Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Vehicle Accidents:
Legal claims that arise from vehicle accidents are typically governed by the law of negligence.  Any individual who negligently operates a motor vehicle may be required to pay damages to an injured victim.  A personal injury case involving a vehicle accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed.  Vehicle accidents can include:

• ATV accidents
• automobile accidents
• bicycle accidents
• boating accidents
• commercial bus accidents
• cruise ship accidents
• intersection accidents
• motorcycle accidents
• pedestrian accidents
• rear end collisions
• semi-tractor trailer accidents
• school bus accidents
• SUV rollover accidents
• truck accidents
• yacht accidents

The surviving family members of a fatally injured accident victim may be able to bring wrongful death charges against the defendant.

Automobile Accidents:
A car accident is a collision involving an automobile and anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings and trees. Sometimes a car accident may also refer to an automobile striking a human or animal. Car accidents — also called traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents and crashes — kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about forty times this number.

Bicycle Accidents:
According to the Federal Highway Administration, over 67,000 cyclists in the U.S. are injured every year in accidents involving motor vehicles.  Many cyclists who are injured in bicycle accidents are unaware that they have a personal injury case and that they may be entitled to compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills and lost incomes.  A cyclist may be entitled to receive compensation for an injury sustained because of a pothole, poor road or defective sidewalk.  There are state mandated residential and commercial bicycle laws, which entitle cyclists to observe different traffic rules than cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles.  This may mean that the cyclist is not legally responsible for an accident.

Motorcycle Accidents:
Motorcycle riders are often exposed to dangers not met by automobile drivers and other motorists on the road.  The lack of any substantial protective barriers, as well as the difficulty that other motorists may have in seeing or stopping for a motorcycle, leaves riders prone to serious personal injury in the event of an accident.

SUV Rollovers:
Although SUV rollovers do not occur as often as other automobile accidents, when they do occur they have a higher chance of resulting in serious injury or death, and are considered to be the most fatal type of vehicle accident on national roadways.  According to the Federal Highway Administration, SUV rollover accidents account for more than side and rear fatal vehicles combined and SUV's are three times more likely than the average passenger car rollover.

Although SUV's were designed primarily for the purpose of off-roading, manufacturers have since discovered their immense popularity as family vehicles.  Manufacturers have begun removing roll bars in current models.  SUV seat structures are not designed to keep occupants in place during a rollover regardless if seatbelts are worn.  Vehicle roofs, windshields and side windows easily collapse, increasing the risk of occupant head, brain and spinal cord and back injuries.  While the body of an SUV remains the same as it would if used for off-roading, the removal of the roll bars, combined with the high center gravity due to multiple passengers, make rollover accidents and occupant ejection that much more fatal.

Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization.  A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents.  Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death.  In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one.  Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his or her spouse, children and/or parents had he or she survived.  It also includes the recovery for funeral service expenses in memory of the decedent and for burial cost.  Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support.

Traumatic Brain Injury:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical phrase used to describe the damage to the brain suffered by sudden impact or physical force to the head.  Essentially, the human brain floats in a fluid substance called cerebrospinal fluid.  TBI can result when the force of momentum causes the brain to impact against the skull.  This type of injury, often the result of hitting your head on the windshield, pavement or object, is frequently referred to as a “closed head injury.”  Whiplash can also cause TBI.  These closed head injuries can result in lasting physical and mental problems.

Burn Injuries:
People who have suffered and survived the agony of second, third and even fourth degree burns describe the pain they experienced as among the most severe of all traumatic injuries.  Personal injuries involving severe burns commonly result from explosions, premises fires, defective products, motor vehicle collisions, electric shock, as well as accidental exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation.

Spinal Cord Injury:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the nerves within the spinal canal are damaged.  Most SCI's are caused by trauma to the vertebral column, affecting the spinal cord's ability to send and receive messages between the brain and the body's systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic function.  Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI, followed by acts of violence, falls, sports injuries and diseases such as polio, spina bifida and Friedreich’s Ataxia.  The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning. 

Construction/ On-the-Job Accidents:
Construction labor makes up one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States today; each year producing thousands of debilitating injuries and wrongful deaths.  Factors that contribute to construction accidents include workers lifting loads with worn and weathered cables, working on elevated platforms without fall protection or wearing defective safety harnesses and lanyards, and/or working in trenches with improper benching and using outdated tools and equipment.  Farming and manufacturing accidents, as well as the oil and gas industry accidents can also cause serious injury and toxic exposure.

