North Carolina Accidents Definition

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

The period after alcohol is consumed but before the body reaches its highest blood alcohol concentration. "After alcohol is consumed" matters because absorption starts in the...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

administrative license revocation

You just got a letter that says your driving privileges were taken away before your criminal case is even finished. That usually means an administrative license revocation: a...

DEFINITION 2026-03-31

aggravated DUI

Miss this label, and a case that looks like a standard drunk-driving arrest can suddenly turn into jail exposure, license loss, crushing fines, and facts that make a civil...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

arising out of employment

This phrase can make or break a workers' comp case. If an injury did not arise out of employment, the insurer has a ready-made excuse to deny medical care, wage benefits, and...

DEFINITION 2026-03-22

attorney lien

$25,000 from a crash on I-77 near the Charlotte interchanges can disappear faster than expected if an attorney lien is attached to the case. This is a lawyer's claim against...

DEFINITION 2026-03-22

chemical test refusal

It is not the same as refusing roadside balance tests or declining to answer an officer's questions. A chemical test refusal means a person does not submit to an official...

DEFINITION 2026-03-26

dry reckless

Insurance companies and defense lawyers may throw around "dry reckless" to make a drunk-driving situation sound smaller than it was. The pitch is simple: no alcohol-based...

DEFINITION 2026-03-24

elopement

In North Carolina, you usually have 3 years to file an injury lawsuit and 2 years for a wrongful death claim, or you can lose the right to sue. Insurance companies and nursing...

DEFINITION 2026-03-21

exclusive remedy doctrine

Can you sue your employer after a job injury, or are workers' comp benefits your only option? Usually, the exclusive remedy doctrine means workers' compensation is the main...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

extreme DUI

This can blow up your fines, your license, your insurance bill, and your leverage in court fast. A very high blood alcohol concentration usually turns an ordinary drunk-driving...

DEFINITION 2026-03-30

felony DUI

People often lump felony DUI and misdemeanor DUI together, as if the only difference is "how drunk" someone was. That is wrong. A misdemeanor DUI is the usual lower-level...

DEFINITION 2026-04-01

horizontal gaze nystagmus

Why is an officer shining a penlight in someone's face and asking them to follow it with their eyes? That is part of a roadside sobriety test called horizontal gaze nystagmus,...

DEFINITION 2026-03-27

ignition interlock device

Not a tracker, and not a machine that proves someone is sober all day long. It is a breath-testing device installed in a vehicle that requires the driver to blow into it before...

DEFINITION 2026-04-01

impaired driving

Not just "drunk driving," and not limited to someone who is falling-down wasted. A person can be impaired even if they seem steady, talk normally, or blow under a number people...

DEFINITION 2026-03-27

implied consent

A single refusal can cost money, driving privileges, and leverage in a criminal case before you ever get to trial. When police lawfully suspect impaired driving, saying no to a...

DEFINITION 2026-03-26

misdemeanor DUI

What trips people up most is that "misdemeanor" does not mean minor. A misdemeanor DUI is a criminal charge for driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or another impairing...

DEFINITION 2026-03-27

one leg stand test

A poor performance on this roadside test can cost plenty: it may help an officer justify an arrest, trigger towing and bond expenses, raise insurance problems, and become part...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

OWI

A charge or legal shorthand for operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or another intoxicating substance, OWI is used in some states in place of DUI or DWI. The...

DEFINITION 2026-03-24

per se DUI

It is not a charge that requires proof a driver looked drunk, slurred words, or failed roadside tests. A per se DUI is the alcohol- or drug-based offense built on a legal...

DEFINITION 2026-03-31

permanent total disability

Like a bridge that has taken damage so severe it can no longer carry traffic safely, a person may reach a point where work capacity is considered gone for the long term, not...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

retrograde extrapolation

A prosecutor's estimate about your alcohol level earlier in time can raise fines, license consequences, and even make the difference between a weaker case and a conviction....

DEFINITION 2026-03-30

super extreme DUI

What does "super extreme DUI" mean, and does North Carolina charge it? It is a label some states use for a very high-BAC drunk-driving offense, usually when a driver's blood...

DEFINITION 2026-04-01

unscheduled injury

You just got a letter that says your back or neck injury is being treated as an "unscheduled injury," and now the benefits math suddenly looks different. That means the body...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

walk and turn test

What is the walk and turn test, and why does an officer ask for it? It is a roadside field sobriety test used to check whether a person can follow instructions, keep balance,...

DEFINITION 2026-04-01

wet reckless

A reduced drunk driving-related charge, usually meaning a DUI or DWI case is resolved as reckless driving with alcohol facts still noted in the record. For example, a driver...

DEFINITION 2026-04-02