A helicopter crash sparked a $50 million wrongful death settlement in a state not known for immense awards.

Make them pay

North Carolina has never been viewed as a money pot for plaintiffs’ attorneys, those skilled barristers able to convince juries to hand over tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars to aggrieved parties.

That’s often viewed as a positive by leaders in the business community, and less so by those who feel the state is too restrictive in permitting what critics call “runaway verdicts.” One factor is that North Carolina is one of only four states that has a “contributory negligence” law that prevents plaintiffs from receiving damages if he or she was even 1% at fault for causing an injury or death…

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