Kellum Law Firm - Personal Injury Attorney North Carolina

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Kellum Law Firm has taken great care of our family's well being! We want to recommend them for everyone.

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Top FAQs

  • Why use a personal injury lawyer?

     

    When you are hurt in a wreck, you have lost more than the cost of your medical expenses.  Injuries affect your work, your leisure and your family.  In other words, injuries can affect your whole life.  It is important for you to obtain fair and reasonal compensation for the damage to your life which is caused by a personal injury. 


    Personal injury lawyers understand how injuries impact your life.  Personal injury lawyers help you to understand the law concerning personal injury damages and they help to negotiate a reasonable settlement with insurance companies.  If the insurance companies will not be reasonalbe, then personal injury attorneys help you tell your story to a jury so the jury will be able to provide reasonable compensation.  


     

  • Should you use a personal injury lawyer?

     

    Reasonbable compensation comes from a full understanding of the law and a knowledge of how to negotiate with insurance companies.  A personal injury attorney knows the law and knows how to negotiate.  If insurance companies will not negotiate fairly, then a personal injury attorney will be prepared to go to court to see that you get fair and reasonalbe compensation. 

     

    There is a lot you need to know and a lot of work that needs to be done when you are injured.  An attorney can help you during the difficult time after a wreck.

  • How do I know if I have a personal injury case?

     

    First, you must have suffered an injury to your person or property. Second, you should consider whether your injury was someone else's fault. It is not always necessary to have a physical injury to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Some personal injury claims could be based on a variety of nonphysical losses and harms. In the case of an assault, for example, you do not need to show that a person's action caused you actual physical harm, but only that you expected some harm to come to you. You also may have a case if someone has attacked your reputation, invaded your privacy, or inflicted emotional distress upon you.

  • What is “negligence?”

     

    The critical issue in many personal injury cases is just how a "reasonable person" was expected to act in the particular situation that caused the injury. A person is negligent when he or she fails to act like an "ordinary reasonable person" would have acted. The determination of whether a given person has met the "ordinary reasonable person" standard is often a matter that is resolved by a jury after presentation of evidence and argument at trial.

  • How soon after I am injured do I have to file a lawsuit?

     

    Every state has certain time limits, called "statutes of limitations," which govern the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. In some states, you may have as little as one year to file a lawsuit arising out of an automobile accident. If you miss the deadline for filing your case, you may lose your legal right to damages for your injury. Consequently, it is important to talk with a lawyer as soon as you suffer or discover an injury.

  • What should I bring with me for my meeting with a lawyer?

     

    You should provide a lawyer with any documents that might be relevant to your case. Police reports, for example, contain eyewitness information and details about the conditions surrounding auto accidents, fires, and assaults. Copies of medical reports and bills from doctors and hospitals will help demonstrate the extent and nature of your injuries. Information about the insurer of the person who caused your injury is extremely helpful, as are any photographs you have of the accident scene, your property damage, and your injury. The more information you are able to give your lawyer, the easier it will be for him or her to determine if your claim will be successful. If you haven't collected any documents at the time of your first meeting, however, don't worry; your lawyer will be able to obtain them in his investigation of your claim.

  • What if a person dies before bringing a personal injury lawsuit?

     

    It depends on whether the person died as a result of injuries from the accident or from unrelated causes. If a person injured in an accident subsequently dies because of those injuries, that person's heirs may recover money through a lawsuit known as a wrongful death action. Also, even if a person with a personal injury claim dies from unrelated causes, the personal injury claim survives in most cases and may be brought by the executor or personal representative of the deceased person's estate.

  • When will I get my settlement?

     

    A personal injury lawsuit can average 2 to 3 years, but keep in mind that each case is unique, therefore one cannot predict the amount of time needed to bring you your settlement. Just keep moving forward in your lawsuit and make sure that your lawyers and their staff are getting the job done.

  • Will the person who caused my injury be punished?

     

    Not in the traditional sense of the word. Defendants in civil actions for personal injury do not receive jail terms or criminal fines as punishment. Those are criminal sentences, and personal injury cases are civil actions. However, in some cases, juries and courts can award what are called “punitive damages,” which are designed to punish defendants who have behaved recklessly or intentionally against the public's interest. The goal in ordering the payment of punitive damages is to discourage such defendants and others from engaging in the same kind of harmful behavior in the future.


