Melrose Law of Asheville gets aggressive with car insurance companies when protecting car accident victims in Western North Carolina. If a careless driver caused your accident, every medical bill you receive and every paycheck you lose while out of work should be covered.
Mark Melrose, Adam Melrose, and Melrose Law fully investigate your accident so there is no question of who was at fault. Then we demand support that covers everything you’ve been through. We are ready to talk to you in a free consultation. It’s time to focus on healing while allowing us to fight on your behalf.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Traffic Accident?
If your crash only results in minor injuries or only a crumpled car, you may not need a lawyer’s help to file a claim and get fair treatment.
However, if you suffer a more serious injury, like a broken leg, a neck or back injury, or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), turning your case over to a skilled lawyer will be an important protection.
With a serious injury, medical bills will run higher. This triggers insurance companies to use their well-practiced tactics to limit what you receive.
You’ll want a lawyer on your side to make sure insurers don’t try to shift blame to you for your car accident. Your Asheville car accident lawyer also insists that insurers provide for your needs for as long as it takes to heal. That may be months. It could involve support lasting for years.
Families who lose a loved one in a tragic car collision can also seek help through a wrongful death claim.
Melrose Law stands by Western North Carolina families until they get the support needed to avoid financial turmoil in the future.
Car Accident Dangers in Asheville
Asheville is a beautiful mountain city, but traffic doesn’t slow down to enjoy the scenery. Motorists can be struck by a careless driver on crowded downtown streets like Patton Avenue. It happens far too often because drivers have too much going on around them to focus on the road.
There’s also the Interstate traffic on I-240, where quick slowdowns may catch distracted drivers looking at their latest texts when they ram an SUV from behind. Travelers on Smokey Park Highway might get t-boned when a speeding driver can’t stop in time for a red light.
Melrose Law wants to help car accident victims restore their lives to normal as soon as possible. We help the victims of these types of traffic accidents and many others:
- Head-on Collision
- Rear-end Collision
- Single Vehicle Accidents
- Hit and Run Collisions
- Failure to yield collisions
- Distracted driving impacts
- Accidents caused by unsafe cars and trucks allowed on the road
- Accidents caused by drivers who act carelessly in bad weather
- Head-On Collisions on WNC Mountain Roads
How Many Car Accidents Happen in Asheville?
According to the latest numbers from the NC DOT Crash Facts report, Asheville averages around 4,500 reportable accidents a year (2019-2023). That’s along with an average of 12.6 lives tragically lost each year on Asheville roads.
The tragic numbers jumped in 2023, when 4,737 reportable accidents were recorded. That’s well above 2022’s figure of 4,517 traffic accidents, and the most since 2019. The number of fatalities also skyrocketed to 19 incidents, well over the deaths recorded over the past two years. It remains to be seen if this sad trend will 2024 and 2025 figures will continue this sad, upward trend.
These numbers remain high each year because there are always drivers who don’t pay attention in construction zones. There are always drivers who will run stop signs and stop lights.
Reckless drivers who cause these accidents are supposed to be financially responsible for the physical and financial consequences they cause. Yet, Insurance companies can work to get them off the hook. Insurers would love it if you’d accept far less than you need to pay all of your medical bills and replace the income you lose while healing. Don’t give them the satisfaction!
Allow a Melrose Law representative to handle all communication with shady insurance companies and work to secure the maximum settlement possible for what you’ve been through.
What Can I Do If I Suffer a Catastrophic Injury in an Asheville Car Accident?
Large trucks and fast-moving cars can carry a lot of force into collisions. A common scenario in the mountains is when drivers are face-to-face with a large vehicle veering across a double-yellow line in a curve. These mistakes can lead to devastating impacts. The occupants inside can suffer traumatic and life-threatening injuries.
In some cases, what are known as catastrophic injuries are inflicted. These are generally thought of as injuries that are permanent and greatly affect the patient’s life. The medical care and rehabilitation will be intensive, and the support offered by insurance companies must be enough to match the needs of the patient.
These are just a few of the types of catastrophic injuries caused by car accidents:
- Badly Broken Bones – Some fractures require a routine resetting and a cast to hold them in place as bones heal. But major car accidents can carry the force needed to crush bones. These types of injuries are known as compression fractures, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Bones can also break into more than one piece, known as comminuted fractures. A full recovery isn’t guaranteed, and patients may lose function and feeling in their limbs permanently. A badly broken bone can also make amputation necessary.
- Spine Damage – An accident might sever the spine, robbing a patient of their mobility. Victims can lose all feeling below the waist or below the neck.
- Permanent Scarring or Disfigurement – Victims can definitely have their lives affected physically and emotionally by a scar or disfigurement. This might include a wound that never quite closes, leaving a scar in a very visible place. It might include a burned spot on the skin or a lost limb.
