask you questions to determine if you fit their needs. It is important to listen closely and answer honestly. If you are a good fit, you will become a juror in that case.  

If you are not a good fit for the first jury, they may ask you to repeat the process for another case. In Knox County, jury duty lasts for two weeks, but you do not have to attend every day. Instead, you call in each evening to find out if you need to report the next day. Once your two weeks is up, they will not call you for jury duty again for at least two years.

If I am chosen, what will the case I serve on be about?

While we cannot predict what type of case you may hear, most trials are not the type of high-profile crimes you might see on the news. In fact, many civil cases do not involve a crime at all.

Criminal cases can deal with almost any crime, from murder to shoplifting to drunk driving. In these cases, the district attorney presents the prosecution’s case while a criminal defense attorney represents the person accused of the crime. As a member of the jury, you will listen to the case and decide whether you believe the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Civil cases deal with lawsuits that one person or company files against another. For example, a car accident victim may file suit against another driver who allegedly ran a red light and hit him, causing serious injuries. As a juror in this trial, you will listen to the facts of the case and decide if the preponderance of the evidence points to the driver running the red light and causing the crash. If so, the victim will receive compensation for his injuries and accident-related losses.

Is there anything I need to know before I serve on a jury in Tennessee?

The court will provide any education you require before the trial begins. The judge presiding over the case will outline the expectations and responsibilities of a juror. You will learn about the specific laws related to the case, and any other important information you may need. By paying close attention during this process, you can easily complete your civic duty as a juror without any prior knowledge of the legal system.

It is impossible to know how long it will take to get a settlement check from a car accident in Tennessee. While we try to get your money to you as quickly as possible, there are no guarantees. Things happen, even in the most straightforward cases.

It is difficult to predict when an insurance company will settle, as well as how quickly it will process your settlement for payment. Some cases last only a few months from filing the claim to cashing the check, but others take years to ensure you receive fair compensation for your damages.

What could delay reaching a settlement in a Tennessee car accident claim?

A delay in reaching a settlement with the insurance company is often the most time-consuming part of waiting for your compensation. Some of the most common delays include:

Your Recovery

We cannot recover fair compensation until you either fully recover, have reached your maximum recovery, or we have a good idea about your future medical needs. This can take months or even years. If you will need ongoing care, we will need to talk to your doctors and other experts to understand the full scope of this care and estimate costs.

Building Your Case

Collecting the evidence to support your claim requires extensive work. We must collect all your medical records and related documents, talk to medical experts and accident eyewitnesses, get copies of your pay stubs, and other employment information, and compile any other proof needed to provide a strong case. Requests for these documents often require specific processes to obtain them. This can lengthen the time it takes to collect evidence significantly.

Considering Your Demand Package

Once we submit your demand package to the insurance company, the insurer must analyze your case and consider your demands. It is not unusual for the insurance company to drag its feet at this point, taking a month or longer to consider your demand package. We keep in close contact with the insurance company, keeping your case fresh on the insurer’s mind and encouraging a quick response.

Questions About Liability

Cases where proving liability is difficult typically take longer. In some cases, the insurance company refuses to negotiate a reasonable settlement or accuses you of contributing to your own injuries. When this happens, we may have to file a lawsuit and provide additional evidence to prove the other driver caused the crash. This can take several months or even a year or more.

How long will I have to wait after we reach a Tennessee car crash settlement?

Even once we negotiate a settlement with the insurance company, you will not get paid immediately. There are still a number of steps in the process before you receive your payout, and any of these hurdles can cause a delay in getting your money. You can expect to wait at least a month for your check.

These delays might include issues with:

The Release Form

Before the insurance company will write your check, it requires you to sign and submit a release form. This form states that by accepting the payment, you waive your rights to any further legal action in this case. We can help reduce the chance of a delay due to this form by ensuring we draft a form that is acceptable to the insurance company before we ever reach a settlement.

The Insurance Company’s Process

There is no way to predict how the insurance company’s payout process works, or how long it may take. For example, the insurer might need the signature of one or more employees to issue a check. The insurer might also only issue checks one day a week. These delays may extend for several weeks if the employee responsible for your case is out of town or there are other hiccups in the process.

The Trust Account

Once the insurance company issues a check, it does not come straight to you. Instead, your attorney places it in a trust account, which protects your money until the check clears.

While this usually takes only a few days, larger checks can take a week or longer. If there are issues with the check, the delay can be significant. For example, if the check is missing a signature, it may need to go back to the insurance company and repeat the process again.

Negotiation and Payment of Liens and Bills

Before we can issue checks to clients, we must clear any liens or bills against them. This may require obtaining up-to-date statements from their health insurance company, Medicare, or Medicaid. Getting these final balance documents can take several weeks. In addition, we often work to negotiate a smaller payout for their liens and bills. The time this takes can pay off in a much larger check for the client.

Lawyer’s Fees and Distribution

Once we take care of all other fees, we deduct our agreed-upon fees and cut you a check for the remainder. You should receive this check or an automatic deposit soon after, although large checks may take several days to clear your bank and appear in your account.

While this process can be lengthy, we do whatever we can to expedite the process while still getting you the compensation you need and deserve.

Call OEB Law, PLLC today for settlement help in Knoxville.

We understand your financial stress, and want to get your compensation to you as soon as possible. However, we also want to ensure you receive the full value of your claim and have enough money to cover your future needs.

If you have questions or concerns about your settlement check or your accident case, give us a call at OEB Law, PLLC: 865-546-1111.