North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Blog

Often times, people who think they have adequate insurance learn otherwise after being involved in an accident. Some will purchase auto insurance based on price alone, and following an accident, may find they still have significant out of pocket expenses. Unfortunately, insurance agents don't take the time to explain different coverage options or the drastic effect that selecting the wrong coverage could have on you or a family member. Below, we discuss the different types of coverage that are available to you and guide you to making the right choice when buying insurance.

Bodily Injury
If you cause an accident, this coverage will pay the medical expenses of the injured person(s). In North Carolina, the mandatory minimum bodily injury limits are $30,000 per person, not to exceed $60,000 per accident (30/60), regardless of how many people are injured. Most people carrying these low limits do so because they think they have little or no assets to lose if they are sued, the think it will cost too much to buy more coverage, or they are not aware that higher limits are available.

Most consumers would be surprised to learn that the cost to increase their bodily injury liability limits does not cost that much in comparison to the premium they are already paying, which may explain why insurance agents do not make an effort to sell these higher limits. We recommend bodily injury limits of at least 100/300. Of course, if you have significant assets, you should consider limits in accordance with the value of your assets. Call your agent today. You may be surprised to find out how little it costs to increase your coverage.

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A 14 year old student athlete is dead following a Charlotte car accident involving a hit and run driver, and a driver who did not ensure that her passengers were properly restrained before getting on the road. Fourteen year old David Bell was killed when he was ejected from a vehicle operated by Ginna Stamps. Stamps was driving Bell and other teens home from a basketball game Saturday night when her vehicle was sideswiped by a vehicle that fled the scene. Stamps then lost control of her vehicle, skid across all lanes of I485, and hit the median, which caused her vehicle to flip, ejecting Bell and 2 other unrestrained teens. North Carolina Highway Patrol says it is following several leads to determine the identity of the hit and run driver.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the leading cause of death in the 3 to 14 year old age group is car accidents. A recent study has found that 46% of the nearly 5,600 children aged 14 and under that were killed in car accidents in 2008 were not properly restrained. It seems that almost every day, we read about young people who die in car accidents, and then we learn that their deaths likely could have been prevented had they buckled their seatbelts. Stamps, the parent of one of the teens ejected, and the person responsible for the safety of her passengers, was responsible to make sure all of her passengers were properly restrained before ever putting her car in drive. Even though Stamps was the victim of a hit and run, she is not without blame in the wrongful death of David Bell, and the serious injuries of the other teens that were ejected from her vehicle. At the moment, Stamps has only been charged with seatbelt violations, a mere 2 points on her license and a $25 fine, while Bell and his family are paying the ultimate price.

Our sympathies go out to David Bell's family. It is difficult to understand the unnecessary loss of such a young life, and also difficult to determine who should be held responsible. An experienced North Carolina car accident attorney can sort through the details and obtain appropriate compensation.

A Wilmington car accident has taken the lives of three people, and a fourth is expected to survive. The single car accident occurred on Forest Hills Drive. An SUV being driven by 22 year old Raphael Samuel was caught on surveillance video traveling at a very high rate of speed through the Forest Hills neighborhood in Wilmington, just seconds before it crashed into a tree.

Samuel was not wearing a seatbelt, nor were his passengers, 21 year old Yashica White, and 25 year old Shatia Hankins, who were also killed in this violent crash. A fourth passenger, Demond Jones, is expected to survive.

Police believe Samuel was on drugs when he crashed into a tree, and are continuing their investigation to determine what role, if any, drugs or alcohol played in this accident. According to a Wilmington Police Officer, Samuel's SUV was seen driving without headlights. The officer turned his patrol car around to follow, but did not activate its lights or siren. The officer reported that as he began to follow the SUV, it took off at a high rate of speed and was found moments later, crashed into a tree. Police estimate the SUV was traveling 85 mph on Forest Hills Drive, and was still going 80mph when it hit the tree. Forest Hills Drive has a posted speed limit of 25mph. There has been speculation that Samuel, a convicted felon, was fleeing from police.

Regardless of the reason Samuel was traveling so fast, these lives could have been spared had they only worn their seatbelts. There is no excuse for not being properly belted. Even pregnant women are advised to wear seatbelts. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that people between the ages of 16 and 24 have the lowest percentage of seatbelt use. Even more disturbing is the statistic that people in this age group represent not just the highest number of car accidents, but also the highest number of fatal car accidents.

Continue reading "Wilmington Car Accident Claims Three Lives" »

A Davidson County car accident has claimed the lives of Charlotte sweethearts Shavalos Jameson and Simone McDuffie, and has left Jameson's stepbrother Trevor Rutherford with life threatening injuries. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol, a car owned by Jameson was being driven by McDuffy when the vehicle abruptly turned into the guardrail on southbound US52 and careened off the bridge, falling nearly 50 feet and on to US64.

Together in life, together in death. Shavalos and Jameson had reportedly been dating for the 5 years since they met as high school students in Charlotte. Family members describe the pair as inseparable and recall how after McDuffie went off to college at Winston-Salem State University, Jameson would make the drive up to Winston Salem every weekend to pick up his fiancée and bring her home to Charlotte.

North Carolina State Troopers do not think that drugs or alcohol played a role in this tragic accident, and are continuing their investigation. Bobby McCall, next-door neighbor of Shavalos Jameson, told WSOC-TV that he had seen Jameson doing repair work on the car earlier that day and he had warned Jameson to be careful. McCall advised reporters that here had been a problem with the tie rod (part of the steering mechanism of the car).

Continue reading "Charlotte Sweethearts Killed In Davidson County Wreck" »