Raleigh Personal Injury Attorneys

At Thorp Law, our personal injury attorneys in Raleigh NC abides by three key principles for every case: commitment, belief, and empathy. Whether we are standing up to insurance companies and negligent corporations on behalf of our injured clients, or protecting property owners' rights against eminent domain, our values never change. We strive to be a dependable support system for the North Carolinians we serve, committed to ensuring their comfort and peace of mind during a very difficult time. Watch this video to learn more about our firm and what we bring to the table.

What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

When you are injured due to negligence, there are an overwhelming amount of details that you may be responsible for addressing if you are seeking compensation for your injuries. A personal injury lawyer has valuable experience that will make filing for an injury claim a smooth process. Personal injury lawyers can work to negotiate damages with insurance companies who may be refusing to compensate you fairly for your injury claim.

Damages are the compensation available to injury victims. Generally, damages can be broken down into two broad categories, compensatory damages and punitive damages. Compensatory damages are damages that seek to compensate the injured party for their losses while punitive damages seek to punish the negligent party for their reckless actions. Since punitive damages can be quite severe they are not often awarded.

Insurance companies use the following parameters to determine the damages in an injury claim. Both special and general damages are compensatory damages:

• Special Damages- These types of losses are also referred to as "economic damages". They define measurable amounts of money or property that you may have lost as a result of negligence.
• General Damages- These types of losses are also referred to as "non-economic damages". General damages define the types of losses that you've experienced that are intangible as a result of negligence, such a trauma or pain and suffering.

Recovering Lost Wages After an Accident

Accident victims often suffer injuries so severe that they are unable to perform their job duties. A broken leg or damaged spinal cord can keep you out of work for months. If you were employed at the time of an injury, you are entitled to damages for lost wages. These damages are equal to the number of working wages you lost while recovering. Unemployed accident victims can obtain damages for loss of wage-earning capacity. Medical impairment, functional ability, and vocational skills are considered if you were out-of-work when the accident occurred. In either case, be assertive when you talk to the at-fault party’s insurance company. Adjusters often downplay claims for lost wages, especially when you were unemployed at the time of injury.

Accident victims need to take the following steps in order to prove damages for lost wages:

• Obtain copies of your medical records
• Record the dates you were unable to work
• Note the time and dates you received medical treatment
• Keep any correspondence between you and your employer
• Save medical bills
• Obtain a statement from your employer indicating when you were scheduled to work and the amount of money you would have earned

If you were injured in a car crash or another type of accident, you may be able to recover lost wages. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you obtain compensation. Thorp Law has vast experience fighting for accident victims and guiding them through the legal process. Our team of lawyers will stand up to the insurance company so you can obtain fair compensation.