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Kellum Law Firm has been helping folks with legal matters for over 40 years! We have 9 offices with a support staff ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Give us a call at 1-800-ACCIDENT from anywhere in North Carolina to see if we can help you.
-Craig Keenhold, Managing Director

Legal Dictionary

Latest Blogs

Auto Injury Lawyers and Their Defined Purpose
Car accidents are common throughout the country. The odds that you will have one in your lifetime are heavily loaded against you. If you are involved in one, chances are that you or someone in your family will be injured, and your car damaged. An auto injury lawyer is an attorney who fights for you or any member of your family if you have suffered injury as a result of an auto accident. The lawyer is duty bound to get you the maximum compensation you deserve, taking into consideration several factors.
The Extent of the Costs
Some of the issues will be the extent of pain and suffering, medical expenses incurred, cost of ongoing medical treatment or long-term therapy if required, and loss of wages resulting from the accident. It will also consider whether you are incapacitated in any way, or if the extent of your injuries compromises your ability to lead a normal lifestyle or impacts your ability to work. Personal injury is not restricted to just a person. It also encompasses damage to your property which might be the cost of repairs to your car.
The Auto Injury Lawyer’s Duty
An auto injury lawyer will endeavor to ensure that you obtain justice which compensates you fairly for physical injuries you might have sustained, as well as damage to your property. The lawyer will deal with insurance companies, your own included, to make sure that they do not take advantage of your lack of knowledge about your rights, and the procedures involved in arriving at a settlement. Your auto injury lawyer will ensure that the insurance companies involved do not try to strike a deal for less than you deserve.
Do you need to hire an auto injury lawyer?
Professional legal counsel is irreplaceable in the case of an auto accident, whether or not you are at fault. If you are not at fault your lawyer will fight for what is justifiably due to you. But if unfortunately the accident resulted from your negligence, your auto accident lawyer will ensure that the claims against you are justified and within limits. If you are involved in an accident and do not know your rights, call 800-222-4336 and your situation will improve mightily and almost instantly.

 

The Fine Qualities of a Car Accident Injury Attorney
Since over 70% of the American population holds a driving license and many of them own a car as well, chances are that at some stage in your life you will be involved in a car accident with someone else. A car accident can result in significant injury to you and your family, any member of which could sustain debilitating injuries which will impact their lifestyle and perhaps their ability to earn a living. An injured person might even require long-term care or ongoing therapy. In an extreme case a car accident could result in death.
What is a car accident injury attorney?
A car accident injury attorney, also known as a personal injury attorney, is a lawyer who handles personal injury cases caused due to automobile accidents. A car accident injury attorney represents a person who has sustained injuries in a car accident and helps the client to recover as much compensation possible to cover medical expenses, including pain and suffering, loss of wages and any other expenses that may be involved as a result someone else’s carelessness. A car accident injury attorney is duty bound to prove that the pain and suffering experienced was caused because of negligence of another, consequent on which the lawyer will fight for justice for the client.
How could a car accident injury attorney help you?
Insurance companies generally try to settle for the least amount. Since most laypeople are unaware of how they operate or the procedures involved, many insurance companies get away with it. If you are involved in a car accident and not at fault, you should make your accident claim and vigorously pursue a fair settlement. If, unfortunately you are at fault, you would be well advised to hire a car accident injury lawyer to protect you from potentially unfair claims. Without expert advice you could be at a significant disadvantage in obtaining a fair resolution so either way you’d be better off with a car accident injury attorney on your side. If you are involved in an auto accident and need skilled counseling, call 800-222-4336.

 

How to Settle Your Own Property Damage
If you are involved in a car accident and your car is damaged, the dispute then becomes a property damage claim. You could hire a car accident lawyer to handle your property damage claim, but most people try to settle the issues themselves, which is not advisable. It is a matter of dealing either with your insurance company or that of the other drivers and may involve legal and financial intricacies.
The Following Steps
The first decision you have to make is which insurance company you should make your claim to. You could get your insurance company to pay for the repairs if you are prepared to pay the deductibles. Generally, this is a preferred option since the insurance firm is in contract with you and is obliged to honor the claim. If the claim is not settled according to the agreed terms and conditions, you always have an option to drag the insurance company to court or at least to arbitration.
The Main Reason
If you fully aware that you are not at fault, you can approach the other driver’s insurance company in which case you do not have to pay the deductibles. However, since you don’t have a contract with them, you’ll have very little leverage when dealing with them. This precisely is the reason why you should hire a car accident attorney to fight for you.
Salient Details
Make sure you have a copy of the police report which the appraiser would like to see when the car is being inspected. Some insurance companies send an adjuster who is authorized to estimate the damage and make an on-the-spot settlement. A point to consider is that tax, title, and license fees that you paid when you bought your vehicle are part of your damages if your car is totaled. Insurance companies never tell you about this. A car accident attorney is aware of these things and will make the entire process easier for you.
Knowing the Difference
Make sure that any documents you sign pertain only to your property damage claim. Some unscrupulous adjusters might persuade you to sign a general release depriving you of your rights to make a personal injury claim. Property damage is distinct from a personal injury claim. You can always settle the property damage claim before the personal injury claim. For a personal injury settlement you would be better off letting a personal injury lawyer handle the claim.
Help is Far Away
Settling a property damage claim all by yourself though might look attractive on face value; however, there are many intricacies that only a car accident attorney can understand and insure you are properly compensated. A dedicated car accident lawyer, Kellum Law Firm, has successfully settled hundreds of property damage claims in a satisfactory manner. His work ethic is superb and he knows every aspect of these laws and this domain. You can always call Kellum Law Firm at 800-222-4336 in case the need arises. For more information, visit www.kellumlawfirm.com

