Category: Personal Injury Law

What Should I Do If I Witness A Car Accident?

Most people want to do the right thing and be of assistance when they witness an accident. However, it’s easy to get confused in the chaos of a crash scene, and doing the wrong thing can even result in someone getting hurt. If you're unsure of how to help, here’s what you should do if you witness an accident.   Get to safety It’s important to get yourself out of the way of any potential hazards first. Make sure your car is out of the wat by stopping on the shoulder at least 100 feet away from where the accident took place. This will keep you away from any flames, broken glass, fuel leaks, or other dangers. It will also leave room for emergency vehicles so they don’t have to maneuver around your car to get to the injured victi[...]

What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

One of the first questions most people have about filing a personal injury claim is how much their car accident case is worth. After all, no one wants to talk to an insurance adjuster or go to court unless they know they have a case worth pursuing. Unfortunately, attorneys don't have a magic equation to determine what your case is worth. The value of a claim depends on many variables. All of these variables determine how much a jury would award you, if your case went to court. The insurance company’s goal is to keep your case out of court, and to minimize the amount they have to pay you. Because of this, they constantly consider what a jury’s opinion of you and your injuries might be. The adjuster will make an offer based on how they [...]

Can I settle a car accident without a lawyer?

When You Can Handle Your Car Accident Case Alone? Mention a personal injury lawyer to the average person and you’ll get a reaction that is, to put it mildly, negative. (Don’t worry, we don’t take it too personally.) However, if you’ve been injured in a crash, you may have considered calling an attorney for advice about whether or not you should settle a car accident with the insurance company. In many cases, accident victims can work directly with insurance adjusters to reach settlements on their own. It’s usually more cost-effective to negotiate simple claims yourself. Here are a few circumstances where you probably don’t need to call a lawyer about your accident. Your Accident Bills are Less than $2,500 Accidents that resu[...]

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

5 Things to Know Before Filing a Negligence Claim Asheville car accident victims frequently contact me asking, “Do I have a car accident claim?” People are often surprised to learn that just because they were involved in a crash does not mean they have a claim for damages. Here is a checklist of requirements you must satisfy to have a personal injury case. You Must Have Suffered Damages Keep track of any medical or other bills you incur because of your car accident. Whether it’s physical or mental injuries or property damage, you must be able to prove that your accident damaged you in some way. Out-of-pocket expenses like medical bills, psychiatric treatment bills, car repair bills, lost wages and other documents are the only wa[...]

Investigate a Car Accident Using Your Smartphone

5 Ways to Use Your Phone to Collect Car Accident Evidence Although the police will respond to the scene of your car accident, you can also gather some details yourself. Smartphones make it much easier to investigate a car accident at the scene. Your phone probably has all of the tools you need to collect important accident information just after it happens. Here are some accident investigation techniques you can perform with your phone. Call the Police After Your Accident Always call the police to report an accident, even for minor fender-benders. This is step one, and it’s absolutely crucial, so use your phone for its intended purpose (for once) and call the police. After minor car accidents, you may be left asking yourself, “Do I [...]

Can I get a settlement in my Asheville concussion case?

Do North Carolina insurance companies offer post-concussion syndrome settlements? NFL concussions are on everybody’s mind with the convergence of the Super Bowl and an Oscar-bait film about the topic. But football players aren’t the only people susceptible to concussions. Car accident victims suffer concussions at an alarming rate. According to a recent CDC study on traumatic brain injury, more than 230,000 people visited emergency rooms over a four-year period for concussions caused by car accidents. Concussions are called “hidden” injuries because it’s not always obvious when a person has experienced one. The effects of these traumatic brain injuries can last the rest of a person’s life. What is Concussion? Concussions are[...]

Who is Responsible For Paying My Medical Bills After a Car Crash?

If you've been in a car accident, and sustained injuries that have required medical treatment, one question you probably have is:  who is responsible for handling the payments for my medical bills, health insurance (medicare/medicaid) and car insurance?   Is the other driver responsible for paying? Will my I get a decent offer to settle?  Medical bills can become very confusing following a car accident because there are multiple ways that providers get paid and reimbursed for treatment rendered.  This is a basic overview to help explain who should pay for outstanding bills after a car crash that was not your fault.  A good personal injury lawyer will help you get answers for these questions, and will fight to ensure that you are prop[...]

Why Should I Let EMS Evaluate Me After A Car Crash?

Following a car accident, EMS (Emergency Medical Services) often arrive in an ambulance to assess if anyone is seriously injured, and needs to be transported to a hospital for evaluation or treatment. I often hear clients report that they ‘felt fine’ at the time of the accident and declined to be evaluated by EMS at the scene, since they weren’t experiencing any pain or symptoms, or their minor aches and pains were not concerning.   While this seems like a reasonable and logical course of action at the time, declining medical evaluation can cause problems down the line, if your injuries progress or develop, which they often do in car crashes. If you've recently experienced a car crash, prioritizing your well-being is paramount[...]

How to settle your personal injury claim without getting taken advantage of.

As an Asheville personal injury lawyer, I deal with insurance companies all day, every day. I know which companies are reasonable and easy to deal with, and which ones are a nightmare and should be avoided at all costs. Insurance companies will assign an adjuster to your claim if you have been injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Insurance adjusters are not inherently bad people, but the fact remains that their employers are concerned about one thing: profit. So no, Nationwide is not “on your side”, and you are not “in good hands” with Allstate. As a result, your insurance adjuster cannot be trusted to look out for you, if you’ve been injured as a result of a car crash or accident. Here some ways to avoid getti[...]

How to Investigate a Car Accident for Your Personal Injury Claim

If you’ve been involved in a car crash, it is important to perform your own investigation of what happened, regardless of whether or not the police perform their own investigation. If you do not, you can be at the mercy of an insurance company’s investigation that may find you at fault, even if you were not. If you’ve been injured, you have even more reason to investigate the accident, so you can recover personal injury damages from the at fault driver. Here’s how to perform a proper investigation: Take photographs Immediately after the crash, take photographs of all the vehicles involved (not just yours) and the area where the crash occurred. If you are too injured to take photos, have a friend or a witness take them. Your came[...]