Jacksonville Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer

When you’re on the road, things can happen fast. If you are involved in an accident, you may suffer life-altering injuries. When you are not to blame for what occurred, you may be able to recover compensation to help you rebuild your life. A personal injury lawyer can help.

At Ricci Law Firm Injury Lawyers, our Jacksonville motor vehicle accident lawyer has the track record you need to maximize your chances of success. Our achievements are undeniable. Some of our attorneys are in the Top 40 Under 40, and others have achieved verdicts of over one million dollars *(See disclaimer on our website). However, this is not about us. It is about you. There are even more reasons to choose us to fight the good fight for you.

Why Choose Ricci Law Firm Injury Lawyers to Represent You?

Apart from having excellent legal representation and a hand-picked team to work on your case, there are several important reasons to choose us. These include:

No-win-no-pay terms. At a time like this, the last thing you need is more things to worry about. We make sure your legal fees don’t add to your burden. We will be clear about costs, but you will only pay them if we win your case.
Lawyers who care. It’s easy to say we care, but we pay more than lip service to our values. You will see us walk the talk. To us, personal injury law is a calling. It is something to be passionate about. Helping innocent people who have been harmed is what gets us up in the morning, and we recognize each of our clients as individuals
Acumen across motor vehicle accident scenarios. There are many types of accidents involving motor vehicles, ranging from cars to motorcycles and trucks. Your Jacksonville, NC motor vehicle accident lawyer will have relevant experience. For example, our truck accident attorneys have gained million-dollar-plus verdicts to help victims.

With us, you can afford a good lawyer, and having one may mean that you recover a far better settlement than you otherwise would. With your future at stake, you cannot afford to gamble. You can be certain that we will pursue every dollar in compensation that we can recover for you, and there is no financial risk to you.

What Types of Compensation Can You Claim, And How Much Will You Get?

You are probably painfully aware of the losses you have suffered. However, many people do not realize just how much they can claim because they are unaware of the different types of compensation they might qualify for. These include:

The cost of all accident-related medical treatment and therapy you might need, including future costs
Amounts related to the cost of lost opportunities, for example, lost wages or lost business earnings, for however long you are unable to work as normal
Damages paid to make up for the pain and suffering motor vehicle accident victims experience owing to their injuries
Compensation for the traumatic psychological and emotional consequences of injuries, including PTSD and emotional distress
Claims related to the other personal consequences of injuries, for example, disability or disfigurement
When the worst has happened, amounts paid to families who have faced the wrongful death of a loved one

It would be very difficult to say just how much these forms of compensation would amount to in a final settlement. To a large extent, the amounts recoverable depend on the severity of the injuries suffered. You can get a more precise estimate after consulting our motor vehicle accident attorney in Jacksonville.

How Much Time Do You Have to File a Claim?

There are deadlines to file claims. With very few exceptions, North Carolina law requires you to file within three years of your accident. Some allowance is made for the fact that you might only be reasonably expected to know you were injured some time later.

Exceptions are made under certain circumstances. For example, you were still a minor when you were injured or not able to act because the defendant fled out of state or was in prison. If you have any concerns about whether it is too late to file a claim, get a lawyer’s opinion.

We always recommend that you contact us as soon after your motor vehicle accident as possible. Even if the full extent of your injuries is still being assessed, we can start working on other important questions like determining liability. Remember, more than one party may have contributed to your accident, so this can be more complicated than it seems on the surface.

Preparing to Meet Your Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer in Jacksonville, NC

The more information you can bring along for your first meeting, the better we can assess your case. If you are still incapacitated, ask family members or friends to collect the necessary information for you. Basics include:p

The police report concerning your accident
Medical records and contact information for the people on your medical team
The other driver’s insurance information and contact details
Your insurance information
Reports on the damage your vehicle sustained
Pay stubs or business bank statements if you have missed work

Extra information that may prove helpful, if you can access it, includes:

Witnesses’ contact details and any witness statements you may have
Any images or footage of your accident or the accident scene

We also recommend that you write down or record your memories of what occurred in the accident as soon after it as you are able. Any details you recall may be important to our investigation. Think about things like the road conditions, the speed you were travelling, and what you saw in the moments before your accident.

The Process We Follow After Accepting Your Motor Vehicle Accident Case

We do far more than simply review the information you have provided, file a claim, and hope for the best. A successful claim is based on hard work, thoroughness, and sound strategies. The foundations for your successful claim, and much of the work your lawyer does, happen behind the scenes.

Investigating Your Crash

Police reports are a good starting point, but they have missed important details. We always begin with a thorough investigation of our own. We find that this first step often plays a decisive role in the outcomes we achieve. Our main aim is to pinpoint who is liable and collect evidence to support this finding.

