Over 300,000 car accidents occur in the state of North Carolina each year, and four out of every 10 car crashes will result in injury. If you or a loved one have been hurt in an auto accident that wasn’t your fault, Parrott Law Firm can help you seek the justice you deserve.
As an accident victim, you may require ongoing medical treatment or even have a permanent disability. Serious injuries from an auto accident can saddle you with medical bills and keep you from earning a living. Our Raleigh firm is dedicated to pursuing fair compensation for your car accident injury so you can begin to rebuild your life. To learn more about how we stand up for your rights, please contact us to request a complimentary personal injury case evaluation.
When to Call a Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a car wreck, it’s in your best interest to consult with an auto accident attorney as soon as you can. The caliber of your legal representation can make or break your case. It could be the difference between receiving a considerable settlement or leaving the courtroom empty-handed.
Some car accident injuries, such as whiplash, tend to worsen as time passes after the crash. Without proper legal advice, you run the risk of accepting a lowball settlement offer that won’t adequately cover the full extent of your injuries. By the time you realize your injuries are worse than you initially thought, it’s too late to go back and ask for more money.
Always seek medical attention after a car accident, even if you feel fine or think your injuries are mild and will resolve themselves on their own. Having a complete medical record will help you file a claim with your insurance company and will serve as concrete proof of your condition, should the insurance adjuster dispute your claim.
What Your Car Accident Attorney Will Do
If you’re injured in a serious car accident, you may be feeling stressed and overwhelmed. In fact, this might be one of the most challenging experiences of your life. The world of insurance claims and settlements is a challenging and confusing place that you shouldn’t have to navigate alone. You can depend on your car accident attorney to guide you through the process, so you can move forward with healing and rebuilding your life.
Once you have entered into an attorney-client relationship, your Raleigh car accident lawyer at Parrott Law Firm performs a number of important tasks. He will:
- Help you understand your rights under North Carolina law
- Help you understand if you should proceed with a car accident claim
- Conduct a thorough investigation of your accident
- Consult with expert witnesses, when feasible and appropriate
- Be the point of contact for your insurance company, as well as for the other driver’s
- Stand up for your rights if the insurance company tries to take advantage of you
- Negotiate with insurance adjusters
- Anticipate and prepare for the possible defenses the other side might use
- Provide legal advice and objective opinions about your case
- Provide an accurate estimate of the long-term costs and effects of injuries
- Evaluate settlement offers
- “Level the playing field” in your negotiations with the insurance carrier’s legal team
- Represent you in court, should your case go to trial
At Parrott Law Firm, we represent clients facing a broad spectrum of legal challenges, ranging from personal injury lawsuits to criminal defense cases. Although no case is too small, our breadth of legal experience also allows us to handle the most complex legal cases that span multiple practice areas.
Recovering Damages for an Auto Accident
A personal injury attorney will help you recover damages to cover the losses you have suffered as a result of the auto accident. Damages can be either economic or non-economic. Economic damages are losses that are measurable and defined. They include lost wages, medical expenses, missed business opportunities, and the costs of repairing property damage. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are not measurable. They include emotional distress, disability or disfigurement, and pain and suffering.
The motorist who was at fault for the accident and his or her insurance company pays damages to the auto accident victim. If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own insurance coverage may be required to pay for your costs.
Serious Injuries Resulting from Auto Accidents
Car accident injuries range in severity. Some injuries, such as cuts or broken bones, will require limited medical care, and you can expect to make a full recovery. More serious car accident injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and nerve damage, can permanently affect your quality of life, require long-term medical care, and cause you to suffer chronic pain for the rest of your life. Some of the most common serious car accident injuries are:
- Traumatic brain injury, including concussion
- Spinal cord damage and other back injuries
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Lacerations
- Soft tissue injuries, including sprains and strains
- Death
Tragically, many serious car accidents have fatal consequences. Wrongful death is defined as a fatality that was unintentionally caused by a reckless or negligent person. In a wrongful death lawsuit, the family of the deceased seeks to recover compensation for the costs associated with the death, including medical costs and funeral costs, and to get justice for the other person’s negligence that caused the death of their loved one.
Types of Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents can happen in many different situations. The circumstances of the collision and the types of vehicles that were involved can provide clues about who was at fault in the accident and the types of injuries that a victim might have sustained. Environmental variables, such as weather and road conditions, may come into play as well. Some of the more common types of accidents are:
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck and tractor-trailer accidents
- Drunk driver accidents
- Hit and run accidents
- Texting and driving accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- Head-on accidents
- Side-impact accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Multiple-vehicle accidents
- Rollover accidents
Determining Fault in a Raleigh Auto Accident
North Carolina is an at-fault state, which means that the person who caused the accident is responsible for paying for the accident victim’s medical expenses and repair bills.
Determining who is at fault in a car crash boils down to the concept of negligence. As drivers, we all have a duty to drive carefully so that we don’t harm other people. Anyone who fails to exercise that care might be considered negligent. Common examples of negligence in car accident cases include:
- Speeding
- Texting while driving
- Running a red light
- Driving while fatigued
- Driving while intoxicated
- Violating right of way
Car accidents in which the other driver is working for a commercial or government entity, such as a truck driver or bus driver, require special consideration. Your Raleigh car accident attorney will investigate the case to determine whether the at-fault party is the driver, his or her employer, or both.
In certain cases, the negligent party may not be another driver at all. Just like drivers have a duty to take care on the roads, car manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are reasonably safe. In a situation where a vehicle defect led to the crash or an avoidable injury, you may be able to recover damages from the vehicle manufacturer, the manufacturer of the defective part, and even the car dealer. Vehicle defects most frequently leading to car accidents include failures of:
- Brakes
- Steering
- Suspension
- Tires or wheels
- Engine
- Airbags
- Electrical systems
- Fuel system components
- Seats and seatbelts
Under North Carolina law, motorists are subject to the rule of contributory negligence. This means that in order to receive damages, the accident victim’s actions must not have helped to cause the accident in any way. In other words, if the defendant can prove that you were partially at fault for the accident, you will not be awarded compensation in your personal injury case.
To win a car accident case, it isn’t enough just to prove that the other driver was negligent. The best personal injury lawyers will demonstrate that the other driver was at fault and defend you against accusations that you should share responsibility for the accident. Our firm brings a deep and thorough knowledge of North Carolina law, including exceptions to the contributory negligence doctrine that may work in your favor.
Get Help with Your Personal Injury Claim – Contact Parrott Law Firm for a Free Consultation
At Parrott Law Firm, we are relentlessly committed to protecting our clients’ rights and obtaining a fair and reasonable resolution to your car accident case. We believe in bringing honesty, transparency, and the highest ethical standards to the attorney-client relationship. For personalized service and the best chance at winning the settlement you deserve for your automobile accident, please contact our office to arrange a free consultation and confidential case evaluation.