9 Things You Should Know About a Free Car Accident Lawyer Consultation in Hickory, NC

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9 Things You Should Know About a Free Car Accident Lawyer Consultation in Hickory, NC

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  1. Can I really speak to an attorney for free about my car wreck?  

Yes, it costs you nothing to talk to a lawyer for free about your case.  At the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we receive calls 24/7 about car accidents.  We are happy to talk with you for free about your potential case.  If you prefer, we can also set up a time to meet with you in person to answer all of your questions and this consultation is always free.

  1. If I hire a personal injury lawyer, how much will I pay?

Most attorneys who practice personal injury law in Hickory, NC agree to only charge a fee if they are successful in resolving your case.  These type of fee agreements are called contingency fee agreements.  That is, any attorney fees are contingent upon our firm recovering money for you. 

  1. What information should I bring to my free consultation or have available during our phone call?

Typically, after a car accident you might receive an exchange slip which contains the other driver’s name, the name of their insurance company, and a policy number.  This exchange slip will also contain the report number which will be important in retrieving a copy of the accident report in the days following the wreck. 

You might have also taken photographs of the scene, of your vehicle, of the other vehicle(s) involved, and of your injuries.  Your car accident attorney will want to have all of these photos because like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.  Photos can really help assist your attorney in obtaining maximum value for your case.  While our goal is to resolve your case as quickly and efficiently as possible, there will be times when an insurance company will not agree to a fair value and photos can be really helpful to a jury when it comes time to award damages in a car accident case.

You should also have your own insurance information because you may have benefits available to you and your passengers under your own policy.  Your Hickory NC Car Accident Lawyer will want to recover all monies to which you are entitled and your lawyer will know how to identify additional sources of recovery for you with this information.

When you leave the hospital, you will receive some discharge instructions and information about your visit to the emergency department.  These records can be very helpful to your car accident attorney as they will want to begin requesting records from any health care provider that you see for the injuries sustained in the car wreck.

  1. What are some important questions to ask my lawyer during the free consultation?

Your lawyer will want to understand how your injuries have impacted your life and your ability to perform normal work and recreational activities following a wreck.  As you discuss how the car wreck has affected you physically, ask the lawyer about their experience in handling personal injury cases and injuries similar to yours.  At the Law Offices of Jason Taylor, our attorneys have many years of experience and we are not afraid to go to court if that is what is required to get fair compensation for your injuries.  We are always happy to talk about our experience because it gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to helping the injured.

If your car accident just happened, you may not be thinking about time constraints on being able to pursue a claim.  However, it is always a good idea to ask your lawyer during the free consultation about how much time you have to bring a claim for your injuries.  Our experienced lawyers are very familiar with the various statutes of limitations which can apply to a claim and will be ready to discuss this with you during your free consultation.

Another important question that you might ask relates to what you can expect the process to look like and the timeframe for when to expect certain things to happen.  Our experienced lawyers will be happy to discuss our process for handling your injury case.  We love helping people and we always want you to know what we are doing to move your case forward.

  1. How do I discuss the attorney’s experience with my type of case?

The free consultation is a time for you to talk with the lawyer about their experience in handling cases like yours.  It is very important to be comfortable with your choice of lawyers, so don’t be afraid to ask them about their experience, education, and time spent in the courtroom.

  1. Will my lawyer be available to me after the free consultation?

Yes.  Your lawyer will always be happy to speak with you directly.  A source of pride within our firm is that we hire amazing people to work as a team to accomplish the goal of moving your case along quickly, efficiently, and with an emphasis on keeping open lines of communication at all levels.  You will be assigned both an attorney and a professional case manager who will always know the latest information on your case.  However, because we communicate so well as a team, any person you reach at the Law Offices of Jason Taylor will be able to assist you when you need help with your Hickory, NC car accident question.

  1. Will the attorney be able to tell me the value of my case during the free consultation?

No.  If an attorney tries to give you a valuation of your case without reviewing the records and all the relevant information about your injuries and how they impacted you, then that might not be the lawyer for you.  Instead, an experienced lawyer knows that your case deserves a full and complete review to properly assess the true value.  You hire a lawyer to ensure that you receive full and fair compensation for all of your injuries and damages.  In our opinion, we would not be doing our job properly if we tried to assign some arbitrary value to your claim during an initial consultation without fully knowing all about your case, your injuries, and how the records support your claim. 

  1. Will we be able to talk about the property damage to my car and a rental vehicle?

Yes.  The damage to your car and the issues of obtaining a rental vehicle are often some of the first issues that need to be addressed so that you can be back up and running as soon as possible.  Take time during your free consultation to discuss your damaged vehicle with your attorney.

  1. When will I receive money for my injuries?

When you have been in a car accident in Hickory NC, you may wonder when to expect your case to be resolved.  Much of the timing depends on your injuries and how long they take to heal.  We would not typically want to resolve your case without fully knowing what it takes for you to get completely better. 

Once you have been released from your doctor’s care, then that is the appropriate time to work toward resolution with an insurance company.  Our team of professionals and lawyers are skilled at making sure we have all of the records, bills, photos, and other documents that we will need to successfully negotiate a fair settlement for you.  Our lawyers are experienced litigators and negotiators.  We know the difference between a fair offer and a low-ball offer from an insurance company.

Once we have an offer, we will present it to you with our thoughts about whether or not it is fair in light of your specific situation.  If accepted, then your money is usually available in a matter of days after your approval and signature on any release documents.  The bank will require the funds to clear the bank before they can be disbursed, but this usually happens pretty fast and we have incredible people as part of our team who monitor and make sure you receive your money at the earliest opportunity.

Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys in Hickory, NC.

Our team of experienced car accident and personal injury lawyers, investigators, and case managers are ready to serve you at our Hickory, NC office.

120 3rd St NE
Hickory, NC 28601

Phone: (828) 327-9004
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

 

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120 3rd St NE
Hickory, NC 28601

Phone: (828) 327-9004
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

301 S McDowell St #1016
Charlotte, NC 28204

Phone: (704) 676-1093
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

130 Church St NE
Concord, NC 28025

Phone: (704) 787-9419
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

1348 Ebenezer Rd Suite 103
Rock Hill, SC 29732

Phone: (803) 980-5300
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

The Law Offices of
Jason E. Taylor, P.C.
Hickory Injury Lawyers & Attorneys at Law

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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