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At Kellum Law Firm, access to an experienced North Carolina attorney is available to you 24/7 – Call us now and let us help with your auto accident claim.

If you’ve suffered any type of physical or emotional injury as a result of a car or truck accident, contact us now. We have over 40 years’ experience handling auto accident, truck accident and motorcycle crash claims.

Schedule an appointment to meet with an attorney at your convenience, either at your home, at our offices, or via the Internet (Zoom / Skype etc). The consultation is free of charge and there’s absolutely no obligation to retain our attorney following your consultation.

Let One Of Our Car Accident Lawyers Assess Your Case For Free

If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident, car/truck/motorcycle wreck, etc, and have sustained some type of injury, be it physical or emotional, then you should consult a car accident lawyer to discuss the possibility of receiving compensation for your injuries. [Truck accidents generally involve a different set of conditions than car crashes, click here for truck crash lawyer information]

Clearly, we need to sit down with you to discuss your car accident in more detail to determine liability and the extent of your injuries.

When there are no other people directly involved in the accident, our experienced car crash lawyers will consider things like general road layout and safety (were there potholes, a misplaced stop sign), mechanical issues (a faulty airbag, seatbelt failure, etc), an obstruction to visibility, etc.

Once our accident lawyer has explored the details of your car / motorcycle / truck accident, he or she can offer you an opinion on what type of case you have and the best way to move forward with a personal injury and/or property damage claim.

The process of dealing with the details of your automobile accident, talking with and negotiating with insurance companies, understanding the law and different types of claims etc, is not something that you should try to navigate alone. Working with a qualified car accident lawyer is essential, and having a Lawyer based in North Carolina will help ensure that your case is handled efficiently and competently, resulting in a settlement in the fastest possible time.

The place to start after a personal injury is to contact a reputable Law Firm and request a free consultation to review the details of your case. At Kellum Law Firm we have a team of experienced lawyers who’ve been handling auto accident claims for people in and around the State of North Carolina for over 40 years.

With office locations including New Bern, Raleigh, Jacksonville, and Greenville, we have experienced lawyers on your doorstep able to handle the most complex of auto accident claims.

Top Causes of Car Accidents in North Carolina

A report has been released by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDoT) that addresses the most common causes of car accidents in North Carolina. The information in this report is based on data gathered for 2015.

According to NCDoT, when fault can be determined in a vehicular accident, the following reasons are the most common causes of these events:

• Failing to Reduce Speed. Speeding or failing to slow down when necessary is the leading cause of accidents in North Carolina. There were 66,000 car accidents in North Carolina in 2015 that were directly attributed to speeding. Over 22,000 injuries were associated with these accidents and 112 deaths.
• Distracted Driving. Distracted driving accidents came in second place with 50,000 accidents, 16,000 injuries and 135 deaths. The most common form of distraction is cell phone use.
• Failed to Yield the Right of Way. Third place went to failing to yield the right of way. This includes entering and exiting freeways and accidents that occur at intersections without traffic lights. These types of accidents accounted for 38,862 events, 14,913 injuries, and 133 deaths.
  The amount of injuries and deaths associated with just these three types of accidents is mind-boggling. So many of these accidents could have been prevented just by following traffic laws.
  To round out the top 10 causes of traffic accidents in North Carolina.
• Exceeded Safe Speed for Conditions. This refers to weather conditions, traffic conditions and road work area. 16,867 total accidents with 5,532 injuries and 101 deaths.
• Aggressive Driving. This includes aggressive behaviors, erratic driving, or negligent driving. A total of 5,744 accidents with 5,265 injuries and 265 deaths
• Improper Lane Change. A total of 11,274 accidents with 1,998 injuries and 11 deaths.
• Overcorrections. An overcorrection usually results in a person swerving and causing an accident or swerving and losing control of the vehicle. Total accidents were 9,049 with 4,118 injuries and 260 deaths.
• Under the Influence of Alcohol. DUI caused 8,545 accidents with 4,094 injuries and 249 deaths.
• Improper Turn. Turning in areas posted no-turn, turning from the wrong lane, or turning against a traffic signal are included in this category. 8,495 accidents occurred with 2,379 injuries and 11 deaths.

What To Do If You Are Involved In A Car Accident In North Carolina?

When you are involved in a car accident in North Carolina, it is very important that you take the following steps to protect your rights as an accident victim.

• Notify Emergency Services. You will want to call the police immediately and if there are injuries, request fire and rescue. You will need a police report to make a claim against your insurance.
  • Seek Medical Care. Even if you believe that your injuries are minor, you want to have a medical professional check you over. Some injuries are not apparent immediately.
  • Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer. Protect your rights by seeking legal representation as soon as possible, with an experienced car accident lawyer. North Carolina has stringent laws concerning compensation, and you will need legal representation to help you maneuver these laws.
  • Insurance Notification. Notify your insurance company that an accident has occurred. However, refrain from giving any official statements or any detailed information about the event until you speak to an attorney. You can inform your insurer of your intent to speak with an attorney.

North Carolina Is A Contributory Negligence State

One of the main reasons that you will want to speak with a personal injury lawyer after the accident is because of NC’s Contributory Negligence laws. In North Carolina, if the injured party has contributed to the accident in any way, they cannot seek compensation from the other party.
Your attorney will work aggressively to show that you had no fault in the accident and are entitled to receive compensation for your losses. This is another reason that you should never give the insurance company a statement until you have spoken to a lawyer. If the insurance company even suspects that there is a chance you could be found to have partial responsibility for the event, they will deny the claim under the Comparative Negligence law.

Having an attorney represent your case will relieve many of the stresses that come with being involved in a car accident. Allow your attorney to manage all of these issues while you concentrate on making a recovery from your injuries and losses.
REFERENCE
https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/DMV/DMV%20Documents/2015%20Crash%20Facts.pdF