Car accidents in North Carolina often lead to the most traumatic outcomes. If you sustained injuries in such an unfortunate mishap, you must seek legal help immediately. The good news is many law firms in the state would be open to reviewing your case, and the first consultation is usually complimentary. You can learn more here about scheduling an appointment. In this guide, we will discuss all aspects of hiring an injury lawyer.
Why do you need an injury lawyer?
Firstly, laws in North Carolina are pretty complex. While this is a fault state, you are barred from suing the other at-fault driver if you are at fault. This is called the contributory negligence rule, which is quite different from the versions of comparative fault rules that are followed by most states. You may have a tough time dealing with insurance claims adjusters or recovering a settlement from the other party. An injury lawyer can do the following for you:
- Review your damages to determine what the injury claim is worth
- Help you file the insurance claim and complete the necessary formalities
- Discover evidence by investigating the mishap
- Talk to medical experts to understand the extent of your injuries
- Hire accident reconstruction specialists to prove the fault
- Negotiate the insurance claim
While you would expect to get an insurance offer that’s satisfactory enough, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit, and your attorney will help with that.
Finding a good lawyer
- Not all lawyers dealing with personal injury law in North Carolina take up car accident claims, and therefore, relevant experience is a good pointer. You need someone who knows the actual work involved in recovering a settlement.
- You need to consider the communication style of the injury lawyer. They should take your questions, answer everything in detail, and guide you on state laws and how to deal with the situation. They will typically share a list of dos and don’ts.
- Consider how you can contact the lawyer. It can take months to get a settlement for a valid claim, but you should have contact with your attorney. Ask the lawyer if you can email, call, or drop in as necessary.
As for the cost of hiring a lawyer, you will pay a fee when you win. The lawyer will get a fixed percentage of the settlement, which could be as high as 40%. Discuss the costs in advance.