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Think You Can’t Afford to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

In the aftermath of an accident, it can be difficult to know how best to proceed . You may be recovering from serious injuries, but you're also likely facing potentially large financial obligations like medical bills, car repair costs, and lost wages. Due to the overwhelm and mounting financial burdens, many people think that they will be unable to afford to hire a personal injury lawyer. What Does it Cost to Hire an Attorney to Help with your Injury Claim? When people consider hiring a personal injury attorney, they often believe that they can't afford an attorney, due to the common stereotype that attorneys charge expensive hourly rates. In some practice areas this is true, but almost all personal injury attorneys offer free co[...]

5 steps to ensure that your claim is secure

If you’ve ever been involved in a car crash, you’ll know that it’s hard to think clearly immediately afterwards, particularly if you’ve been injured in any way.  The trauma and surprise of being in an accident can be overwhelming and disorienting.  As a result, many people fail to document important things that can come back to bite them later when they try to recover money from an insurance company for their medical bills or car damage.  Here are the 5 most important things to do to properly investigate the accident so you won’t get screwed by the insurance company later on down the road. Take photographs of every vehicle involved in the crash   This is easy with your smartphone.  Take pictures from every angle that shows[...]

Asheville Dog Bite Medical Care and Treatment

Asheville residents who have been bitten by dogs often don’t know what kind of medical treatment they will need for their injuries. Some dog bite victims aren’t even sure they need treatment. However, even seemingly minor dog bite injuries can be a big problem if left untreated. Here are a few things you can expect when seeking treatment for a dog bite: Medical tests after dog bites Radiology: Serious dog bite injuries can break bones or tear connective tissue like ligaments and tendons. Doctors can often identify these types of injuries without performing a scan first, but your physician may order a scan just to confirm a diagnosis based on your symptoms. It is also important for doctors to identify where exactly such injuries ar[...]

My claim was denied based on “Contributory Negligence”.  What does that mean?

In North Carolina, when you are injured because someone else was negligent, the negligent person is liable for all of the consequences of your injuries.  A typical example is when you are hit by another vehicle on the road.  The person who crashes into you is responsible for your medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.  The car insurance company for the at fault driver will contact you and evaluate your claim.  Sometimes the insurance adjuster will deny your claim because of “contributory negligence”.  What does that mean? How does Contributory Negligence work? Contributory negligence is a North Carolina law that says that if you “contribute” to your own injuries, even if only a tiny bit, you cannot recover from the[...]

Commonly Used Personal Injury Terms To Know

Many Asheville residents find it difficult to keep up with the lawyerspeak involved in their personal injury claim or lawsuit. Learning a few of the most common legal terms you’re likely to see in the legal process can help you to navigate your claim, because knowledge is the best tool you bring to the table when it comes time to negotiate and settle your claim.   Here are some terms you’re likely to see in the beginning stages of a lawsuit: Complaint The complaint is a document that an injured person (the plaintiff) or their personal injury lawyer writes and files with the court. The complaint initiates a lawsuit. It lays out each of the injured person’s grievances, describes how the negligent person (the defendant) caused those [...]

What Can You Expect When You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer? (VIDEO)

When you hire a personal injury lawyer to help you with your case, you should have a reasonable expectation of what that lawyer is going to do.  After all, you've just agreed to give them a sizable percentage of whatever money they can obtain for you, not to mention entrusting them with handling your case with care and attention, so that you can be made whole again after being injured in an accident that wasn't your fault. In this video, Personal Injury Lawyer Lakota Denton lays out what you can expect from a reputable lawyer, and some of the processes and considerations that will be evaluated as your case is investigated, negotiated and settled (or if a lawsuit needs to be filed if a reasonable agreement can't be made).     Watch Vid[...]

I’ve Just Been in a Car Accident, What Should I Do Now? (VIDEO)

Watch Video: I've just been in car accident, what should I do now? Asheville Car Accident Lawyer Lakota R. Denton explains what you should do in the immediate aftermath of a car accident, to help ensure that you don't get taken advantage of by an insurance company.  This video contains some of Lakota's tips, based on having dealt with hundreds of car accident victims in Western North Carolina. Video transcript: My name is Lakota Denton, and I’m a personal injury lawyer in Asheville, North Carolina. A lot of times I get calls from people who have just been involved in a car accident, and they want to know, “what should I do right away? What should I do immediately after the car accident?” I’m going to talk to you about some impor[...]

Asheville’s Most Dangerous Roads, Part 3: South Tunnel Road (VIDEO)

In part 3 of our "Asheville's most dangerous roads" series, Attorney Lakota R. Denton examines Asheville’s most dangerous roads and intersections, as outlined by data from the NC DOT. Attorney Denton urges drivers in Asheville to Slow Down, to help us keep Asheville safe and walkable for our citizens, children and pets. Watch Video: Ashevilles Most Dangerous Roads: South Tunnel Rd Video transcript: Hi, I’m attorney Lakota Denton, creator of the Slow Down Asheville campaign. And as part of our series of “Asheville’s most dangerous roads”, I want to talk to you about an intersection at South Tunnel Rd. and Swannanoa River Rd. And this is a very dangerous intersection for a number reasons. There is a high incidence of pedestria[...]

Why should you let paramedics treat you after a car accident?

Many people involved in car accidents are in shock immediately after the crash.  As a result, people often feel like they are fine, don’t feel any pain, or assume that what little pain they have will go away soon.  These people usually refuse to allow EMS to treat them or to go to a hospital.  This can have serious consequences when trying to recover from injuries that manifest hours or days afterward. I have many clients who are involved in a car crash and refuse any medical treatment at the scene of the crash, only to realize they are in serious pain hours or days later.  This is common because our bodies have natural mechanisms that reduce pain immediately after a traumatic event.  However, this can be a problem when people try t[...]

How to Maximize you NC Car Insurance Policy

Our law firm deals with auto insurers on a daily basis.  A large part of what we do involves helping clients recover compensation from other peoples insurance or their own insurance.  We often have to delve into a client's policy to determine their coverage for liability, underinsurance, uninsurance, medical payments, excess coverage, property coverage, and other forms of coverage, in order to help our clients obtain the fair compensation they are owed as a result of their accident.   Here are some tips from our office to help you make sure that you're getting the most out of your North Carolina auto insurance policy, based on my experience as an Asheville personal injury lawyer.  North Carolina's minimum coverage isn't enough Client[...]