What is considered a personal injury case? Knoxville, TN—What is considered a personal injury case? A personal injury action is an action that it usually involves either the negligence of another party committed against another. It can also involve willful acts, assault, battery — things of that nature. It is a broad umbrella that includes different areas of the law. The important thing is if you have a personal injury situation or you think you may have some kind of civil action, you should consult with a lawyer as soon as possible. They can help determine what kind of action you have unde ..read more

  When someone suffers a dog bite on a residence or some sort of a harm from an animal, does homeowners insurance cover that situation? The answer is often yes. In fact, if you think about it this way if someone were injured by your dog while they were on your property you would want them to be compensated for their injury. Likewise, if you had a child or a friend or a loved one on someone else’s property and you were injured by that person’s animal you would want them to pay for your medical bills. Homeowner’s insurance is actually designed to cover those types of situations where som ..read more

Can I refuse a breathalyzer test? Can I refuse a breathalyzer test? You are perfectly within your rights to refuse a breath test or a blood test. Now, it may result in an officer going to obtain a warrant to get your blood test or breath test. However, there are often legal defenses involved in whether or not and how an officer went about obtaining a warrant. My advice to people is when in doubt, it may be in your best interest not to give a blood test or not to give a breathalyzer test. This is because it may ultimately make your case more defendable. Whether or not you’ve given a breath tes ..read more

  Wrongful death has to do with whenever someone dies as the result of either of the negligent or perhaps accidental acts of another person or based on the willful acts or acts done on purpose by another. Whenever that premature death occurs because of another person or another entity, you can file an action personal injury or civil action called wrongful death. The most important thing in a wrongful death case is to get a lawyer involved. There are probate or state issues that are involved that often make wrongful death cases a little bit different from other cases. There’s a lot of f ..read more

If you are involved in or around a motorcycle accident, of course, the most important thing is to call 911 and get immediate medical attention. Beyond that, one of the most important things at a motorcycle accident is secure as many witnesses’ names and phone numbers as possible. After the fact, there are certain allegations that are often made against motorcyclists, that they were driving too fast or they were popping a wheelie or revving their engine. The more witnesses you have to counteract that, the better off you’re going to be. The other thing that is important to do is to take photos ..read more

M. Hallie Dyer recently joined the team at Garza Law in Knoxville, TN. Her primary focus will be criminal defense and DUI defense. A native of McMinnville, TN, Ms. Dyer attended and received her Bachelor of Art from Birmingham Southern College in Studio Art with a Painting Concentration. Ms. Dyer was a volunteer for the Peace Corps in the West Indies and taught school in Copan Ruinas, Honduras. She was a Bilingual Literacy Education Facilitator for the Nashville Public Library Foundation, and a paralegal during her time in Nashville, TN. Ms. Dyer attended the University of Tennessee Colle ..read more

The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is pleased to announce that attorney Philip La Nasa of Knoxville, Tennessee, has been certified as a lifetime member. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is recognized as one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements. The organization was founded in 1993 and there are approximately 3,000 members located throughout the country. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members. Forum membership acknowledges excellence in advocacy ..read more

What happens if I get a DUI? What happens if you get a DUI? There are several events that occur whenever someone is charged with a DUI. The process itself is very complicated. It can be difficult before you even get to the facts of the DUI case or the scientific issues involved. There are certain things that can be done early on in the process. These things will help create opportunities down the road to make your case more defendable. And, in order to have a better chance of obtaining a better result. There are many things that could be done from a procedural standpoint if you involved a ski ..read more

JOHNSON CITY, TN — Tony Seaton, long known for his “Talk to Tony” tagline, received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) over the weekend at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.  The statewide accolade recognizes those who “have had significant career accomplishments promoting justice and making a difference in the lives of Tennessee citizens” and “have shown success over time exemplifying hard work, integrity, and a passion for justice.”  Tony Seaton is a former president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and has more ..read more

Marcos Garza was recently featured in Knoxville’s CityView Magazine. The article spotlighted the DUI practice group at Garza Law and included important details on what everyone should know should they have to deal with a DUI. Additionally, topics were covered related to DUI laws that many do not know.  For instance, one can be charged with a DUI even in the vehicle is stationary.  For example, warming up in the car with the heat on, or sleeping in the car (in many cases a driver is “passed out at the wheel”) can lead to a DUI charge. “Probably the hardest thing to exercise in potent ..read more