What happens if the estate has no assets but I paid expenses related to the death—do I have any way to recover those costs? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, death-related expenses like funeral and burial costs are usually paid from the decedent’s estate, not directly from the wrongful-death recovery. If the estate…
What documents or information do insurers usually need for a death-related claim, and who should provide them? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, insurers usually ask for proof of death, proof of the claimant’s identity and authority to receive money, and basic information about the policy and the loss. The right person to…
If the funeral bill isn’t available yet, can reimbursement still be included and finalized later? – North Carolina Short Answer Usually, a North Carolina court will not “finalize” a specific reimbursement amount for funeral expenses in a minor wrongful-death settlement order without documentation showing what was actually paid. A settlement order can often reserve the…
How can I start a wrongful death claim after my spouse was hit by a tractor-trailer while riding a bicycle, and what evidence do I need if the driver left the scene or says they were off duty? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a wrongful death claim is started by the deceased…
What information do I need to request the correct accident report if the report number I have is incomplete or wrong? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an investigating officer’s crash report is generally a public record, and a copy can usually be located even if the report number is incomplete or wrong.…
If my life insurance paid most of the funeral costs, can I still ask the other beneficiaries to reimburse me for part of that expense? – North Carolina Short Answer Sometimes, but it depends on what was actually paid out of pocket versus what was paid by a life-insurance or pre-need arrangement, and how the…
What happens if an accident report is delayed or never finalized? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a delayed accident report usually does not stop a wrongful death case, but it can slow early investigation and insurance decisions. State law generally requires the investigating officer to complete a written crash report quickly and…
How can I get an accident report if it isn’t available online yet? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a law enforcement crash report is a public record, but it may take time to be completed and transmitted to the state system that feeds online portals. When the report is not online yet,…
Can an attorney request a crash report on behalf of a client, and what information do I need to submit the request? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, a law enforcement officer’s crash report is generally a public record, and a lawyer may request it on a client’s behalf the same way…
What proof do I need to show that I personally paid funeral or transport costs so I can request reimbursement? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, reimbursement of funeral, burial, and related transportation costs in a wrongful-death case typically depends on showing (1) what was charged, (2) what was actually paid (or is…