Wilson North Carolina Personal Injury Law Blog

When big rigs jackknife

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. on Monday, June 18, 2018.

As a North Carolina driver, you likely wish you did not have to share our roads and highways with 18-wheelers. These huge trucks are so much bigger and heavier than your passenger vehicle that should you crash into one that jackknifes immediately in front of you, you and your passengers face a high risk of receiving serious injuries.

A jackknife is a potentially catastrophic trucking accident where the driver loses control of his or her vehicle because the cab and trailer begin folding in on each other.

Vehicle runs over pedestrian and then smashes into a Waffle House

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Friday, June 15, 2018.

A terrible accident recently occurred in North Carolina when an SUV slammed into a pedestrian and then continued on and ran into a local Waffle House.

According to a spokesman with the Greensboro police, the accident occurred on Big Tree Way, about 10 minutes before eight o'clock in the evening. This was on Wednesday, June 13. The vehicle was in the Waffle House parking lot at the time.

Do you have to wear a helmet on a motorcycle in North Carolina?

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accident on Thursday, June 7, 2018.

You have never enjoyed wearing a helmet on a motorcycle. Before moving to North Carolina, you lived in a state where helmets were optional. You usually opted not to wear it and never had a problem, so now you're wondering if you can make the same decision in North Carolina.

You cannot. The state requires that riders and passengers wear helmets at all times.

3 types of skull fractures that could happen in an accident

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Personal Injury on Monday, June 4, 2018.

Fractures are very common in serious motor vehicle accidents. In many cases, they are relatively minor: broken legs, broken arms and fractured wrists. These are painful and sometimes expensive, but not life-threatening.

However, accidents can also lead to skull fractures, and these can cause serious health concerns. They can be fatal. Extensive medical care is required. Below are three different types:

3 common causes of semi-truck accidents

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.

Car accidents of any kind can cause serious injuries and even death. When those accidents involve semi-trucks, it is even more likely that the consequences will be severe. Why are there so many accidents involving 18-wheelers? It seems as though these vehicles are even more likely to be in auto wrecks than other vehicles. There are a few reasons that may explain this phenomenon.

The following are three common causes of semi-truck accidents. If you have recently been in an accident with an 18-wheeler, consider whether any of these scenarios apply. More importantly, however, be sure to seek out the medical care and legal representation you need after the accident.

7 common ways spinal cord injuries occur

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Personal Injury on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.

Spinal cord injuries can be very traumatic and the symptoms may last for life. Those symptoms can also be very severe, such as the loss of feeling and motor skills below the injury level. This can be life-changing, making it so that a person requires constant care and can no longer work.

So, how do these devastating injuries most often occur? Here are seven of the most common ways:

Suffering violent trauma, such as an attack: A spinal cord injury could be the result of either a shooting or a stab wound, for instance.
Diving into shallow water: If a person's neck and back are bent when he or she hits the bottom at full speed, injuries can be instantaneous.
Going through a serious car accident: These crashes, especially at high speed or without a seat belt, can lead to significant head, neck and back injuries. These may include spine injuries.
Falling: Falls are one of the most common ways that people suffer injuries in the United States, and a drop from a significant height or even a short height could cause back injuries.
Playing sports: High-contact sports like football and hockey carry a high degree of risk.
Being involved in electrical accidents: These incidents could happen on the job, for instance, which is why workers must have proper safety gear.
Suffering any severe twisting to the torso: This could happen in many ways, from getting caught in a machine at work to crashing an ATV to suffering an injury at an amusement park.

6-year-old helps save siblings with mom trapped in car

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Friday, May 18, 2018.

A mother in North Carolina was driving her SUV with her four children in the back. The oldest was a 6-year-old girl, and all of the kids were in car seats.

As they went through an intersection, the mother says that another car turned left in front of them. She slammed into that vehicle, hard, and said it felt like hitting "a brick wall."

Motorcycle injuries are 3 times as common as car injuries

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accident on Thursday, May 10, 2018.

If you just look at the overall statistics, motorcycle accidents do not happen as often as car accidents. Injuries and fatalities, predictably, are also lower for motorcycles.

However, the reason is that there are not nearly as many motorcycles on the road as there are cars and trucks. When you adjust the numbers to compensate for that, you find that motorcycles lead to a stunning three times as many injuries.

4 things to do after a hit-and-run crash

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Car Accident on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Another vehicle hits you at an intersection. After a moment of shock, you get out of your car to talk to the other driver, who's in a pickup truck.

Unfortunately, you're in for another shock. That driver backs up and guns it, running away from the crash site. You just stand there watching the truck disappear down the road.

How long does a brain injury take to heal?

On behalf of Farris & Farris, P.A. posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

You suffer a brain injury in a car accident. You have your seat belt on, but another driver runs a red light and hits the side of your car on your way through the intersection. Your head hits the window and that's all you remember before waking up in the nearest medical center.

How long will it be until you recover? Other injuries have a rough time frame, such as the number of weeks it will take for a broken arm to mend itself. What about the brain?