Quality Help For North Carolina’s Car Crash Survivors
A devastating car accident can happen to anyone. You face many challenges on the road to recovering the compensation you deserve. The difficulties can prove even greater if Spanish is your first language. When you need legal help, you can rely on me at Law Office of Jacob Goad.
My name is Jacob Goad. I have devoted my career to helping the people of North Carolina recover compensation and put their lives back together following accidents and injuries. To me, you are more than a case number – you are a member of my community, and I care about giving you quality representation.
Yo hablo español. I can provide services in fluent Spanish if you prefer.
What Should I Do After A Car Accident?
It is not easy to think clearly after a serious crash. If you can follow these steps, filing an insurance claim or pursuing an injury lawsuit will be much easier. You should:
- Seek medical attention immediately. Call an ambulance, if necessary.
- Contact the police to have them write a report. Even if you are an undocumented immigrant, this is a crucial step. Police officers do not have the right to get information about your immigration status at the scene of an accident. By reporting your accident, you do not have to fear arrest or deportation.
- Take pictures of the accident scene. If you do not have a camera, write down anything important that you notice.
- Get the name and information of the other driver and any witnesses.
- Do not speak with any insurance company representatives. Instead, contact an attorney.
Even if your accident happened weeks or months ago, you might still have an actionable claim. Follow whichever steps you can; most importantly, speak with a lawyer.
What Costs Should Insurance Cover?
You can expect insurance providers to pay for damages such as:
- Hospital stays
- Doctor appointments
- Prescription medications
- Rehabilitative therapy
- Automotive repairs
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Funeral costs, loss of companionship and consortium if an accident killed your loved one
- Pain and suffering
In North Carolina, insurance companies can refuse to pay claims if you have any fault in an accident – even if the other driver was more at fault.
How Insurance Companies Avoid Paying Claims
Although insurers are supposed to help you, they do not always want to. Like for-profit corporations, they have only one goal in mind: making money. Their representatives will try to contact you as soon as they can after a crash. They have ways of getting you to admit liability, even if the fault actually lies 100% with the other driver. Insurance companies also try to make claims go away by offering you a settlement that is much lower than what you need and deserve. You should never accept a settlement until you have had a lawyer review it first.
Car Accidents And Wrongful Death
Nothing can compare to the pain of losing someone you love in a crash. In North Carolina, you have up to two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for damages such as:
- Hospital costs resulting from your loved one’s accident
- Funeral costs
- Burial costs
- Loss of income
- Loss of services
- Loss of companionship
- Pain and suffering
The personal representative of the deceased person must file the lawsuit. If the decedent did not name a personal representative, the court will appoint one.
What Should I Do If I Suffered A Car Accident At Work?
Many jobs require that you drive a vehicle to perform your job duties. If you had a car crash on the job, this is what you should do:
- Seek medical attention immediately, even if it means leaving work in the middle of the day.
- Call the police so that they can file a report.
- Take the name and information of the other driver and any witnesses.
- Take pictures of the accident scene for documentation.
- Report the accident to your supervisor.
- Do not speak with any insurance company employees.
- Contact a workers’ compensation lawyer.
You might have the right to recover damages from a personal injury lawsuit in addition to your workers’ comp benefits.
Ask For A Free Consultation About Your Car Accident
You might feel overwhelmed, but you are not alone. I am ready to help you through every step of the claims process. I provide free, confidential initial consultations. To get yours, please contact my law office in Durham by calling 919-944-4669 or by using my online contact form. Yo hablo español.
