Many North Carolina residents will remember the horrific injuries suffered by a Sanford garbage truck driver in January of 2009. Robert Leffer burned over 80 percent of his body when his truck flipped over and exploded after he swerved to avoid a multiple car crash on Interstate 40. He spent three months in an induced coma at the Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill, and his 2-year-old son was not allowed to see him for six months due to the disfigurement he endured.
Yet two years and a dozen surgeries later, Leffer is home again and aspiring to be able to run so that he can teach his son to ride his bike. Local and national TV and radio interviews have allowed him to share the inspiring details with thousands of Americans. His story is a clear testament to personal strength as well as the importance of obtaining the best possible medical care in the aftermath of a catastrophic vehicle accident.
Motor vehicle accidents occur for a wide variety of reasons: dangerous roads and highways, drunk drivers, steering or brake failure, and truck driver negligence are among the most common causes. Even if seatbelts and airbags perform as expected, the massive forces involved when vehicles collide often result in broken bones, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Add to that the presence of volatile gasoline and the potential for severe burns, and accident victims who emerge unscathed must truly consider themselves blessed.
North Carolina Accident Attorneys Explore All Avenues for Recovery of Damages
Catastrophic accidents can leave a family searching for answers due to a wrongful death or the prospect of years of difficult medical therapy and lost income. When that harm is the result of an auto defect, an overloaded semi tractor-trailer or another motorist's simple failure to notice a red light, our system of civil laws provides a remedy to those who suffer losses.
But negotiation with an insurance company or seeking damages in court is not a simple matter of filling out forms and receiving a check, especially when catastrophic injuries are involved. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help a family understand the full implications of the losses they have suffered. By assessing the full extent of injuries, an injury victim's long-term medical needs, the possibility of non-economic damages and other crucial factors, a motor vehicle accident attorney can help a plaintiff make the most of their single opportunity for justice.
