Hit-and-run accidents in North Carolina happen when you least expect them to. Then, out of nowhere, a negligent motorist slams into the back of your car at a red light. It takes you a few minutes to get your wits back - your head hurts, and it feels like you may have some broken bones. As you begin to look around for the person who hit you, you realize they've whipped their car around yours and are fleeing the scene.
You immediately begin to ask yourself questions like:
After a traumatic experience like a hit-and-run accident, trying to solve these problems on your own is extremely difficult. To make matters worse, you're getting calls from insurance companies who willingly throw hurdles in your way to try and minimize any compensation you're owed. Facing these challenges is difficult for any person, not to mention someone recovering from crash-related injury. The truth is you shouldn't have to face these uncertain times alone. At Nagle & Associates, our hit and run accident attorneys in Elizabeth City, NC are ready to stand by your side, protect and enforce your rights, and help secure maximum tax-free payment for your hit-and-run injury claims.
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a hit-and-run incident, your best course of action is to consult with a lawyer as soon as possible. Insurance adjusters are being paid to minimize your claims, and you should not take legal advice from any claims adjuster. At Nagle & Associates, our lawyers perform a thorough investigation into your situation, striving to locate all available insurance coverage, and to collect the highest settlement for your hit-and-run injury claims. We will guide you on how to secure medical care, how to use personal health insurance to fund medical needs and still collect for your medical bills from car insurance policies, and how to push the insurance adjusters to pay maximum value for your accident claims. Our firm ONLY handles motor vehicle injury claims, we know what your case is truly worth, and we will not settle until you are paid every penny you deserve.
At the end of the day, our goal is to provide comprehensive assistance - not just with filing a claim and negotiating with insurance companies, but with compassion, support, and unflinching advocacy. From day one, we are by your side during your medical recovery. After all, recovering from a hit-and-run accident in North Carolina is about more than getting money. It's about having full access to proper medical care, maximizing benefits from health insurance and other payment sources, handling all insurance claim filings and homework so you don't have to, and building the strongest case to collect maximum payment for your accident claims. By helping you get through the medical recovery and legal process, we hope to get you back to living a normal life and enjoying normal activities with friends and family, like visiting Waterfront Park near Elizabeth City, NC.
Simply put, hit-and-run lawyers - especially those from Nagle & Associates - have the experience and resources needed to help crash victims like yourself get the compensation they need to get better.
What most folks don't realize is that insurance companies have a dedicated team of adjusters and lawyers focused on safeguarding the company's money. Their legal teams will go to great lengths to minimize or avoid paying hit-and-run car wreck claims altogether. When they do extend a settlement offer, it's often a fraction of what you deserve. Insurance companies won't help you uncover reasons to justify a higher payout; instead, their goal is to settle valid claims for significantly less than what is actually owed. Former claims adjuster Carl Nagle knows the strategies that adjusters use, and he stands ready to apply legal pressure to motivate the insurance company to pay the full value of your hit-and-run injury claims.
Depending on the facts of your case, your lawyer may seek compensation in one or more of the following forms:
When you want a delicious breakfast prepared fresh to get your day started right, you don't go to a fast-food establishment and expect to be impressed. You choose a breakfast specialty restaurant like Sagos on the river in Elizabeth City, NC. Similarly, when you're looking for a driven, dedicated hit-and-run accident lawyer who provides personalized representation for your unique case, you don't choose an untested law firm. You consult with a team like Nagle & Associates, which only represents victims involved in auto accidents. We are North Carolina's only pure motor vehicle accident injury law firm!
What distinguishes Nagle & Associates from other law firms that handle hit-and-run car accidents is our extensive experience. Our founding attorney, Carl Nagle, is a former insurance adjuster who spent years in Atlanta managing claims related to car, motorcycle, and truck accidents. He was trained to win over victims while minimizing legitimate claims to limit payouts. This insurance-industry experience has given him a deep understanding of the unethical tactics insurance companies often employ in hit-and-run cases.
After completing law school, Carl worked in Atlanta at an insurance defense firm, representing various local and national insurers. His dual experience as a claims adjuster and insurance defense attorney has equipped him with insight into the strategies that insurance companies use to reduce compensation for victims. Upon leaving the insurance sector, Carl moved to North Carolina, committing himself to helping victims of road accidents. He cut all ties with defense work and insurance firms. Today, he is a highly sought-after attorney exclusively representing those affected by roadway collisions and hit-and-run accidents.
Our attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only get paid once your case is settled or the trial is completed and we collect money for you. Most cases are settled without needing to file lawsuits or engage the court system, which aligns our interests with yours and motivates us to secure the highest possible value for your injury claims. Whether your case ends in a settlement or goes to trial, you will benefit from a lower overall fee structure at Nagle & Associates.
