Excessive Force CivilRights Attorney in Nashville

We recognize that it may not be easy for you to assess whether you have a case, so don’t hesitate to call our civil rights attorneys in Nashville. These days, it’s common to read stories about police shootings and Taser incidents, thanks in part to the existence of smartphones and dashboard cameras, which make it much more likely that a controversial incident gets recorded on video. But your civil rights can be violated in many ways, and many cases of improper conduct are never investigated or pursued. One of our civil rights attorneys in Nashville will help ensure you have all the correct information to build a winnable case.

On this resource page, we answer many frequently asked questions about civil rights abuses, including inappropriate use of Tasers, inmate abuse, police brutality, and other types of violations. If you are questioning whether you have a case, call one of our civil rights lawyers today, and we will help you define whether or not you have a case.

We also recognize that having your civil rights violated can be physically and emotionally scarring and that the process of pursuing a civil rights lawsuit may seem daunting—even overwhelming, especially when it involves suing a government entity, police department, or other law enforcement agency.  Our civil rights attorneys in Nashville are trained specifically to handle sensitive matters such as civil rights violations.

We’re here to offer our expertise and to help you get compensation as quickly and painlessly as possible. In one recent case, we negotiated a favorable settlement in a matter of months. We fight to get justice for victims of police brutality, excessive force, and other civil rights violations. If your civil rights have been violated, call one of our experienced civil rights attorneys in Nashville today for a no-obligation consultation.

Civil Rights & Excessive Force Cases We Handle

At Raybin & Weissman our lawyers have extensive experience representing victims of civil rights cases in Nashville and the rest of Middle Tennessee. Our attorneys handle cases that include:

• Police shootings
• Excessive force and police brutality, including cases involving the use of Tasers
• Jail inmate abuse, including excessive force and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse
• Unlawful death at the hands of police or guards

While police and other law enforcement officials have a difficult and dangerous job—and put themselves in harm’s way every day to help ensure our collective safety—they are not above the law. When law enforcement officials go beyond their legal limits and violate the civil rights of the people they protect, they should be held accountable. In fact, some law enforcement agencies have a track record of allegedly using excessive force. It often takes settlements and judgments from experienced civil rights lawyers to get police departments to change their training, policies, and procedures, which helps prevent additional incidents from occurring in the future.

We’re Nashville’s Most Experienced Civil Rights Attorneys

It’s important to work with an attorney with extensive experience representing plaintiffs in civil rights cases, as civil rights law is complicated and nuanced, with new developments occurring daily. At Raybin & Weissman, our lawyers have extensive experience addressing civil rights issues and work tirelessly to get you the fair compensation you need for your physical and emotional recovery. Our civil rights attorneys have represented countless victims in Nashville and throughout Middle Tennessee and have won individual settlements and judgments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Taser Cases

As noted above, one of those settlements came in a jailhouse case in which the victim we represented was repeatedly tased while restrained in a restraint chair, suffering dozens of Taser burns.

Incidents involving unwarranted use of Tasers by jailhouse guards and corrections officers are seemingly becoming more common—and are sometimes deadly. We recently reported on an incident in which an Illinois woman sued her local Sheriff’s department after she was Tased, as she suffered a miscarriage and other injuries in the wake of the incident. Reuters has issued a report documenting “104 prisoner fatalities after corrections officers deployed Tasers, often with other force. Most inmates were unarmed, and many were handcuffed or pinned to the ground,” noted Reuters.

Tasers are also often deployed when police officers are subduing suspects who may or may not have committed a crime. A civil rights lawyer We recently won a case for a South Carolina man, in which the 86-year-old received a $900,000 settlement after he suffered severe injuries when he was Tased following a traffic stop. Although relatively uncommon, if you believe you are the victim of wrongful taser use, call one of our civil rights attorneys in Nashville today!

Taser Injuries

Tasers can be effective safety/self-defense tools when used properly and in the right circumstances. But when used inappropriately—repeated and excessive shocking, for instance—they can cause serious, permanent injuries and even death. Tasers can injure victims in a variety of ways.

