What Compensation Could I Be Entitled to in a Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury compensation should account for the full range of harm you’ve suffered. This means considering the obvious costs as well as the hidden ones that add up over time.
First, there are medical expenses. They start with the ambulance ride and emergency room visit but extend far beyond it. There are the related surgeries, hospital stays, follow-up appointments, specialist consultations, physical therapy sessions, prescription medications, and medical equipment.
Then there are lost wages. They cover both the time you’ve already missed and future earnings if injuries prevent returning to your previous work. We also pursue compensation for property damage (such as vehicle repair or replacement), travel to medical appointments, and modifications to your home if injuries have left you disabled.
However, North Carolina personal injury law also recognizes the suffering that goes beyond financial loss. Physical pain disrupts sleep, prevents you from taking part in activities you love, and makes every day a struggle. Emotional trauma accounts for the anxiety, depression, and PTSD that require ongoing therapy. Relationships suffer when injuries affect your personality or abilities. Scarring and disfigurement affect self-confidence and how others perceive and treat you. You deserve compensation for these losses as well.
You may also be entitled to punitive damages (damages in this instance means money) if the person who hurt you was behaving outrageously recklessly. North Carolina law limits these to three times what you could be awarded at a jury trial or $250,000, whichever is greater. When applicable, these damages send an important message that such dangerous behavior is unacceptable to society and will not be tolerated.
Can I Still Get Compensation If I Was Partly to Blame for My Injuries?
North Carolina follows a “pure contributory negligence rule,” which is the strictest type of fault rule in the U.S. It states that if you are found to be even 1 percent responsible for your injuries, you receive no money in your lawsuit. This harsh rule exists in only a handful of states.
Insurance companies like to take advantage of this rule, and mercilessly so. They’ll argue that you should have been more careful, could have avoided the danger, or somehow contributed to your own injuries. Even the smallest action (or failure to act) can become a basis for the insurer to deny your entire claim. They often hire investigators specifically to shift blame onto injury victims.
This makes it absolutely critical to have an experienced personal injury lawyer in Shelby, NC by your side. We know every trick insurance companies use and how to defeat them. Our lawyers can build evidence proving the defendant was 100 percent responsible, protecting you from blame-shifting tactics that could destroy your right to any compensation.
How Long Do I Have in North Carolina to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
North Carolina law typically gives you three years from your injury date to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline means you won’t be able to demand compensation for your injuries; judges won’t even let you present your case. Although there are some exceptions to the three-year deadline, it can be difficult to know whether your case would apply to one without speaking to a knowledgeable personal injury attorney in Shelby, NC.
There are other practical reasons to start your case immediately. Evidence vanishes fast. Witnesses soon forget the details of what they saw. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to prove your case. Insurance companies often deliberately delay things, knowing that time works against you. Take the first step to preserving evidence and protect your rights. Contact Dr. Ted Injury Law as soon as you can.
How Long Does a Typical Personal Injury Case Last?
Each personal injury case moves at its own speed. Straightforward cases with clear fault and moderate injuries might resolve in a few months. Complex cases involving severe injuries or disputes over who’s liable for them often take a year or two to complete. In the event you need to go to trial to assert your rights, you can expect your case to last two years or longer, especially with Cleveland County’s court schedules.
Medical treatment is a major factor in the timing of your case. We need a complete understanding of your injuries, as settling too soon could leave you without money for future treatments. The clearest picture comes into focus only when you reach maximum medical improvement, when doctors can predict your long-term prognosis.
How the insurance company behaves will also have a significant effect on the duration of your case. While some adjusters negotiate fairly, others intentionally drag things out in the hopes that financial pressure will force you to accept less than what your case is worth. Our goal is to resolve your case both efficiently and effectively, but we will be ready to go to trial if that becomes the best way to get you the full amount you deserve.
Get in touch with us today for your free, no-obligation case evaluation and discover how we can make a difference in your personal injury claim.
What Are Common Personal Injury Cases?
Our firm handles a wide range of personal injury cases throughout the Shelby area, including those that involve the following:
What Types of Injuries Happen Due to Personal Injury Accidents?
Personal injury accidents cause damage ranging from temporary discomfort and mobility issues to permanent life changes. Dr. Ted’s medical background helps us recognize the full spectrum of injuries, such as the following:
- Head injuries affect cognition, personality, emotions, and physical abilities. Concussions that seem “mild” cause lasting problems with memory, concentration, and mood. Severe traumatic brain injuries require lifetime care and can destroy careers and relationships.
- Spinal damage causes problems throughout your body. Herniated discs press on nerves, causing shooting pain, numbness, and weakness. Severe spinal cord injuries lead to paralysis, which can cost millions of dollars in care over a lifetime.
- Broken bones can involve more than wearing a cast for a few weeks. Complex fractures require surgical repair with metal hardware, followed by extensive rehabilitation and, often, permanent physical limitations. Some bones never heal properly, causing arthritis decades earlier than normal.
- Internal injuries hide dangerous complications. Organ damage and internal bleeding might not show symptoms immediately, but they require emergency surgery to prevent death. Dr. Ted knows to look for subtle signs of internal trauma that the insurance carrier’s doctors ignore.
- Soft tissue injuries include torn muscles, damaged ligaments, and whiplash. They don’t show up on X-rays but can cause years of pain. Insurance companies dismiss these as “minor,” but Dr. Ted understands how they limit movement, prevent work, and require ongoing treatment.
- Burns require excruciating treatments and leave permanent scars affecting appearance and self-esteem. They can also limit mobility and may become infected.
- Psychological injuries like PTSD, anxiety, and depression often accompany physical trauma, requiring therapy and medication for years.
Contact a Shelby, NC Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If someone else’s mistakes have caused you to suffer, you deserve fair compensation, not the runaround you might get from the insurance companies. At Dr. Ted Injury Law, we combine an in-depth medical understanding with relentless legal advocacy to seek maximum compensation on your behalf. While insurance companies protect their profits, we protect you.
Call (800) 693-7833 today for your free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Shelby, NC personal injury attorney. You pay absolutely nothing — no out-of-pocket costs or attorney bills — unless we successfully resolve your case.
Don’t be misled — call Dr. Ted!
