Personal injury attorney Michael Leizerman is a member of the Tennessee Bar, and has been a licensed Tennessee attorney since 1995. In creating a reputation as an authority on truck accident cases nationwide, Michael often lectures about trial strategies and the nuances of trying a case involving truck driver negligence, and has written a series of books that address the topic of truck litigation. Attorneys across the nation often call upon Michael to help try a case that centers on an accident involving a tractor-trailer, semi-truck or other commercial vehicle.
Located in Nashville, Tennessee:
Or contact me online. All information is kept confidential. I will not accept a case in a state where I'm not ethically permitted under the circumstances.
A tractor trailer was reportedly speeding when it collided with two passenger cars on Highway 11-W near Kingsport, TN, on Thursday, April 12. According to the Johnson City Press, the driver of the tractor trailer had set his cruise control … [Read more]
Read more >A passenger car collided with a tractor trailer in Greene County, TN, on Sunday, April 1, killing two people in the car, including a 4-month-old baby. According to TimesNews.net, the tractor trailer was traveling on Bridge Burners Boulevard and was … [Read more]
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I am honored that West Thompson—the world’s largest publisher of legal books—asked me to write this multi-volume book on truck accident law in 2004. I had already begun the project for my own reference. My book includes the federal regulations that are the same in each state for interstate tractor-trailer crashes, as well as state law that differs in areas, like whether there are monetary limits or “caps” in the lawsuit, whether you can receive punitive damages, and the varying technical requirements for filing a lawsuit.
I have handled cases across the country. I am licensed in several states, and have local counsel in many states who I trust and work with closely. Select your state to learn more:
Every year in Tennessee, nearly 4,000 truck-related accidents leave more than 100 people dead and thousands more injured. From Nashville to Chattanooga, along major freeways such as interstates 75, 65, 24 and 81, trucks make daily travel troublesome for motorists in Tennessee. If you or a family member suffers as the result of a truck accident on one of Tennessee's many miles of highways, contact Michael to ensure that your legal rights are protected.
I regularly engage in continuing legal education presentations around the country, including the following events in or near Tennessee:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.
There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Tennessee may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The Tennessee Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382, 383, 384, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, and 399 of the federal regulations.
Your truck accident case may be larger than you think. My experience often enables me to maximize awards, well beyond what the co-counsel originally expected. My book Litigating Truck Accident Cases, published by West Publishing, is considered the definitive work on handling truck accident cases. Contact me if you are seeking co-counsel on your case.
Fatal Truck Accidents: 146 per year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 3,769 per year
Accident Locales: 62%(Rural), 38%(Urban)
Carrier Fact: 63% of [state] truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not Tennessee.
In 85% of [state] truck accidents, weather conditions were NOT a factor.
Interstate 40: I-40 travels from Memphis to Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Nashville and Knoxville, traversing Tennessee for 455 miles. It provides a close-up view of Tennessee's abundant natural beauty, from the Mississippi Embayment along the Mississippi River, to the Highland Rim and Nashville Basin, to the Cumberland Plateau and Appalachian Valley.
Interstate 24: I-24 travels from Clarksville to Chattanooga by way of Nashville. About 40 miles west of Chattanooga in Monteagle, I-24 passes over the Cumberland Plateau. This stretch of highway is one of the most hazardous in the nation's Interstate highways system due to a high number of runaway trucks on the roadway's steep grades.
Interstate 75: I-75 traverses Tennessee from Chattanooga to Jellico by way of Knoxville before entering the East Tennessee region. It crosses the Tennessee Valley from Georgia, passes through Knoxville to near Lake City, then climbs the Cumberland Mountains and crosses into Kentucky.
Interstate 65: Forming part of U.S. Interstate 65, I-65 in Tennessee travels from Ardmore north to just south of Franklin, Kentucky. In Tennessee the highway's official name is The Albert Arnold Gore Sr. Memorial Highway.
Interstate 81: Beginning in Dandridge, I-81 runs 824 miles northward to it terminus at the Thousand Islands Bridge at the United States-Canada border near Fishers Landing, New York. The 75 miles of I-81 that traverse Tennessee run from its southern terminus in Dandridge to the Virginia state line in Bristol.
Interstate 26: I-26 is the main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. It begins at the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, and travels to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina.
