Greenville Personal Injury Lawyer

The Insurance Company Already Has a Plan for Your Claim

Your medical bills keep arriving. You cannot work, and money is getting tight. You wonder if the adjuster on the phone is really on your side, or if one wrong word to them could hurt your recovery.

You have enough to worry about, and saying the right thing shouldn’t be on your worry list.

That is exactly why a Greenville personal injury lawyer matters right now. At O’Malley Tunstall PC, our personal injury attorneys only work on one side of the courtroom. We represent injured people. Attorney Joseph Tunstall has over 100 cases to a plaintiff verdict, and he knows where to look for every layer of coverage that could pay a claim.

Tell us what happened, and let’s figure out your next move together.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Greenville and Pitt County Clients

We represent people hurt by someone else’s negligence throughout Pitt County and Eastern North Carolina. If someone else’s carelessness caused your injury, we want to know the details, no matter how the accident happened. Some personal injury cases we take include:

• Car accidents. Crashes on Greenville roads like Memorial Drive, Greenville Boulevard, and Highway 264 are common personal injury cases we handle. Speeding, distracted driving, and following too closely cause many of these wrecks.
• Commercial truck and log truck accidents. Log trucks and tractor-trailers travel Pitt County’s rural highways daily, and a collision with one can cause life-changing injuries. We look at driver logs, maintenance records, and company policies in these cases.
• Motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists have little protection in a crash, and injuries are often severe even at low speeds. We work to counter the bias some insurers hold against riders.
• Slip, trip, and fall injuries. Property owners in Greenville have a duty to keep stores, apartments, and public spaces reasonably safe. When they do not, and someone gets hurt, we hold them accountable.
• Wrongful death. When a family loses a loved one to someone else’s negligence, we pursue compensation for funeral costs, lost income, and the loss of that person’s presence.

We also represent people hurt in work accidents, dog bite incidents, nursing home incidents, and other personal injury accidents. If you were hurt in any type of Greenville accident, we encourage you to contact us for a free consultation to learn about your rights and possible next steps.

Why North Carolina Makes It Easy for Insurers to Blame You

North Carolina is one of only a few states left with a rule called contributory negligence. If an insurance company can show you were even 1% at fault for your own accident, the law lets them pay you nothing. 

Adjusters know this rule well. They will ask questions designed to get you to admit even a small amount of blame, often before you have seen a doctor or spoken with a lawyer. A single recorded statement, given in the confusion right after a crash, can jeopardize your recovery.

What to Do in the First 48 Hours After a Greenville Accident

Get medical care right away, even if you feel fine at the scene. Some injuries, like concussions and soft tissue damage, do not show symptoms until hours or days later, and a gap in treatment gives an insurance company a reason to argue your injury was not serious or was not related to the accident.

Write down what you remember while it is fresh. The road, the weather, what the other driver said, and any witnesses nearby may all matter. Photos of the vehicles, the road, and your injuries can also be essential evidence.

Avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster, including your own, until you have talked to a lawyer.

What Fighting Your Claim Looks Like in Pitt County

If your case cannot be settled fairly, a Pitt County lawsuit is filed and heard at the Pitt County Courthouse, 100 West Third Street in Greenville. Built in 1910, it has served as the county’s civil and criminal court for well over a century and handles personal injury cases from across the region.

When a wreck is serious, most patients from across Eastern North Carolina end up at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, the region’s only Level I trauma center east of Raleigh. We build our cases around the records those trauma teams generate, since that documentation often becomes the strongest evidence of how serious an injury really is and what it will cost to treat.

We’re Here to Help You Take the Next Step

Free Case Evaluation

Answers Greenville Accident Victims Ask Us Most

How many personal injury cases has Attorney Tunstall handled?

Joe Tunstall has taken more than 100 cases to a plaintiff verdict in North Carolina courts, always on behalf of the injured person, never an insurance company.

What is contributory negligence in North Carolina?

It is a rule that lets an insurance company deny your entire claim if you were even slightly at fault for the accident. North Carolina is one of the few states that still uses this rule.

How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in North Carolina?

Most personal injury claims must be filed within three years of the injury under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52. Some cases have shorter deadlines, so it is best to act quickly. If you miss the deadline set by the statute of limitations, the court can shut the door on your case no matter how badly you were hurt or how clearly the other person was at fault.

What court handles personal injury lawsuits filed in Greenville?

Civil lawsuits from Greenville and the rest of Pitt County are filed and heard at the Pitt County Courthouse on West Third Street. Cases worth $25,000 or less are heard in District Court, and cases worth more than $25,000 are heard in Superior Court.

Where do serious accident victims from Greenville get treated?

Many go to ECU Health Medical Center, the region’s only Level I trauma center east of Raleigh. We often build a case around the medical records that trauma teams there create. However, treatment at ECU Health Medical Center is not required. You may have a case regardless of where you got medical care.

What if the other driver did not have enough insurance to cover my injuries?

North Carolina law requires every auto policy to include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-279.21. We check every policy connected to your accident, including your own, to find coverage you may not know you have.

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer?

We work on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing upfront. We only get paid if we recover money for you.

How long will my personal injury case take to resolve?

It depends on your injuries and how the insurance company responds. Some claims settle in months, while cases that go to trial can take longer.

What should I avoid doing after an accident in Greenville?

Avoid giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with a lawyer. What you say early on can be used to reduce or deny your claim later.

Do I have to go to court for my personal injury case?

Most cases settle before trial, but we prepare every case as if it will go in front of a jury. That preparation is often what pushes an insurance company to offer a fair settlement.

Can I still file a claim if I was partly at fault for my Greenville accident?

It depends on the facts. Under North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule, even a small amount of fault can bar your claim entirely, so this is worth discussing with a lawyer before you say anything to an insurance company.

What if the insurance company already offered me a settlement?

Early offers are often lower than what a claim is actually worth, especially before your medical treatment is finished. Talk to a lawyer before accepting anything or signing a release.

Does it matter if my accident happened outside Greenville city limits?

No. We represent clients throughout Pitt County and the surrounding Eastern North Carolina counties, not just inside Greenville itself.

If your question is not listed here, contact O’Malley Tunstall, PC and ask us directly.

What Happens When You Contact Us Today

Every day you wait is a day the insurance company spends building its file, while yours sits open. Contact O’Malley Tunstall, PC for a free case review. We represent injured people across Eastern North Carolina, never insurance companies. We work on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. Tell us what happened, and let’s find out what your Greenville personal injury claim is really worth together.