Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer

At the Whitley Law Firm, we understand that being involved in a car accident can be a traumatic experience, possibly leading to serious injuries, mounting medical bills, extensive damage to your vehicle, and even the inability to work or enjoy time with your family.

Car accident claims can be complex and involve numerous parties, from the other driver to insurance agents to defense attorneys. If you have been seriously injured in a car accident caused by another driver or person, our Raleigh car accident lawyers can help protect your rights and seek the compensation you need and deserve.

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Gathering Evidence Following a Car Accident
• Talking to Insurance
• Biggest Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
• Filing a Claim

En Español

Damages You Can Recover After a Car Accident in Raleigh

If you were injured in a car accident in Raleigh, you can recover damages for your vehicle, medical expenses, and economic losses, including missed time from work or missed business opportunities. You can also recover non-economic damages, which are pain and suffering damages. If you are hit by a drunk driver, you may be entitled to further damages.

The drivers involved in a car accident are typically responsible for the resulting damages, with the at-fault party and their insurer owing compensation to the other party. The at-fault party is likely the person who caused the accident. When a motorist has acted especially negligently or recklessly and has broken the law, a Raleigh personal injury lawyer can hold them personally responsible.

If your accident involved an uninsured or underinsured driver, your own insurer may have a duty to cover your costs, depending on the terms of your policy. Your auto accident lawyer in Raleigh can negotiate with both your own insurer and that of the other party.

If an accident involves a commercial driver or large truck, the parent company may bear liability, in addition to the insurer and the driver himself.

While there are limits to when a government body may be sued, your Raleigh car accident attorney can analyze the circumstances that led to your injuries and determine which parties may be liable and how to proceed.

Here is an idea of the kinds of insurance-related issues you may run into after a car accident.

How Much Your Car Accident Claim in Raleigh, NC, Is Worth

The value of a car accident claim in Raleigh varies widely and depends on several factors unique to each case. Here are some key factors that influence the worth of a car accident settlement in North Carolina:

• Severity of injuries: The most significant factor is the extent and seriousness of your injuries. More severe injuries typically lead to higher compensation. Injuries that result in permanent disability or the need for ongoing medical care tend to have higher values.
• Medical expenses: The total cost of medical treatment, including hospital bills, surgeries, rehabilitation, doctor visits, prescription medications, and future medical expenses, will play a crucial role in determining the value of your claim.
• Lost income: Compensation for lost wages, both past and future, is an important component. If your injuries have caused you to miss work or have reduced your earning capacity, this will be factored into the claim.
• Pain and suffering: Non-economic damages such as physical pain, emotional distress, and the overall impact of the accident on your life are considered.
• Property damage: The cost to repair or replace your damaged vehicle and any other property damage such as laptops or other items you may have had in the car.
• Liability: Establishing the liability of any at-fault parties for the accident is crucial. The clearer fault is in your accident, the stronger your claim will be.
• Insurance policy limits: Insurance coverage limits can impact the maximum amount you can recover, especially if the at-fault driver has limited coverage.
• Evidence: The strength of the evidence you have to support your claim will directly impact your compensation.
• Jurisdiction: The laws and regulations in Raleigh and in North Carolina can affect the claims process and the potential amount of your settlement.
• Negotiation skills: The effectiveness of your Raleigh car accident lawyers and our negotiation skills can play a role in the final settlement amount.

Because each case is unique, the outcome of your claim will depend on the specific circumstances.

To get a more accurate estimate of the value of your claim, get a consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney. We can assess your case and provide guidance based on the specifics of your situation.

Our North Carolina Personal Injury Case Results

We are proud of our strong and proven track record of getting results. Here are some of the settlements and court awards we have recovered in North Carolina personal injury claims.

• Family of Auto Accident Victim Recovers $1.5 Million Settlement: A 44-year-old man was killed in an automobile accident when he was hit head-on by an oncoming van. He subsequently suffered cardiac arrest, leading to his death. His family obtained a $1.5 million settlement.
• Car Accident Victim Recovers $1.5 Million for Injuries: After a 43-year-old man sustained a broken nose, damaged kidney, and fractured ankle in a car accident, our lawyers were able to recover $1.5 million to compensate for his losses.
• Worker Injured in Auto Accident Wins $1.2 Million: After our client was injured when he was hit head-on while driving a commercial vehicle, we were able to recover $1.2 million in damages.
• $900,000 Settlement Collected in Wrongful Death Auto Case: After a vehicle passenger and her six-year-old child were killed when a truck driver negligently backed into their sedan, we secured a $900,000 settlement for their survivors.
• $825,000 Settlement Reached for Woman Hurt in Head-On Accident: After a woman’s leg was injured and her ankle was crushed in a head-on collision, we were able to settle the claim for $825,000.