• Toxic Exposure: Due to the tremendous growth of corporate industry in the United States over the past fifty years, the number of dangerous, toxic substances in the environment has grown significantly.  Some toxic substances are shown to cause substantial injury to people, such as lead-based paint (linked to brain damage, especially in children), asbestos (linked to lung cancer and restrictive lung disease), dry cleaning and other solvents (linked to brain damage and major organ damage), pesticides such as dioxin and DDT (linked to birth injuries) and toxic landfill waste (linked to leukemia).

Insurance Claims:
Insurance claims are a notice for reimbursement from an insurance company when the insured has suffered a loss that is covered under the insurance policy. Insurance companies cannot refuse to pay a customer's claim without "reasonable justification."  This means that an insurance company must engage in a reasonable investigation and pay legitimate claims in a timely manner.  If an insurance company fails to handle its customer's claim properly, it may be held accountable for resulting economic losses, including lost wages, interest on money the insured borrowed to cover expenses while insurance benefits were wrongfully withheld, and loss due to damaged credit.

Workers' Compensation:
Workers' compensation is insurance that an employer is required by law to carry in case an employee is injured on the job or becomes ill, temporarily or permanently disabled, or fatally injured due to circumstances surrounding his or her job.  Although workers' compensation laws vary from state to state, covered medical care generally includes: medical, surgical and hospital services; dental services; crutches; hearing aids; chiropractic treatment; physical therapy; nursing care and prescribed medications.  Additional monetary compensation may be provided if an injured employee is temporarily unable to work for more than a certain number of calendar days set by state law, hospitalized as an in-patient, or becomes permanently disabled due to a job-related injury or illness.  The right to receive medical treatment at the employer's expense typically continues as long as treatment is reasonable and necessary to treat the injury.

If you or someone you know in Rocky Mount or anywhere in North Carolina needs the assistance of an experienced Personal Injury Lawyer, call the Law Offices of Roberta L. Edwards, P.A. today at 866-666-8162, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Professional Profile

If you or someone you know in Rocky Mount or anywhere in North Carolina needs the assistance of an experienced Rocky Mount Personal Injury Lawyer, call Roberta Edwards today at 866-666-8162, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.  We are available to meet with clients in the hospital or in their homes by appointment.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:

Law Office of Roberta L. Edwards, P.A.
4117 Sunset Ave.
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Telephone: 866-666-8162
Fax: 252-752-1016

Roberta Edwards, Esq.

Robbie Edwards has over twenty-two years of experience handling cases involving the complicated medical and legal issues of those individuals who have sustained serious injuries and disability. Robbie integrates her nursing education and experience (which spans over 33 years) with the legal needs of her clients.

In the past ten years she obtained biblical education through several programs of study that help her apply the teachings of Jesus Christ to her law practice. By understanding the spiritual needs as well as the physical and legal aspects she is able to assist the individual and their family in achieving wholeness and complete restoration. Achieving justice and fairness is critically important to her and she will spend whatever time is necessary to obtain the best results. Her goal in life is to have a positive impact on each individual she meets and to leave them better off as a result of the relationship. It is her desire to serve those who have been mistreated and neglected by insurance companies, employers, and governmental agencies.

She believes that all individuals deserve dignity and respect. She utilizes all of her education, experience, and resources to serve individuals with complicated needs in a compassionate and timely manner.

Robbie is the pastor of Oak Chapel A.M.E.Church in Warrenton, NC. Her husband Clark Mills, Sr. leads a Bible Study group in their home for Precept Ministries of Chattanooga, TN. Robbie provides Christian information and Bibles through Sonrise Missions, an interdenominational venture, to apply Biblical Spiritual truth to life situations. Robbie is also an ordained elder in the A.M.E. Church.

Robbie is currently engaged in advanced theological studies in pursuit of a Masters of Divinity degree with Luther Rice Bible Seminary. She believes that all individuals deserve dignity and respect. She utilizes all of her education, experience, and resources to serve individuals with complicated needs in a compassionate and timely manner.

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• North Carolina, 1986
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina, 1992
• U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina, 2000

EDUCATION:

• J.D., North Carolina Central University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina, 1985
• Colorado Bible College, 2002
• Rhema Correspondence Bible College, 2001
• University of North Carolina, Greensboro, 1978
  • Masters in Nursing
• B.S., Atlantic Christian College, Wilson, NC, 1975
  • Honors: Cum Laude
  • Major: Nursing
• Classes/Seminars Taught:
  • Medical Records for North Carolina Attorney, Raleigh, NC, 2002
  • Workers' Compensation Seminar, Greenville, NC, 2002