North Carolina Personal Injury Settlement Amounts Examples 2024

If you were recently injured because of another party’s actions, it can form the basis for a personal injury claim. An experienced North Carolina personal injury lawyer can explain the details of your case and what to expect as the case unfolds. They can also be your most valuable asset when it comes to succeeding with your case and maximizing the compensation you obtain for your damages.

Compensation Available in a Personal Injury Suit

Your Hickory, NC personal injury lawyer can help you prove fault for your recent injury and hold the at-fault party accountable for all the damages they caused. While you may understand the immediately recognizable economic losses you suffered, accurate calculation of the full extent of your claimable damages will be difficult without an attorney. Plaintiffs in Burke, Catawba, and Caldwell counties are often able to claim compensation for:

• Property losses. If the defendant’s actions damaged or destroyed your personal property, you have the right to claim repair and replacement costs in your personal injury suit. Some such losses may be recoverable through insurance, but anything an at-fault party’s insurance cannot repay must be cited as economic damages in a personal injury suit.
• Medical expenses. When a plaintiff has suffered physical harm from a defendant’s actions, the defendant is liable for all the medical care the plaintiff needs to fully recover. This includes anticipated future medical treatment costs for serious injuries.
• Lost wages. The plaintiff can seek compensation for any income they are unable to earn while they recover from their injury. This also applies to vacation time and other paid time off you were forced to use after the accident.
• Lost earning power. When a plaintiff has been permanently disabled by their injury, the defendant can face liability for the future income the plaintiff is no longer able to earn. Your attorney can help accurately calculate the future income you would have reasonably expected to have been able to earn in the future if you hadn’t been injured.
• Pain and suffering. Along with economic losses, the plaintiff also has the right to seek compensation for the pain and suffering they have endured because of their injury. This aspect of plaintiff recovery is only limited to medical malpractice cases. For all other personal injury cases, plaintiffs can seek as much as they believe to be appropriate.

Once you account for the total of your immediate and future economic damages and you decide on a reasonable amount of pain and suffering compensation to include with your claim, you may be surprised to discover you can expect far more compensation than you initially anticipated.

The main purpose of any personal injury claim is for the victim to be made whole again, and an experienced personal injury lawyer is the ideal asset to have on your side to make this happen. You must meet various procedural rules to file your case successfully, and proving fault and the full scope of your damages may be more complex than you expect. Seeking trustworthy legal counsel as soon as possible after your accident is vital to success in your case.

FAQs

Q: Does North Carolina Tax Personal Injury Settlements?

A: No. You do not have to pay income taxes at the North Carolina state or federal levels on the proceeds from a successful personal injury case. Because your case award is meant to repay a loss, it does not qualify as income; therefore, it cannot be taxed as income. There could, however, be other tax implications on certain types of compensation you receive, such as punitive damages. Your personal injury lawyer can explain any such issues that pertain to your case.

Q: Is There a Cap on Damages in a Personal Injury Case?

A: North Carolina’s personal injury statutes do not impose any caps or limits on economic damages in any personal injury case. This means the plaintiff in a personal injury case has the right to claim full repayment of the direct financial losses a defendant inflicted. When it comes to non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, these are only limited to medical malpractice cases. For all other personal injury claims, no caps apply to pain and suffering compensation.

Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim?

A: There is a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims in the state. The time limit for filing your case begins on the date your injury occurred or the date you discovered that another party had harmed you. While this may seem like plenty of time for you to file your case, the reality is that it can pass by very quickly, and it is vital to start your claim filing process as soon as possible to ensure your ability to recover.

Q: Why Do I Need a North Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: It is technically possible to file a personal injury claim without legal counsel, but this is risky and unlikely to yield the result you want to see. If you make any mistakes, they could jeopardize your ability to recover your damages, and you could unintentionally settle for less compensation than you deserve. Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer increases your chances of success and the likelihood that you will maximize your recovery.

Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

A: It’s natural to worry about the potential cost of hiring legal counsel, but this is no cause for alarm if you choose the Law Office of Lyndon R. Helton, PLLC, to represent your case. We take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning our client pays a percentage of their final case award as our fee only if we win. If we are unable to secure a case award for you, there is no fee at all.

Ultimately, every personal injury plaintiff will face unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to seeking compensation for their damages, and the right attorney can help a client maximize their recovery. The team at the Law Office of Lyndon R. Helton, PLLC, is ready to assist you with your case, so contact us today to schedule a consultation with our team.