Charlotte Car Accident Lawyer
If you were injured in a car accident in Charlotte, NC, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The at-fault party may owe you compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. An experienced Charlotte car accident lawyer at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight for the full compensation you deserve. Call us at (704) 980-9999 to schedule a free consultation.
Between us, our lawyers have over 32 years of combined legal experience handling personal injury cases. We’ve put our extensive legal skills and knowledge to good work. To date, we’ve recovered over $35 million in settlements and verdicts for satisfied clients and their families.
Standing up to the insurance company after a car crash can be difficult. Our lawyers have the skills to help you maximize your compensation award. Contact our law offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, to schedule a free consultation today with a Charlotte car accident attorney.
How Can Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers Help Me Recover Financial Compensation After a Car Accident in Charlotte?
Without an experienced Charlotte personal injury attorney on your team, you always risk walking away with less compensation than you deserve. An experienced attorney can be critical to your financial recovery–especially if your injuries are severe.
Our team at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers has been recognized by Super Lawyers and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We’ve also been listed among the National Trial Lawyers “Top 100” trial lawyers.
After an auto accident, our award-winning Charlotte personal injury attorneys can help by:
- Listening to your story and explaining your legal rights and options
- Launching a full investigation into your accident
- Collecting evidence and assessing your case value
- Identifying the parties who are legally responsible for your injuries
- Working with leading experts who can add value to your claim
- Negotiating with the insurance company for a fair settlement
- Aggressively defending against any allegations that you caused the accident
- Taking your case to trial if the insurance offer is not acceptable
Our Charlotte personal injury lawyers know how important recovering fair compensation is to your future. We’ll do everything we can to help you make a full financial recovery. To learn more about how we can fight for your family, call today for a free initial consultation with a Charlotte car accident lawyer.
Statistics on Car Accidents in Charlotte
According to statistics published by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, 284,157 motor vehicle accidents were reported statewide in 2023. 115,009 people were injured in those accidents. 1,686 people were sadly killed in fatal car accidents that year.
In Charlotte alone, 32,932 car crashes were reported. 16,066 people were injured in those accidents, and 105 people were killed.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Hiring an experienced car accident attorney in Charlotte can be one of the best decisions you ever make. Recovering fair compensation can be critical if you are seriously injured. Unfortunately, insurance companies have tricks up their sleeves. They’ll go to great lengths to downplay the value of your case.
Here are just a few of the reasons to hire an attorney:
- You’ll even the score against the insurance company. Nearly all crash victims have to deal with insurance companies. Insurance companies are out to make a profit, not protect you. When you hire a lawyer, you’ll benefit from an experienced negotiator who knows every trick in the book.
- You’ll have access to experts. Proving your case can be more difficult than you might imagine. Often, expert testimony is crucial. Experienced attorneys have relationships with leading experts who the insurance company will take seriously.
- You’ll likely be blamed for your own injuries. North Carolina’s shared fault laws are particularly harsh. Insurance companies like to use these laws to their advantage. Experienced lawyers know how to protect you from these and other insurance tactics.
- Your injuries are enough to deal with. You’re likely in pain and struggling to recover. Your attorney will handle the insurance and legal issues while you focus on getting better.
Of course, every case is different. The best way to learn whether hiring a lawyer is a good idea is to schedule a free case review with a respected lawyer. They’ll sit down, review the facts, and help you understand your legal options.
How Much Money Can I Recover By Filing a Car Accident Claim?
The most severe injury cases tend to be worth the most. That’s because serious injuries are those that are most likely to impact your life in the most dramatic ways–both now and in the future.
That said, all car accident claims are different. Each involves its own set of facts, injuries, and results.
Some key factors that will be most impactful when determining how much your case is worth include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The nature of your losses and out-of-pocket expenses
- Your medical treatment costs
- The value of your lost income
- The impact of the injury on your future earnings
- Your pain and suffering
- Damage to your quality of life
- The impact of any shared fault claims
- The strength of the evidence to support your case
Evaluating the value of a personal injury claim can take time. Complex issues can arise along the way. The quality of your legal representation is extremely important.
It’s best to consult an experienced personal injury attorney as quickly as you can after an injury. Your lawyer can review the facts, evaluate the evidence, and start working to locate additional evidence to support your claim.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Car Accident in North Carolina?
The statute of limitations in North Carolina is three years for personal injury cases. You have three years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit. Once three years from the date of your accident pass, you lose your right to sue for damages entirely.
