North Carolina Personal Injury Blog

Can Social Media Posts Negatively Impact Your Personal Injury Claim?

Social media platforms are firmly ingrained in our society and have changed the way individuals communicate and receive information. You may think your social media post is benign or routine, but what you post on the internet can have a devastating impact on your personal injury claim and the ultimate recovery obtained as a result of your injuries. At such a critical moment in your life, it is important to take all necessary precautions to prevent your social media posts from adversely affecting your personal injury case.

What are the Best Social Media Practices for Those Involved in Personal Injury Cases?

If you have been injured by a drunk driver in North Carolina, there are many factors to consider as you seek legal representation to protect your rights and secure the compensation you deserve. North Carolina is an “at-fault” state, which increases the likelihood of an accident victim being able to sue a drunk driver and hold them accountable for losses related to pain and suffering, medical expenses, rehabilitation, wages and future earnings, and property damage. In addition to compensatory damages, you may be entitled to punitive damages as a result of the drunk driver’s willful or wanton conduct in causing your injuries.

Factors to Consider

In order to determine the best strategy to maximize your recovery in a drunk driving accident, it is important to gather all relevant information about the driver that caused your injuries. For example, if the driver has a previous history of driving under the influence or other traffic related infractions, you may be entitled to recover punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. In addition, if the driver was acting willfully or wantonly, or if a third party is liable for serving alcohol to the driver past intoxication, these facts could increase your claim for compensation. If the drunk driver was operating someone else’s vehicle at the time of the accident, you could have a claim against the owner of the car. With such important considerations, it is also important to talk to an experienced attorney who can help you understand your rights and protect your future.

Our client-centered firm is proud to accept the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys’ nomination of Jason Burton as a 10 Best Attorney in North Carolina For High Verdict & Settlement in Personal Injury Law for 2018.

From the AIOPIA:

The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys has recognized the exceptional performance of North Carolina’s Personal Injury Attorney Jason Michael Burton as 2018 10 Best High Verdict & Settlement Attorney for Personal Injury. The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys is a third-party attorney rating organization that publishes an annual list of the Top 10 Best High Verdict & Settlement Attorney for Personal Injury in each state. Attorneys who are selected to the “10 Best” list must pass AIOPIA’s rigorous selection process, which is based on client and/or peer nominations, thorough research, and AIOPIA’s independent evaluation. AIOPIA’s annual list was created to be used as a resource for clients during the attorney selection process. One of the most significant aspects of the selection process involves attorneys’ relationships and reputation among his or her clients. As clients should be an attorney’s top priority, AIOPIA places the utmost emphasis on selecting lawyers who have achieved significant success in the field of Personal Injury law without sacrificing the service and support they provide. Selection criteria therefore focus on attorneys who demonstrate the highest standards of Client Satisfaction. We congratulate Jason Michael Burton on this achievement and we are honored to have him as a 2018 AIOPIA Member.

The deep pain caused by the unforeseen death of a family member is one of the most distressing experiences you could ever face. In the midst of the shock and grief, you will be tasked with managing the financial and legal implications of your loss. Mitigating this process is overwhelming and agonizing, and often raises all kinds of questions related to the tragedy and its aftermath.

My Loved One Died. Is This a Wrongful Death Case?

Wrongful death is defined as a fatal accident resulting from the negligence, carelessness, or wrongful actions of an individual or corporation. Wrongful death cases commonly arise from car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability cases, and medical malpractice cases.

What is “pain and suffering?” It’s a term you will hear over and over again in relation to personal injury cases.

According to Law.com, pain and suffering is:

“the physical and mental distress suffered from an injury, including actual broken bones and internal ruptures, but also the aches, pain, temporary and permanent limitations on activity, potential shortening of life, depression and embarrassment from scarring, all of which are part of the ‘general damages’ recoverable by someone injured by another’s negligence or intentional attack. The dollar value of damages for pain and suffering is subjective, as distinguished from medical bills, future medical costs and lost wages which can be calculated, called ‘special damages.’”

Unfortunately, automobile accidents are happening more and more frequently as a result of drivers distracted by the use of cellular phones and electronic devices. The unsettling truth is that this practice of handling smartphones and other devices while driving is pervasive, but it doesn’t carry the same harsh social stigma of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Despite this dangerous habit being less taboo than other destructive or harmful tendencies, the implications are real, and sometimes fatal.

Texting, Driving & the Law

In North Carolina, drivers can legally hold their phones to their ears to take phone calls in a moving vehicle. However, any other use of a cell phone or handheld device is in violation of the law, and this includes texting, reading and sending emails and messages, browsing the internet, and/or pushing multiple buttons on a device. The operation of GPS applications may be the only exception to these laws.

When you have suffered personal injuries due to the wrongful conduct of another, you have a very small window of time to make several important decisions. Whether you are a pedestrian, bike rider, driver, or worker who has been injured, the aftermath of such an event is time-consuming, disruptive, and overwhelming. You’re head is spinning and you might even be fighting for your life.

At Burton Law Firm, we are all too familiar with this unpredictable turn of events in our clients’ lives. Without an experienced personal injury attorney on your side, it’s hard for people to discern exactly which actions are helpful or harmful, particularly as they begin to cope and recover from their injury. Allow us to share the top three (avoidable) mistakes we see time and again by victims of accidents. personal injury case raleigh nc

1. DON’T Talk About Your Case!