Fatal Car Accidents

Compassionate Motor Vehicle Collision Attorneys Helping Families in Raleigh

If you have recently lost a loved one in a fatal car accident in North Carolina, you probably have a lot on your mind. Dealing with the emotional and financial consequences of the loss of a family member imposes a heavy burden. In these tragic circumstances, pursuing a wrongful death claim against a careless driver or another responsible party may be the only way to recover compensation that can help with your loved one’s medical expenses and funeral and burial costs, as well as your own losses. The Raleigh car accident lawyers at Maurer Law understand that there is no greater loss than that of a spouse, child, or parent, and we will work hard to help you pursue maximum compensation for what you have been through.

Bringing a Wrongful Death Claim After a Fatal Car Accident

Fatal crashes occur with alarming frequency on interstate highways like I-40, I-440, and I-540, as well as heavily traveled state roads like Highway 70 and Highway 401. When a fatal accident occurs, family members who are left behind have a right to pursue damages for the loss of their loved one through a wrongful death lawsuit. In order to be successful in this claim, the accident victim’s estate must be able to prove that the defendant breached a duty of care that they owed to the victim and that this breach of duty was the proximate cause of the fatal crash.

It is very important for people who have lost a family member in a car accident to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after the crash. North Carolina is a “pure contributory negligence” state, meaning that a plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit may not recover compensation if the defendant can show that the victim was even partially at fault in causing the wreck. This gives a defendant’s insurance company a huge incentive to try to cast the blame on the victim, as distasteful as that sounds.

An experienced car accident attorney can pursue an investigation of the crash that is not only thorough but also conducted from the plaintiff’s point of view, counterbalancing the investigation conducted by the defendant’s insurance company. This may involve not only obtaining and reviewing documentary evidence, possibly including a police report, the defendant’s cell phone and texting records, and the results of any drug or alcohol tests, but also an examination of the crash scene, an analysis of the vehicles’ event data recorders, and potentially a consultation with an accident reconstruction expert.

Seek Guidance from a Car Accident Lawyer in the Raleigh Area

Bereaved families have only a limited time to bring a wrongful death claim under North Carolina law. If the case is not filed within the statute of limitations, the family’s right to compensation for the loss of their loved one is usually deemed to have been waived. The knowledgeable Raleigh car accident attorneys at Maurer Law offer a free case evaluation so that you can discuss your loved one’s accident at your earliest convenience. Call us at 888-258-1087 or contact us online to schedule your free appointment. We also represent people who need a motor vehicle collision attorney in Durham, Fayetteville, Charlotte, Rocky Mount, Greensboro, Wilmington, Chapel Hill, Asheboro, and Wake Forest, as well as other areas of Cumberland, Durham, Mecklenburg, Edgecombe, Guilford, New Hanover, Orange, Randolph, and Wake Counties.