Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyers

All too often, the reckless and negligent conduct of one person causes injury to another. It happens most often on North Carolina’s roads. A driver is inattentive, playing on the phone, runs a red light, runs into the back of a car, drives too fast or too aggressively, and causes a crash. Adding insult to injury, the at-fault driver denies liability, and the officer who afterwards arrives on the scene is fed a pack of lies – the same pack of lies the at-fault driver’s insurance company later uses to deny liability, leaving an innocent victim stuck with a wrecked car, an ambulance bill, and bills for medical treatment.

When an at-fault driver or the at-fault driver’s insurance company deny liability in a case, the person injured by the at-fault driver must bring suit and obtain a judgment for damages against the at-fault driver in order to force the insurance company to pay for the damages. Considering whether to sue, when and where to sue, and the risks and benefits of suing, can be extremely complicated given the parties involved and the unique facts and circumstances underlying a case. Sometimes, unfortunately, suing is an injured party’s only pathway to justice.

The Charlotte personal injury attorneys at A&S Personal Injury Lawyers have argued and tried cases in the North Carolina’s district and superior courts, in the state’s federal district courts, before the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, and before the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Paul Tharp, who practices in the firm’s personal injury unit, is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. The firm’s attorneys pride themselves on their reputation as aggressive and effective personal injury litigators who are not afraid to take their clients’ cases all the way to the finish line.

When a person operates a motor vehicle on a public roadway, one is required to exercise reasonable care. When a driver breaches the duty to exercise reasonable care and causes an accident, persons injured by the breach of the driver’s duty of care are entitled to money damages. A negligent driver is liable to everyone hurt by the driver’s negligence, including the driver or drivers of other vehicles impacted in a crash, any passengers in any vehicles in the crash, any pedestrians, and in some cases the spouses of injured persons. Car accident personal injury cases are extremely common because, unfortunately, car accidents are extremely common.

Because they are much larger than passenger vehicles, the magnitude of impact when a truck is involved in an accident is often much greater than in crashes involving only passenger vehicles. Not surprisingly, the injuries persons sustain in crashes involving trucks are often more serious than injuries sustained in passenger-vehicle crashes. Truck drivers have the same duties and rights as other drivers. Thus, if a truck driver is injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence, the truck driver is entitled to damages from the at-fault driver. By the same token, if a truck driver’s negligence causes a crash that injures another person, the truck driver is liable for the injured person’s damages.

Other drivers are the greatest danger on the roadways to persons riding motorcycles. One wrong move by a driver can mean fatal injury to a person on a motorcycle. Like other drivers, operators of motorcycles must exercise reasonable care on the roadways. If a motorcycle driver or passenger is injured as a result of the negligence of another driver, the other driver is liable to the motorcycle driver or passenger for damages.

Property owners are required to establish and maintain a reasonably safe physical environment and to warn visitors of hidden dangers. The reasonableness of a property owner’s conduct depends on the unique facts and circumstances of each slip-and-fall case. The conduct of the person injured in a fall is also an important factor in a slip-and-fall case. In North Carolina, persons are expected to exercise reasonable care with due regard for their surroundings. The old adage: “Watch your step!” is especially true in the Tar Heel State. North Carolina employs the doctrine of strict contributory negligence. That means if an injured person is in any way at fault in an accident, the person’s case may be dismissed by a judge.

Pet owners have a duty to keep their pets restrained. If an unrestrained pet bites or otherwise injures a person, the pet’s owner may be liable for any damages caused by the bite or other injury. Many municipalities in North Carolina have promulgated pet ordinances that are even more strict than North Carolina’s “Dangerous Dog” law. In some cases, these ordinances and the “Dangerous Dog” law can render a pet owner strictly liable to a person injured in an animal attack.

The best thing you can do if you believe you or someone you know has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, is contact the professionals at A&S Personal Injury Lawyers. We can discuss what happened with you, help you sort out what claims you may have, and help you find the best way to address the issue that is concerning you. This conversation is free of charge. Call or email us today to make an appointment.

If you live in the Charlotte metropolitan area, we will likely be able to meet with you in person to discuss your case. We have offices in Charlotte, Mooresville, and Monroe. Even if you live outside of Charlotte, or if your injury occurred while you were vacationing in the mountains or while you were at the beach, our legal teams cover the entire State of North Carolina. The bottom line is, if you have a case, we can help.