Highway Accidents and Personal Injury

Highway Accidents and Personal Injury

Car accidents in North Carolina most often result in injuries of some sort. When it comes to highway accidents, the chance of severe injury increases dramatically. Quite often, highway accidents involve commercial vehicles and the insurance companies that represent them. Injured parties find insurance companies are eager to settle in those situations, but generally this is a bad idea. Understanding your rights and making sure you’re represented by legal counsel in situations with severe injuries is of utmost importance.

Types Of Highway Accidents

Due to the high rate of speed, congestion and the potential for distraction, highways produce a wide range of accidents. A few common types of car accidents include:

Depending upon the conditions surrounding the accident, the injuries can range from minor injuries to fatality. Below is a list of common injuries we seek compensation for in our daily personal injury practice:

Settling A North Carolina Car Accident Claim

While most claims settle without the need to file a lawsuit, this is not an indication that you don’t need an attorney representing you. In fact, the threat of a lawsuit is often a critical component to reaching a fair settlement between the injured party and the insurance company. North Carolina claims have a few inherent challenges not faced by injured parties in other states.

First, we live in a conservative state. This means that juries generally return conservative verdicts for Plaintiffs, and are much less likely to try to ‘punish’ a defendant by awarding higher verdicts. States like Florida, for instance, are notorious for the opposite behavior of juries. Legal counsel for the defendant will use this information to argue a lower value for your personal injury claim. While historical data may support this contention in general, your personal injury lawyer will argue the specific facts of your case to distinguish it from other cases.

Second, North Carolina is a Contributory Negligence state. If you’ve read a few articles on our website you know what that means. If you haven’t, the rule is quite simple: if a jury finds that an injured party contributed 1% or more to the injury, the jury is instructed to give the injured party nothing. This differs from all but one other state, in that other states will instruct juries to simply reduce the verdict by the percentage of fault they attribute to the injured party. This again is used by defense counsel to lower the value of your case by threatening that a jury could easily find you contributed 1% to the injury and award you nothing. Personal injury lawyers are accustomed to these assertions, and your lawyer will demonstrate to defense counsel the reasons why the assertion is incorrect or not to be relied upon. Often this brings the party back to the negotiation table.

The High Stakes Of Highway Injuries

Whether you hire our firm or another personal injury firm, we strongly recommend you work with a personal injury attorney to help you navigate personal injury claims arising from highway accidents. We understand individuals are nervous that the attorney fee is taking money out of their pocket. We have found that in more instances than not, this is not the case. Your personal injury lawyer will work to maximize the settlement offer, and can often negotiate your medical billing for you as well. These combined advantages typically more than make up for the personal injury lawyer’s fee. In addition, this means someone else is working your case for you, communicating with the adjuster, and assuring that you’re not compromising by accidentally signing documentation waiving your rights.

Speak With A Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Personal injury law firms offer free consultations. It’s part of the job. There’s no pressure to move forward, and you deserve to understand your options. If you’d like to speak with a lawyer today, call 704.749.7747 or click HERE to request a call from us. You’ll be contacted directly by the attorney, and you’ll get a chance to get your questions answered. We know you have options. We hope you choose to Recover With Us.