Personal Injury Claim Process in Hickory NC

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Personal Injury Claim Process in Hickory NC

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Accidents can happen anytime, and when they do and it was not your fault, you need to know how to recover compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries due to the negligence of another party, it’s vital that you understand your legal rights and options to make an informed decision about how best to proceed.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we are experienced personal injury attorneys who can help you pursue compensation for your injuries. Our firm represents clients in Hickory, North Carolina, and surrounding areas, including Statesville and Lenoir.

Contact a Hickory personal injury lawyer at our firm today for a free consultation.

Common Types of Personal Injury Cases in Hickory, NC

The most common types of personal injury cases in Hickory, NC, include the following:

  • Auto accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Bicycle accidents
  • Dog bites and animal attacks

How Do I File a Personal Injury Claim?

The first step to filing a personal injury claim is to contact a personal injury lawyer. Your attorney can guide you through the process and ensure that your rights are protected.

You should also call the police as soon as possible after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. This will help establish liability in case it’s ever questioned later on. It’s also critical that you get medical attention right away if possible—even if it looks like there’s not much damage, this could change over time as internal injuries heal or become more apparent due to swelling or bruising around the site of impact.

It might feel like enough just knowing there will be some compensation for your injuries after such incidents occur; however, keep in mind that compensation includes more than just reimbursement for medical expenses–it also covers things like lost wages due to time off work as a result of your injuries and other related expenses.

A personal injury attorney will help you understand what kinds of compensation may be available to you in your specific case.

Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?

An accident can change your life in many ways, and the stress of an injury can make it challenging to get back to normal. That’s why it’s essential to talk with a personal injury lawyer immediately after an accident.

When you hire one of our Hickory personal injury attorneys, you’ll have someone on your side who knows what to do in the aftermath of the accident. Not only will we help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries, but we can also assist with many other issues caused by the accident.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Hickory, NC?

Statutes of limitations are laws that set the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is typically three years from the date of an injury. If you miss the deadline or don’t follow the proper procedure for getting a lawsuit filed and the right parties named, your case will be dismissed, and you will not be able to recover financial compensation. The statute of limitations in your particular case is one of the first things you should talk about with your attorney. 

How the Personal Injury Claims Process Works in Hickory

The personal injury claims process can be confusing if you’re in an accident. Fortunately for those injured in Hickory, North Carolina, there are resources to help you understand what to do.

The first thing you should do after being involved in an accident is call 911. The police will come to the accident scene and gather evidence by taking photographs and getting witness statements.

Even if you don’t think it’s necessary, either because nobody was injured too severely or no one saw anything—or that it might take too long—you should still call 911 to make sure a report is filed, and an investigation is started.

If you were injured in the accident, you must ensure that your injuries are documented. You can do this by going to a doctor or hospital, taking pictures of your injuries or writing down what happened and how you feel.

Summons and Complaint

A summons and complaint are the legal documents that start the process of filing a personal injury claim. These documents put the defendant (the person or entity who caused your injuries) on notice that you have filed suit against them. It also sets out how long they have to respond (otherwise known as an answer) to the complaint.  This is usually 30 days from the date they were served with the summons and complaint. However, most civil procedure timelines have the ability to request an automatic extension without the need to show cause as to why the extension is needed.   

Defendant’s Attorneys File an Answer

In most cases, the defendant’s attorney will file an answer to your personal injury claim. An answer is a written response to the complaint filed by the plaintiff, which states defenses that the defendant is using to fight their claim. Generally, an answer will either admit or deny the allegations in the complaint.  

If a defendant does not file an answer to your complaint within the time allowed by law, the court will likely grant an entry of default in your favor.  This means that issues like fault, are automatically determined.  However, you may still have to have a hearing to present evidence to obtain a default judgment (an actual money award).  

If a defendant does file an answer, however, they may try to dispute some of the facts you outlined in your complaint. Both sides then enter the discovery phase, where each party gathers evidence supporting their claims.

The Discovery Phase

The discovery phase is a fact-finding process in which both sides gather evidence, such as medical records and testimony from the parties, witnesses, the investigating officer and possible expert witnesses. In this phase, you’ll disclose relevant information that may help your case. A discovery process can include

  • Interrogatories: These are written questions that each side asks the other party to answer under oath. Responses must be truthful and complete.
  • Depositions: A deposition is a form of oral testimony that allows both parties to question each other about relevant information. The deposition is recorded and can be used as evidence in court.
  • Requests for Production: The plaintiff’s written requests ask the defendant to provide documents or other tangible evidence that may support their claim.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

You have several options in the case of a personal injury claim. The first option is to settle the dispute out of court, which means you will agree to take a certain amount of money from the other party in exchange for dropping your claim and not suing them. This is an attractive option if you do not want to go through with litigation but still get compensation for your injuries.

Another option is arbitration, wherein parties in dispute agree to have their case heard by a qualified arbitrator out of court who decides whether or not they should be awarded damages. An arbitration is like a mini trial where the parties put on evidence to support their position, but there is no jury and the arbitrator or arbitration panel is the finder of fact and makes an award.  

Finally, mediation allows both parties involved in a claim to meet with a neutral third party, usually another attorney or a retired judge, who helps the parties discuss their issues without prejudice or bias to try and devise an agreeable solution without having to go to court.

Preparing for a Personal Injury Lawsuit

Most personal injury claims are settled outside of court. However, you may have to undergo an actual trial if the negotiations fail. When this happens, you must be prepared for what lies ahead. Understanding how personal injury trials work will help you feel more confident about your case.

Your personal injury lawyer can help you understand what to expect in a personal injury trial. They will be able to provide you with information about the process, including:

  • The different phases of a trial
  • What types of evidence are used in these trials–meaning what evidence may be admissible or not
  • How the jury selection process works
  • How to prepare for trial
  • What happens after a jury reaches a verdict?
  • What are the possible outcomes of a trial?

How Long Does it Take to Resolve a Personal Injury Case in Hickory?

How long it takes to resolve a personal injury case depends on the specifics of your case. Some are resolved in a few months, while others take years to resolve. The more serious the injuries involved, the longer it will likely take for you and your lawyer to settle or win your case in court.

Likewise, if there is more money at stake, such as medical bills, property damage, lost wages, or other complexities related to your case (e.g., multiple defendants), these could also result in a longer resolution process than usual for personal injury cases.

Contact a Hickory, NC Personal Injury Lawyer Today to Get Started on Your Case

If you’ve been injured, the last thing you want to do is wait until it’s too late to get help from an NC personal injury lawyer. Some people think they can handle a claim on their own and when they realize they can’t, it’s too late.  Having a personal injury attorney on your side from the beginning will ensure that your rights are protected and that you get what is rightfully yours.

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor understand how stressful it can be to deal with injuries and try to determine what steps should be taken next. Our Hickory personal injury lawyers know how important it is to have someone who understands the legal system and knows how to navigate through all of these issues so that you can focus on healing instead of worrying about money or whether or not your case will be successful.

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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