For one, it’s common for victims to experience electrical burns or scars. Also, the involuntary muscle contractions caused by Tasers can lead to sprains or broken bones, especially if the victim falls to the ground without the ability to break his/her fall. The shock(s) can also affect the victim’s heart, causing fatal cardiac arrhythmias or heart attacks.

Intense shocks can also exacerbate the effect of drugs, either legal or illegal, which can lead to additional injury or death, especially in combination with other uses of force. There have also been rare occasions where the use of a Taser near a flammable substance (like gasoline) has caused a victim to be severely burned.

If a Taser has injured you or a family member or otherwise been a victim of excessive force in Davidson County or elsewhere in Middle Tennessee, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our civil rights attorneys in Nashville with questions or to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident. We encourage you to contact us online or call us at 615.256.6666.

Our Lawyers Will Determine Liability for Your Injuries

At Raybin & Weissman, our lawyers have a long history of representing victims of civil rights abuses throughout the Nashville metropolitan area and the rest of Middle Tennessee. Most likely, we’ve already handled a case just like yours.

Our civil rights attorneys in Nashville understand how difficult it can be to address the legal issues resulting from a civil rights violation. Through aggressive representation and compassionate client service, we can help you determine liability for your injuries and work to help you recover the compensation you are entitled to as quickly as possible, helping you to get your life back on track.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a civil rights violation, don’t hesitate to contact one of our civil rights attorneys in Nashville. Contact our office online or call 615-256-6666 to discuss your injury concerns with one of our caring, compassionate attorneys. Our goal is to help you get the compensation you deserve and prevent future incidents. Along with ensuring justice is served for you and your family, we aim to help other families avoid the same pain and suffering that you are experiencing.

If you’re an attorney outside the state of Tennessee and are looking for help with a taser case or need a civil rights lawyer in your home state, don’t hesitate to contact us at 615-256-6666.

Tennessee Department of Corrections and Core Civic Prison Misconduct

Just like police and sheriff’s officers out on the streets of Tennessee, officers for the Tennessee Department of Corrections working in prisons are held to certain legal and ethical standards. They cannot just treat inmates any way they please. The same is true for the private prison company that operates many state prisons, CoreCivic.

At Raybin & Weissman, Attorneys at Law, our civil rights lawyers strongly believe in promoting safe living environments for Tennessee inmates. No inmate should be forced to live in fear of abuse or neglect, especially abuse or neglect inflicted by a jail or prison staff member—the very people charged with their care. If you or someone you love has been the victim of jail inmate abuse, reach out to a skilled civil rights attorney in Nashville to get the defense you need and deserve.

Types of Inmate Abuse in the Department of Corrections and CoreCivic

Jail inmate abuse is defined as the physical harm or negligent care of someone incarcerated. Since Tennessee Department of Correction and CoreCivic inmates don’t have the right to act against authorities, they are basically defenseless in these circumstances.

Jail or prison inmate abuse behaviors may take many forms, including the following:

• Physical Abuse: Physical harm inflicted on an inmate, including unlawful corporal punishment, extended and unnecessary physical restraint, or illicit beating
• Enablement of Sexual Violence: This happens when an inmate is deliberately placed with another inmate known to have raped or otherwise sexually abused other inmates. This also occurs if an inmate isn’t protected from another inmate who is a known rapist.

Defense for Inmate Rights in Department of Corrections and CoreCivic

Despite being in the criminal justice system, inmates still have the right to basic freedoms, such as freedom of speech and religion and equal protection of the law. Both state and federal laws protect inmates’ rights. For example, The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) 2003 prohibits sexual assaults and sexual misconduct in Tennessee correctional institutions.

Their rights are also protected by the Eighth Constitutional Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. If you need help defending your rights or the rights of an inmate you love, contact our office today. We can help.

Additional Civil Rights Resources:

Raybin & Weissman Files Lawsuit For Excessive Force in Taser Case

Norris “Taser Case” Officially Dismissed After Settlement With Cheatham County

Timeline: Charles Jason Toll Cell Extraction Case