Raleigh Personal Injury Lawyer Enlightens Victims on Car Accident Laws

When you’re harmed in a car accident, you might be so shaken up that you’re unsure of what to do. One thing that might not cross your mind, particularly if you’re concerned about your health or that of your passengers, are the laws apply to a car accident. These laws can be crucial to what steps to take after your accident and what options you have.

An experienced Raleigh personal injury lawyer can enlighten you on North Carolina’s car accident laws and their implications for victims, especially if you’re considering filing a lawsuit.

On Having and Using Auto Insurance Coverage

You have to be compliant with the state’s requirements for car insurance coverage, so you have some protection in these accidents. For NC, the mandated minimum coverage is $25,000 for death or injury of a single person, the same amount for property or vehicle damages arising from the accident, and $60,000 in total for all damages that were brought by a single accident. You also need an uninsured motorist coverage and, possibly, an underinsured motorist coverage.

Take note that NC is an at-fault state, which means you can directly pursue a third-party insurance claim, as opposed to a no-fault situation, in which you have to exhaust your own coverage prior to making a claim toward the other driver’s policy. If you somehow shared the fault in the accident, your compensation may be decreased based on your liability, too. Of course, you also have the option to file a personal injury lawsuit.

On Deadlines for Filing a Lawsuit

Under the North Carolina General Statutes section 1-52(16), you have three years to file a car accident lawsuit in NC. This is referred to as the “statute of limitations,” and after this period, your case will most likely not be heard by a court anymore. Even if you think the case could be settled out of court (especially when the other driver’s insurer has made informal offers), it would still be to your benefit to file a case within this deadline for leverage, and as a fallback if the settlement is not agreeable.

If the processes gets confusing or frustrating don’t be discouraged. An experienced Raleigh car accident lawyer at Kurtz & Blum, PLLC can guide you through the laws and provide legal representation during a settlement or a court litigation.

(Source: North Carolina Car Accident Settlement and Lawsuits, All-About-Car-Accidents.com)