The multiplier method with North Carolina's actual rules applied — contributory negligence — any fault can bar recovery, a 3-year filing window — every statute cited and linked, every line of arithmetic shown.
Based on the multiplier method used by insurers and attorneys. This is an educational estimate, not legal advice — every claim is different.
North Carolina is one of only four states (plus DC) where being even 1% at fault can bar recovery entirely. The offsets: the last-clear-chance doctrine, the defendant's gross/willful negligence, and children under 7. How fault is framed decides these cases. — Common-law doctrine; see Exum v. Boyles, 272 N.C. 567 (1968)
3 years for personal injury — N.C.G.S. §1-52(16). The clock is jurisdictional — one day late and no court will hear the case.
At-fault state — no PIP.
Minimum liability coverage: 50/100/50 — $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage (raised for policies effective on/after July 1, 2025 — the highest minimums of any Tier-1 state). — N.C.G.S. §20-279.21(b)(2), as amended by S.L. 2023-133 — policy limits are the practical ceiling on most settlements, which is why identifying every available policy (including your own underinsured-motorist coverage) matters.
Contributory negligence massively discounts disputed-liability claims — but clean-liability claims (a rear-end, a DUI defendant) are worth more here than the same case elsewhere, because the new 50/100/50 minimums mean more coverage is actually available. Never concede any fault percentage in an NC claim without advice.
The same multiplier method used everywhere — (medical bills + lost wages) × a 1.5–5× severity multiplier + property damage — then North Carolina's fault rule is applied: North Carolina is one of only four states (plus DC) where being even 1% at fault can bar recovery entirely. The offsets: the last-clear-chance doctrine, the defendant's gross/willful negligence, and children under 7. How fault is framed decides these cases. The calculator on this page runs exactly that math and prints every line.
3 years for personal injury (N.C.G.S. §1-52(16)). Miss the deadline and the claim is barred permanently, no matter how strong it is — and claims against government entities often have much shorter notice requirements.
At-fault state — no PIP.
Compensatory damages: No cap in ordinary injury cases. Punitive damages: Greater of 3× compensatory or $250,000 — with no cap when the defendant was driving impaired. Medical malpractice: Non-economic damages capped (inflation-indexed, roughly $500k+; exceptions for disfigurement/death with gross negligence).
North Carolina's actual PPD formula and current maximum rates, computed line by line.
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