Car Accident Attorneys in Durham, North Carolina

1. Martin and Jones, PLLC

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, premises liability, wrongful death

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, underinsured motorist claims

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical record gathering, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Martin and Jones has been handling auto accident cases for nearly 40 years. The firm’s Durham car accident attorneys have extensive experience with North Carolina’s unique contributory negligence rule and understand the importance of thoroughly documenting cases to prevent fault from being improperly attributed to clients. The firm assists with underinsured motorist coverage claims and navigates complex insurance issues. Attorneys are knowledgeable about Durham court systems and local judges.

Location: Durham, North Carolina (part of firm serving Research Triangle)

Contact: https://www.martinandjones.com/

Consultation: Free consultation available

2. Wallace Pierce Law

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, premises liability

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, evidence gathering, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Wallace Pierce Law aims to empower clients with knowledge and information about the North Carolina personal injury process. The firm’s Durham personal injury attorneys have gained extensive experience representing accident victims and navigating the state’s complicated insurance and accident laws. The firm provides educational resources to help clients understand car accident basics, calculating damages, amending accident reports, and the claims process.

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Contact: (919) 313-2737 | https://www.wallacepierce.com/

Consultation: Free, no-obligation consultation available, contingency fee basis

3. Riddle and Riddle

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, hit-and-run accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical provider coordination, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Riddle and Riddle has been helping North Carolinians in Durham and the greater Triangle get justice and compensation in car accident cases since 1985. The firm’s attorneys have more than 160 years of collective legal experience and have won many four, five, six, and seven-figure settlements and judgments. In 2023, there were over 37,000 motor vehicle accidents in Durham, including 74 fatal crashes, with alcohol involved in more than 2% of incidents. The firm has longstanding relationships with trusted medical providers and can help connect clients with needed care.

Location: Durham, North Carolina (by appointment)

Contact: (919) 728-1770 | https://justicecounts.com/

Consultation: Free, no-obligation consultation available (phone, email, text, video conference, or in-person)

4. Nagle and Associates, P.A.

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death (exclusively motor vehicle accidents)

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical expense reduction, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Nagle and Associates focuses exclusively on North Carolina motor vehicle accident cases, with more than two decades of experience. The firm has recovered over $500 million in compensation for clients. Founding attorney Carl Nagle is a former insurance claims adjuster and former insurance company lawyer who understands how insurance companies process and negotiate claims. The firm employs two retired North Carolina State Troopers and four licensed NC auto insurance adjusters on staff. Attorney fees for litigation cases are lower than the industry standard 40-44%, charging only one-third for litigation.

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Contact: https://www.naglefirm.com/

Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee basis

5. Kreger Brodish LLP

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, construction accidents, workers compensation, wrongful death, premises liability, dog bites

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, workers compensation benefits, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Kreger Brodish LLP has more than a decade of experience providing straightforward advice and advocacy for individuals and families in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Greensboro, and surrounding North Carolina areas. The firm has a track record of success in personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, and workers compensation cases. Attorneys work to maximize claim value and protect clients from insurance companies and negligent drivers attempting to shift blame.

Location: Durham, North Carolina (serving Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Greensboro, and surrounding areas)

Contact: https://www.kregerbrodish.com/

Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee basis (no charge unless they win)

Scene Duties, Crash Notice and City Immunity for Durham Car Crashes

After a Durham car crash, North Carolina law sets what the other driver must do at the scene, which agency must be notified, and when the city can be sued for a crash involving its vehicle. When a crash is fatal, a separate statute lists the recoverable damages.

The Other Driver’s Duties

Under North Carolina General Statutes 20-166(a) and (a1), a driver who knows or reasonably should know of a crash causing injury must stop and remain until an officer completes the investigation or authorizes leaving, unless remaining places someone at significant risk of injury; a willful violation is a Class H felony, and a Class F felony when the crash causes serious bodily injury or death. Under 20-166(b), the driver must give name, address, driver’s license number and plate number and render reasonable assistance, including calling for medical help.

Which Agency to Notify

Under General Statutes 20-166.1(a), the driver of a vehicle in a reportable accident must immediately, by the quickest means of communication, notify the police department of the city or town where it occurred, or, outside a city or town, the State Highway Patrol, the sheriff’s office or other qualified rural police of the county.

A City Vehicle

Under General Statutes 160A-485(a), a city may waive its immunity from tort liability by purchasing liability insurance, with participation in a local government risk pool counted as a purchase, and immunity is waived only to the extent the city is indemnified by the insurance contract.

When a Crash Is Fatal

Under General Statutes 28A-18-2(b), damages for wrongful death include expenses for care and treatment, the decedent’s pain and suffering, reasonable funeral expenses, the present monetary value of the decedent’s net income, services and companionship to those entitled to recover, punitive damages as the statute provides, and nominal damages.

Durham Car Accident Questions

What if the other driver says I was partly at fault?

The other driver must prove it. Under General Statutes 1-139, the party asserting contributory negligence has the burden of proof, and under 20-135.2A(d) a missing seat belt is not admissible to show it. Proof matters because North Carolina treats contributory negligence as a bar, not a reduction: in Smith v. Fiber Controls Corp. (1980), the state Supreme Court, relying on a torts treatise, upheld a defense verdict on that ground.

When does the three-year deadline start?

Under General Statutes 1-52(16), a personal injury claim accrues when bodily harm becomes apparent or ought reasonably to have become apparent, whichever occurs first, and 1-52(5) allows three years; wrongful death has two years from the death under 1-53(4).

Can I reject uninsured motorist coverage on my policy?

No, not if it is a bodily injury liability policy on a vehicle registered or principally garaged in North Carolina. General Statutes 20-279.21(b)(3) requires such a policy to include the coverage; the named insured may choose greater or lesser limits, but not below the required bodily injury limits.