After suffering an injury in a Shelby, North Carolina, car accident, you can seek compensation through an auto insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit with the help of a skilled car accident lawyer. Contact Ted A Greve & Associates PA today for a free consultation and to learn more about how Dr. Ted can put his legal and medical experience to work for you.
Understanding the Role of a Car Accident Lawyer in Shelby, NC
Car accident lawyers play a vital role in helping you secure the compensation you need and deserve. They can help you gather evidence, file your claim, negotiate with insurance companies, and represent you in court if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement. Crucially, your attorney also serves as a buffer between you and the insurance company so you can focus on your recovery.
The Importance of Legal Representation After an Auto Accident in Shelby
Without legal representation, knowing the true value of your claim can be nearly impossible. A skilled attorney can assist you in calculating the value of your claim and make sure that you don’t unknowingly accept a lowball offer from the insurance company.
Attorneys have extensive experience with insurance companies and know the best ways to fight against their unscrupulous tactics.
Types of Car Accident Cases and Injuries in Shelby, NC
Depending on what type of car accident injured you, you may need different types of evidence to prove the other driver’s liability. Understanding the most common types of accidents can be crucial for your case.
Common Types of Car Accidents Handled by Our Shelby Lawyers
The most common types of accidents our lawyers handle in Shelby, NC, are:
- Rear-End Collisions: These accidents often result from trailing drivers speeding or being distracted by their mobile devices. However, they can also occur if the leading driver suddenly slams on the brakes or reverses into the trailing driver.
- T-Bone Accidents: These accidents typically occur in intersections, often when one driver doesn’t yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic when making a left turn. They can also result from drivers running red lights, and traffic cameras can help shed light on who was at fault.
- Head-On Collisions: These are among the most dangerous accidents and cause the most severe or even fatal injuries. Head-on crashes occur when drivers cross the center line dividing lanes due to distraction, intoxication, or reckless driving.
Common Car Accident Injuries in Shelby
Some of the most common car accident injuries suffered in North Carolina include:
- Whiplash and Neck Injuries: Whiplash is a soft tissue injury affecting the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck. It and other neck injuries often result from the violent shaking that occurs during a car accident. These injuries may not always display symptoms right away but can lead to long-term pain conditions, making receiving medical treatment crucial.
- Head and Brain Trauma: Impacts on the head during a crash can result in traumatic brain injuries. These brain injuries can lead to permanent and severe cognitive and physical disability.
- Spinal Cord and Back Injuries: The force of a car crash can easily damage your spinal cord and lead to chronic back pain or even paralysis in severe cases.
What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Shelby, NC
After experiencing an injury in a Shelby car accident, it’s essential that you understand the steps to take to preserve your right to seek compensation and the mistakes to avoid that could reduce the value of your claim.
Steps for Immediate Action Post-Accident
Immediately after an accident, you should:
- Contact Emergency Services: Call the police and have them come out to file an official accident report. A copy of this report will be helpful when filing your auto insurance claim. You should also get checked for injuries by first responders.
- Gather Evidence and Witness Information: If your injuries allow it, gather evidence from the scene, including photos of the damaged cars, visible injuries, and any relevant traffic signs or skid marks. Also, remember to gather the names and contact information of any witnesses.
Avoiding Common Mistakes Post-Accident
Some key mistakes to avoid making after an accident are:
- Not Admitting Fault at the Scene: If you admit fault for the accident, you could lose your right to seek compensation, as plaintiffs in North Carolina cannot seek compensation for injuries they contributed to.
- Failing to Document the Scene Properly: If you don’t document the scene properly, the evidence may no longer exist by the time you hire an attorney.
Seeking Compensation After an Auto Accident
Something important to keep in mind is that under North Carolina law, injury victims have three years from the date of their accidents to file lawsuits for compensation. Failure to file your auto insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit within this period will result in the court dismissing your case without a hearing.
Knowing Your Options for Car Accident Compensation
The compensation you can seek through a car accident insurance claim includes:
- Medical Expenses: Compensation for past and future medical treatments and devices, prescription medications, and physical therapy
- Lost Wages and Lost Earning Capacity: Compensation for the income you lost during your recovery and the income you will lose because of your injury’s impact on your ability to work
When Tragedy Strikes: Wrongful Death in Car Accidents
Unfortunately, fatal car accidents are relatively common. According to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, over 1,500 people died in traffic accidents in the state in a recent year. If your loved one was the victim of a fatal crash, you only have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault party.
Through a wrongful death lawsuit, you can seek similar types of compensation as in personal injury lawsuits, like medical expenses and lost wages. However, you can also seek compensation for your loved one’s funeral and burial costs, as well as for your loss of their protection, care, and assistance.
Contact an Experienced Shelby Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you need to call an experienced car accident lawyer at Ted A. Greve & Associates in Shelby, North Carolina. You can sit down with someone who has years of experience handling these types of cases.
Call today and schedule your free initial consultation. An attorney will review your case and let you know what it may be worth. They can also answer any questions you may have. And remember – we work on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing until you settle your case.
