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Are Personal Injury Settlements Taxable Income

What Makes Personal Injury Settlements Taxable? The vague feelings of dread that accompany tax season might be especially intense if you’re wondering if your personal injury settlement is taxable. Federal tax laws specifically address what circumstances make personal injury settlements taxable. The good news is that you may not have to pay taxes on a personal injury settlement. However, the bad news is that there are a few circumstances where the IRS may be entitled to some of what you receive from the insurance company. The IRS website has more information on personal injury settlements and federal taxes. Most Personal Injury Settlements Are Not Taxable Settlements arising from physical injury are generally not taxed. Settlemen[...]

5 Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Attorney

What are the right questions to ask a personal injury attorney? Finding the right personal injury lawyer for your case involves asking the right questions. You probably want answers to your big questions like “How much is my case worth?” Such questions usually don’t have specific answers, only estimates. Other questions, like “Will my personal injury case go to trial?” might have concrete answers. Discussing these issues with your attorney at your initial consultation can give you an idea of how your case might go and what results you can reasonably expect. Here’s a list of 5 questions to ask a personal injury attorney. Have you handled cases like mine before? What was the result?  This is one of the most important questio[...]

6 Ways You Can Use Your Smartphone To Collect Car Accident Evidence – INFOGRAPHIC

Getting in a car accident is an overwhelming experience, to say the least.   Even if you're not injured, the chances are good that you can be shaken up and disoriented in the moments immediately following, and in that state it's easy to forget information that you need to remember at a later date.  Luckily for you, you likely have one of the most powerful tools available for collecting the evidence that you may need down the road:  your smartphone. With your phone, you can take pictures, write notes with names and contact info, record statements,  and possibly even contact your insurance carrier, if they offer a smartphone app (which many now do).    Its important to collect information at the time of the crash for several reasons: [...]

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 [...]

Dealing With an Insurance Adjuster

If you’ve been in an accident, one of the first phone calls you get will probably be from an insurance adjuster. They have a reputation for calling car accident victims immediately after a crash, in many cases when the victim is still being treated in the ER.   While they may frame their call as though they are concerned and just want to check on you and see if you're OK, they are generally looking for info they can use to minimize the severity of your claim.  It is their job to do all they can, to make sure they pay out as little as possible for insurance claims. This may be a (slight) exaggeration, but the truth is that insurance adjusters are difficult to deal with by design. They are overworked, underpaid, and given one mission: [...]

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[...]