Depending on the identities of the parties involved, you may have more or less time to take legal action. If the defendant is also facing criminal charges, such as in a hit and run or drunk driving case, you may have more time to act.
While three years may seem like a long time, it’s important to have a lawyer start investigating your claim sooner rather than later. The evidence available soon after an accident tends to be strongest. Your lawyer will also need time to build your claim and work through negotiations with the insurance company.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover in a Car Accident Lawsuit?
You can pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Under North Carolina law, victims deserve to be made whole again for any injuries that they have suffered.
What Types of Economic Damages Can I Recover in North Carolina?
You can pursue compensation for any financial loss you have suffered because of the accident and injury.
Common examples of economic damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Medications and medical devices
- In-home assistance
- Rehabilitation
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Nursing care
- Property damage to a vehicle and personal belongings
- Increased household and childcare expenses
It’s important to account for all current expenses you have incurred due to the accident and injury. You also deserve compensation for expected future expenses related to the accident and injury. Calculating the value of these expected future expenses can be much more complicated. Expert witness testimony can be extremely useful when lawyers are working to calculate the value of your overall economic damages.
What Types of Non-Economic Damages Can I Recover in North Carolina?
Non-economic damages compensate you for other types of personal harm you have experienced because of the injury.
Examples include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental trauma
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
These losses don’t have a clear financial value. That makes them incredibly difficult to prove. Still, they’re no less important. Victims who are seriously injured often receive significant non-economic damages awards.
What Are Punitive Damages, and When Are They Available in a Car Accident Case?
As in most states, punitive damages are rare in North Carolina. Courts only award punitive damages in cases where the defendant’s conduct was so shocking that it deserves punishment. For example, if you were seriously injured by a drunk driver, the judge might award punitive damages.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Our car accident lawyers in Charlotte work on a contingency fee basis. Under this payment arrangement, you don’t pay any upfront costs. You only pay once we resolve your case and reach a settlement or win a jury verdict. In other words, you only pay if you receive compensation.
We receive a percentage of your settlement or verdict. That percentage can vary from case to case but is usually around 33%. We’ll discuss the exact percentage before you hire us.
Under a contingency fee arrangement, you can get quality legal representation without worrying about the cost.
What Happens to My Compensation Award if I’m Partly Responsible for Causing a Car Accident in North Carolina?
North Carolina’s shared fault law is particularly harsh. North Carolina operates under a strict contributory negligence law. You cannot recover any compensation if the insurance company can prove you were even partly to blame for your own injuries.
This law makes hiring an experienced lawyer particularly important. From day one, the other side will try to blame you for causing the accident. If they can prove their allegations, you lose your right to the valuable compensation you deserve.
An experienced Charlotte accident lawyer will know how to effectively defend against these allegations.
Will My Car Accident Case Go to Trial?
Car accident cases rarely go to trial. They’re typically resolved through settlement negotiations. Trials are unpredictable, expensive, and time-consuming. Still, it’s important to hire a lawyer with significant experience winning at trial.
That’s because the insurance company doesn’t want to go to trial. They’re much more likely to negotiate for a full settlement if they believe your lawyer can win at trial. Some insurance adjusters will increase their settlement offer based on the mere threat of trial.
Trials are always possible, depending on the facts. It all depends on the complexity of the issues that are being contested in your case.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Charlotte?
Taking the following steps after an auto accident can go a long way toward ensuring the success of your personal injury claim:
- Call 911 and remain at (or near) the scene of the accident. Leaving the scene of a car accident is a crime in North Carolina.
- Check to see if anyone is seriously injured and request an ambulance if necessary.
- Exchange insurance information and contact information with the other driver.
- Cooperate with the police officer, but don’t apologize or admit fault. Something may have occurred to cause the crash that you don’t know about, and any apology can be used against you if you decide to seek compensation.
- If it’s safe, document the accident scene by taking photos and videos. Make sure to capture any vehicle damages, skid marks, and visible injuries.
- Exchange contact details with any eyewitnesses who stopped to help.
- Avoid posting on social media, at least until your prognosis is clear.
- Avoid giving the insurance company a recorded statement or signing documents without a lawyer’s advice.
- Contact an experienced accident attorney if you can. The sooner a lawyer gets involved, the better your chances of making a full financial recovery.
Of course, many actions are also vital to your health and safety. You should seek medical attention quickly after an accident, even if you don’t require emergency care.
Your medical records will provide vital evidence if you decide to seek compensation from the at-fault driver. Wait too long, and you give the insurance companies room to claim the injuries didn’t happen because of the accident.
