Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyers
Dedicated Representation for Victims of Life-Altering Accidents
When you have suffered a serious injury at the hands of a careless individual, corporation, or public entity, you have the legal right to pursue compensation for all damages.
At Lanier Law Group, P.A., our Charlotte personal injury attorneys provide personalized legal advice, guidance, and representation for individuals who are seeking compensation for damages caused by another person or entity. Our founding attorney, Lisa Lanier, has earned a Distinguished Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell® and has achieved outstanding results for North Carolina plaintiffs since 1997.
Contact our Charlotte law firm today to schedule a free consultation and find out how we can help you seek fair compensation for your damages: (704) 270-2985.
Common Types of Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury refers to a legal term that encompasses a wide range of situations in which an individual sustains physical or psychological harm due to the negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct of another party. In these cases, the injured person (the plaintiff) may seek compensation for their losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more, through a personal injury lawsuit.
Here are common types of personal injury cases our Charlotte lawyers can handle:
- Car Accidents: These occur when drivers fail to exercise reasonable care on the road, leading to collisions that result in injuries or property damage.
- Motorcycle Accidents: Similar to car accidents, but involving motorcycles, these cases often result in severe injuries due to the lack of protection for riders.
- Truck Accidents: Accidents involving large commercial trucks can lead to catastrophic injuries due to their size and weight. These cases may involve truck driver negligence or problems with the truck's maintenance.
- Catastrophic Injuries: These include severe injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal cord injuries, amputations, or severe burns that have a profound and long-lasting impact on a person's life.
- Medical Malpractice: Occurs when healthcare professionals or facilities provide substandard care that leads to patient harm, including misdiagnosis, surgical errors, or medication mistakes.
- Birth Injuries: These involve injuries to newborns or mothers during the childbirth process due to medical negligence, including issues like cerebral palsy or brachial plexus injuries.
- Nursing Home Abuse: Involves the mistreatment, neglect, or abuse of elderly residents in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
- Premises Liability: Property owners or managers can be held liable for accidents that occur on their premises due to dangerous conditions, such as slip and fall accidents, dog bites, or inadequate security.
- Product Liability: When a defective product causes injuries or harm to consumers, the manufacturer, distributor, or seller may be held liable.
- Sexual Abuse: Individuals who have been sexually abused may seek compensation from their abusers, as well as institutions or organizations that failed to protect them from harm.
- Work Accidents: Injuries that occur in the workplace due to unsafe conditions, inadequate training, or employer negligence. Workers' compensation claims may be filed in these cases.
- Wrongful Death: When a person's death is caused by another party's negligence or wrongful conduct, the surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim to seek compensation for their losses.
We also assist clients with Social Security Disability and workers' compensation claims.
What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process in Charlotte?
Personal Injury Laws in North Carolina
North Carolina is indeed a "fault" state when it comes to accidents and personal injury claims. This means that if you are injured in an accident in North Carolina, you have the option to file a personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible for causing the accident, seeking compensation for your injuries and damages. In a fault-based system, the at-fault party's insurance typically covers the victim's losses.
To win a personal injury lawsuit in Charlotte, North Carolina, you generally need to establish the following elements:
- Duty of Care: You must show that the defendant owed you a duty of care. For example, in a car accident case, all drivers owe a duty to operate their vehicles safely and follow traffic laws.
- Breach of Duty: You must demonstrate that the defendant breached their duty of care. This means showing that the defendant's actions or negligence fell below the standard of care expected under the circumstances. For example, if a driver ran a red light and caused an accident, they would likely be considered in breach of their duty of care.
- Causation: You must prove that the defendant's breach of duty directly caused your injuries or damages. In other words, there must be a clear link between the defendant's actions and your injuries.
- Damages: You must have suffered actual damages as a result of the accident. Damages can include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and other losses.
Contributory Negligence & Personal Injury Cases in Charlotte, NC
It's important to note that North Carolina has a strict contributory negligence law in place. This means that if you are found to be even slightly at fault for the accident, you may be completely barred from recovering any compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. In most states, comparative negligence laws allow for some degree of recovery even if the plaintiff shares some of the blame, but North Carolina's contributory negligence law is an exception.
For example, if you were involved in a car accident and it is determined that you were 10% at fault for the collision, you would typically be unable to recover any damages from the other driver, even if they were 90% at fault. This can make personal injury cases challenging in North Carolina, as any evidence of the plaintiff's contributory negligence can be a significant hurdle to overcome.
Because of the strict contributory negligence law in North Carolina, it's essential to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney if you're involved in an accident and considering legal action. Our personal injury lawyers in Charlotte can help assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case and navigate the complexities of the state's personal injury laws.
Charlotte Personal Injury FAQ
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How Do I Know If I Have a Case?If you suffered an injury that wasn't your fault, you may have a case for a personal injury claim. The essential elements of a personal injury claim involve a duty of care being owed to you by the defendant (person who caused your injury), the violation of that duty, and the damages you sustained as a direct result of the defendant's actions (or inaction). However, every personal injury case is unique and we encourage you to schedule a free case evaluation with our office so that we can fully explain your rights.
