Question 1

What are the bicycle laws in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

A driver overtaking another vehicle must pass at least two feet to the left of it. A driver may pass a bicycle or moped in a no-passing zone only if specific conditions are met, including leaving at least four feet of clearance or moving completely into the left lane. A parent or guardian may not knowingly let a child under 16 ride a bicycle as operator or passenger without a securely fastened helmet, but no negligence or liability may be assessed or imputed because of a violation of that rule.

Question 2

Can you recover damages if you were partly at fault in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

Contributory negligence. North Carolina has not adopted comparative fault; under its common law, a plaintiff whose own negligence contributed to the injury generally cannot recover. By statute, the defendant has the burden of proving contributory negligence. For tort claims against the state, the Industrial Commission may award damages only if there was no contributory negligence by the claimant.

Question 3

What is the minimum car insurance required in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

A vehicle may not be registered unless the owner provides proof of financial responsibility, which must be maintained continuously. The required amounts are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage.

Question 4

What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in North Carolina?

Accepted Answer

Three years. For personal injury, the claim does not accrue until bodily harm becomes apparent or reasonably should have become apparent, but no claim may accrue more than 10 years after the defendant's last act or omission (with limited exceptions).

Bicycle laws	A driver overtaking another vehicle must pass at least two feet to the left of it. A driver may pass a bicycle or moped in a no-passing zone only if specific conditions are met, including leaving at least four feet of clearance or moving completely into the left lane. A parent or guardian may not knowingly let a child under 16 ride a bicycle as operator or passenger without a securely fastened helmet, but no negligence or liability may be assessed or imputed because of a violation of that rule. The statute treating bicycles as vehicles was not read for this entry. Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-149(a), 20-150(e), 20-171.9
Fault rule (comparative negligence)	Contributory negligence. North Carolina has not adopted comparative fault; under its common law, a plaintiff whose own negligence contributed to the injury generally cannot recover. By statute, the defendant has the burden of proving contributory negligence. For tort claims against the state, the Industrial Commission may award damages only if there was no contributory negligence by the claimant. Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-139, 143-291(a)
Minimum car insurance	A vehicle may not be registered unless the owner provides proof of financial responsibility, which must be maintained continuously. The required amounts are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage. Registration requirement: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-309.html Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-309(a), 20-279.1(11)
Deadline to sue for an injury	Three years. For personal injury, the claim does not accrue until bodily harm becomes apparent or reasonably should have become apparent, but no claim may accrue more than 10 years after the defendant's last act or omission (with limited exceptions). Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(5), (16)

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