North Carolina is an at-fault state. In the event of an accident, like a motor vehicle collision, the party who is deemed responsible will pay damages to the victim. In any scenario, the responsibility falls on the person proven at fault for the incident to pay the other party. The responsible party has to cover the cost of things like property damage, medical bills, and repairs if necessary. The types of damages in a personal injury claim are:
Economic damages are the most straightforward as they refer to income loss or things that cost the victim money. The party at fault is responsible for paying for repairs, medical bills, and other tangible items.
Punitive damages provide further punishments to the responsible party to deter them from negligent behavior in the future.
Pain and suffering and other noneconomical damages refer to everything that you can’t put a price tag on. Sometimes, this includes mental health injuries and loss of life.
The responsible party must be 100% at fault for the accident to make a recovery. Contributory negligence ensures that compensation can be blocked if there is any blame that lands on the victim in the event of an accident.