Car accidents · Wilmington, NC
A car accident lawyer in Wilmington who you can actually talk to right after a wreck.
When the at-fault driver's insurer calls within 48 hours asking for a recorded statement and floating a fast offer, you need a lawyer with over 36 years in North Carolina working contributory-negligence cases. I return calls within 24 hours, including weekends. Consultation is free. No fee unless I win your case.
How I work car accident cases
The investigation has to hold up under contributory negligence, or it does not help you.
North Carolina is one of only four states that still applies contributory negligence. If the defense proves you were even 1% at fault for the wreck, the rule can bar your recovery entirely. That is not an abstraction. Adjusters in NC work the rule every day, and they are good at it. Most of them have the same playbook: a friendly call within 48 hours, a soft request for a recorded statement, and a fast offer that closes the case before the full cost of the injury is known.
That playbook is the reason I build the investigation a certain way from the first call. Police reports, scene photographs, vehicle event-data, medical records, witness statements, social-media activity, and the at-fault driver's history all get gathered in a sequence designed to survive the 1% argument at trial. The defense will look for a preexisting back injury, a borderline speed reading, a moment of distraction. The case file either holds up under that pressure or it does not help you. There is no middle.
Personal injury is all I do, and I have done it for over 41 years. I do not represent corporations. I do not represent insurance companies. I represent ordinary people across eastern North Carolina, and I handle every car accident case personally — the same way I work the rest of my personal-injury practice. There are no associates because there are no handoffs. When you call my office, you will reach my legal assistant or me directly, and the call is returned within 24 hours, including weekends when the situation calls for it. The About page covers the practice in more depth.
Consultation is free. No fee unless I win your case. If I do not think the case can be defended under contributory negligence, I will tell you that honestly. You will know within the first call whether I think the case is workable.
— Robert L Armstrong
Sub-types I handle
The car wreck scenarios adjusters defend hardest.
Every car accident sub-type below is handled personally, and each has its own contributory-negligence pressure points. Pick the closest match to what happened. Or call (910) 256-1233 and I will route the conversation from there.
Rear-end collisions
Adjusters love rear-end cases for fast offers and low ceilings. I work them slowly, including delayed-onset whiplash and disc-injury claims.
Hit and run
When the at-fault driver fled, recovery often shifts to your own uninsured-motorist coverage. UM policy stacking is technical work that gets skipped.
Drunk driving
Criminal DUI prosecution does not end the civil claim. Punitive damages may apply when conduct is willful or grossly negligent.
Whiplash and soft tissue
Insurers dismiss whiplash as a minor injury. Cervical and lumbar soft-tissue injuries can require months of treatment and still be recoverable.
Multi-vehicle pile-ups
Three or four cars, two or three insurers, overlapping fault theories. Each defendant tries to push fault to the next. The investigation has to map every angle.
Out-of-state drivers
Tourist-corridor wrecks on I-40, US-17, and US-74 involve out-of-state insurance and unfamiliar UM/UIM rules. NC, NY, and NJ bar admissions help here.
Rideshare crashes
Uber and Lyft wrecks involve layered liability: the driver, the rideshare company, the company's commercial policy, and your own UM/UIM coverage.
By the numbers
What over 41 years looks like in the file.
For published case results and outcome ranges, see case results and the Cluster 8 settlement values library.
In their words
What car accident clients said after their case closed.
“We were both seriously injured in an automobile accident in North Carolina on our way home to New York. During our long recoveries and afterwards, he was in frequent contact with us to keep us posted on the progress of our cases. He addressed all our questions and concerns with clear explanations. We would highly recommend the law firm of Robert L. Armstrong.”
“Bob guided me through the legal process with honesty, integrity and transparency, giving me great advice specific to my situation. I always felt very well taken care of, and highly recommend him! Stephanie, his assistant, is amazing as well.”
“First time I had ever had a settlement in a car accident. I am very pleased with not only the settlement, but also the professionalism and honest support from Mr. Armstrong, along with his legal assistant Stephanie who could answer almost any question.”
Common questions
About NC car-accident cases.
The questions that come up most often after a car wreck in North Carolina. Answered the way I would answer them on the phone.
Frequently asked questions
The insurer already called and asked for a recorded statement. What should I do?
Do not give one yet. The adjuster sounds friendly, says it is routine, and frames a quick conversation as the way to move the claim forward. In a contributory-negligence state, that recording is the first place the defense looks for any admission they can stretch into 1% of fault on you. Tell the adjuster you will get back to them after speaking with an attorney. The call to me is free.
What if I was partly at fault for the wreck?
North Carolina is one of only four states that still applies contributory negligence. If the defense proves you were even 1% at fault, your recovery can be barred entirely. That is precisely why the investigation has to be built carefully from day one — police reports, scene photographs, vehicle data, medical records, witness statements. Tell me what happened. I will tell you honestly whether I think the case can be defended.
The at-fault driver's insurer made me a fast offer. Should I take it?
Almost never on day one or week one. A fast offer arrives before the full medical picture is known — before the imaging, the specialist referrals, the physical therapy course, the permanent-impairment rating, the wage-loss tally. Once you sign the release, the case is closed forever, including for medical expenses you have not yet incurred. Before you sign anything, the consultation is free.
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in North Carolina?
Three years from the date of the wreck for personal-injury claims, three years for property damage, and two years for wrongful death. After the deadline passes, the case cannot be filed regardless of how strong it is. Do not wait until the deadline is close — witness memory, vehicle evidence, and medical records all degrade quickly, and the defense will use that.
I live in another state but was hurt in NC. Can you still represent me?
Yes. I am admitted to the bar in North Carolina, New York, and New Jersey, and many of my out-of-state clients are referred to me by their home-state attorneys. Most of the case — document review, medical records, demand drafting, negotiation — can be handled remotely on your end. I usually only need you back in NC for a deposition, which I prepare you for personally.
How does the fee work? What if I do not recover anything?
The fee is contingent. There is no fee unless I win your case. My firm advances costs along the way — filing fees, expert witnesses, depositions, medical-record retrieval — and is reimbursed from the recovery if there is one. If there is not, you do not owe a fee. The consultation is free, with no retainer required to talk through what happened.
When you're ready to talk through what happened in the wreck, the call is free.
No fee unless I win your case. Tell me what happened. I will tell you honestly whether I think the case can be defended under North Carolina contributory negligence — and what NC law makes possible.
Contingency-fee representation. Free consultation.