Automobile accidents can cause a lifetime of physical pain and cost thousands of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages. If you or a family member has been injured in a car or truck collision caused by another person’s negligence, his or her automobile insurance company can be held liable for your damages. Not surprisingly, the insurance company is not always willing to offer fair compensation. After a serious collision, you should speak with a knowledgeable Hoke County personal injury attorney.
Contributory Negligence
One of the many risks of handling your own personal injury claim is North Carolina’s harsh “contributory negligence” rule. This outdated legal principle holds that if your actions are a contributing proximate cause of your injuries, you are not entitled to a recovery (with some exceptions). Insurance adjusters are well-schooled in this rule and often try to take recorded conversations to elicit statements that may be used out of context to deny a claim. If the adjuster asks for a recorded statement, you should contact a Raeford car accident attorney.
Damages
If you can prove that another party was negligent in causing a collision, you are entitled to recover fair compensation from that at-fault driver’s insurance company. The damages may include compensation for
- medical, pharmaceutical, and other healthcare expenses
- physical and emotional pain and suffering
- lost wages, past and future
- permanent impairment
- permanent disfigurement.
Another less common form of damages are punitive damages, which serve to punish the at fault party.
Insurance Coverage
An important inquiry in every high-impact auto collision is the available automobile insurance coverage. The car accident lawyers of Maginnis Howard are knowledgeable concerning coverage. They can help determine all sources of liability, including underinsured motorists, uninsured motorists, medical pay, and umbrella coverage that may be applicable. This can be critical to full recovery, as many motorists only carry $30,000.00 in liability coverage, the minimum in North Carolina.
Hoke County Auto Accident Attorneys
The North Carolina attorneys of Maginnis Howard offer free consultations to all prospective personal injury and auto accident clients. We handle all personal injury claims on a contingency basis. That means you only pay attorneys’ fees when we resolve your claim by a verdict or settlement. Use our confidential contact page to reach our dedicated intake staff, who can connect with an attorney. The firm handles cases across the Carolinas from our offices in Fayetteville, Raleigh, and Charlotte. Our experience includes cases involving severe back, neck, brain, shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries.