 

Car Wrecks and the Aftermath
With the number of cars on the road today and with the increasing amount of distractions there is every possibility that at some point in your life you could be involved in a serious car accident where your car is beyond repair and has to be towed away to a wrecker’s yard. The accident could be heinous enough that the car is so badly damaged that it is impractical to repair. Collisions are classified by a general type. They include road departure, head on, side collisions, rear end, and rollovers.
What to do
The first thing you need to do after a collision is to establish whether you or any of your passengers have sustained a personal injury. If your car is devastated, personal injury is very likely, in which case contact emergency medical services because you or your passenger’s health is paramount. Next, call the police, if no one else has, and file an accident report with their assistance. This is a critical piece of evidence for any accident. At this stage call your insurance company and intimate them of the auto accidentand explain to them the situation.
FMV
Insurance companies generally declare a car totaled if the repair cost is roughly 75 percent of its fair market value (FMV) before the car accident. If this is the case the company should write off the car as a total loss and issue a check for the estimated pre-accident fair market value.
Get what you Deserve
Given the seriousness of the accident you would be advised to hire the services of a motor vehicle accident lawyer or a car wreck lawyer to represent you and to protect your interests. A car wreck attorney could maximize your compensation on a personal injury car wreck claim.
Insurance Companies Play Hardball
Insurance companies are known to settle claims for the least amount. Unless you are familiar with claims negotiations, the insurance adjuster might just strong-arm you to settle for less than fair compensation. A car wreck lawyer will work hard for you to acquire the best deal possible. In case you want to repair your car at a cheaper cost with non-OEM or used parts and not purchase another new or used car, your car wreck lawyermay even be able to help you in this process. Either way, they worked hard for you and you did not become a victim twice.

 

Accidents and How You should Respond Afterwards
Over 70 percent of the population of the United States holds a driving license because pretty much every city in America is car reliant or dependable. There are only a few cities in America where having a car is really not necessary or your quality of life can be high enough without actually owning an automobile. But this is not the norm and getting into a car accident at least one point in your life is likely. 
Some Possibilities
An automobile accident can be a traumatic experience which can deeply affect you and your family. Added to that, there is strong chance that you may sustain some form of personal injury. The injury might be physical or emotional but in both cases could have lasting consequences. Your injury could be a temporary or permanent in which case it might necessitate lifetime medical care or on-going therapy. Even an emotional upheaval could have long-term consequences. Injury victims invariably lose income because of absence from work while they are forced to endure suffering because of emotional stress. Your injury could be serious enough to warrant hiring a personal injury lawyer to litigate on your behalf.
If you are involved in a car accident it is in your best interest to hire an auto accident attorney to represent you. It doesn’t matter whether the other driver is at fault; it is still advisable for you to protect yourself especially if there is personal injury or damage to property involved.
Do not Admit Fault
Immediately after a car accident remain calm and establish whether you or your passengers have sustained personal injury. If anyone needs medical attention contact medical emergency personnel immediately. Determine the extent of the damage to your car, and to the other car, and anything else that might have been damaged. Do not admit fault even if you believe you were in error. File an accident report with the local police immediately. This is often the most significant piece of evidence in regards to an accident.
Hard Charger
Insurance companies are notorious for dodging high dollar payouts. Most accident victims are ignorant of the law and the process of negotiating with insurance companies. They often settle for far less than they are entitled to. This is where the services of a genuine and fabulous firm of car accident attorneys comes into play. An experienced car accident lawyer can negotiate a fair settlement so you obtain the compensation you rightly deserve.

 
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1-800-222-4336


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