Were you recently injured in Charlotte, North Carolina under circumstances involving another person’s negligence? A Charlotte personal injury lawyer from Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys can help persue compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation at (980) 340 8620.
You may be confused about your legal options and how you will possibly cover the medical expenses and other damages stemming from the accident. An unexpected accident can have a long-term impact on victims, causing serious injuries that result in expensive medical bills, considerable pain and suffering, and a reduced earning potential.
When someone else’s negligence is to blame for these effects, you deserve to be made whole through a personal injury claim. Our dedicated legal team can help pursue compensation that can help you move toward a more financially secure future.
Why Should I Hire Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys To Handle My Personal Injury Case?
Personal injuries can be extremely disruptive to your life. You may be struggling with painful injuries and trying to juggle medical appointments. You might be trying to return to work and resume your former responsibilities. Adding a complicated legal process can be daunting for many personal injury victims.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can handle your legal claim while you focus on your recovery. You can trust Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys with our more than 150 years of combined legal experience and recovery of over $100 million. Since 1980, our law firm has helped people throughout Charlotte and surrounding areas in North Carolina seek compensation after they were injured due to the negligent actions of others.
When you hire our law firm, we will be involved in every step of the process, including:
- Initial consultation and case review – Our skilled personal injury attorneys can sit down with you to discuss the accident and assess whether you may have a viable legal claim against a third party. Our consultations are free, and you can choose to move forward or not at no cost or obligation to you.
- Investigation and evidence gathering – Our team can begin work immediately on your case. We investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident and determine who is at fault. We also gather and preserve evidence that is valuable in proving liability.
- Damages assessment – We compile information about the full extent of your losses, review your medical records, and determine the long-term impact of the accident on your life.
- Insurance claim management – We handle communications with insurance companies and manage your insurance claims. We monitor case deadlines and take necessary legal action to protect your rights.
- Settlement negotiations – We negotiate for fair compensation that fully accounts for your short- and long-term losses.
Learn more about your legal rights and options when you call us for a free consultation.
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
You may have a personal injury case if you were injured in an accident and someone else’s negligence was to blame for it. These facts form the basis of negligence claims, the leading legal theory behind personal injury cases. The best way to determine if you have a viable personal injury claim is to reach out to our law firm for a free case review.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in North Carolina?
If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, it is important that you understand the adversarial nature ahead. You may have a right to recover compensation for your injuries from the person responsible for your injuries, otherwise known as the defendant. In many situations, you file a claim with the defendant’s insurance company.
The insurance company is not interested in giving you as much money as possible. In fact, the opposite is true. Insurance companies earn millions or billions of dollars every year by raking in more money through insurance premiums than they pay out in claims. Therefore, they want to do everything possible to limit the amount of compensation you recover for your injuries.
They may deny your claim, hoping you won’t fight back. They may try to blame you for the accident, which can put your own personal assets in jeopardy. They may try to say your medical treatment was unnecessary or your injuries are not as severe as you claim in an effort to reduce the amount of compensation you recover.
By hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer, you can level the playing field and ensure that you have someone actively representing your interests throughout the process. Because your personal injury lawyer’s interests are aligned with yours in that they stand to recover more money for the more compensation they recover for you, they can fight diligently to secure maximum compensation on your behalf.
We Handle All Personal Injury Cases
At Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys, we handle all types of personal injury cases, including:
Car Accidents
North Carolina is an at-fault state for car accidents. The at-fault driver is responsible for paying compensation for the harm they cause to the victim. Car accidents are often due to negligent driving behaviors, such as speeding and distracted driving. Our team can investigate your case and determine how the accident happened and who is at fault for it.
Truck Accidents
One of the reasons why truck accidents are so much more complicated than other types of motor vehicle accident claims is that multiple parties may contribute to them, including truck drivers and companies, mechanics, and manufactures. Let our legal team hold the at-fault parties responsible for your injuries.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, including spinal cord, brain, and neck injuries. If you have suffered a serious injury, you do not need the added stress of a legal claim. Contact our law firm for immediate legal assistance.
Slip and Fall Accidents
When property owners are negligent, visitors can slip and fall at various locations, including: private residences, government properties hospitals and medical facilities. Our personal injury attorneys can help hold negligent property owners responsible for the harm they have caused.
Workers’ Compensation Claims
Injured workers in North Carolina can seek workers’ compensation benefits if they were injured in the course and scope of their jobs. Our attorneys can help file claims for medical benefits, partial wage replacement benefits, and disability benefits. Contact us for a free case review.
Wrongful Death Claims
Suppose your loved one died in any of the accidents described above or other situations in which another party’s wrongful act, neglect, or default caused the death. In that case, you may have the right to file a wrongful death claim to seek justice and accountability. Our compassionate legal team can guide you through this process.
How Much is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
One of the most common questions our law office receives is, “What is my case worth?” While we wish we could give a simple answer, the truth is the answer depends on many factors, such as:
- The nature and severity of your injuries
- How long your recovery takes
- Whether your injuries were permanent in nature
- The extent and duration of your pain and suffering
- The identity of the party or parties responsible for your injuries
- Whether you contributed to the accident
- The amount of insurance coverage available
Because each personal injury case is different – just like each personal injury victim is different – the only way to determine a case’s true value is by carefully investigating it and gathering evidence of your damages. You can begin this process by reaching out to Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys for a free case review.