Preparing and Filing Your Claim

Once we have a clear picture of your damages, including expert opinions on your outlook, we can prepare to file your claim. This includes filling out the inevitable forms and providing a great deal of supporting documentation. Our team prepares everything that is needed, and we file on your behalf.

Negotiating on Your Behalf

At this point, many people who have claimed on their own find themselves confronting arguments they do not want or know how to deal with. They may decide to settle for whatever compensation is offered and leave it at that. This is a terrible mistake that could cost you thousands of dollars.

Getting a fair settlement requires negotiation skills. We will face arguments ranging from whether you might have a big share of liability to whether injuries really occurred in the accident and are as serious as we claim. We will come prepared, and we will know what settlement offers are fair and which are not. We will keep you informed throughout the process, giving you advice based on what is best for you.

Taking Your Case to Court

There are times when we are able to achieve fair settlement offers during negotiation. However, when your claim is large and your injuries are extensive, insurance companies may decide to contest your claim in court. They will find themselves facing a formidable adversary.

Our extensive courtroom experience is one of the reasons you chose us as your motor vehicle accident attorneys in Jacksonville, NC. We will fight calmly, coolly, professionally, yet fiercely. We will be there to win, and we will do our utmost to do just that.

How to Help Us Deal With Insurance Companies After a Motor Vehicle Accident

After being seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, you may find that insurance companies approach you. Do not assume that they are doing this to help you. It may be the insurance industry’s worst-kept secret. They will try to minimize payouts. Here are important things to know that will help you recover a better settlement through legal representation.

Never Give a Recorded Statement

Even if it is your own insurance company that is on the line and you called them yourself, do not give any recorded statements. You must report your accident to your insurance company, even if you are sure you are not at fault, but you do not need to give them any information beyond the bare facts. They are not necessarily on your side. Here is what you should tell them.

You were in an accident
It occurred at a certain time in a specific place
Specific parties were involved

Never expand on the accident. Do not talk about your injuries. Never say you are okay, even if you think you are. In case you make any mistakes, be sure you have asked them not to record your call. If it is the at-fault driver’s insurance, you need not talk to them at all.

Help Your Claim Succeed By Avoiding These Common Mistakes

You can help us negotiate effectively with the at-fault driver’s insurance company by not giving them fuel for any objections they might raise. Here are things you should avoid so that you do not inadvertently give them reasons to argue your claim:

Delaying seeing a doctor may give them grounds to argue that you could have sustained your injury elsewhere.
Not following your doctor’s instructions may allow insurance companies to argue that you made your own injuries worse than they initially were.
Posting about your accident on social media can give insurance company representatives reasons to argue you were not hurt as badly as you really were. Saying “I’m OK!” may be your way of toughing things out, but it can come back to bite you.

Although this may seem odd when you are an innocent victim, you should keep everything as confidential as possible. Once you have a Jacksonville, NC, motor vehicle accident lawyer, they can handle all sensitive communications and will know how to do so without harming your case.

Never Accept Settlement Offers Without Consulting a Lawyer First

If someone calls you offering what seems like a lot of money as a settlement, you can be reasonably sure you are entitled to more. Do not accept. Refuse to engage in any discussion. Leave it to your lawyer. If you are in financial distress, tell us about your issues.

Why Local Representation From A Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney in Jacksonville, NC, Benefits You

There are some advantages to choosing local representation in Jacksonville, NC. Although we cannot use any form of “buddy system,” we do know local judges. We understand their individual approach to cases, how they think, and what arguments they like to see from plaintiffs’ representatives. It is a small but potentially significant advantage.

As local lawyers, we also have relationships with expert witnesses, such as medical professionals and accident reconstruction experts. This may help us present a strong case showing that you are the victim, that your injuries are accident-related, and that they have current and future effects on your well-being.

We also know the local accident hotspots and what typically causes accidents on dangerous stretches of road. For example, roads around Onslow County where accidents could occur more frequently include:

Highway 258
Highway 17
Highway 53
Gum Branch Road
Sand Ridge Road

As local motor vehicle accident lawyers in Jacksonville, NC, we know every dangerous bend and intersection. This makes it easier for us to construct and argue a case that results in favorable settlement outcomes.

Injured On Onslow County Roads? Call Our Jacksonville Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer in North Carolina.

When you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in Jacksonville or Onslow County, you need strong representation to maximize your compensation. We know that you need every dollar you can get, and we will work hard to help you recover your financial health.

Let us take away the work and worry that go with a claim while potentially recovering far more than you may have expected. Contact us and find out what we can do. Your first consultation is free, and all fees depend on whether we win. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.