- Traumatic Brain Injury – A brain injury can affect a patient’s mental capacity over a lifetime. They may be left with seizures and memory loss. Victims may have to cope with concentration and attention issues for their whole lives.
- Eye Injuries – The loss of sight is another major consequence of a car accident. Victims are forced to adapt to an entirely new lifestyle after being struck blind. Catastrophic injury victims might also lose their hearing.
- Internal Organ Damage – A crushing blow or a penetrating injury suffered in a crash might cause a change in function in an internal organ. A lung may be crushed. The liver, kidney, or spleen may take permanent damage, changing a victim’s life forever.
Without the help of an experienced Asheville lawyer, victims dealing with a catastrophic car accident injury are vulnerable to getting far less than they need in a settlement agreement.
It can be hard for victims to know the true extent of their medical needs in the years ahead. It’s critical to let an attorney work with doctors to determine the true scope of the patient’s requirements now and in the future. When patients accept an insurance company’s settlement offer, they can end up footing the bill for their own care in the months and years to come.
Where Is the Closest Trauma Center to Asheville?
How Can I Get an Accident Report from the APD?
How Can I Get an Accident Report After an Accident in Buncombe County?
Without the help of an experienced Asheville lawyer, victims dealing with a catastrophic car accident injury are vulnerable to getting far less than they need in a settlement agreement.
It can be hard for victims to know the true extent of their medical needs in the years ahead. It’s critical to let an attorney work with doctors to determine the true scope of the patient’s requirements now and in the future. When patients accept an insurance company’s settlement offer, they can end up footing the bill for their own care in the months and years to come.
What Type of Insurance Tactics Should I Look Out for After a Collision?
n the aftermath of a car accident, it is not just the physical and emotional trauma that victims have to endure. There’s also a virtual maze of legal and financial complexities they must navigate to secure rightful compensation for their losses. Often, at the heart of these complexities lie insurance companies.
Insurance companies, while necessary and often helpful, are first and foremost businesses. Like any other business, their primary aim is to protect their bottom line. Unfortunately, this financial motivation can sometimes result in practices that obstruct a victim’s rights to fair compensation.
These are just a few of the tactics to beware of:
Lowballing Settlement Offers
One of the most common tactics employed by insurance companies is to present an initial settlement offer that is far lower than what the claimant is rightfully entitled to.
This is particularly prevalent when the victim is not represented by an attorney.
The strategy here is to catch victims off guard when they are most vulnerable.
Insurers hope they will accept the lowball offer to avoid protracted negotiations or litigation.
Pictured: Intersection of Woodfin St and Broadway in Downtown Asheville
Delaying Claims
Insurance companies might also employ delay tactics to frustrate the claimants into accepting less than they deserve. They could take an inordinately long time to process claims or repeatedly request unnecessary information, hoping that the victim will grow weary of the process and settle for less just to get it over with.
Denying Liability
Another common strategy is outright denial of liability. The insurance company might argue that their policyholder was not at fault for the accident, or they might claim that the victim’s injuries were pre-existing and not caused by the accident. This tactic requires the victim to produce substantial evidence to prove their claim.
Misrepresenting Policy Terms
Sometimes, insurance companies might misinterpret or misrepresent policy terms and conditions to limit their liability. They might claim that certain damages aren’t covered by the policy or that the victim has violated some policy terms, thereby forfeiting their right to compensation.
Minimizing Injuries
Lastly, insurance adjusters might downplay the severity of the victim’s injuries to reduce the claim’s worth. They could argue that the medical treatments were not necessary or were too expensive, or they could dispute the projected cost of future medical needs related to the accident.
How Can an Asheville Car Accident Lawyer Help Me Earn More?
A skilled lawyer goes on the offense and defense after you’ve been in a car accident. That attention to detail often helps victims secure much more in support than they could have on their own.
Your lawyer defends you from the tactics insurance adjusters use to limit the support you receive. Your lawyer also goes on the offensive by presenting strong evidence, allowing them to hold insurers fully accountable and to secure the most possible for your recovery costs.
These are the actions Melrose Law will take to win you and your family more:
- Conducts a full investigation into your accident
- Investigates the at-fault driver’s record
- Uses accident reconstruction teams if further evidence is needed
- Securing powerful testimony from witnesses and experts
- Using your medical records and your doctor’s assessment to determine how much support you’ll need
- Handling all communications with insurers and other lawyers so you can focus on healing
- Filing your car accident claim for you and preparing to take the insurance company to court if necessary
- Working to earn you much more than you could usually earn by handling your case yourself
If you’ve been seriously hurt in a traffic collision, you should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible. It will be easier to secure evidence and track down witnesses in the weeks after an accident. Wait too long, and evidence can disappear.
