What Does A Hickory NC Personal Injury Lawyer Do

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU 24/7

What Does A Hickory NC Personal Injury Lawyer Do

What's On This Page

Living in Hickory is an amazing experience. The city offers various activities, from museums and art galleries to live music and sporting events. This is one of the reasons why Hickory residents are so happy with their decision to live here and it is a tourist destination for those who don’t.

However, we all know that sometimes accidents happen, and we can’t always prevent them. When these accidents happen, finding a personal injury lawyer in Hickory who can help you get the compensation you deserve is essential.

Personal injury cases can be complicated, and the laws surrounding these cases are constantly changing. The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor’s Hickory personal injury lawyers can help if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s carelessness or negligence.

We’ll work with you to build a strong case for your claim so that you get the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. If you’re in the Hickory area and have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, please get in touch with The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor today for a free consultation.

Protect Your Right to Compensation Under Personal Injury Law

A personal injury lawyer is an attorney representing clients that have suffered injuries or damages due to the negligence of others. They help their clients recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and future earnings, pain and suffering, and other losses.

A lawyer can help you by thoroughly investigating your accident and working with insurance companies on your behalf. If it becomes necessary to receive adequate compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company, they will file suit against the at-fault party or parties.

When hiring a lawyer, you should look for several things before making any commitment:

  • Knowledge of North Carolina personal injury law
  • Experience with similar cases
  • Good reputation and track record
  • Availability and willingness to communicate with you
  • Ability and willingness to go the distance if necessary and file suit 

Discuss the Accident and Advise You of Your Rights Under North Carolina Law

Once you have hired a personal injury lawyer, they will discuss the accident with you and advise you of your rights under North Carolina law. The attorney will explain the process to you, including:

  • How to file a personal injury claim
  • What to expect during the claims process
  • Whether there are any limitations to your case
  • The attorney will also discuss how they plan to handle your case and their fees. They should be upfront about their fees and explain why they charge what they do.

Investigation and Discovery

Investigation and discovery are two ways an attorney can gather information and evidence. This can be done through various methods, including interviews (informal) and depositions (on the record). The information collected in these phases may be used to determine if you have a claim or not, as well as how strong that claim holds up after discovery ends.

Investigations may begin with potential witnesses and gathering statements from them, asking questions about what happened on the day of the accident and how it impacted their lives or yours since then. During this time, you will be asked detailed questions about exactly what happened during your accident; these answers will help inform whether or not there is enough evidence to prove negligence on behalf of another party who may have caused–or contributed–to your injuries.

Discovery can also include obtaining medical records that relate to injuries sustained during an accident (such as X-rays), obtaining police reports related to any accidents involved in your claim (including other people’s damages), reviewing business records related to the incident (like employer policies) and obtaining the names and contact information of any witnesses who were at the scene of your accident.

Place Parties on Notice and Send Letters of Representation

Once you’ve decided to hire a personal injury lawyer, your lawyer will send a letter of representation. This serves two purposes: it notifies your potential opponents that they are now dealing with an attorney who has been hired to represent your interests. It allows them time to investigate the case against them before they reply. It also lets them know that they are no longer able to contact you directly and must go through your attorney. 

The most important thing you can do as a client is to ensure your attorney knows everything they need to know about your case to be ready for any possible responses from other parties involved. The more information you provide about how things happened and what injuries were sustained, your attorney will be better prepared when sending out letters of representation.

For example, if there are witnesses who saw an accident occur and can help prove liability on behalf of their side (or yours), include their names and contact information so attorneys can interview them on either side of the suit.

Request Bills, Records, and Other Economic Damages

In your personal injury case, you want an attorney who will do whatever it takes to get the bills, records, and other economic damages that support your claim. You may also need these documents later on if you decide to file a lawsuit. 

Negotiate with Insurance Companies

An injury lawyer’s job is to negotiate with the insurance companies for their clients. Insurance companies may not always be fair, and an experienced personal injury lawyer will have to work hard to get them to offer a fair settlement.

Will My Hickory Personal Injury Claim Go to Court?

Most personal injury claims are settled out of court, but some circumstances require a jury trial for resolution. If your case goes to trial, you will be notified when it’s time for your case to be heard in court. Your lawyer will accompany you throughout this process and explain what happens at each stage.

Types of Personal Injury Cases Our Hickory Lawyers Handle

A Hickory personal injury lawyer can help you with all the following types of cases:

  • Wrongful death. You may be eligible for compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit when a loved one is killed due to another party’s negligence or intentional misconduct.
  • Car accident
  • Motorcycle accident
  • Truck Accident
  • Slip and Fall
  • Injured at Work by a Third Party

Hickory Personal Injury Claims and Compensation

In a nutshell, a personal injury claim is based on the principle of negligence. In other words, if the person responsible for causing your injuries was not careful in their actions and failed to act with reasonable care, you can bring a claim against them to compensate you for the harms and losses they caused.

In many cases for personal injury compensation, it is necessary to prove that the responsible party owed you a duty of care (that is, they had an obligation to be careful), breached that duty by acting in some way other than responsibly (for example through negligence), and that breach resulted in your injuries and you suffered damages as a result.

Special Damages

Special damages are intended to compensate you for your financial losses and have a specific dollar amount attached. They may also be called economic damages and can include:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost income 
  • Property damage

General Damages

General damages are compensation for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. They are usually awarded for physical injuries such as broken bones or disfigurement but can also be awarded for emotional distress caused by the injury or its treatment.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages can be awarded in cases where the defendant’s actions were reckless, malicious, or fraudulent, such as drunk driving. These damages are rarely granted and are meant to punish the offending party; however, they can also serve as a deterrent for future bad behavior by others who might be tempted to engage in similar acts.

Wrongful Death Claims

Wrongful death claims are brought by the family of a loved one who has died due to the negligence of another person or entity. Wrongful death claims are brought against the person or entity responsible for the accident that caused the death, such as a negligent driver, hospital, or other business.

a man with an injury meets his hickory premises liability lawyer

Contact a Hickory, NC, Personal Injury Attorney For Help With Your Injury Lawsuit

Seeing a lawyer is the first step toward getting the compensation you deserve. Our Hickory personal injury attorneys will help you understand your rights under North Carolina law and can give you advice on how to proceed with your case.

Contact The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor today to schedule a free consultation.

120 3rd St NE
Hickory, NC 28601

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

 

Share via:
LEgally Reviewed by:
Picture of Jason E. Taylor
Jason E. Taylor

Reviewed as of 2025

Hickory, NC
Contact Us Today

Free Consultation
Call one of our Operators 24/7
(800) 351-3008

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By entering your phone number, you agree to receive text messages and updates via SMS. Message and data rates may apply.

Testimonials
Watch Our New Commerical
Hickory, NC Practice Areas
Hickory, NC Office
Contact Us Today

Free Consultation
Call one of our Operators 24/7
(800) 351-3008

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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

Quick Links

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.

Jason E. Taylor Logo
Join our newsletter and get 20% discount
Promotion nulla vitae elit libero a pharetra augue