North Carolina Personal Injury Blog

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!