Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer

Research shows that increasing numbers of injury victims are attempting to handle personal injury claims on their own—at least at first. While it’s true that not every claim requires a personal injury attorney, you should always reach out to an attorney for a free consultation as soon as possible, before making any big decisions about your case. Simple, preventable mistakes could damage your chance at fair compensation, especially in a contributory negligence state like North Carolina. 

Here are a few important ways an experienced personal injury attorney can help: 

Investigating the Accident 

After a personal injury event, critical pieces of evidence can start to disappear quickly. For example, you might have to act quickly to preserve security camera footage that captured a car crash or a slip and fall outside a store.  

Furthermore, building a winning case in a personal injury lawsuit is usually more complex than most injury victims realize. Depending on the type of case, it could include analyzing police reports, working with accident reconstruction experts, performing background checks, carefully questioning multiple witnesses, obtaining maintenance logs, reading thousands of pages of documents, and much more. 

Most personal injury victims don’t have the time, skills, or experience necessary to handle this work. 

Navigating Contributory Negligence 

In North Carolina, establishing crystal-clear liability is critically important if you want a fair result. As noted above, state law follows a doctrine called “contributory negligence.” That means if you were even slightly responsible for your personal injury—even if the other person or parties bear 99% of the fault—you cannot legally recover compensation. 

Insurance companies are well aware of this unfair rule and take advantage of it often. If there is any doubt about what really happened or who is liable, the insurance company may try to convince you to accept a settlement offer that’s far less than what you really deserve—or they may not offer you any settlement at all. 

Calculating Damages 

Calculating damages in a personal injury case can be an incredibly complex process, especially if you’ve suffered serious injuries. Do you know how much your future medical treatment needs will cost? Do you know what a “fair” compensation offer would look like for pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages you can’t put a price on? 

Your Charlotte personal injury lawyer will gather medical records and talk to doctors, medical experts, and life-care planners to paint an accurate picture of your lifetime medical costs and lost wages. They may speak with friends, family, and colleagues to learn how your injuries have affected your quality of life. Without this kind of evidence supporting your personal injury claim, it’s unlikely that the insurance company will be convinced to offer you a truly fair settlement. 

Offering Peace of Mind 

Even “simple” personal injury cases are stressful for injury victims and loved ones. Cases usually take months and sometimes years to resolve. Along the way there will be investigations, deadlines, and negotiations. 

You shouldn’t have to handle the complex legal process alone, particularly when you’re still worried about medical expenses and getting back to work. And if you hire a Charlotte personal injury attorney to take your case, you shouldn’t ever be left in the dark about its status. 

At Myers Law Firm, we know how hard it is to deal with an injury that wasn’t your fault. That’s why we work hard to take as much of the burden off our clients as possible. That means more than just handling the legal details. We’ll also make sure you’re updated regularly about your case and all of your questions are answered (whenever you have them). We’ll even help you get a car repaired, receive medical treatment, and put your medical bills on hold while we fight for justice. And you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case.