Determining Your Damages in a Raleigh Car Accident Claim

An attorney can first determine what damages you may be entitled to and then ensure that you recover all of them following a car accident. Oftentimes, people who handle car accident cases on their own without an attorney miss certain damages that may be important to them and are allowed in their case.

Additionally, a lawyer can retrieve all medical records and all medical bills documenting injuries sustained in accidents. We can seek information from your employer to determine lost wage information and document your pain and suffering damages by asking you to keep a journal so we can understand the impact the accident had on your life based on the damages.

In personal injury claims involving serious injuries that are life-altering, the lawyer can find expert opinions about future medical care, economic loss, and any other damages that you may be entitled to when you have been seriously hurt in an auto accident.

Common Types of Car Accidents in Raleigh, NC

Our car accident attorneys in Raleigh handle all types of vehicle accidents and related liability, including but not limited to:

• Drunk driver collisions
• Large truck accidents
• Hit-and-run and leaving the scene
• Failed airbags
• Pedestrian accidents
• Motorcycle crashes
• Head-on collisions
• Rear-end collisions
• Texting and driving
• Failure to yield

Ensuring a Fair and Reasonable Outcome to a Car Accident Case

When filing a claim for damages, you should be aware of the various routes you could take to ensure that your case is resolved in a favorable manner. One method of doing so is through a settlement with the other driver’s insurance company. The settlement process begins as soon as your attorney gets in contact with the other party informing them of the damages owed to you and your desire to formally file an injury claim.

If the insurance company finds that you have a valid claim for compensation, they would typically offer a settlement that is usually lower than the initial claim for damages. At this point, both parties could enter into mediation to try to resolve the case. If an agreement cannot be made regarding a settlement, you may have no other choice than to take the case to trial.

Consult an Experienced Raleigh Car Accident Attorney

It is important to arrange a consultation with an experienced Raleigh car accident attorney as soon as possible if you have been in a car accident. Your car accident lawyer can advise you regarding obtaining and preserving evidence of the crash, including photos of the scene, witness statements, police reports, and road and weather conditions. Here are some general tips on what to do after an accident.

If you are injured or believe you may be injured, it is best to seek medical treatment immediately to obtain necessary care and to create records of your condition following the accident.

Your North Carolina personal injury lawyer can then examine your medical records to determine the damages you are owed.

North Carolina is one of only a few states that still operates under the so-called contributory negligence rule. This law completely bars victims who have contributed even a small portion to causing the accident from receiving compensation. Your Raleigh car accident attorney will want to immediately begin investigating in order to counter any accusations that may prevent you from recovering the compensation you deserve.

Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer FAQs

What is the statute of limitations for car accident claims in North Carolina?

The statute of limitations for legal actions involving negligence is specified in North Carolina General Statutes § 1-52. If you have been harmed as a result of someone else’s negligence – including in a car crash – you have three years from the date of the accident to bring a claim. Wrongful death claims are governed by a separate statute of limitations.

North Carolina General Statute § 1-53 states that claims for “the death of a person caused by the wrongful act, neglect or fault of another” must be brought within 2 years. So, if you lost a loved one in a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver, you have 2 years from the date of their passing to file a lawsuit.

Ideally, you will be able to settle your car accident claim favorably well before the statute of limitations expires. However, this might not be possible if you sustained serious injuries for which you continue to receive treatment (the value of a settlement should be calculated once the injuries are stable). Furthermore, the defendant’s insurance company may drag its feet in resolving your claim – or even deny you compensation altogether.

Should either of these situations arise, it is important to take legal action prior to the approach of the statute of limitations. You will be barred from filing suit after the time limit, and you do not want to miss the opportunity to recover the compensation you deserve.

Are there any caps on damages that can be recovered in a car accident claim in NC?

North Carolina does not impose any caps on the damages a plaintiff can recover for injuries and losses sustained in a car accident. As such, you can and should pursue recovery for all of the economic and non-economic losses you have suffered.

However, drivers in North Carolina are only required to carry $30,000 in liability insurance coverage per person and $60,000 in liability insurance coverage per accident. Many drivers ignore the law and do not carry any liability insurance at all.

For these reasons, it is important to work with a Raleigh car accident lawyer who can do an exhaustive search on your behalf to identify (a) the insurance coverage available to you and (b) the coverage available under the at-fault driver’s policy. Additional insurance coverage may be available if multiple parties are liable for damages, potentially enabling you to recover more in compensation.