What Damages Are Available to Charlotte Accident Victims?
In North Carolina, the damages personal injury victims can receive are generally classified into two categories:
Economic Damages
These are direct, financial losses that a victim sustained as a result of the accident. Common types of economic damages include:
- Medical expenses – North Carolina personal injury victims are entitled to compensation for all medical expenses related to the accident. This includes payment for ambulance rides, emergency medical treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, and diagnostic tests. It also includes ongoing medical costs and future medical expenses.
- Lost wages – You can seek compensation for wages you lost while you were recovering from your injuries or seeking medical attention. If your future earning capacity has been eliminated or impeded, you can seek compensation in the difference between your pre- and post-injury earning potential.
- Property damage – If your personal property, such as a car, phone, or tablet was damaged in the accident, you can also seek financial compensation for the costs to repair or replace your damaged property.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate victims for more subjective losses, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment of life
An experienced accident lawyer can help gather evidence to establish the value of all your damages.
What If I’m Partially At Fault For the Accident?
Some cases involve multiple people who contributed to the accident, including the victim. Under North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule, you cannot recover compensation for an accident in which you were at fault in any proportion. Most states allow you to recover compensation for accidents as long as you were mostly at fault for the accident, but your damages are reduced by your degree of fault. However, North Carolina has a strict rule that eliminates all compensation if the victim contributed to the accident. For this reason, it’s paramount not to admit any fault for the accident.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Personal injury lawyers usually work on a contingency fee basis. This means that payment for their services is conditioned upon the outcome of the case. They receive a percentage of the award or settlement they recover on your behalf.
This fee arrangement offers personal injury victims multiple benefits, including:
- No upfront fees – Accident victims can retain legal services without having to pay for them upfront.
- No risk – If the claim is not successful, the victim does not have to pay legal fees.
- Interests aligned – The lawyer stands to get more money when they obtain more money for the client, so their interests are aligned.
We can explain our contingency fee agreement when you call for your free case review.
What is the contributory negligence rule?
One of the most important personal injury laws North Carolina personal injury victims should know is the contributory negligence rule. Under this law, you cannot recover any compensation if you are found even 1% at fault for the accident. For this reason, it’s crucial you do not admit fault after an accident, even if you think you might have contributed to it.
You don’t know the factors that might have been involved. For example, another motorist may have been drunk or distracted. These facts may not reveal themselves until your lawyer has completed an extensive investigation. If you admit fault for the accident, the insurance company may deny your claim altogether, leaving you with no way to pay your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.
Statute of Limitation Regulations
Another important law to know is the statute of limitations, which generally requires accident victims to file a lawsuit within three years of the accident date. However, there are some exceptions that make this timeline shorter or longer, so you should consult with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to preserve your rights.
What is Negligence?
Negligence is the failure to behave within the level of care a reasonably prudent person would demonstrate under similar circumstances in such a way that it results in injury to another person. Negligence involves four elements:
- Duty of care -The defendant had a legal duty to take some action or refrain from taking action to prevent an injury.
- Breach of duty – The defendant must have done something that breached their duty of care.
- Causation – The breach of duty must be the direct and legal cause of the accident.
- Damages – As a result of the accident, you suffered harm.
As the plaintiff in a personal injury case, you have the burden to prove each of these elements by the preponderance of the evidence, meaning the facts you allege are more likely true than not.
What Should I Do After an Accident?
Whether you are injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or other personal injury incident, you can take steps to protect your rights, including:
- Report the accident to police and EMS. Call 911 and wait for emergency services.
- State facts to the law enforcement officer who responds to the scene. Do not accept fault for the accident.
- Get the at-fault party’s information. Ask for their name, contact information, and insurance information.
- Ask witnesses for their names.
- Take pictures of the accident scene, including any conditions that could have contributed to it.
- Seek immediate medical attention.
- Keep all of your accident-related documents, including accident reports, medical records, and communications from the insurance company.
Reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Who Could Be Liable For My Injuries After an Accident?
Who is liable for your injuries depends on the specific type of accident you experienced and the circumstances surrounding them. Potential parties who could be responsible for personal injuries include:
- Negligent motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists who violate traffic laws
- Careless property owners or lessees who fail to maintain safe premises
- Trucking companies that violate state or federal regulations or hire drivers who operate trucks in a dangerous manner
- Third parties such as cargo-loading companies or mechanics whose negligence contribute to accidents
- Government agencies that design unsafe roads or fail to maintain roadways
An experienced attorney can review the circumstances of your case and determine who is at fault for your injuries.
Contact Our Experienced Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyers For Legal Help
If you were injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys can help. Our Charlotte personal injury lawyers can investigate your case, identify all at-fault parties, gather evidence, and demand maximum compensation for your injuries. We are ready to help you at any time. Contact us today for a free consultation to take the first step on your path to financial recovery. We will be with you every step of the way.
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