How to Get the Most Compensation After an Injury
If you were hurt — physically, emotionally, or financially — due to another person’s negligence, you may qualify for a personal injury lawsuit. Whether someone else can be held responsible is key to determining if you have a case.
With enough evidence that someone’s negligence caused your injury, you may be able to reach a settlement or take your case to trial and win a jury award.
One example of a car accident case would be if a driver was involved in an accident caused by a distracted driver, leaving the driver with broken bones, vehicle damage, or other types of injuries.
In a slip-and-fall case, the owner of a home or business fails to maintain safe conditions on the property, and as a result, the plaintiff falls and hurts themselves.
Ultimately, though, the only way to determine if you have a valid case is to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney for a free case evaluation.
First Steps in Filing a Personal Injury Claim
It’s important that you follow these steps immediately after an injury so that you do not jeopardize a potential claim:
- Take photos or video of the scene of the incident
- Document exactly what happened while it’s fresh in your mind
- Get contact information for the negligent party and witnesses at the scene
- Hold onto all receipts and other records pertaining to the incident
- Do not accept any money from the negligent party
- Do not sign away your right to file a lawsuit
Next, you should contact an attorney who can determine if you have a case.
Personal injury attorneys in these cases will go to great lengths to advocate for their clients. This may include investigating the scene of the accident, questioning witnesses, and working with medical experts.
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit?
The statute of limitations is a common legal term and is defined as a period of time in which a lawsuit can be filed for an accident. North Carolina has a statute of limitations set for three years which applies to car accidents, truck accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, or any other type of injury caused by someone’s negligence. It is very important that you contact an attorney for a free case review as soon as possible after an accident but more importantly before this time period ends.
How much does it cost to hire an accident attorney?
It doesn’t cost anything to file a personal injury claim if the law firm you retain operates on a contingency fee basis. The attorneys at Riddle & Brantley do which means we only get paid if you win your case. In the event of a settlement or jury verdict in your favor, the attorney will recoup a percentage (usually one-third) of the money won.
Otherwise, you pay nothing upfront. This arrangement incentivizes your attorney to recover the most compensation possible on your behalf.
Types of Compensation for Personal Injury Lawsuits
The amount of money you can get from a personal injury lawsuit depends on the type of injuries sustained and the circumstances under which you or a loved one were injured, as well as several other factors. Typical settlements or jury awards go toward medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and (in a wrongful death claim) funeral expenses.
Our attorneys at Riddle & Brantley encourage you to give us a call so we can determine the best way to help you. Your consultation is always free and without obligation. If you decide to retain us, you won’t pay a dime unless we win your case.
We have a long track record of success with these types of cases:
In 2016, our attorneys won $2.25 million for the family of a woman killed in an auto accident involving a tractor-trailer. Earlier this year, we won $5.45 million for the family of 4 victims killed in a tractor-trailer accident.
We’ve also won several personal injury cases including $1.5 million for the victim of a workplace accident involving a tree and $1 million for a 74-year-old woman who was attacked in her yard by three dogs.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, don’t let the statute of limitations rob you of justice—contact us for a no obligation, free case review. At Riddle & Brantley, Justice Counts.