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With Interstates 77, 85, and 485 crossing through Mecklenberg County, there is a high potential for car crashes in this part of North Carolina. All that it takes is a few seconds of inattention or carelessness, and an innocent person’s life – and their family’s future – may be changed forever. Pursuing financial compensation with the assistance of a car accident attorney cannot undo the physical harm caused by a crash, but it may help put money in the bank to cover medical expenses and replace income lost due to any missed time from work or reduced earning capacity. The experienced Charlotte car accident lawyers at Maurer Law are here to help at this stressful and critical crossroads in your life.
Our founding attorney, Michael Maurer, has a broad range of experience in the field of car accident litigation. Not only has he represented many injured people in seeking compensation following a car crash, but also he is a former police officer who has investigated hundreds of car accidents and a former insurance company claims investigator. This experience is invaluable when it comes to understanding how the “real world” of car accident claims works. Knowing the law is essential, but knowing how to navigate procedures and develop strategies in settlement negotiations and at trial is equally important.
When it comes to seeking compensation for injuries suffered in a Charlotte crash, many people make the mistake of taking a “wait and see” approach to hiring a lawyer. Meanwhile, the other driver’s insurance company is busy investigating the accident, looking for evidence that might help undermine the victim’s case when they attempt to prove that the other driver acted carelessly. Evidence that might help the plaintiff prove that the defendant’s careless behavior caused the accident may slip away, reducing the value of the case.
Essentially, the plaintiff needs to show that they were hurt because the defendant did not drive safely and struck them as a result. In some cases, a defendant will argue that the plaintiff also was negligent. This is a situation in which consulting a car accident attorney in the Charlotte area may make a huge difference. North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule prevents a plaintiff from recovering any damages at all if they shared the responsibility for the accident. This is an unusually harsh rule compared to the laws in most states, and it may be challenging to defeat a contributory negligence argument unless you have a lawyer who can help you put the blame squarely where it belongs.
Seeking legal counsel early in the process may also help you focus your claim on the events and parties that were directly responsible. Some people are alarmed when their airbag does not deploy during a crash, but airbags are not designed to go off in every situation or in every accident. Even if it did not deploy when it should have, the plaintiff would be able to receive damages from the airbag’s manufacturer only if they can show that their injuries were worsened for this specific reason. This is not an easy point to prove in most cases, and it is often better to focus on pursuing a careless driver whose fault is easily apparent. In some situations, the driver’s employer may also be brought into the case if the accident happened while the driver was on the job. This may be helpful for people who have suffered catastrophic injuries because the employer’s insurance and assets are probably more substantial than those of the driver.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident, you should talk to an injury attorney about your situation as soon as possible. A “wait and see” approach generally does not reap rewards. You need to keep defendants and insurers honest by retaining legal counsel and showing that you are taking the matter seriously. For a free consultation with a Charlotte car accident attorney, call Maurer Law today at 888-258-1087 or contact us online.