Motorcycle accidents can have a devastating effect on someone's life due to the severity of their injuries. The medical expenses, loss of income, and emotional trauma caused by an accident can quickly add up, leaving the victim with substantial financial burdens. If the accident was caused by someone else's negligence or intentional actions, the victim might be eligible to pursue a personal injury claim and seek compensation for their damages.

In North Carolina, a victim can recover several types of damages in a motorcycle accident injury claim. 

These damages fall into two broad categories: compensatory and punitive damages.

Although most dogs are beloved family pets that never harm anyone, dog bites remain a serious problem in North Carolina. Dog attacks can happen in the blink of an eye, making it difficult to react and know what to do once the attack is over. If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt by a dog, it is important to understand that you may be able to take legal action against the dog’s owner to recover damages for your suffering and medical expenses. Furthermore, taking quick action is often necessary to protect others from the dangerous dog in the future. Read more to learn about dog bites and dangerous dog laws in North Carolina. 

Dog Bite Injuries

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they are also animals that can act in unpredictable ways. In a matter of just a few seconds, a dog can cause serious injuries, especially to small children. Common dog bite injuries include, but are not limited to: 

• Lacerations to hands, arms, face, and neck
• Disfiguring cosmetic damage, including scarring
• Nerve damage 
• Torn ligaments
• Serious bleeding
• Infections
• Broken or fractured bones 

What is a Dangerous Dog? 

Every state defines “dangerous dog” a little differently, but in North Carolina, a dangerous dog is one that has already, without provocation, seriously hurt or killed someone else. Furthermore, dogs used for dog fighting or those simply trained for dog fighting can be designated a dangerous dog, whether or not they have already attacked someone. A “potentially dangerous dog” is a dog that has injured someone badly enough to require hospitalization or cosmetic surgery, one that has seriously injured or killed another animal, or one that has approached someone who is not on the dog owner’s property in a way that appears the dog is about to attack. Sometimes even when someone is on the dog owner’s property, but is allowed to be there, premises liability laws can hold the dog owner responsible for a dog attack. Whether a dog has been designated a dangerous dog or a potentially dangerous dog can affect a dog owner’s liability. 

Most people know that if they have been injured in a car crash, slip-and-fall accident, or any other incident caused by someone else’s negligence, the injured person generally has the right to seek compensation for their losses from the at-fault party. In such cases, most people think primarily about their physical injuries. However, some of the most lasting, debilitating injuries are of a psychological or emotional nature.

Mental trauma – known as emotional distress in the legal world – has serious implications that may prolong a victim’s path back to normal. It may be difficult to work, maintain relationships, and process emotions normally. The toll on the victim and their family can be enormous. The good news is that, in certain circumstances, damages for emotional distress can be recovered through a personal injury claim.

What Is Emotional Distress?

The definitions of emotional distress vary, as each victim experiences the condition differently. Most medical professionals understand the condition as a psychological response to trauma.

Getting in any kind of serious car accident can be a traumatic experience, to say nothing of the physical danger and potentially long-term health implications of such a crash. But suffering in a car crash because somebody decided to drive drunk can be one of the worst kinds of crashes to endure; not only will you have to deal with the painful and expensive healing and recovery process of a typical car accident, but you know that if not for the irresponsible driver’s actions, the accident would likely never have happened in the first place. If you or someone you love has been injured in a drunk driving car crash in North Carolina, you may be considering taking legal action against them. Having a personal injury attorney in your corner will help.

Is a Drunk Driver Responsible Always for a Car Accident? 

Although the driver of the vehicle you crashed into may have been drunk, that does not necessarily mean that he or she will be found responsible for the accident. In fact, if you contributed to the car crash at all, you likely will not be able to recover any compensation for the damage the accident caused. North Carolina personal injury claims fall under “pure” contributory negligence laws, so any contribution on behalf of the plaintiff bars recovery. It is important to talk to an attorney to determine whether you likely share fault for the accident, because shared fault can also result in an insurance company that is going to fight giving you fair compensation. 

How Much Time Do I Have to File a Lawsuit? 

Every state has a statute of limitations for bringing lawsuits in personal injury cases, and North Carolina is no exception. Generally, the statute of limitations for car accident lawsuits is three years from the date of the crash. However, if someone died in the accident, and a loved one wants to bring a wrongful death claim, they have only two years from the date the person died. 

Getting seriously injured in a car accident can upend your life. You may be unable to work, get around comfortably, or enjoy any of the things you used to be able to do. Even if your injuries are not life-threatening or severe, a car accident can have a major impact on your life, causing major disruptions that take time, effort, expensive medical treatment, and personal therapy to overcome. 

When these kinds of injuries happen because of someone else’s negligent or intentionally dangerous driving, you deserve to recover compensation. The other driver’s insurance company knows this - but they are also trying to stay in business and make money. This may lead to an insurance company lowballing you in an offer for compensation, hoping that you will not have a personal injury attorney who knows their tricks and who will fight for your rights. Here are five reasons a North Carolina insurance company does not want you to hire a personal injury lawyer after a car accident. 

Personal Injury Attorneys Know How to Prove Fault

Investigations are an important part of personal injury claims, especially when there is confusion or disagreement about why an accident happened and who is ultimately responsible. Personal injury attorneys know how to conduct thorough accident investigations, including collecting video evidence, witness testimony, and accident reconstruction evidence to prove liability on the part of the other driver.