Most people in North Carolina start each day with getting their children off to school, and themselves off to work to support their families.  Whether you live in Charlotte, Matthews, Monroe, Gastonia, or anywhere in the foothills or mountains of North Carolina, most people are focused on putting food on the table, and keeping their home and lifestyle intact if not trying to improve it.  We do not get the benefit of knowing what life has in store for us.  We don’t get a notice in the mail, or an e-mail or text message, telling us that today is the day that we will be involved in a potentially life changing automobile accident.

North Carolina Automobile accidents are caused by speeding, failing to yield the right of way, inattention, drunk driving, texting while driving, disregarding stop signs or stop lights, going too fast for road conditions, improper turns, ride-share companies like Lyft or Uber, crossing the centerline, improper passing, improper lane changes, improper backing, improper parking, following too closely, not being able to see, and reckless driving among other causes. If you or a loved one is the victim of a car accident or injured by an uninsured driver our attorneys can help.

First: As difficult as it may be, stay as calm as you can. When someone is involved in an automobile accident their adrenaline surges and their heart starts pumping, especially when there are family members involved. Try not to let your emotions take over! Instead follow these steps to be prepared, and protect your family members and your legal rights.

Second: See how serious the injuries are to your passengers and the other drivers, and call 911 for medical attention, and to alert the state troopers, or the police about the accident immediately.  If someone is complaining of an injury, especially if it is to their neck and back, do not move them if at all possible, and wait until the medical personnel get on the scene.  If the state troopers, or police officers are not doing a report, request that one be done.  Make sure you get the names and badge numbers of the police officers, state troopers, or sheriff’s deputies that have responded to your accident.  Do not move your vehicle until directed to do by the responding police officer.   If you can, take pictures of your car, the other vehicles, and the accident scene, before the vehicles are moved.

Third:  If there are independent witnesses who saw the accident get their names, addresses, and phone numbers, and when you speak to the investigating police officer, make sure that he or she has this information and preferably talks to the witnesses at the scene.  People often think that the people riding in the car with them are independent witnesses, but they are presumed to be biased and that they will say exactly what their driver said.  Remember an independent witness is a person who does not know either one of the involved drivers, and was not in either car, that had a vantage point to see what actually happened.  For example, an independent witness sitting in his or her car waiting for the light to turn can testify as to which driver had the green light.

Lastly: It is important to immediately contact the North Carolina auto accident attorneys at Tippens & Zurosky toll free at 704-343-0018, to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.  Let us deal with the insurance company for the person that caused the accident, and also check for benefits under your own insurance policy that you are covered for such as medical payments, or personal injury protection coverage.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that insurance companies are in the business of making a profit!  Insurance company adjusters are trained to minimize your claim and save the insurance companies money.  Get the North Carolina auto accident attorneys of Tippens & Zurosky on your side, and let us put our experience to work for you.

Our attorneys have represented people in one car accidents, rear-end collisions, drunk driving accidents, reckless driving accidents, ride-share accidents, multiple car highway collisions, and many others.  Let us be your guide in this difficult and trying process, and refer you to the medical care you need.  There is so much to think about and do when an automobile accident happens, so let us handle the insurance companies while you focus on getting back on your feet.  Injuries can be quite devastating in an automobile accident including but not limited to whiplash, soft tissue injuries, broken bones, concussions, spinal cord injuries, scarring, and paralysis, or even death.

Tippens & Zurosky has represented people involved in auto accidents all over North Carolina and South Carolina.  While car accident laws in North Carolina are different than car accident laws in South Carolina  we will deal with the insurance companies while you get your life back to normal.  We can help you recover just compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, time out of work, future medical treatment, and scarring and disfigurement.

Life is complicated enough without getting into a car accident on your way home from work, or on the way to pick up the kids from school.  You have a million things on your mind, and on your to-do list, and then a negligent driver crashes into you changing your plans in an instant.  You are now officially having a bad day, but what should you do to not have it become even worse?

It is human nature to be caring and concerned for the other people involved in the auto accident.  But, the last thing you should do is talk to the person that hit you because they will be talking to their insurance company.  It is fine to see if they are medically in need of aid, or for you to call the ambulance, fire department, and the police.  But, keep it to a bare minimum.  Even if they are the one that ran the stop sign, or red light, you don’t want to say for example that you never saw them!  If they tell their insurance company that you said at the accident scene that you never saw them, their insurance company may say you were contributorily negligent in the accident for failing to maintain a proper lookout, and that you should have avoided the accident.  Contributory negligence says that if you can be deemed even 1% at fault, then your entire claim can be denied.

It stands to reason that if you are hurt you are going to go to the hospital, or see a chiropractor, or other medical professional. But, though you may be hurt by a negligent driver in a car accident, you may be understandably worried about who is going to pay the medical bills. Or, you might just want to tough it out and see how you feel in a couple of weeks. Some folks will even stay out of work without a doctor’s note, making it impossible for them to get paid back for this time from the insurance company. Seek medical attention right from the accident scene, or as soon as possible. Insurance companies will hold any big delay, or gaps in your medical treatment, against you when they evaluate your claim for settlement. Call Tippens & Zurosky immediately after an automobile accident occurs, and we can tell you based on the accident facts what you should do, and even get you referred out to a chiropractic physician.