While other personal injury law firms charge a third of the settlement (33.3%) and 40-44% of any funds obtained after a lawsuit is initiated, our firm takes a more client-oriented approach. We charge only 25% of the settlement and one-third (33.3%) of any amount collected if a lawsuit must be filed. The vast majority of our cases settle, with no court involvement. We only pursue litigation when insurers deny reasonable compensation, and we only file suit if we are confident that this will lead to a better financial outcome for our clients.
If there's one thing a hit and run attorney in Elizabeth City, NC will tell you, it's that these crashes are horrible, unnecessary, and negligent. They're also rather common. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) reported a total of 247,214 car accidents across the state in 2020. Among these incidents, 105,382 individuals sustained injuries, and unfortunately, 1,658 people died as a result of their accident. While we don't have precise figures on the number of hit-and-run cases that occur each year in North Carolina, it's clear that these incidents happen frequently and often result in serious and life-altering injuries.
Some of those injuries include:
Every one of the injuries listed above requires medical care and often necessitates time at Brookdale Elizabeth City near Elizabeth City, NC. The fallout from hit-and-run crashes includes serious and lasting injuries, missed work and wages, medical bills, property damage, and emotional distress.
In North Carolina, hit-and-run accidents pose unique financial recovery challenges, especially since these incidents often involve a negligent driver who has already left the scene. Unlike typical vehicle collisions where the responsible party is present, the absence of the hit-and-run driver complicates matters significantly.
Negligent drivers flee for many different reasons. Often, they flee in an effort to avoid further legal trouble. Sadly, many times, the offending driver remains unidentified, which raises an important question: Who will cover your expenses following a hit-and-run accident in North Carolina?
Fortunately, North Carolina law requires all drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage. This rule means that if you're involved in a hit-and-run incident, it's treated similarly to an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. In such cases, you can turn to your own personal insurance policy to seek compensation for the expenses stemming from the crash.
Though your insurance coverage may be different from other victim's insurance, minimum uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage in North Carolina is currently as follows:
For all policies issued after July 1, 2025, the coverage limits increase to:
If you've been in a hit-and-run accident in North Carolina, don't think that your insurance company will write a proverbial blank check to cover all expenses. Just like in any other traffic collision where the other driver remains at the scene, the insurance company will require clear evidence that another driver—although they may have fled—was responsible for the collision. If they can place just slight blame with you, even just 1% responsibility for the accident, they owe nothing and can deny all claims. Simply put, the insurance adjuster will not just take your word for it. They investigate the crash and seek to place partial blame on the victim, knowing that North Carolina's pure contributory negligence law allows them to refuse payment if you are just 1% at fault for the crash. That's where a hit and run accident attorney in Elizabeth City, NC from Nagle & Associates steps in to help.
Our team of lawyers focuses exclusively on auto accidents, which allows us to manage such cases with a unique, personalized approach. We currently have two retired North Carolina State Troopers on staff, we have several crash reconstruction engineers available, and we will investigate your collision and collect evidence to show you did nothing wrong. We also know how to access multiple insurance policies, how to build the strongest medical evidence, and how to compel all involved insurance carriers to offer maximum payment for your injuries and suffering.
In North Carolina, there's a “No Contact Rule,” which means that for a hit-and-run claim related to Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage to be considered, there must be actual contact between the claimant's vehicle and the vehicle that fled the scene. For example, if an aggressive driver caused you to lose control and crash without ever physically hitting your vehicle, you wouldn't be able to file a claim with your UM insurance to cover your injury claims.
This law exists to curb fraudulent claims against insurance companies. It's unfortunately easy for someone to claim they were forced off the road by another driver after a crash. Therefore, gathering and preserving evidence that proves the hit-and-run driver actually made contact with your vehicle is crucial. If there is no contact, the incident is labeled a “phantom vehicle crash,” leaving you without coverage for medical bills, lost wages, or any other financial losses related to the injury.
In North Carolina, Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage covers injuries arising from hit-and-run crashes, but not property damage. Thus, if a hit-and-run driver hits your car and leaves the scene, you must use your collision coverage to pay for the repairs or replacement of your vehicle. Uninsured Motorist Property Damage (UMPD) coverage applies only if your accident was caused by an uninsured driver who is identified.
Being in a Elizabeth City, NC area hit-and-run accident can be highly stressful and disorienting. However, it's very important to collect the right evidence after the incident, as this can help strengthen your insurance claim and support any legal action you may decide to take. If you find yourself involved in a hit-and-run crash in North Carolina, here's what you should know about gathering the necessary evidence to bolster your case.
