The city of Greensboro in North Carolina has a lot of crash sites, including I-40, US-29 corridor, Battleground Avenue Corridor, Pisgah Church, and Holden Road. Till August 2021, the city’s police recorded 31 deaths in 30 crashes. That is an alarming rate, considering that the death rates for 2019 and 2020 were 34 and 36.
Nobody expects an accident. Yet it happens. Although you can take all the precautions available at your disposal, there is no predicting the future. But what is certain is that you can hire a Greensboro car accident lawyer. They will ensure that you receive the full benefits of the law. From filing a lawsuit to receiving fair compensation, they will assist you with each step of the recovery process.
Since there are several aspects related to a car accident case, it would be helpful to know some of them.
The rule of contributory negligence
The state of North Carolina, where Greensboro is located, is an at-fault state. You will have to prove the other party’s fault to receive adequate compensation with the help of an attorney.
There is also the principle of contributory negligence, which means that only four other states follow this method: Virginia, Maryland, Columbia, and Alabama. According to this principle, if the injured party shares any responsibility for the accident in any way, they will be ineligible for any compensation. Your attorney will help you recover financially by proving that you were not responsible for the accident by submitting proper evidence in court.
How is an accident claim made in North Carolina?
There are three primary ways that an accident claim is made in Greensboro or the state of North Carolina. All of them will require your lawyer’s services since they will know the best way of going about it.
Filing a claim with your insurer
The law of North Carolina states that drivers should have automobile insurance with $25,000 per person for injury or death. The maximum coverage amount is $60,000. You must call your lawyer immediately after an accident. They will negotiate with the insurance company, provide them with the details and ensure that everything moves in a structured way.
Contacting the other person’s insurance company
There are circumstances where an accident claim is made by contacting the responsible person’s insurance company. They will call the company with the driver’s policy number, license number, and other necessary information. They will also send a notice to the company informing them that you will be filing a claim.
Filing a lawsuit
Usually, a lawsuit is filed as a last resort when all negotiation attempts have failed. If the other side seems unreasonable, leading to a stalemate, there would be no choice but to file a case. The statute of limitations in North Carolina on personal injury cases, including car accidents, is three years. If the lawsuit is filed for a wrongful death claim due to the accident, the statute of limitations will be two years from the date of death. Your attorney will file the lawsuit in time and handle the documents and procedures needed to file it. Some insurance companies will require you to make a claim immediately after an accident. The company will mention the specific period in the details of the policy itself.
How long should the claim settlement take?
According to the North Carolina Department of Defense, the insurer or the insurance company has a month from filing the claim to either pay it or send a notice. If a notification is sent, it should mention the reasons for denial, benefit limitations, lack of eligibility, or coverage of the services provided. A lawsuit by the claimant will usually follow a refusal of the claim.
Thus, it would be valuable to know these things before hiring a Greensboro car accident lawyer. Not only will you be aware of the legal process, but also be able to assist your lawyer in any way if the need arises.