Often right after an automobile accident, the at-fault insurance company for the driver that hit you will call and want to do a recorded statement.  It sounds simple enough because they only want to ask you about what happened.  Like most things in life, nothing is ever simple, and that definitely includes recorded statements!  In a contributory negligence state like North Carolina, it only takes 1% of fault on your part for the insurance company to deny your claim.  And, remember, the police officer does not “assign” fault on the police report, so the one that is looking to place the blame on you is…you guessed it the other driver’s insurance company!  Insurance adjusters are specially trained to do what is best for their company, and what is best for their company is not paying your claim.  Insurance adjusters are also trained to ask you the right questions in the right way to let them take the position that you were negligent. Don’t do a recorded statement, and instead call Tippens & Zurosky so we can help you!

Many insurance companies settle their claims with what is called a scheduled release. A scheduled release is a document that settles your claim against the at-fault insurance company for a lump sum amount, and then a promise to pay medical bills up to a certain amount. But, remember, you are assumed to have understood what you just read and signed, and thus the insurance company of the driver that hit you has no obligation to explain to you just exactly what you are signing. The language that the scheduled releases are written in can be very confusing. You may not be aware that you are settling your claim at all. You may not be aware that you are capping the amount of medical bills the insurance company is going to have to pay. In North Carolina, and South Carolina, there is a three year statute of limitations on automobile accidents, thus you have absolutely no need to rush, and sign anything related to your automobile accident.

Tippens & Zurosky law firm has specialized in all kinds of automobile accidents in Charlotte, North Carolina, and South Carolina for over twenty years.  We are in the business of helping people injured in automobile accidents, and our job is to make sure that if you are in an automobile accident that your rights are protected.  We can refer you to medical professionals, collect your medical evidence, and most importantly negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure that you get the maximum settlement that the evidence in your case allows.  We can help you make sure you are adequately compensated for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, scarring, loss of wages, future lost income, and permanent injuries and loss of enjoyment of life.  Let us help you deal with the unexpected, and get your life back on track.  Call us at 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.

Intersection, or failure to yield, accidents are some of the most common, and most devastating automobile accidents that occur on the roadways of North Carolina and South Carolina. Intersection accidents are those where an accident occurs when one driver is turning left at an intersection, and causes a collision with an oncoming driver. Intersection accidents also occur when a driver is turning right at the intersection, and collides with traffic coming from the cross street, or from the oncoming driver traffic turning left on a green arrow. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that 96% of intersection collisions are caused by negligent driver errors. Drivers that are 24 years old and younger are more likely to be in an intersection accident due to their driver inexperience. In North Carolina alone, 2017 statistics compiled by the North Carolina Department of Transportation indicated that there were over 60,000 automobile accidents at intersections.

• Drunk Driving
• Distracted Driving
• Reckless Driving
• Excessive Speed
• Obstructed views
• Inadequate driver experience in judging the distance of oncoming traffic
• Drivers trying to beat the red light
• Illegal turns
• Poor visibility due to inclement weather
• Failure to correctly judge distance, traffic gaps, and the oncoming vehicle’s speed

Intersection, or failure to yield accidents, can be incredibly devastating and tragic for many reasons.  Some of the reason for the seriousness of intersection accidents can be attributed to the high speed of the oncoming car. Also, if a car is struck broadside, the person on the passenger side of the vehicle will take the full brunt of the collision, instead of being shielded by the bumpers, engine compartment, and rear end of the vehicle in either a front-end, or rear-end collision.  Most cars safety equipment and features focus on the front and rear of the vehicles, and generally there is not as much coverage for the side collisions that occur in intersection accidents. Intersection automobile can cause the following serious injuries, or even death.

• Broken Bones
• Severe Head Injuries
• Internal Organ Damage
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Lacerations
• Airbag Injuries
• Back & Neck Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Burns from the Road, or the Airbags
• Concussions
• Facial Injuries

Intersection automobile accidents are one of the most devastating types of motor vehicle crashes that happen on the highways, and byways of North Carolina, and South Carolina.  People that have been injured in these front-end collisions are sometimes hurt so badly that they cannot even perform the most basic of their daily activities.  Family members and close friends may have to assist them with caring for their children, getting proper medical care, managing the household, and trying to remain financially independent.  Medical bills, pain and suffering, scarring, loss of earnings, or even the loss of their job may be what the future holds for this injured person.  Post-traumatic stress disorder sometimes stems from being in a horrifying intersection collision.  A person who experiences an intersection collision may also have lifelong difficulty with sleeping, depression, and even suffer changes in their personality.   It is critical that a person, or family, that has been in an intersection collision not go at it alone.

Tippens & Zurosky has represented people injured in auto accidents, or hurt on the job in North Carolina and South Carolina for over twenty years.  Let us help you deal with the unexpected, and get your life back on track.  Call us toll free at 704-343-0018 to schedule a consultation so that we may assist you.