Monroe Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Attorney in Monroe, NC

When you’re injured in an accident caused by another person’s negligence or recklessness, you deserve compensation for your resulting damages. From slip-and-falls at a store to a car accident on I-85, you have rights after suffering injuries and property damage. However, pursuing compensation can be difficult, especially on your own. Turn to a Monroe personal injury lawyer to help you navigate the complicated legal process.

At Butler, Quinn & Hochman, PLLC, our team puts the needs of our clients first. We work alongside you in a variety of personal injury cases to help you pursue the compensation you may be entitled to. With the knowledge and experience of our team on your side, you can confidently navigate the civil case ahead to hold those responsible accountable for their negligence.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

We have over a decade of experience handling nearly every type of personal injury case. We know how important it is for accident victims and their families to recover compensation after suffering an injury caused by someone else’s negligence. Common types of personal injury cases we handle include:

• Motor vehicle accidents. Injuries resulting from car, truck, and motorcycle crashes, including whiplash, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and death
• Brain injuries. Severe trauma to the brain caused by accidents or blunt impact often results in long-term cognitive impairments.
• Catastrophic injuries. Severe injuries that permanently affect a person’s life, including amputations, severe burns, or organ damage
• Spinal cord injuries. Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis, loss of sensation, and long-term mobility challenges
• Wrongful deaths. When negligence or misconduct of another party causes a fatality
• Workplace accidents. Injuries that occur in the workplace due to unsafe conditions, equipment issues, or a lack of safety measures
• Construction accidents. Injuries specific to construction sites, such as falls from heights, getting struck by objects, or machinery-related accidents
• Premises liability cases. Injuries on someone else’s property, often involving slip-and-falls

Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Case

To recover compensation following a personal injury, you must prove that another party acted negligently toward you. To do so, you and your Monroe personal injury attorney must establish the four elements of negligence, which include:

• Duty of care. You must show that the other party or parties owed you a duty to act safely and prevent you from suffering harm. For example, a store owner has a duty to maintain safe premises for all visitors and to warn them of any potential hazards.
• Breach of duty. A person breaches their duty of care when they act or fail to act in a way that endangers another person. If there’s a spill at the grocery store and no one cleans it up or warns shoppers about the hazard, they’ve breached their duty of care.
• Causation. When you show that the breach led to an accident, you’ve established causation. If you slip on a wet floor that wasn’t properly cleaned or lacked signage to warn you about the hazard, you can prove how the breach directly caused your accident.
• Damages. You must also show that the accident caused you to suffer some type of damage, often injury. You can use your medical bills, estimates of any property damages, work logs showing time away from work, and other forms of evidence to show that you incurred damages due to the accident.

Damages You Can Recover After a Personal Injury

After suffering a personal injury, you can recover damages to be made whole again. There are three types of damages to pursue: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Economic damages compensate you for your tangible losses. This includes hospital bills, costs for doctors’ visits, medication, medical devices, lost wages, and property damage. Essentially, these are all losses that come with specific, verifiable costs.

Non-economic damages are intangible losses, but they are no less real. These include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. To calculate these damages, your attorney will either use the multiplier method or the per diem method.

Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant rather than compensate you. Judges may award punitive damages when a defendant’s actions are particularly egregious, showing a wanton disregard for others’ safety. These can only be awarded in court, which means you cannot receive punitive damages in a settlement offer.

North Carolina’s Strict Contributory Negligence Laws

In North Carolina, personal injury cases are subject to the state’s strict contributory negligence laws. Simply put, this means you cannot recover compensation for your injuries if you have any blame for the accident. For example, if you were texting while driving when your car was hit by a speeding motorist, the insurance company may argue you’re partially at fault because you could have avoided the crash if you were paying attention. In turn, you’d be barred from recovering damages.

It’s important to work with an experienced attorney on your personal injury claim in Monroe. Your lawyer can protect you from unfairly being assigned blame by preventing you from giving self-incriminating statements to the insurance company and presenting a strong case on your behalf.

Personal Injuries by the Numbers

Personal injuries affect hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. Understanding the effects of personal injuries can help you protect yourself and understand the value of having an experienced attorney should you ever suffer an accident.

• In 2023, 115,009 people were injured in vehicle crashes in North Carolina
• In that same year, 1,117 people died in vehicle accidents
• In 2024, there were 64,200 people injured in workplace accidents
• In 2024, 154,444 people in North Carolina went to the emergency department due to falls

If you’ve suffered an injury caused by someone else’s negligence, consult an experienced personal injury attorney to identify your legal options and begin filing your case.

Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

When you choose Butler, Quinn & Hochman, PLLC, you’re choosing a partner with extensive experience in personal injury cases of all kinds. We work closely with our clients to investigate their accidents, analyze evidence to prove liability, and build a compelling case for compensation. Whether in settlement negotiations or the courtroom, we don’t back down when it comes to securing the damages you deserve for your losses.

We understand the state’s personal injury laws and how they can impact your case. What’s more, we’re familiar with the local courts and their procedures, giving us a leg up if we need to take your case before a judge and jury.

FAQs

What Should You Never Say to an Insurance Company?

Something you should never say to an insurance company after suffering a personal injury is that you were at fault, even partially. In North Carolina, personal injury claims are subject to the state’s strict contributory negligence system. This means that if you are even 1% at fault for your accident, you will be barred from recovering compensation. Admitting fault to an insurance company is a sure-fire way to get your claim denied.

How Much Is Pain and Suffering Worth in North Carolina?

Pain and suffering are difficult to estimate without knowing the facts of your case. Pain and suffering damages are determined using the multiplier method and the per diem method. In the multiplier method, you assign a number to your non-economic damages and multiply it by your economic damages. In the per diem method, you assign a value to your suffering and multiply it by the number of days you’ve suffered.

How Hard Is It to Succeed in a Personal Injury Case?

How hard it is to succeed in a personal injury case largely depends on the strength of your evidence and the experience of your legal team. When you have strong evidence like photos and videos of the accident scene, surveillance footage, witness testimony, and comprehensive documentation of your damages, it’s easier to succeed in your case. Similarly, working with an experienced attorney improves your chances of recovering the compensation you deserve.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Settlement Check in NC?

How long it takes to get a settlement check varies from case to case. When you have strong evidence and a compelling case, you’re likely to get a settlement check quickly. However, if your case is particularly complicated or you don’t have concrete proof of liability or damages, it could take your attorney longer to negotiate a fair settlement agreement. Speak with your attorney about your case’s unique details to get a more accurate estimate of how long it could take to settle.

Monroe Personal Injury Lawyer

You shouldn’t have to bear the responsibility of paying for your injuries and other damages after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. You have the right to compensation, and you should hire a personal injury attorney to help you navigate the legal process. An attorney can help you identify all liable parties, identify evidence of their negligence, and pursue the damages you may be entitled to. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Contact Butler, Quinn & Hochman, PLLC today to set up a free case review. We help you understand your options going forward, explain your rights, and work with you to create an effective strategy. Let us focus on your personal injury claim while you focus on your recovery.