Fatal Car Accident Lawyer in Greensboro, NC

Losing a family member in a fatal car accident is a deeply traumatic and painful experience. If this has happened to your family, you may be entitled to financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, and other harm you’ve suffered because of your loss. 

Many families also find a sense of comfort and closure from taking steps to seek a measure of justice for a loved one killed in a car crash that was someone else’s fault. 

Contact Ward Black Law today for a free claim review with a fatal car accident lawyer in Greensboro, NC. We are ready to review your situation and discuss your best legal options in complete confidence. 

Reasons Your Family Needs Our Firm After a Deadly Car Crash 

Losing a loved one to a fatal car accident is both emotionally and financially devastating. If someone else is to blame for your loss, they could owe you and your family compensation for your losses. However, proving liability for the accident could be complicated, as it requires an in-depth investigation and potentially fraught negotiations with insurance companies. 

Fortunately, you do not have to face this challenging time alone. Instead, you can get help from our experienced wrongful death lawyers, who can: 

• Conduct an investigation into the crash in order to prove liability, including gathering evidence like video surveillance and eyewitness statements.
• Consult medical and accident reconstruction experts to demonstrate to the other driver’s insurance company or the court what happened.
• Work with financial experts to accurately assess the cost of the losses you and your family have incurred.
• Negotiate with liable parties in pursuit of a fair, out-of-court settlement.
• Take your case to court if it becomes the best way to pursue fair compensation for what you’ve suffered.

Common Causes and Types of Fatal Car Accidents in Greensboro, NC 

North Carolina was the fifth deadliest state for car accidents in one recent year, with 1,630 deaths resulting from traffic collisions – a nearly 20 percent increase over the number of traffic fatalities from half a decade earlier. These fatalities stemmed from accidents like the following: 

• Trucking accidents – Truck accidents happen frequently in North Carolina, with over 16,300 crashes and over 150 fatal collisions in one recent year alone, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
• Motorcycle accidents – North Carolina saw more than 3,700 motorcycle crashes that same year, over 200 of which resulted in fatalities.
• Bicycle accidents – An increasing number of fatal motor vehicle accidents involve bicyclists. There were 20 fatal and more than 500 injury accidents involving bicycles that year.

Among the most common causes of car accidents are: 

• Drunk driving accidents – Intoxication is the leading cause of fatal car accidents across the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), someone dies in a drunk driving accident every 39 minutes on average. NCDOT reports that nearly 450 people died in one recent year because of alcohol-related traffic accidents.
• Distracted driver accidents – Drivers can become distracted by many things – cell phones, GPS navigation, talking with passengers, or adjusting their radio, for example. Much like alcohol, these actions can impair reaction time and interfere with concentration. According to NHTSA, at least 3,300 people in the U.S. died in distracted driving accidents in one recent year alone, while NCDOT estimates that distracted driving led to more than 160 deaths statewide that same year.
• Speeding driver accidents – Speed makes a vehicle harder to control and imparts more force in the event of a collision. According to NCDOT, speed-related accidents claimed almost 430 lives in a single recent year.

How Wrongful Death Claims Work After Fatal Crashes in Greensboro 

Under North Carolina law, individual family members cannot file a wrongful death claim themselves. Instead, the personal representative of the victim’s estate – either a person specified in the victim’s will or appointed by the court – must file the lawsuit. 

A wrongful death claim may seek compensation for both the victim’s estate and the surviving family members. If the lawsuit is successful, the compensation will be distributed following North Carolina’s intestate succession law. In many cases, that means the surviving spouse and children will recover compensation. Parents, siblings, grandparents, and other relatives may be the beneficiaries if no spouse or children survive the deceased person. 

Potential Compensation in Deadly Car Accident Cases 

If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal accident in North Carolina, your family may be entitled to compensation for the following: 

• Your loved one’s final medical bills
• Loss of income your loved one provided
• Loss of love and companionship
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of your loved one’s care, protection, services, and assistance
• Loss of inheritance
• Pain and suffering your loved one experienced before passing away

Our experienced wrongful death attorneys in Greensboro can give you a better idea about how much your case might be worth after reviewing it in detail. 

Time Limit for Bringing a Claim After a Fatal Car Accident 

In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit is two years after the date of death. While two years may seem like a long time, you should consult our attorneys immediately. 

If you bring your suit after the two-year deadline, the defendant will likely file a motion with the court to dismiss your case. That means you could receive no compensation at all, no matter how severe your financial and emotional hardships are or how strong your case otherwise seems. Our skilled fatal car accident lawyers can navigate these deadlines as we pursue maximum compensation for you. 

How Our Lawyers Help Families After a Crash Claims a Loved One’s Life 

If you have lost a loved one in a fatal motor vehicle accident in Greensboro, don’t wait to take action. The wrongful death attorneys at Ward Black Law have a distinguished track record of supporting families in situations like yours, as we’ve helped our clients recover more than $150 million in settlements. We understand how emotionally difficult and financially draining your situation is. Let us do everything we can to provide you with the financial security you deserve and the justice your loved one is owed. 

Contact our Greensboro car accident lawyers today for a free case review, and let’s discuss how we can help you during this challenging time.