Don’t Make These 7 Mistakes After a Car Wreck
- Don’t forget to take photos at the scene. Make sure it’s safe to do so and only get out of your car if you feel strong enough. Often, the visible damage to the vehicles is critical when proving how and why the wreck occurred. You should also take photos of any visible injuries you have. Get pictures of the street signs and lane markings that might relate to what happened.
- Don’t let eyewitnesses leave the scene before giving a statement to law enforcement. You’ll also want to grab their contact information. Often, the good Samaritans at the scene may be the only way you can prove who was at fault in causing the wreck. Letting them leave with a simple “thank you” may be letting your claim leave as well.
- Don’t say you are “okay” or apologize for the crash when speaking to other drivers. You don’t want to appear to take the blame for what happened or to imply that you aren’t hurt. You might not know how badly you are hurt, and you may be mistaken about whose fault the accident was. Anything you say on the scene can be twisted by insurance companies later to hurt your case.
- Don’t give a statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance adjuster. The insurance adjuster for the other driver is not your agent and is only trying to save the insurance company money, hopefully by putting words in your mouth. Don’t give them the chance.
- Don’t refuse medical treatment at the scene if you are hurt. This is not the time to be a hero. Refusal of medical or EMS services will be used by the at-fault driver’s insurance company to argue that you must not have been hurt very badly if you refused treatment.
- Don’t put anything on Facebook. It is a guarantee that the insurance lawyer will request every posting you have ever made to social media about the case. That midnight post you made when you were mad and in pain may cut the value of your case in half.
- Don’t let the wreck ruin your credit. Pay your medical bills as best you can, or make arrangements with your doctor to make monthly payments. A lawyer can often help you hold off your creditors until your case is settled. Just because you will eventually collect your damages from the at-fault driver doesn’t mean your doctor has to wait to get paid. The auto insurance company won’t make partial payments, and doesn’t care if your credit gets ruined.
If you’ve been seriously hurt in a traffic collision, you should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible. It will be easier to secure evidence and track down witnesses in the weeks after an accident. Wait too long, and evidence can disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Compensation Can I Expect to Receive for a Car Accident Case in Asheville, NC?
Determining the amount of compensation you can expect to receive from a car accident case is a complex process and can vary greatly depending on the specifics of your case. There’s no definitive answer because numerous factors come into play.
Medical Expenses
The cost of medical treatment is usually the most substantial part of any compensation or personal injury claim amount. This includes not only the cost of immediate medical treatment after the accident but also the projected costs of future medical treatment related to the accident. If your injuries require long-term care or result in permanent disability, these costs can be substantial.
Loss of Earnings
If your injuries prevent you from working, either temporarily or permanently, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages. This also includes lost earning capacity if your ability to earn in the future has been affected.
Property Damage
You can claim compensation for any damage to your vehicle or other personal property in the accident.
Pain and Suffering
This category refers to the physical discomfort and emotional distress caused by the accident and your injuries. The amount you can claim for pain and suffering varies widely and depends on factors such as the severity of your injuries, the impact on your daily life, and even the jurisdiction in which your case is heard.
Punitive Damages
In some cases, where the defendant’s conduct was particularly egregious or reckless, you may be awarded punitive damages. These damages are not intended to compensate you for a loss but rather to punish the defendant and deter similar behavior in the future.
How long do I have to file a claim after a car accident in North Carolina?
North Carolina allows injured victims to wait up to three years before filing a claim. Victims shouldn’t wait years to act, though. After months of delay, evidence can disappear, and witnesses can become hard to locate. Explore your options with a lawyer as soon as possible.
What if I can’t afford to pay an Asheville car accident attorney?
You don’t need any up-front money to hire excellent legal representation from Western North Carolina. Anyone can afford a lawyer. Melrose Law car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis. It means we only get paid if we win your case. If we lose, you don’t owe anything. If we win, our fee actually comes out of the settlement money that an at-fault party must pay you.
What type of support can my family ask for after losing a loved one to a fatal car accident?
Families may ask at-fault drivers for help with every financial need they have now and will face in the future. That can include money to help with paying off remaining medical bills and for funeral costs. A spouse, children, and other relatives of the victim should also receive support for the emotional loss and loss of companionship they can’t get back. The income the victim would have provided the family in the future must also be replaced.
Contact an Asheville Car Accident Attorney
Your Melrose Law lawyer will fully investigate your car accident and those responsible. The evidence gathered can make a big difference in the outcome of your case and the level of support you and your family receive. Victims of different collisions with the same general injuries can receive very different settlement amounts. A lawyer can help tip the scales of justice in your favor.
Our lawyers are happy to go over your case with you to determine the best course of action to help you rebuild your life after a car accident injury.
Melrose Law offers a free case consultation to all mountain car accident victims. There’s no obligation for your case review, and your consultation remains completely confidential. We have offices in Asheville and Waynesville, and we help victims from across Western North Carolina.
