Charlotte Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

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Charlotte Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

We’ve always had a special connection to motorcyclists here at the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor. The litigator himself, Jason E. Taylor, still rides his Harley to the office and has for decades. He counts himself a member of many Charlotte motorcycle groups, such as the American Motorcyclist Association, the Bikers for Bikers foundation, and the Independence Harley Owners Group. Our law office is a charter member of the Bikers and Needy Children Foundation, and a portion of our fees are donated to them whenever we help a biker — even if the case had nothing to do with motorcycle accidents. Our deep connection to bikes and bikers means that you can trust our Charlotte motorcycle accident attorneys to have the experience and expertise you need when you’ve been in an accident. No one in Charlotte knows more about motorcycle accident cases than we do.

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How Is Liability Determined in Charlotte Motorcycle Accidents?

Charlotte works under what is called “contributory negligence.” Contributory negligence is negligence that contributed to the event that led to harm. Under Charlotte law, anyone who contributed any degree of negligence to the accident is considered liable and is not entitled to compensation. Even if you were only 1% of the cause, you still get nothing.

Every accident is caused by someone neglecting their responsibility to maintain a safe road. It could have been another driver. It could have been NCDOT. It could have been from a faulty repair. It’s the jury’s job to determine who is at fault, and it’s our job as accident lawyers to prove that it wasn’t you.

Two men riding motorcycles along road

Should I Get a Lawyer for a Motorcycle Accident? Is It Worth It?

Contributory negligence means that you have to be careful what you say every step of the insurance claims process. It’s very easy to screw this up and end up without compensation. Even if you did do something wrong — say you’re going a couple of miles over the speed limit because Hemric just made his last pit and you’re in a hurry to get home and catch the end of the race — your negligence may not have contributed to the accident itself. In which case, you are still entitled to be compensated for your losses.

Having an accident attorney speak for you protects you from falsely attesting contributory negligence. It’s like a shield between you and the insurance companies. If your lawyer says something, it’s hearsay. If you say something, it’s a testimony. Not only do accident attorneys know what to say, but we protect you from self-incrimination as well.

As such, it is usually prudent to hire legal representation after you’ve been in a motorcycle accident. It gives you that shield of protection, as well as putting an experienced practitioner of law in between you and insurance companies who are trying to get out of paying you the compensation you deserve. Let us take care of the courtroom while you take care of your health.

What Is the Average Payout for a Motorcycle Accident?

Accident lawyers in Charlotte see claimants walk out with nothing, and they see claimants walk out with over a million. But, on average, claimants are awarded somewhere in the vicinity of $75,000.

You are entitled to what is called “compensatory damages.” You deserve to get back to wherever you would have been if the accident had never occurred, and compensatory damages are whatever it takes to get you there.

There’s no formula for determining compensatory damages. There are too many variables. How badly are you injured? How long will you be out of work? Are your leathers damaged? How much did they cost? How much will it cost to repair or replace your motorcycle? Are there any long-term medical costs? Things like that.

Write down as much as you can remember as soon as possible. We can’t just say that you lost these things. We need to prove it. A written inventory of losses — ideally taken at the scene of the accident, if possible — makes proving the extent of your damages much easier.

Close-up of a helmet of a driver with a blurred motorcycle and car in the background, motorcycle accident scene

Who Is at Fault in Most Motorcycle Accidents?

It’s usually someone in a car or a truck. We’ve all seen drivers texting or eating or fiddling with the radio. I even saw someone shaving once. When was the last time you saw a biker shaving on the road? Cars are full of distractions that simply don’t exist on a motorcycle.

Cars also have blind spots and obstructions to view. Motorcycles are small enough to be missed by a quick blind-spot check, and most motorists aren’t looking for something with such a small profile, to begin with. This puts motorcyclists at great risk from inattentive drivers.

Without the protection of a steel cage around us, motorcyclists are constantly attentive to the vehicles around us. As such, we are far less likely to be the cause of multi-vehicle accidents.

Despite this, about half of serious motorcycle injuries don’t involve anyone but the motorcyclist. Usually, it’s someone who didn’t slow down enough before a curve and flew off the road or into the guardrail.

That said, whenever the accident involves more than one vehicle, the person in the car is likely to be the party at fault.

What Are the Odds of Surviving a Motorcycle Accident?

A stunning 80% of motorcycle accidents result in injury or death. A little over 6% of those are fatal. So while you’ve got a 95% chance of surviving an accident, you’ve only got a 20% chance of walking away unscathed.

You are not powerless over those numbers. Most of those injuries and fatalities are because of head trauma. You can increase your chance of survival by more than a third simply by wearing a helmet.

The loss of a loved one is not damage for which there is adequate compensation. Your life is the most valuable thing that you can own. Nothing you can do protects you and your loved ones from the greatest harm imaginable more than wearing a helmet.

How Long Does a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit Take?

Most cases tend to be resolved within several months, but there’s a lot of things that make some cases take longer than others. Insurance companies like to play hardball and wait out the clock on your statute of limitations. And if there were more than two parties involved in the accident, there will be more insurance companies to deal with.

Some people settle with the insurance company before their case goes to trial. Some trials have more witnesses than others. Some juries reach a verdict quickly. Every case is different.

Generally speaking, though, cases in Charlotte seldom last longer than a couple of months.

Broken motorcycle on the road after traffic incident

What Is the Most Common Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?

No single category of person causes more motorcycle accidents than an inattentive motorist — most often while turning left. They simply don’t see us.

The only silver lining here is that if you are struck by a motorist turning left, you are almost certain to be awarded compensation.

If you are involved in a motorcycle accident of any sort, get in touch with an experienced Charlotte motorcycle accident lawyer for a free consultation as soon as possible.

Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Charlotte, NC.

Our team of experienced motorcycle accident and personal injury lawyers, investigators, and case managers are ready to serve you at our Charlotte, NC office. Contact us today for a free consultation.

301 S McDowell St #1016
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

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.
Charlotte 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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