Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents

Obtaining a Rental Car after an Accident

Greg Jones — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:53:47 GMT

Clients often come to our office because they are upset the insurance company for the at-fault driver will not rent a car for them after their car is damaged in an accident. They oftentimes ask if the insurance company is required to provide them with a rental car. They are often surprised at my response.

My clients are often surprised to find out the insurance company does not have a legal obligation to do anything for the accident victim. Their obligation is to the person they insure, not to the injured party. However, since the accident victim has a right to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for the loss of use of their vehicle, the insurance carrier can usually be convinced to provide a rental car once they have completed their investigation. The adjuster handling the claim will have instructions to complete a list of tasks comprising their investigation of the claim regardless of how clear cut fault seems to be. We can assist the adjuster in completing this investigation in an effort to speed things along.

In addition, our client has the option of renting a car on their own. Oftentimes the insurance adjuster will agree to "take over" the rental once they have completed their investigation and our client will not be charged for the rental car at all. However, sometimes the insurance carrier will refuse to do anything more than reimburse the claimant for a rental car if they rent on their own. Unfortunately, insurance carriers have every right to take this position.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Jones

Nine Students Injured In School Bus Accident With Utility Truck

Chrissie Cole — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:42:00 GMT

A City of High Point utility truck and a school bus were involved in a crash Monday morning that sent several injured students to the hospital, according to a Guilford County Schools spokesman.

The school bus was on its way to Southern Middle School when the accident occurred at the intersection of Kivett Drive and Vickery Chapel Road in Jamestown.

Nine of the 41 students on the bus at the time of the school bus accident were taken to the hospital with injuries.

According to a trooper investigating the crash, the truck’s side mirror swiped the stop sign on the bus. No charges are expected to be filed. Damage to the bus was less than $200, the trooper said.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Wrong Way Driving Not an Uncommon Problem

Michael Chandler — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:46:41 GMT

The North Carolina Highway Patrol reports that another head on collision occurred on Interstate - 485 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The car accident which occurred on June 9 around 11:15 pm is the latest in a series of wrong way driving accidents which have plagued Charlotte interstates in recent months. According to a report in the Charlotte Observer, three adults and two children were taken to Carolinas Medical Center with injuries.

A Texas Transportation Institute report found approximately 50% of car accidents involving wrong way drivers result in incapacitating injuries or death. According to the same report, these crashes typically involve male drivers, elderly drivers or intoxicated drivers and the accidents usually occur in the non-daylight hours.

What can be done to prevent these dangerous and deadly car accidents? The United States Department of Transportation (US-DOT) has been studying the problem since the Interstate Highway System was created in the 1950s. Some factors that can diminish the problem are being studied or utilized in other states. These measures include, embedded sensors in the road to detect wrong way drivers, video sensors, sensor activated flashing lights, road spikes, cracking down on drunk driving and safer highway interchange design. Even with improved safety standards history shows these accidents will continue to happenresulting in injury ordeathto innocent drivers.

If you witness a wrong way driver call 911 immediately and if you or someone you care about is affected by someone else’s negligence consult an attorney immediately so the accident can be investigated by a professional with your best interest in consideration.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Chandler

Child Safety Seats Save Lives in Deadly North Carolina Car Accident

Michael Chandler — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:55:20 GMT

The Charlotte Observer reported today that three women died in a horrific car accident on Interstate 85 in Greensboro, North Carolina on Saturday morning. The accident has devastated a family. The only thread of hope is the survival of a set of twins who will turn 3 in May. The children survived because they were properly strapped into child safety seats. "The fact that they survived is nothing short of a miracle, they are definitely testaments to child-safety seats” said N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. C.A. Webb.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, traffic crashes are the number one killer of young children. Last year, 2,542 children ages 15 and younger died in car crashes; another 294,000 were injured. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show nearly half of the deaths and injuries occurred because the children were not properly restrained.

Under North Carolina Law a properly used child restraint device (CRD) is required if the child is less than 8 years old AND weighs less than 80 pounds. Most parents and other care givers will be able to comply by using belt-positioning booster seats for children between 40 and 80 pounds. The child must be within the weight range for the child restraint/booster seat and it must meet Federal standards in effect at time of manufacture.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Chandler

North Carolina Car Accident Highlights need Seat Belt Usage

Michael Chandler — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:28:42 GMT

The North Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating an automobile accident this morning. The accident occurred on I-485 in Charlotte where 7 people were hospitalized with injuries including an infant. The Charlotte Observer reports all of the injured were ejected from the vehicle with the exception of the infant who was in a car seat.

