Is it Worth Getting a Lawyer for a Minor Car Accident in Greenville, NC?

If you’ve been in a car accident, even if it was a minor one, you may be wondering if it’s worth hiring a lawyer. The answer to that question depends on several factors, including the severity of your injuries and the amount of damage to your vehicle.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, our Greenville car accident attorneys have years of experience dealing with auto accident cases, and we know how to get results. No matter how minor the car accident is, we will help you through the legal process and ensure your rights are protected. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation.

How Common Are Car Accidents in Greenville, NC?

While Greenville is a relatively small city with just over 90,000 citizens, according to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, over 3,000 car accidents occurred in 2019.

Examples of Minor Car Accidents

Side-Swipe Accident

A sideswipe is a type of car accident that occurs when the side of one vehicle collides with the side of another. This type of accident can be caused by driver negligence, poor road conditions, or a driver hitting a parked car.

Rear-End Accident

When one car hits the back of another vehicle, it’s called a rear-end accident. Rear-end accidents often happen when one driver follows another too closely and doesn’t have time to stop when the car in front of them suddenly brakes.

Fender Benders

Also known as a low-speed impact, fender benders may not seem like a big deal. But these types of accidents can still cause serious injuries, such as whiplash or back pain.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Greenville, NC

Driver Error

One of the most common causes of car accidents is driver error. This can include speeding, running a red light, and distracted driving.

Road Conditions

Poor road conditions can also cause car accidents. Icy roads, potholes, and construction zones can make it difficult for drivers to control their vehicles.

Weather Conditions

Inclement weather can also cause car accidents. Rain, snow, and fog can all make it difficult to see the road and make it more difficult to control your car.

Drunk Driving

If you’re injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the driver and the bar or restaurant that served them alcohol.

Common Car Accident Injuries

  • Whiplash – One of the most common injuries in car accidents is whiplash, a neck injury caused by a forceful and sudden head movement. Whiplash can cause pain, stiffness, and loss of range of motion in the neck.
  • Concussions – A concussion is another common injury in minor car accidents, one of the most common mild traumatic brain injuries that can cause dizziness, nausea, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
  • Spinal Cord Injuries – The most common spinal cord injury in car accidents is a compression fracture when one or more vertebrae collapse. Spinal cord injuries can also cause paralysis, loss of sensation, and difficulty breathing.
  • Head and Brain Injuries – Head and brain injuries are some of the most severe types of injuries that can occur in car accidents. Head injuries can range from mild concussions to traumatic brain injuries. Brain injuries can cause long-term problems, such as memory loss, cognitive impairment, and paralysis.

What Should I Do After a Minor Car Accident?

Call the Police

After a car accident, the first thing you should do is call the police. The police will report the accident, which can be used as evidence if you decide to file a lawsuit.

Get Medical Attention

If you’ve been injured in the accident, it’s important to get medical attention right away. Even if your injuries seem minor, getting checked out by a doctor is the best way to avoid long-term complications.

Collect Evidence

If you decide to file a lawsuit, you’ll need evidence to support your claim. Be sure to take pictures of the accident scene and get the contact information for any witnesses. You should also keep all medical records and bills related to your injuries.

Contact a Greenville Car Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to speak with an attorney. A Greenville auto accident lawyer will help you negotiate with the insurance company and hold the negligent party accountable for your injuries. If you are in a North or South Carolina car accident, the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor will help you file a lawsuit and get the compensation you deserve.

What Not to Do After a Minor Car Accident in Greenville

  • Do not leave the scene of the accident.
  • Do not admit fault.
  • Do not speak to the other driver’s insurance company without an attorney.
  • Do not sign any documents without speaking with an attorney first.

Hiring a lawyer is often a good idea after any car accident, but it’s especially important if you’ve been injured. A lawyer will inform you of your rights and ensure they are protected.

How Our Car Greenville Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You

If you’ve been in a car accident, it’s important to speak with an attorney. Our car accident lawyers in Greenville can help you with the following:

  • Filing a Lawsuit
  • Negotiating a Settlement
  • Coordinating With Your Insurance Company
  • Representing You in Court

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, don’t wait. Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll help you determine if it’s worth filing a lawsuit.

Factors That Impact Your Car Accident Case

North Carolina’s Contributory Negligence Law

Under North Carolina’s contributory negligence law, if you are even partially at fault for an accident, you may be barred from receiving any compensation for your injuries.

For example, if you rear-end another car because you were following too closely, you may be found to be partially at fault for the accident. If the other driver sues you and is awarded damages, you may be required to pay some or all of those damages.

The Severity of Your Injuries

The severity of your injuries will play a major role in the outcome of your car accident case. If you’ve been seriously injured, you may be entitled to receive damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

The Type of Accident

If another driver’s negligence caused the accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for your injuries. If a defect in the vehicle caused the accident, you may be able to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer.

The Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitation for car accident claims is three years in North Carolina. This means that you must file a lawsuit within three years of the date of the accident or you will lose your right to sue.

How to Prove Fault in a Minor Car Accident Case

To prove fault in a minor car accident case, you will need to provide evidence that the other driver was negligent. This can be done by providing

  • witness statements
  • police reports
  • photographs of the accident scene

Damages You Can Recover in a Minor Car Accident Claim in North Carolina

If you’ve been involved in a minor car accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the following:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are those that reimburse you for financial losses. This can include medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are those that compensate you for non-financial losses. This can include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are those that are awarded to punish the defendant for their actions. They are not typically awarded in minor car accident cases.

An experienced car accident lawyer can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.

How Long Does it Take to Settle a Car Accident Claim?

The amount of time it takes to settle a car accident claim will vary depending on the circumstances of the case. However, your lawyer will work diligently to negotiate a fair settlement as quickly as possible.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

Most car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will not have to pay anything upfront. Instead, your lawyer will take a percentage of the settlement or verdict they recover on your behalf.

Can I Settle My Car Accident Claim Without a Lawyer?

You may be able to settle a car accident claim without a lawyer, but it is not recommended. However, an experienced car accident lawyer can help you navigate the legal process and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Is it Worth Getting a Greenville Car Accident Lawyer for a Minor Car

Contact a Greenville Car Accident Attorney Today

Car accidents can be traumatic and confusing events. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we help car accident victims of minor accidents, severe accidents, and even car accidents that result in wrongful death. Our attorneys serve car accident victims across North and South Carolina. We will explain your legal rights and options, help you file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, and seek the compensation you deserve.

Contact our law firm today for a free consultation. We’ll review your case and advise you on the best course of action.

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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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