Personal Injury Law in Greensboro, NC
Were you hurt due to another’s negligence in Greensboro? If so, it may have far-reaching consequences such as a loss of wages or extensive medical treatment. Personal injury law allows an injured person to get damages if the responsible person acted recklessly. A personal injury attorney in Greensboro, NC can help navigate the lawsuit to make sure you receive all of the compensation you deserve.
What Is Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law in Greensboro relates to the legal process of getting compensation for an injury caused by someone else’s negligent behavior. These cases involve one party, the plaintiff, trying to seek financial compensation for expenses incurred and money lost as a result of the defendant’s reckless behavior. These cases involve both parties’ insurance companies and may even settle before proceeding to litigation.
Examples of Personal Injury Claims in Greensboro, NC
Some personal injury claims are more common than others. However, almost any incident that ends with a physical or mental injury could qualify, depending on the circumstances.
A few of the most common personal injury claims are:
- Car Accidents
- Slip and Fall
- Dog Bites
- Medical Malpractice
- Workplace Accidents
- Burn Injuries
Most Common Injuries in Greensboro
NC Detect.org in partnership with the University of North Carolina has published research surrounding emergency incidents, the codes that authorities use to diagnose them, and their frequency throughout North Carolina. In Greensboro, some of the most common injuries are falls in either the household or workplace and injuries sustained from motor vehicle accidents.
Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Greensboro, NC
Once you determine that you wish to proceed forward with a personal injury action in North Carolina
A lawsuit begins when a complaint is filed with the court and served on the defendant. The complaint alleges your assertion as the plaintiff that the defendant’s negligent behavior resulted in damage to your body or mental state. As the process proceeds forward, you may have to go through depositions, independent medical evaluations, and document production. This discovery process is lengthy and ends in either a settlement or a court appearance. After consulting with your attorney, you will then file a complaint with the court. This will see the defendant get a summons, or obligation to answer, which usually leads to the discovery, or evidence exchange and gathering process. In North Carolina, this will then either lead to a dismissal, a settlement, or a trial. With most personal injury cases, insurance companies and injured parties prefer settlement negotiations rather than going to court for a trial. You may wonder how much you should seek in your settlement and the factors that impact the final amount. Motor Vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes of injury in North Carolina. In addition, motor vehicle accidents are typically settled in court as personal injury cases. This makes these accidents a decent baseline to establish what could be an average settlement for a North Carolina personal injury case. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, even an accident with minimal injuries on average costs $101,000. Depending on the type of accident you experienced, the severity of your injuries, and a variety of other factors, your claim could become even more significant. If the other party has insurance, the insurance company likely wants to settle out of court to avoid leaving the final settlement decision to a jury. Settlements benefit injured parties as much as they do insurance companies. This is because accepting a settlement means you receive compensation sooner rather than later. Also, by going to court in NC, that means you risk not receiving any compensation at all. If your North Carolina personal injury lawsuit goes before a judge or jury, your legal team will be ready with a request for damages. In personal injury cases, there are three types of damage awards a court may order the defendant to pay to compensate you for the damage he or she inflicted. Special compensatory damages reimburse you for things such as lost income, medical bills and insurance deductibles. You submit receipts proving these losses. General compensatory damages are subjective. If you receive special compensatory damages, you may also collect general damages. If your injury was particularly painful, you might request that the judge order the defendant to compensate you for the pain and anguish. Punitive damages are the most rarely awarded and are up to the court. The judge or jury may determine that the defendant’s negligence was particularly heinous and the resulting injury to you was equally horrific. In North Carolina, there is no cap on economic or noneconomic damages. However, there is a $250,000 cap on punitive damages in personal injury cases. The injured party has a limited window to file a personal injury lawsuit, as state laws establish statutes of limitations. Typically, the clock starts on the date of the injury or when the injury is discovered. The latter can be more challenging to prove, as the plaintiff must provide evidence showing when they became aware of the injury. In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is three years. If you’ve been injured in Greensboro, you must file your suit within three years from the date of the incident to preserve your legal rights. Consulting with a personal injury lawyer is crucial to navigating this process. Don’t delay—acting promptly ensures you have the best chance of securing the compensation you’re entitled to for your injuries. Pursue a personal injury claim in Greensboro against the responsible person if you are dealing with an injury caused by someone else. One of our experienced lawyers can help you navigate your personal injury claim. We can even help you connect with an attorney across North Carolina state lines. Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area! Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States. With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations. If you would like to do more research, we can tell you about the basics of other areas of Greensboro, NC law.North Carolina Personal Injury Settlement
Damage Awards in North Carolina
Statute of Limitations in Greensboro, NC Personal Injury Law?
Work With an Experienced Greensboro, NC Lawyer
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