Video and photo evidence is one of the most powerful and crucial pieces of evidence you can collect. If you're not seriously injured and you're able to do so, consider taking pictures and videos of the following:
If you can, consider recording a video to document the area around you. Nearby surveillance cameras or dashcams from passing vehicles might also provide useful footage. It may also be wise to ask local businesses or neighbors if their cameras captured the incident.
If you sustained injuries in the hit-and-run collision, your medical records are essential for your claim. Get medical assistance right away, even if you think you're okay at first—some injuries, like whiplash or internal damage, might not be visible right away. Getting your medical records and sharing them with your personal injury lawyer can help:
If you're having trouble accessing your medical records, your hit-and-run accident lawyer may be able to help. Always consult with your attorney if you have questions or are having trouble obtaining evidence.
You should contact law enforcement as soon as you're physically able after your hit-and-run wreck. Once police arrive on the scene, authorities should create a police report for you to sign. This creates an official account of your car accident. Your police report should include the following:
When you're involved in a hit-and-run incident, obtaining a police report is usually required to submit an insurance claim. Make sure to give the police as many details as you can, and don't forget to ask for a copy of the report for your own records.
Fortunately, most injuries heal over time and we are able to restore our health and physical ability. Insurance companies know this, and they hope you fail to preserve evidence of how your injuries appear shortly after an accident. It is wise to take photos of visible injuries so you are able to prove to insurance companies and/or a jury how badly you were hurt, and how your injuries appeared during the early stages of your recovery.
If you've been involved in a hit-and-run accident, please reach out to Nagle & Associates today. We offer a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case, answer any questions you might have, outline the best legal steps to take, and help you determine whether hiring a hit-and-run accident attorney in Elizabeth City, NC is the right move for your family.
Remember - in North Carolina, there's a statute of limitations on filing a personal injury claim. You only have three years from the date of your hit-and-run accident to file suit and properly commence litigation against all responsible parties. You should never wait years to take action. Frankly, you should act immediately to protect and enforce your legal rights. Hiring a lawyer early shows the insurance companies that you intend to pursue all legal claims, that you have legal guidance on the true value of your case, and legal leverage to make them pay a settlement that reflects what you would in court. If they don't, we will go to court with you, win your case, and make them pay you PLUS pay pre-judgment interest PLUS pay court costs and litigation expenses PLUS also for a lawyer to defend the insurance company in court. Simply put, we know what your case is worth, and we can show the insurance company that paying you that amount is their best option.
We have the lowest hit-and-run injury legal fee in North Carolina, you pay nothing up front to put us to work today, and we are here now to offer a free legal consultation by phone. Contact our law office now and take the first step toward recovery.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — A Central Elementary School student in North Carolina walked out of the building Tuesday and was near the road in front of the school before several people intervened to return the child to the school, prompting a deeper look into safety procedures.According to the superintendent for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, the student was able to exit the building and was near U.S. 17, the road in front of the school, before school staff and community members intervened.Resident Vickie Kohl...
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — A Central Elementary School student in North Carolina walked out of the building Tuesday and was near the road in front of the school before several people intervened to return the child to the school, prompting a deeper look into safety procedures.
According to the superintendent for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, the student was able to exit the building and was near U.S. 17, the road in front of the school, before school staff and community members intervened.
Resident Vickie Kohler said she was riding in a car that morning when she saw a little boy running along U.S. 17 about two houses down from the school.
“I didn’t think, I just jumped out of the car and tried to grab him to make sure that there was nobody that actually would hit him,” Kohler said.
Resident Katie Canning caught the whole incident on camera. In the video, another driver could be seen holding off traffic with their hazards on as the student ran alongside the busy road before Kohler got to him.
“I had the heart to get out myself, but she got there quicker, and she’s a hero in my eyes,” Canning said.
Kohler explained that as soon as she caught up to the boy, the boy’s teacher caught up to them.
Subscribe Now
“She said that he was a runner and that she was turned around to talk to another student, and that she had took his her eyes off of him for a couple of seconds, and he darted out the door,” Canning said.
Officials with ECPPS released a statement following the incident, which can be read below:
On Tuesday, March 4, a student left their classroom, exited the building at Central Elementary School, and was in proximity of the road in front of our school. Thanks to the quick response of our staff and community members, the student safely returned to campus without injury.
Keith Parker, ECPPS Superintendent
Staff state they will continue to investigate how the child was able to leave the building and will review the school’s safety procedures to make sure that a similar incident doesn’t occur in the future.
“All we can do is just hope that the district will find ways to fix the situation,” Canning said.
