How Speeding Affects Liability in Charlotte NC Car Accidents

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How Speeding Affects Liability in Charlotte NC Car Accidents

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Every year, speeding contributes to thousands of car accidents across Charlotte, North Carolina—causing preventable injuries, devastating losses, and unnecessary fatalities. At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we understand the life-altering impact a speeding-related accident can have on victims and their families. As your dedicated legal advocates, our mission is to fight for your right to justice, hold negligent drivers accountable, and help you recover the compensation you deserve.

The Alarming Reality of Speeding in Charlotte, North Carolina

Speeding occurs when a driver exceeds the posted speed limit or travels too fast for current conditions—such as in rain, fog, or construction zones. It’s not just illegal; it’s reckless. Speeding significantly reduces a driver’s reaction time and stopping distance, often resulting in severe crashes that could have been avoided.

The Devastating Consequences of Speeding-Related Accidents

Victims of speeding accidents frequently suffer serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and internal trauma. Beyond the physical pain, the emotional and financial toll can be overwhelming—medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma, and long-term disability. At our firm, we believe that no one should suffer these burdens alone.

Your Advocate for Justice

With offices in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina and a proven track record in personal injury, premises liability, and car accident cases, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is here to help. Backed by positive client reviews and decades of experience, we offer free consultations to discuss your legal options and begin building a strong case on your behalf.

Understanding the Risks and Consequences of Speeding

How Speeding Impairs Driving Ability

Driving at high speeds shortens reaction times and increases the distance needed to stop safely. For example, while it takes approximately 120 feet to stop at 40 mph, that distance nearly doubles at 60 mph. Speeding also makes it harder to control the vehicle and avoid road hazards.

Beyond the Immediate Crash

Speeding leads not only to collisions but also to consequences like costly fines, points on your license, and increased insurance premiums. Speeding in school or work zones carries especially harsh penalties due to the added risk to vulnerable pedestrians and workers.

Charlotte’s Speeding Laws and Penalties

Speeding as Negligence

In North Carolina, speeding is considered negligence—a failure to use reasonable care. If a speeding driver causes an accident, their actions may serve as direct evidence of fault.

Absolute Speed Limits

North Carolina law enforces the following speed limits in Charlotte, unless otherwise posted:

  • 35 mph within city or town limits
  • 55 mph outside municipal limits
  • 70 mph on interstate highways

Exceeding these limits, especially by 15 mph or more, can result in severe penalties.

Penalties and Serious Offenses

Speeding can lead to fines, points on your driving record, and even license suspension. More serious violations—like driving over 80 mph or engaging in street racing—are classified as misdemeanors, and may result in jail time, vehicle impoundment, and permanent criminal records.

How Speed is Determined in Accident Investigations

The Role of Fault in Personal Injury Claims

Under North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule, you may be barred from recovering compensation if you’re found even 1% at fault. That’s why proving the other driver’s excessive speed is critical to your case.

Evidence That Proves Speeding

Our legal team uses various forms of evidence to demonstrate a driver’s speed at the time of a crash:

  • Police reports and traffic citations
  • Black box (event data recorder) data
  • Skid marks and crash impact analysis
  • Witness testimony and surveillance footage
  • Accident reconstruction experts

The Financial and Legal Impact of Speeding

What Compensation Can Victims Recover?

If you’ve been injured in a speeding-related crash in Charlote, you may be entitled to compensation for:

  • Medical expenses (current and future)
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Permanent disability
  • Property damage

These damages can be both economic (tangible costs like medical bills) and non-economic (intangible losses like reduced quality of life).

Common Injuries From Speeding Accidents

Injuries can be catastrophic and may include:

  • Whiplash and back injuries
  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
  • Broken bones and lacerations
  • Internal bleeding
  • Paralysis

What to Do After a Speeding-Related Accident in Charlotte, NC

Taking the right steps immediately after a crash can protect your health and your legal rights:

  1. Call 911 and seek medical attention.
  2. Report the accident to law enforcement.
  3. Document the scene: Take photos, get witness contact info, and record details.
  4. Exchange information with the other driver.
  5. Seek medical treatment promptly—even if symptoms seem minor.
  6. Call an attorney at the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor to begin protecting your claim right away.

Mistakes That Could Cost You Compensation

Avoid these common errors:

  • Failing to collect evidence or medical records
  • Giving recorded statements to insurers
  • Signing forms without legal advice
  • Missing medical appointments
  • Admitting any fault—even a little—due to North Carolina’s strict contributory negligence law

Speeding-Related Accidents by the Numbers

According to the NHTSA, speeding is a factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes nationwide. In North Carolina:

  • Over 20% of crashes are linked to speeding
  • Speeding accounts for more than 36% of crash injuries
  • Half of teen crash fatalities involve excessive speed

Speeding is especially deadly in rural areas, and fatalities are more common during nighttime hours in urban settings.

Preventing Speeding Fatalities: A Community Responsibility

The solution starts with awareness and accountability:

  • Public education through media campaigns and school programs
  • Law enforcement visibility through speed patrols and checkpoints
  • Better infrastructure, including speed bumps and improved signage
  • Technology, such as speed limiters and red-light cameras

Conclusion: Take Action with The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

Speeding endangers lives and has devastating consequences. If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash caused by a speeding driver in Charlotte, don’t face the aftermath alone. You deserve a legal team that’s knowledgeable, compassionate, and relentless in pursuit of justice.

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is here to help—24/7. With multiple offices across North Carolina and a no-fee-unless-we-win policy, we make it easy to take the first step.

Schedule your free consultation today.

Call us now or fill out our online form to speak with an attorney.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I do immediately after a speeding-related accident?
A: Call 911, get medical help, document the scene, exchange info, and contact a personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor.

Q: How does North Carolina’s contributory negligence law affect my case?
A: If you are even 1% at fault, you may be barred from recovery. This is why legal representation is crucial.

Q: What compensation can I recover?
A: Medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more.

Q: How does a lawyer prove the other driver was speeding?
A: Through police reports, black box data, witness statements, and accident reconstruction experts.

Q: What if the driver was also under the influence?
A: This strengthens your case by showing clear recklessness and may lead to criminal penalties against the driver.

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Charlotte, NC 28204

Phone: (704) 676-1093
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

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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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