Need an Injury Attorney in North Carolina for Your Car Accident?
When you left your home in your vehicle to head to work that morning, or to visit your children on the weekend, you never expected to be involved in a car accident. Nobody ever expects a catastrophic, life-changing accident to happen to them. In 2015, there were 123,589 people injured and 1,380 people killed by car accidents alone, which were both increases from 2014. An astounding 30% of these accidents were related to speeding, but there were many other reasons as well – from distracted driving to fatigued driving.
What Types of Damages Are Available?
After your car accident, you called for medical services, as you instantly knew that you were injured and that these injuries could be serious. This is one of the first steps that you should take in your injury case, as it is a way to gain the help you need after an accident as well as preserve evidence in your case. Medical treatment is expensive and could cause you financial strain that is very unexpected, as nobody expects to be involved in a serious car accident. You may be entitled to damages, both economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages: Economic damages are sometimes referred to as “special” damages, and include compensation for any monetary losses in your accident. Two examples of these could be past and future medical expenses related to the accident for treatment, and past and future lost wages if you have been unable to return to work.
Non-Economic Damages: Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are “general” damages and cover things like pain and suffering for discomfort and emotional distress caused by the accident, or loss of consortium when you and your spouse have lost physical companionship due to the accident.
Proving Who Is Liable for Your Accident
In order to receive compensation for your injuries after a car accident has wreaked havoc on your life, you must be able to show four elements: that the defendant had a duty to protect you, that they breached this duty, that the accident caused your injuries, and that you have suffered from harm in some way due to negligence. Once you have proven that all of these elements have been met, you will be able to receive compensation for a variety of aspects, like medical expenses, lost wages, and more. All drivers who share the roadways with us have a duty to abide by the laws of the road and keep us safe from harm. However, many drivers breach this duty every single day when they choose to text and drive, drive under the influence, or drive while they are fatigued.
There are many ways that accidents occur in North Carolina every year, from rear-end collisions when drivers aren’t paying attention to the roadways or following others too closely or left-turn collisions where a car makes a left turn in front of another vehicle at an intersection. With so many cars sharing the roadways, it is no surprise that accidents happen every day.
Preserve Your Rights: Talk to an Accident Attorney Today
If you have been injured in a car accident due to the fault of another party, you may have a claim for compensation for your injuries. Don’t wait another moment – give a trusted attorney a call today so that you can get started on your case and navigate the legal system to gain compensation that you deserve.