Tennessee / Canada legality - injury compensation and medical bills

Post date: 2024-04-14 03:10:31

My friend is a Canadian who was hit by a drunk & homeless cyclist in Tennessee earlier this year, and was severely injured. Neither party had insurance.... so what happens with potential criminal charges, injury settlement, and the hospital bill?

The cyclist flagrantly broke a traffic law and hit my friend at high speed, causing a life-changing injury. Multiple witnesses agree that the cyclist was 100% at fault and appeared intoxicated. Turns out the cyclist is also homeless, with a revoked driver's license (and a predatory criminal history).

My friend was travelling without insurance, and is severely injured, with outcomes that will be life-changing and income-limiting for years, and possibly permanently. Friend is now back in Canada, still recovering.

Not sure about how cycling accidents are handled in TN, thus not sure what the legal outcomes will be, if any.

Three main questions:

1. What are the possible outcomes in terms of compensation? If there were compensation, where would that money come from, since the cyclist is homeless and presumably not insured?

2. Asking delicately... What can happen if a Canadian has a very high US hospital bill that they can't afford?

3. Any advice on how my friend could find a good lawyer in TN who might take on this case without a retainer up front

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