We Handle All Types of Car Accident Claims in Charlotte
At Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers, we have the skills to handle any type of car accident claim. We have decades of experience handling complex personal injury claims. That means we’ve seen cases like yours before–and we know the best way to handle them.
Examples of the types of car accident claims we handle include:
Rear-End Crashes
Rear-end accidents can vary greatly in terms of severity. Some victims walk away from relatively minor fender benders. Others are left to struggle with painful and life-changing injuries. If you were involved in a rear-end accident, our lawyers in Charlotte can help determine the best course of action when it comes to recovering compensation.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions can be nothing short of terrifying. The results can be devastating. If you were injured in a head-on crash due to someone else’s negligence, our Charlotte car accident attorneys are prepared to pursue full compensation from the at-fault driver. Contact our law firm for a free case review today.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents
Establishing liability after a multi-vehicle accident can be particularly difficult. Each party will try to blame someone else for causing the accident. Ultimately, your lawyer’s skill will play a huge role in your ability to win compensation. To learn more about how our experienced attorneys in Charlotte can help you recover the compensation you deserve, contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Intersection Accidents
A lot can go wrong at an intersection. That’s especially true when drivers are racing to beat a yellow light and aren’t watching for other vehicles. Our lawyers can help you determine what happened and who was responsible for your intersection accident. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can fight for you.
Highway Accidents
Accidents on the highway can be particularly dangerous, especially when high speeds are involved. If you were injured in an accident on the highway, you may not know exactly what happened. Our lawyers can locate the evidence you’ll need to prove your case. If you or a family member were injured, call our Charlotte personal injury law firm to learn more about your legal options today.
Distracted Driving Accidents
Distracted driving is a huge problem. Distracted drivers cause accidents in Charlotte every single day. It can also be incredibly difficult to prove the other driver was distracted and that that’s what caused the crash. Our lawyers know how to locate the evidence you need to establish fault, so contact us today to get started.
Other Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Charlotte:
Our trusted attorneys also handle cases involving:
- Rollovers
- Motorcycle accidents
- Sideswipe accidents
- Speeding accidents
- T-bone accidents
- Chain reaction crashes
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Parking lot accidents
- Accidents involving uninsured/underinsured motorists
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists
Every type of accident has its own set of complications. Your lawyer’s experience really does matter. To learn more about the benefits of establishing an attorney-client relationship, call Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Car Accident Injuries?
In North Carolina, all parties who share responsibility for a crash can be held liable for the damages you’ve suffered.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, responsible parties could include:
- Negligent drivers involved in the accident
- If the negligent driver was working, the employer
- Trucking companies and truck drivers
- Manufacturers of defective safety equipment or vehicles
- Uber or Lyft drivers
- Government agencies
- Negligent passengers
- Pedestrians or bicyclists
In the end, you’ll probably be dealing with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Even in the best of circumstances, dealing with insurance can be frustrating. Your lawyer can work to identify all parties who share the blame for your crash and handle the insurance issues on your behalf.
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
Depending on the nature of the crash, car accident victims are vulnerable to any type of injury imaginable. Some injuries are relatively minor. Others can be catastrophic and life-changing.
At Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers, we often represent injury victims who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Ankle or wrist injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Chest injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Burns
- Degloving injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Any type of injury can give you the right to seek compensation from the other driver. An experienced lawyer can help you understand the value of your personal injury claim and handle the legal issues while you recover.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Charlotte?
Car accidents generally occur due to driver error. Negligent driving is the root cause of most car crashes.
More specifically, some of the most common causes of car crashes in Charlotte include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Texting while driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Racing through an intersection to beat a yellow light
- Aggressive driving
- Fatigued drivers
- Unsafe passing
- Dangerous left-hand turns
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Inexperienced drivers
- Mechanical failures and negligent vehicle maintenance
After any type of crash, our lawyers have the tools to help you determine who was responsible for your injuries. We’re prepared to seek full compensation for all of the damage your crash has caused.
Call an Experienced Charlotte Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Initial Consultation Today
Accidents have the potential to impact your life in dramatic and serious ways. If you or a family member were injured, taking fast legal action can be critical to your future. Hiring a trusted Charlotte car accident lawyer can allow you to focus on your medical care while they handle the complex legal issues that can arise in your case.
Whether you’re just starting the insurance process or have an offer on the table, Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Contact our law firm in Charlotte, NC, today to arrange your free consultation. There’s never an obligation to hire us, so there’s no risk in seeking legal advice.