Play/PauseMute/Unmute Embed videoPlayback SpeedVideo QualityEmbed videoCopy the code below to embed the video. CopyPlayback Speed 2 1.75 1.50 1.25 Normal 0.50Video Quality Play/Pause >>Mute/Unmute 0:00 / 0:00Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast FullscreenPlay/Pause >>Mute/Unmute 0:00 / 0:00Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen ELI...
Play/Pause
Mute/Unmute
Embed video
Playback Speed
Video Quality
Embed video
Copy the code below to embed the video.
Copy
Playback Speed
2
1.75
1.50
1.25
Normal
0.50
Video Quality
Play/Pause >>
Mute/Unmute
0:00 / 0:00
Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen
Play/Pause >>
Mute/Unmute
0:00 / 0:00
Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Ronald Sutton is a Vietnam Veteran who has called Elizabeth City home his entire life.
"All my life, I was born in 1950," said Sutton.
I met Ronald as he was leaving the Social Security Administration Building, a place he frequently visits for services.
Watch related: 30+ cars broken into at Elizabeth City apartment complexes
Play/Pause
Mute/Unmute
Embed video
Playback Speed
Video Quality
Embed video
Copy the code below to embed the video.
Copy
Playback Speed
2
1.75
1.50
1.25
Normal
0.50
Video Quality
Play/Pause >>
Mute/Unmute
0:00 / 0:00
Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen
Play/Pause >>
Mute/Unmute
0:00 / 0:00
Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen
"Certain information I get from the Veterans Administration, they'd ask for certain things, and I had to get information from here for my social security, things like that. So it's convenient for me to come here, than go online," said Sutton.
The Elizabeth City location was included on a list from the Department of Government Efficiency or "DOGE," for potentially being a part of the continued cuts across the federal government. News that made its way around Elizabeth City on Friday, as many we spoke with said it's an asset to their community.
“I just hope they don’t close it, I really do. Because, it’s going to put a lot of people at a disadvantage," said Sutton.
The future of the location is unclear, but for now it is operating business as usual.
Watch related: Air Station Elizabeth City C-130, Jayhawk helicopter used to rescue men on sinking sailboat
Play/Pause
Mute/Unmute
Embed video
Playback Speed
Video Quality
Embed video
Copy the code below to embed the video.
Copy
Playback Speed
2
1.75
1.50
1.25
Normal
0.50
Video Quality
Play/Pause >>
Mute/Unmute
0:00 / 0:00
Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen
Play/Pause >>
Mute/Unmute
0:00 / 0:00
Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen
We reached out to the Social Security Administration and General Services Administration and their responses are below:
"Acting Administrator Ehikian’s vision for GSA includes reducing our deferred maintenance liabilities, supporting the return to office of federal employees, and taking advantage of a stronger private/government partnership in managing the workforce of the future.GSA is reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization. A component of our space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases. To the extent these terminations affect public facing facilities and/or existing tenants, we are working with our agency partners to secure suitable alternative space. In many cases this will allow us to increase space utilization and obtain improved terms," said a GSA spokesperson."We are working with GSA to review our leases and ensure they are used efficiently. Most of the leases we are not renewing are for small remote hearing sites that are co-located with other Federal space. As the majority of our hearings are held virtually, we no longer need as many in-person hearings locations. In fact, in FY24, twenty percent of these offices held no in-person hearings. Other offices are non-public facing, being consolidated into nearby locations, or we had planned to close. Social Security continuously monitors and evaluates the use of our office space to maximize efficiency for the American taxpayer," said an SSA spokesperson.
Copyright 2025 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Vickie Kohler was out getting wood with her husband Tuesday morning. While they were driving on US-17 south near Central Elementary School, they noticed something unusual."There was a little boy running down the road," said Kohler.Vickie sprang into action, making the decision to go across the busy road to make sure the child did not venture into oncoming traffic.Watch related coverage: North Carolina school district hits major milestones in student improvement&...
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Vickie Kohler was out getting wood with her husband Tuesday morning. While they were driving on US-17 south near Central Elementary School, they noticed something unusual.
"There was a little boy running down the road," said Kohler.
Vickie sprang into action, making the decision to go across the busy road to make sure the child did not venture into oncoming traffic.
Watch related coverage: North Carolina school district hits major milestones in student improvement
“When I got out, I seen the cars coming to me. I threw my door open, and I was just hoping they were going to stop. All I could think of was trying to get out to save the little boy," said Kohler.
Katie Canning captured Vickie’s heroic actions as they happened.
“She was passionate, but she didn't even think about it, until she saw the video that I recorded, how dangerous it really was, because it's a basic human instinct," said Canning.