This type of accident highlights the importance of wearing seatbelts to avoid the risk of death and serious personal injury. Published reports show people who are ejected form the vehicle are 25% more likely to be killed in an accident. In addition, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), lap-shoulder belt systems reduce the risk of fatality and serious injury by 50% for drivers and passengers. Despite efforts to publicize the need for seatbelt use millions of Americans take to the roads each day without wearing seat belts and the results can be catastrophic

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Chandler

High School Student Dies After Car Accident

Jenny Albano — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:17:05 GMT

A student from West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, North Carolina died in a car accident on Mount Holly Road on Friday, March 21.

Alicia Davis, 17, was in the backseat of a Nissan 300zx, when the accident occurred. The driver, 20-year-old Jack Smith Jr., was trying to pass another vehicle when he lost control of the car and crossed into oncoming traffic. Once this occurred the Nissan slammed into an oncoming truck.

Smith was listed in critical condition Saturday morning. The driver of the truck, 49-year-old David Sutton, is listed in fair condition.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Speed Causes Cornelius North Carolina Car Accident

Michael Chandler — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:38:43 GMT

According to a police report released on Wednesday, speed was the primary contributing factor in a two vehicle car accident that killed two motorists and injured two others. The accident has received a lot of media attention because two sons of well known drag racer Doug Herbert were killed in the collision. The accident took place on Jetton Road in Cornelius just north of Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Cornelius Police, of 294 speeding citations issued 128 were given on Jetton Road.

According to the report Herbert's son, who was driving one of the vehicles, was traveling 80 mph in a 45 mph zone when he lost control of his Mazda and started spinning counterclockwise across four lanes of traffic. After traveling over 220 feet the Mazda slammed into a Hummer going the opposite direction on Jetton Road. The impact killed both occupants of the Mazda and sent the two occupants of the Hummer to the hospital with injuries.

The accident just highlights what many in law enforcement encounter everyday: Speed kills. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, over 41,000 individuals are killed in car crashes each year.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Chandler

One Killed and Others Injured in North Carolina Car Accident

Michael Chandler — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:08:40 GMT

According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, one passenger was killed and two others were seriously injured when a car lost control and veered off a North Carolina Interstate Sunday afternoon.

The car accident occurred on Interstate 77 North of Charlotte. One of the injured victims, Emily Peralta, 61, who was in intensive care at Carolinas Medical Center late Sunday while another injury victim, Gloria Bristol, 59, was in critical condition at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The driver of the vehicle Francisco Peralta, 70, is recovering with non-life threatening injuries.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Chandler

North Carolina Car Accident . . . Are You Protected?

Michael Chandler — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:08:03 GMT

As a personal injury attorney in Charlotte, North Carolina, I represent hundreds of victims who sustain serious injury on North Carolina roadways each year. Unfortunately one of the hardest aspects of my job is finding insurance coverage to fully compensate the victims. If you want to protect yourself and your loved ones, you need to understand the types of insurance coverage available in North Carolina and how you can adequately protect your family if they are serious injured or killed in a car accident. What you need to ask yourself; is have I done all I can do to protect myself and my family . . .

The most important coverage available when you or a family member is critically injured or killed in a car accident is combined Uninsured / Under Insured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage. In North Carolina, companies issuing standard Personal Automobile Insurance Policies, above the minimum limits, must give the policyholder an opportunity to select or reject this type of coverage up to $1,000,000. Your agent should present you with this form and let you select the coverage. I highly recommend you select the maximum coverage of $1,000,000. If you do not currently carry this level of coverage call your agent and request a change. Don't think you are covered if you have umbrella coverage of $1,000,000. Often umbrella policies only protect you against claims from other drivers and do not extend the coverage to protecting you or your family members from a negligent motorist's lack of adequate coverage. Do not rely on the negligent motorist to have insurance. Make sure you protect yourself call your agent today.

To find out more or if you or someone you know was seriously injured in an automobile accident, click on the link on the right hand side of the page.

For more information on this subject please see our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Chandler

Uninsured Motorists Down in South Carolina

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:44:14 GMT

The number of uninsured drivers in the state of South Carolina appears to be dropping thanks to new laws enacted in 2002. Analysis of data from car accidents shows that the percentage of illegal drivers dropped from 18 in 2003 to 9 in 2006.

But even cutting our uninsured motorists rate in half would only bring us down to the national average. And uninsured motorists cost us all. Not only do they drive up everybody else's auto insurance rates, but a 2001 audit estimated that as many as half of uninsured vehicles also don't register their vehicles with the state, and thus don't pay property taxes on them. That means the rest of us pay higher property taxes.

The law from 2002 also made hand made signs announcing that a driver had applied for tags were made illegal. Auto dealerships can now print up temporary tags so car owners can drive their purchase off the lot. A report by the Legislative Auto Council is not in favor of the dealer made tags. They found that the tags could be easily faked. That could mean a high number of uninsured motorists are driving around the state and will only be caught if they are involved in an accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann