In Gaston County, North Carolina, a car and pickup truck were involved in a collision where they violently crashed head-on. A student from an area high school was seriously injured as a result. Further, two
people had to be cut from one of the vehicles; emergency responders used the “jaws of life” to pull the car apart.
The accident took place near Forestview High School in Gaston County, and troopers on the scene have reported that a white car containing three people attempted to pass a slower moving car striking a Ford pickup truck head-on. All patients were taken to Caramont Regional Medical Center where one patient has life-threatening injuries and two others have serious injuries.
In the State of North Carolina, if you are injured by the negligence of another, you may be entitled to recover damages from the negligent party. The law of negligence encompasses, not only car accidents, but legal malpractice and wrongful death cases, to name only a few circumstances. The primary defense to a negligence action is the “contributory negligence” defense. Here, even if the defendant negligently caused injury to the plaintiff, the plaintiff cannot recover any compensation for his injuries if he was at all negligent.
However, there are several exceptions to this doctrine, such as the “last clear chance” doctrine, the “rescuer” doctrine, claims for “willful and wanton” conduct, and the contributory negligence of minors. Therefore, while the standard is harsher than most states, it is still possible to be successful in a personal injury/negligence claim, so long as you have the correct argument to that effect.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a collision, and have suffered personal injuries as a result, contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP at our Charlotte, North Carolina office. For a confidential consultation, contact us at 704-499-9000, or toll-free at 877-374-5999. You can also reach our South Carolina office in Fort Mill at 803-548-4444 if you have been injured in South Carolina.