“I was in 50 million emotions, and I didn't even realize what I had really, really done until, like, probably the next day," said Kohler.
Watch related coverage: 30+ cars broken into at Elizabeth City apartment complexes
Elizabeth City Pasquotank Public Schools released a statement on the incident, sharing their thanks for the community members that stepped up. School leaders also say they are reviewing current safety procedures to make sure an incident like this never happens again.
"On Tuesday, March 4, a student left their classroom, exited the building at Central Elementary School, and was in proximity of the road in front of our school. Thanks to the quick response of our staff and community members, the student safely returned to campus without injury.Please know that student safety is our highest priority. Our staff reacted immediately upon noticing the student had left the classroom and took swift action to ensure the student's safety. We are grateful that the situation was resolved without harm. However, we take this matter very seriously and are actively reviewing how the student was able to leave the building. We are reviewing our safety procedures to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again."
For Vickie Kohler and Katie Canning, they are just happy they could prevent a possible tragedy and hope their actions lead to change.
Watch related coverage: Air Station Elizabeth City C-130, Jayhawk helicopter used to rescue men on sinking sailboat
"Hopefully this is, unfortunately, an eye opener. But at the same time, I'm so glad that this was not a tragic eye opener," said Canning.
“I want everybody to know that I don't feel like I'm a hero. I do not feel like that I deserve anything. I just want people to know that what has happened here, I want them to actually do something about the protocol of keeping these kids safe," said Kohler.
School officials emphasized that they are thoroughly investigating how the student was able to leave the building.ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Officials say a student walked out of Central Elementary School Tuesday morning and was found near the road in front of the school before being safely retrieved.They said a student left the classroom, exited the building and was "in proximity of the road" in front of the school and was safely returned to campus without injury, due to the quick response of one community member, ...
School officials emphasized that they are thoroughly investigating how the student was able to leave the building.
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Officials say a student walked out of Central Elementary School Tuesday morning and was found near the road in front of the school before being safely retrieved.
They said a student left the classroom, exited the building and was "in proximity of the road" in front of the school and was safely returned to campus without injury, due to the quick response of one community member, Vicki Kohler, and her husband.
Kohler said she was on her way to get some wood with her husband, when she saw the little boy.
"My husband said 'oh my goodness, look at that,' and I guess my mom instincts just took over because then I was telling him, pull over right now," said Kohler.
Kohler then ran across a busy Highway 17, located right in front of the school, and scooped the boy up as cars around them came to a standstill.
Kohler said the boy did not seem to know where he was.
"He just kept on saying 'I'm not supposed to be in the road, I'm not supposed to be in the road,'" said Kohler. "I said 'I know, little man, you're not. Never go by the road, you'll get hit."
Moments later, Kohler said a teacher with Central Elementary School caught up to them. Kohler said the teacher apologized, saying she took her eyes off the boy for just a few minutes and found the boy gone.
Kohler said she's just grateful she was there to stop him before he got too far away.
"He would have made it down to the church with how fast he was going," said Kohler. "I believe that the school needs some type of fencing around it to prevent this from happening, cause we do have special needs children in this area."
The entire incident was captured on cellphone video. Katie Canning, who filmed the rescue, said she was about to jump out of the car when she saw Kohler already running. The two found each other on social media later, and Canning said the incident stayed with her, as she has a child with special needs herself.
"It can be so scary when they take off like that," said Canning. "I'm just so glad this didn't end up as a tragic situation, but we have to learn from this, and make sure it doesn't happen again."
13News Now reached out to Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Public Schools for further comment, but have not yet heard back.
A spokesperson previously emphasized that they are thoroughly investigating how the student was able to leave the building and are reviewing safety procedures to prevent future incidents.
Contribute to the TeamShare team highlights with fans & mediaComplete the ScheduleComplete the RosterAdd...
Share team highlights with fans & mediaComplete the ScheduleComplete the RosterAdd missing athletes to the rosterMake a Correction
Kyan Evans has Been Balling Since High SchoolMar 21, 2025358.2k Views1:04Brandon Murray of McNeese has Been Legit Since High SchoolMar 21, 2025318.8k Views1:17MaxPreps Top 25 Basketball Rankings | 2024-2025 Regular Season Update #15Mar 18, 2025686.5k Views
Fri, 2/14@ NortheasternL 59-61Tue, 2/18@ Hertford CountyL 54-63Wed, 2/26@ Southwest OnslowL 40-83
North Carolina#376 | -- |
North Carolina Division 2A East#29 | -- |
Norfolk#55 | -- |
Do you have a team photo? Upload it