Who is liable for car accident claims in North Carolina?

North Carolina is a “fault” state. If you are injured in a car accident as a result of another driver’s negligence, the other motorist and his or her insurance company is liable.

Drivers are considered negligent when they breach the “duty of care” they owe to others. The duty of care encompasses all of the obligations that are placed on a driver when operating a motor vehicle, such as obeying the speed limit, leaving a safe distance between other vehicles, etc.

Drivers are liable for the damages they have caused when:

• They breach the duty of care through negligence and
• This breach is the proximate cause of injury to others.

What constitutes negligence depends on the specific facts and circumstances of the car crash. For example, a motorist who is driving the speed limit on an open road in clear weather is exercising the necessary care. However, if that same motorist is driving at the posted speed limit in inclement weather on a slippery road, this would likely be considered negligence. Were an accident to occur in the latter scenario, the driver going too fast for conditions would probably be found liable for the crash.

Negligence is governed by common law rather than specific statutes. Years of court decisions go into determining what constitutes a deviation from the acceptable standard of care in a given scenario. Ultimately, when a car accident case goes before a jury, it is up to the jurors to decide whether the actions of the defendant rise to the level of negligence.

Who is at fault in a car accident in North Carolina?

When it comes to car wrecks, “fault” really means cause. In other words, fault for a car accident is established by determining (a) who caused the crash and (b) how that individual’s actions led to the collision.

Unfortunately, fault for car accidents is often far from clear cut in North Carolina. We are one of only four states in which the theory of contributory negligence still exists.

North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule bars recovery in personal injury cases where the plaintiff is found to be at fault. To be clear, ANY degree of fault on the part of the plaintiff – no matter how minor – disqualifies the victim from obtaining compensation.

Predictably, this means insurance companies will do anything they can to find you even 1% at fault for causing the collision. If they do, the insurer can deny your claim.

How will the contributory negligence law affect my car accident claim?

Contributory negligence comes up in every personal injury case we handle. It is imperative to consult an attorney as soon as possible if you are accused of sharing any fault for a car accident.

Although the contributory negligence standard puts plaintiffs at a major disadvantage, it is not impossible to overcome. North Carolina General Statutes § 1-139 requires that the “party asserting the defense of contributory negligence has the burden of proof of such defense.” So, the defendant and/or his insurance company must present evidence of negligence on the part of the plaintiff.

In North Carolina, “preponderance of the evidence” is the burden of proof that must be met to prevail in a civil case. The term is defined by the North Carolina Judicial Branch as “[evidence] as a whole which shows the fact is more likely than not.”

To avoid liability in your car accident claim, the defense must prove that negligence on your part contributed to the accident. Unfortunately, this is not difficult to do; even something as simple as driving slightly over the speed limit or not signaling a turn could lead to a collision.

However, thorough collection of the evidence and aggressive representation by a car accident attorney can make an enormous difference in countering any contributory negligence arguments raised by the defense.

Bottom line: Don’t give up if the insurance company says that you were partially at fault and denies your claim. Instead, you should speak to a Raleigh car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

What is the average car accident settlement in North Carolina?

The average car accident settlement in North Carolina can vary widely depending on factors such as the severity of injuries, property damage, medical expenses, and liability considerations.

Settlements may range from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Consulting with legal professionals who are familiar with local cases can provide a more accurate estimate based on the specifics of your situation.

Is NC a no-fault state for car accidents?

No, North Carolina is not a no-fault state for car accidents. North Carolina follows a fault-based system, which means that the at-fault driver’s insurance typically covers the damages of the injured party. However, North Carolina law also requires that drivers carry liability insurance to cover their own negligence.

How is fault determined in a car accident in NC?

In North Carolina, fault in a car accident is determined based on the legal concept of “contributory negligence.” If a plaintiff is found even slightly at fault for the accident, they may be barred from recovering damages.

This strict standard means that if you’re deemed responsible, you might not be eligible for compensation. Establishing fault often involves gathering evidence, witness testimonies, police reports, and expert analysis.

What is pain and suffering in a NC car accident?

Pain and suffering in the context of a car accident refers to the physical and emotional distress experienced by an injured party due to the accident and its aftermath. In North Carolina, eligible individuals can seek compensation for pain and suffering, in addition to medical expenses, property damage, and other losses.

Determining the value of pain and suffering can be complex, taking into account factors like the severity of injuries, impact on daily life, and long-term effects.