Car Wreck

Can cellphone companies be held liable for distracted driving accidents?

September 28, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What exactly is a wrongful death claim?”

Anyone who pays attention to the news has heard about the terrible increase in deadly car accidents in recent years. In fact, the problem has gotten so bad that auto fatalities have risen at rates not seen in more than 50 years. This tremendous growth in deadly driving has been tied to a number of factors, chief among them the increase in distracted driving. Given the rise, some have begun to wonder whether cellphone manufacturers and cellphone service providers have a responsibility to prevent the devices, which the companies earn tremendous profits off of, from being used for deadly purposes.

Highway Deaths Surge In 2015

September 6, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: ” Is a tractor-trailer accident the same as an automobile accident?”

Though we all realize that getting behind the wheel of a car can be a dangerous activity, few of us appreciate just how terribly things can go wrong in the blink of an eye. Driving is so commonplace that it has lost much of its obvious danger, lulling millions of motorists into a false sense of security. Recent numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration serve as a stark reminder that driving can indeed prove deadly. In fact, the numbers show a pretty dramatic rise in highway deaths, something researchers haven’t encountered in decades.

What Happens if You Cause an Accident Trying to Avoid Another?: The Sudden Emergency Doctrine

September 1, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

Imagine you are driving down the highway, taking care to obey all traffic laws. Suddenly, you see another car, driving in the wrong lane, headed straight for your vehicle. You react instinctually and swerve to the left, attempting to avoid a head-on collision with the errant car. In the process, you accidentally and instantaneously collide with another vehicle.

Uber and the problems of personal injury cases

July 19, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: ” What should I do if I’m injured as a passenger in a car accident?”

Uber has revolutionized the transportation business. Rather than wait around and spend lots of money on a cab, you can now have a driver pick you up on-demand and at a relatively reasonable rate. Uber also likes to tout itself as a safe alternative to taxis, highlighting their background checks and $1 million insurance policies for drivers. The problem is that when an accident occurs the policy may not do much to provide coverage, leaving you injured and unsure of where to turn for compensation. To find out more about the problems with Uber in a personal injury context, keep reading.

Woman Injured in High-Speed Chase Sues Police Departments

May 31, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

Although high-speed chases might be fun to watch on the news or reality shows, in reality they can have devastating consequences that call into question the blanket discretionary power police have to pursue suspects at dangerous speeds. A Pennsylvania woman is suing her local police departments for negligence after a suspect being hotly pursued by officers in a high-speed chase erratically accelerated through an intersection during rush-hour traffic caused a three-car pile-up and multiple injuries.

Strip Club Off The Hook After Drunk Driving Crash

April 19, 2016 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matt Arnold answers the question: “What is the harm of being on social media when trying to settle an injury claim?”

In certain cases, personal injury victims are allowed to bring a lawsuit against not only the person who directly caused their injuries, but also others who played some part in causing the eventual harm. These lawsuits are aimed at showing that the third party was negligent in some way and failed to uphold an obligation to the victim. These kinds of cases can be very beneficial to the victim because they ensure that someone else is liable for the damages you’ve incurred as a result of your injuries. This is doubly true when the third party is a company, an entity with deep pockets that can actually afford to pay what may amount to serious money.

TN Court Punts Question on Injury Damage Caps

December 8, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What exactly is a wrongful death claim?”

Damage caps in personal injury cases have become an increasingly hot topic in recent years, with courts across the country wrestling with the issue. State high courts have been left to decide whether and when such caps, usually on noneconomic damages or medical malpractice payouts, are appropriate or even constitutional. Some, such as Florida, have decided that such caps are not only unconstitutional, but also completely ineffective. Others, like the recent case in Tennessee, have looked for ways to avoid making such a decision. To find out more about the recent case, keep reading.

Report Reveals Vehicles Most Commonly Involved In Personal Injury Claims

November 17, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I trust the insurance adjuster?”

Anyone who has been driving for long knows that an accident can happen to anyone. There’s no way to predict when another driver may make a careless mistake or lose focus on the road, leading to a car crash. Though it’s true that you can’t predict when or where an accident will occur, recently released data does reveal which vehicles are most likely to be involved in personal injury claims.

Daughter of actor Paul Walker sues Porsche over father’s death

October 8, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What exactly is a wrongful death claim?”

It has been nearly two years since the untimely death of actor Paul Walker. Best known for his role as Brian O’Conner in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, Walker was killed in a car crash in Santa Clarita, California in November 2013.

Issues of fault in North Carolina personal injury cases

August 5, 2015 | AS Personal Injury Lawyers

Charlotte Personal Injury Attorney Matthew R. Arnold of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What can you sue for in a personal injury case?”

A recent crash involving the new Charlotte trolley system illustrates an important but often misunderstood aspect of North Carolina personal injury law. Though many people assume that when you’ve been injured in an accident caused by someone else you can simply sue to receive compensation for your damages, regardless of whether you as the victim may be somewhat responsible for the accident. In North Carolina, the personal injury laws make it impossible for a victim to sue the person that caused the harm if the victim is found to be at fault in any way for the accident.