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How Much is My Case Worth?The "value" of a personal injury case is usually directly related to the severity of the injury and extent of damages sustained by the victim. Someone who sustained a traumatic brain injury will typically suffer more financial and emotional losses than someone who suffered a broken arm. However, there are numerous elements that need to be evaluated before an approximate value can be attributed to your case, so it's crucial that you speak to an attorney before accepting an offers from the negligent party or their insurance company.
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Will My Personal Injury Case Go to Court?Your personal injury case could go to court for trial, but it almost might not. Every case is unique, so it can be difficult to predict which cases will go to court or not. Historically, most legitimate personal injury claims are settled out of court, though. During an initial consultation, we can give you an honest idea if your claim has a good chance of settling, but our commitment to practice ethics means that we can’t make any promises one way or the other.
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What Information Should I Bring for My Initial Consultation?Any relevant information that you can bring to an initial consultation is worth it. From medical records related to your injury to pictures that you took with your smartphone, it is helpful for our personal injury lawyers to see it all. Using this information, we can determine early if your case should be pursued and what to do next if it should.
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Who Will I Be Working With?Lanier Law Group is proud to give each client access to an entire team of legal professionals. Although paralegals and legal secretaries will help manage your case, you don’t have to worry about it being handled just by them. An attorney assigned specifically to your case will work on it, too, and keep you updated, so you never feel like you’re left in the dark.
We Fight for Our Clients
*Featured Case Results, Settlements, & Trial Wins From Our Attorneys
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$5.95 Million Permanent Brain Failure
Our client had a brick fly off of a utility trailer and go through their windshield and hit her on the face.
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$4.8 Million Settlement
A case with multiple plaintiffs who were potentially exposed to a deadly disease while in the hospital.
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$4.3 Million Head-On Collision
Personal injury litigation settlement for a client who was involved in a head-on collision with a commercial tractor-trailer.
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$3.1 Million Birth Injury/Hypoxic Brain Injury
The OB doctor’s negligence caused a delay in the baby’s birth which resulted in the baby suffering of a severe hypoxic brain injury.
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$1.8 Million Litigation Settlement
Our client was involved in a motor vehicle accident with a meat truck.
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$1.375 Million Medication Overdose/Hospital Negligence
Our client died following an overdose of medication that occurred as a result of the negligence of the nursery staff while they were in the hospital.
We Never Back Down From a Fight
Featured Reviews, Testimonials & Results
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There are times in your life you are so hurt and feel life has a grudge against you. Nothing in your life is going right. I lost the most important person in my life to death, of which I knew mistakes were made because I witnessed it with my own eyes. When you contact a law group you most of the time get all business and a matter of fact conversation. I want all to know that from the first phone call they listened to my lengthy story, sobbing most of the time with so much compassion. They never made any promises but offered assurances that no stone would be unturned. They fulfilled every word they said. They restored faith that I had lost. Until you are in a position like mine you can never know how invaluable Lanier Law Group is. They were wonderful while maintaining their professionalism. They treated me like a family member. They really do care about their clients. But most of all they are the best at what they do. I worked in the court system for years so I knew how attorneys and law firms basically operated. Understanding the law and it's interpretation is the ultimate key to winning any case. Also know that if an attorney/attorneys study and review your case and know that you don't have a chance in a court of law and are big enough to tell you that instead of giving you false hope, you then my friend have a group with valuable shared values. I have so much respect for everyone in this Law Group. I recommend Lanier Law Group, P.A. to anyone who needs representation, they are in your corner. 20 out of 10 stars.- Diane W.
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I started working with Lanier Law Group in 2020 on my Social Security Disability case. They from start to finish were awesome. My case manager Janet Hanks and attorney, Ashley Sappenfield were always available to answer all my questions. I did not have to do much but sit back and let them handle whatever was needed. My case took too long (2 years) and if I did not have Janet and Ashley My case would still not be approved. I would recommend Lanier to anyone to get the job done and approved. Do not go to another firm with your case, who promise the world and do not see it to completion and do not think another firms would have worked as hard as they did on my case. Lanier Law Group will always be the choice for me and all my family members to handle any cases of this type and other legal services they provide. They went above and beyond!- Phillip J.
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Mrs. Gonzalez did an awesome job of explaining everything in detail and keeping me informed on the status of my case. Despite poor customer service with the insurance company, Mrs. Gonzalez was able to fix what they could not. Mrs. Gonzalez was very helpful with helping me understand things that I was not aware of when dealing with insurance claims. I am so thankful for her expertise and professionalism.- Mario H.
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The staff kept me well informed in a more than timely manner and was always ready to answer any questions I may have.- Timothy M.
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The Lanier Law Group provided excellent customer service! My main contact was Denise.- Malinda P.
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Great experience. Tish was very helpful as my case progressed and explained all of the steps to me, leaving me with very few questions. Shea was also very helpful during the negotiation process.- Nyesha B.
Don't Hire Just Any Firm
Take Control of Your Case Today With the Help of Lanier Law Group
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Our attorneys are confident taking cases to trial and will always seek to maximize your compensation.
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Regardless of when you contact our firm, we're here to make sure that you get the answers you need. We also offer weekend appointments and consultations.
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Every case we take on has a team of dedicated professionals assigned to make sure that we're delivering the best possible service and results.
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After an injury, every second counts. We are available to meet with you in person, virtually, or at your location to provide the highest quality legal counsel.