If you have been injured in a car accident, The Bishop Law Firm offers free case reviews and no fee unless you win. You can call us or start your free case review online now.
Apex Car Accidents
According to the NC DOT, there were 934 car crashes, two fatalities and 255 car accident injuries in Apex in 2021. Those numbers are driven by speeding and distracted driving, both of which can be avoided.
Unfortunately, not all drivers practice safe driving and even the best drivers fall short at times leading to injuries, lost wages and suffering on the part of the victim.
North Carolina Personal Injury Law
North Carolina is one of the few remaining contributory negligence states. Which means that the victim must not be at fault for their personal injury. Contributory negligence is very unfavorable to victims but we are currently stuck with it in our state.
Since NC’s law on negligence is so strict, this often results in disputes over a victim’s contributory negligence. If you have given a recorded statement to an adjuster, they will ask you about weather conditions, road conditions, cell phone usage, radio usage, etc.
All of these questions are designed to make you, the injured party, seem contributorily negligent for the accident.
As always, be careful what you say to the insurance company adjuster and consult a personal injury lawyer prior to talking with an adjuster.
Also see: How much will my car accident injury settlement be?
What can a victim recover?
Under North Carolina Law, a car accident victim can recover:
- Medical Bills: Medical bills include all car accident related medical expenses including needed future medical care as documented by a physician. Read Medical Bills After a Car Accident for more.
- Lost Wages: Time missed from work due to the injury and medical treatment for the injury are available for victims. Read Lost Wages and Earning Capacity in car accident cases.
- Pain & Suffering: This attempts to compensate the victim for the misery that they sustained due to their car accident injuries. Read Pain & Suffering in NC Personal Injury.
- Punitive Damages: Punitive Damages are awarded in few cases. Punitive require that the at-fault party’s actions were egregiously wrongful (think drunk driving).
What are fees for a Apex Car Accident Lawyer?
We are a contingent fee law firm that charges 33.33% for our services. This means that we do not get paid unless we win and if we win, we receive 33.33% of a settlement. Nevertheless, it is in our best interest to get a victim the highest recovery possible.
How do you know you need a Apex Car Accident Lawyer?
If the insurance adjuster will not offer you enough money to cover your medical bills and lost wages, or the adjuster is not responding at all, it would seem a good time to contact a car accident lawyer.
As we have written before (see NC Personal Injury medical bills more than settlement?), the first step to settling a car accident personal injury claim is knowing the actual cost of your accident related medical treatment, the costs of any needed future medical treatment, any outstanding liens and any time you have missed from work.
Without knowing these numbers, you will have a hard time getting a fair settlement from an adjuster. If you settle your personal injury claim for less than the amount of your expenses, you have effectively paid twice for someone else’s negligence.
How can a Apex Car Accident Lawyer help me?
- Gather evidence and preparing demand – Evidence is the grease that runs the settlement machine. Without all your bills and records, an adjuster can not give a fair settlement offer. Every case is different: some cases need the at-fault party’s driving records, accident reconstructionist reports, doctor opinions, accident site surveys and so on. Gathering the right evidence for the case is imperative. After gathering the correct evidence, an accident lawyer can put that in a format that the adjuster is used to seeing, a demand.
- Negotiate with adjuster – Adjusters want to pay as little as possible for personal injury. That is their job. Negotiating with an adjuster can be a laborious experience for an injured victim. As mentioned above, sending the demand to an adjuster with all relevant evidence can help negotiate a higher settlement. But if the adjuster will not offer a fair settlement, an attorney can advise you on the best course of action.
- Advise you on filing for litigation or accepting adjuster’s offer – You car accident attorney can advise you on if filing a court case or accepting the insurance adjuster’s offer will lead to the highest settlement. The choice to litigate relies on many factors, including a victim’s ability to tolerate the litigation process (discovery, depositions, mediation…).
- Navigating a court case – From initial filing to jury trial, a personal injury lawsuit can be complicated. An Apex Car Accident Lawyer can help you navigate personal injury litigation for your Wake County Superior court case (if the accident occurred in Wake County).
Types of Car Accident Cases That We Handle:
- Car Accidents – Car accidents are no fun. Unfortunately, certain injuries from car accidents may not be covered by your insurance policy and it’s all too easy to get stuck with a bill you cannot afford because of the sometimes-frustrating way that hospitals assess who pays what for medical services.
- Truck Accidents – If you have been hit by an 18-wheeler or a large commercial truck in North Carolina you may be seriously injured and in need of representation by a truck accident lawyer. Commercial trucking companies have sophisticated insurance agents whose job it is to save their clients’ money by paying out as little money as possible in a truck accident case.
- Pedestrian Accidents – Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections and driveways but must use pedestrian signals and/or crosswalks where available. If a pedestrian wants to cross the road at any other place, they must yield to cars on the roadway and keep a lookout for approaching traffic. Read more at North Carolina Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
- Motorcycle Accidents – Motorcycles can be great fun. We love the panoramic views and fresh air they offer! But, unfortunately, riding a motorcycle can be dangerous (this is why NC has a universal helmet law). As a matter of common sense, motorcyclists have nothing to protect them from the road or other cars if an accident occurs. Read North Carolina Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
- Wrongful Death – It’s difficult to think about legal matters, when you are grieving from the loss of a loved one, but it’s important to speak to a North Carolina Wrongful Death Lawyer if you believe your loved one’s death was caused by the negligence of another. NC Wrongful Death Lawyer
The Bishop Law Firm represents car accident victims in personal injury cases in Apex, NC. We do not get paid unless we win and we offer free case reviews. Call us today or start your free case review online now.
Also read NC Car Accident Lawyer & Raleigh Car Accident Lawyer
