There are eight million licensed drivers in North Carolina, and not all of them are good drivers. So, a car wreck may be the most likely reason a person ever needs a personal injury attorney.
And the last thing someone needs after a wreck is an overpromising, performative, combative lawyer promising outrageous settlements that can’t be delivered.
Michele Cybulski takes a different approach. She’s unassuming, calm and analytical — qualities most judges would tell you are excellent for favorably resolving auto accident cases.
Cybulski has represented thousands of auto collision claimants over her career. She knows successfully resolving cases isn’t about being aggressive and uncompromising with an insurance company. Auto claims are more about understanding the facts, gathering the necessary evidence and preparing a strong legal strategy to get the best possible outcome for the client.
As Managing Personal Injury Attorney with the Deuterman Law Group, Cybulski leads a personal injury team with a presence across the state. And no matter where a wreck occurs, she says most people share the same concerns: What happens to my vehicle? How will I pay my medical bills? Will insurance cover everything?
“Those are valid and very real concerns,” says Cybulski, who notes that car prices have risen by 30% in the last 10 years and annual per-person health care costs have tripled in the last 20 years. “And the insurance claim process doesn’t provide easy answers either, so having an experienced attorney is to help clients get through that process.”
Clients want to recover their losses, not get rich
A bad driver can be liable for many types of losses, including medical bills, vehicle damage and lost wages. Those losses add up quickly. A trip to the emergency room and subsequent medical treatment alone can cost thousands of dollars.
Trying to collect money directly from an at-fault driver is difficult in North Carolina. First, there has to be a judgment against the driver. Then, that individual has to actually have the money to pay it. Statutory protections can also make collecting a judgment difficult.
“That’s the whole reason we have car insurance,” says Cybulski.
What many people are surprised to learn, however, is that there are limits to what insurance covers. Auto insurance commercials don’t spend much time discussing this critical aspect of insurance claims.
When purchasing an auto insurance policy, Cybulski recommends paying close attention to the amount of liability coverage that protects you. Those coverage amounts are called limits, and the North Carolina General Assembly sets the minimum liability limits every auto insurance policy must carry.
New higher coverage requirements help
The legislature responded to rising health care costs and the increasing price of cars and trucks by raising those minimums. With bipartisan support, a law enacted higher minimum limits for all new policies and policy renewals issued after July 1, 2025.
Minimum bodily injury liability coverage increased from $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. The minimum property damage limit doubled from $25,000 to $50,000.
Now, more than a year later, policies in effect should have transitioned to the higher minimums.
The reason for the change is easy to see. The old $25,000 property damage limit may not be enough if someone’s newer vehicle is totaled in a wreck.
“It’s good news that all vehicle owners have to meet this higher standard,” says Cybulski. “Prior to this law, many thousands of drivers had been on the road with inadequate coverage for losses.”
In addition to the increased minimums, changes to uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage were made that also benefit policyholders.
Cybulski says the new requirements significantly reduce drivers’ potential financial exposure after an accident. She recommends that everyone review their policies with their insurance agents to make sure they understand both the new minimums and how much protection they actually have.
Drivers should buy all the protection they can
When reviewing a policy, it also makes sense to consider carrying medical payments coverage and additional uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Last year, the Insurance Research Council reported a steady rise in uninsured motorists nationally over a six-year period ending in 2023, when more than 15% of drivers had no auto insurance. Applied to North Carolina’s driving population, that could represent more than a million drivers.Â
“I’m telling everyone that it’s more important than ever for people to protect themselves with the higher coverage that’s now available,” says Cybulski.
The human side of personal injury law
A good attorney also understands that an auto accident client needs objective clarity at a time when it can be difficult to think objectively.
“The less analytical part of my job is reducing uncertainty, giving assurances and handholding during a painful experience,” says Cybulski. “At the same time, I make sure the insurance companies compensate the client properly.”
Helping North Carolinians recover
Accident claimants aren’t looking to get rich. They’re working people who have suffered a loss — of a vehicle, income, health or some combination of the three — and simply need to recover what they’ve lost, heal from their injuries and get their lives back on track.
That takes North Carolina experience, diligence and empathy. It takes an attorney who knows how to put the best case forward for an injured driver.
Not one who promises what cannot be delivered.
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