If you or a family member has been injured in a vehicle wreck in northeastern North Carolina or the Outer Banks, the automobile accident lawyers at Thompson & Pureza can help. A serious collision can be a life-changing experience, and you need an experienced and aggressive attorney by your side. Our firm has represented thousands of victims of car, truck and motorcycle accidents. We know how to advocate for you to get you the compensation you deserve.
Why You Need a Lawyer when Injured in a Vehicle Collision
If you have been in an automobile accident in North Carolina, there are many reasons why you should speak with an attorney. Without legal representation you will be dealing with insurance adjusters whose sole job is to settle the claim for as little as possible, not to help the injured or their family members who are suffering.
If you are injured in an automobile collision you should seek immediate medical attention, follow the advice of your doctors, and then contact a personal injury attorney. You should not, without advice from counsel, make any statement to an insurance adjuster. It is important that the facts of your wreck be investigated properly and competently. Insurance companies know which lawyers are experienced in these matters and which ones are not. They are more likely to pay a reasonable settlement or negotiate with you fairly when you are represented by an experienced personal injury trial lawyer. Without the knowledge of the complex insurance laws and policy provisions, a person could easily give away valuable rights and lose reasonable compensation.
Reasonable Compensation May Include the Following
- Disability - Automobile accidents can result in broken bones, neck and spinal injuries, paralysis and other long-term physical disabilities. With a disability come the additional costs like doctors visits, medical equipment, transportation and rehabilitation which should be compensated for.
- Pain and Suffering - A personal injury victim in a car, truck or motorcycle accident may not only experience physical pain and suffering for months, but they may experience mental pain as well. Pain and suffering can include the physical injuries from the accident itself, physical pain from medical treatment required due to the accident, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and physical scarring or disfigurement.
- Medical Expenses - Medical attention is expensive. Modern medicine can do amazing things but everything has its price. If you are injured in a vehicle collision that was not your fault, you deserve coverage for the medical expenses you incur.
- Loss of Income - Victims of automobile accidents often spend weeks, if not months recovering from their injuries, leaving them out of work. If you have been put out of work due to someone else's negligence then you should be entitled to the income you depend on to support your family.
- Value of Damaged Property - If you lost your vehicle or other belongings in an accident caused by someone else, you deserve to be financially compensated for the cost of replacing those possessions.
The lawyers at Thompson & Pureza have been representing persons injured in vehicle accidents for more than thirty years and have tried hundreds of these cases. Remember, the lawyer who will be representing the insurance companies specializes in defending personal injury cases. You should have the same advantage in your case. We do not represent insurance companies. We represent only those who have been injured.
About North Carolina Car, Truck & Motorcycle Accidents
According to statistics released by the North Carolina Department of Transportation in 2010, there were 7,339 automobile accidents throughout the northeast counties of Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Perquimans, Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Halifax, Bertie, Hyde, Northhampton, Martin and Beaufort. Of those 7,339 accidents there were more than 3,700 injuries, 54 which resulted in death.
These statistics can be a stark reminder of just how dangerous it can be to travel on the roads and highways in North Carolina. Outside of the death toll, many of these accidents result in serious physical injuries including brain damage, broken bones, spinal & neck injuries, severe lacerations and amputations. While some of these accidents are unavoidable, many are unfortunately caused by the negligence of other drivers on the road.
Common Causes of Automobile Accidents in North Carolina
Below are some of the most common causes of negligent accidents on the roads of North Carolina according to the 2010 statistics.
- Inattention or Distracted Driving - Often motorists will catch themselves looking away from the road just a little too long because something caught their eye. This has always been a problem and is best addressed by making motorists aware of the responsibility they take when behind the wheel. Unfortunately in today's modern world we are faced with many other distractions like cell phones, GPS devices and multimedia players that increase the chance that a driver may become distracted, leading to an accident.
- Failure to Reduce Speed/Speeding - Speeding or failure to reduce speed can result in vehicles running off the road when making a sharp turn or rear-ending the automobile in front of them because they failed to slow down. Speed was a factor in over 70,000 accidents on the roads of North Carolina in 2010.
- Driving while Impaired - Alcohol or drugs will impair a driver's ability to properly operate a motor vehicle. This includes both illegal as well as legal drugs such as prescription medicines and even some over the counter products. There were over 900 accidents on the roads of North Carolina in 2010 as the result of impaired drivers.
- Failure to Yield the Right Away - There were over 33,000 crashes in North Carolina in 2010 due to drivers failing to yield the right of way. Failure to yield is when one driver fails to realize that another driver or pedestrian has the right to proceed before them. Such accidents may result from failing to yield for a pedestrian or bicyclist, failure to yield when merging on a highway, and failing to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn.
- Reckless or Aggressive Driving - Individuals who drive recklessly or aggressively are more prone to lose control of their vehicles. Motorists who drive recklessly may also disregard other traffic laws, be prone to speed or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Contact the Auto Accident Attorneys at Thompson & Pureza
C. Everett Thompson has over 40 years and David R. Pureza has over 18 years experience fighting for the rights of victims of all types of automobile accidents. We represent clients all throughout northeastern North Carolina including the Outer Banks, Elizabeth City, Edenton, Moyock, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and surrounding areas. If you or someone you know has been injured and is in need of honest legal advice, give us a call at (252) 335-7200 and make an appointment for a free consultation.
