Hickory Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

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Hickory Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

We here at the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor (LOJET) have always had a special connection to motorcyclists. There’s a reason our logo is a motorcycle and not a car! Our founding attorney, Jason E. Taylor, is an avid biker to this day and a member of several motorcycle associations, including the American Motorcyclist Association, the Concerned Bikers Association, and the Catawba Valley Harley Owners Group right here in Hickory. No one knows motorcycle accidents and personal injury cases like we do. If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, you can rest easy in the knowledge that Team LOJET has the expertise you need to ensure that you are awarded every bit of compensation you’re entitled to.

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How Is Liability Determined in Hickory Motorcycle Accidents?

Ultimately, all automobile accidents are not “accidents,” but rather are caused by someone’s negligence.   Determining who was negligent is one of the reasons you need an attorney with experience handling motorcycle claims.  Whether it’s the driver, the motorcycle manufacturer, the organization responsible for maintaining the road, or someone else, someone, somewhere, was negligent. If a case goes to litigation — meaning if it goes to trial —  the jury will decide who is at fault.

Hickory has a unique, but unfortunate, law called “contributory negligence.” It means that if you were in any way responsible for the event that led to the harm, you are held accountable and are not entitled to a dime. In Hickory, it’s all or nothing. It doesn’t matter if you were 99% responsible or 1% responsible: if you contributed any amount of negligence to the event, you get zero.

Our job, then, is to prove to the jury that you are not an at-fault party — that every scrap of negligence came from the other party.

First responders on the scene of a motorcycle accident.

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

Because of Hickory’s contributory negligence laws, it’s very easy to say the wrong thing and end up talking your way out of compensation. Be very, very careful what you admit to on the scene of the accident. Even if you were doing something negligent — say you’re on your way home from the Speedway, fired up after a really exciting race, going a couple miles over the speed limit — that does not mean that your negligence was a contributing factor to the harm, and you may still be entitled to compensation.

A personal injury lawyer specialized in handling motorcycle accident cases knows what to say and what not to say, and legal representation puts a layer of protection between you and the insurance companies. If you say something to an insurance company, it’s testimony. It’s evidence. If your lawyer says something on your behalf, it’s hearsay, and it can’t be used against you.

Further, insurance companies are interested in paying out as little as they can get away with. They will call you within days, hoping to convince you to settle for a much smaller payment than you are entitled to before you realize the full extent of your injuries and losses. A personal injury lawyer has experience in dealing with these kinds of shady practices. We know how to handle them to make sure you don’t end up responsible for treatment that would have been covered if you had not settled so quickly.

So yes, it is a very good idea to get an attorney to represent you when you’ve been in a motorcycle accident. Not only does it offer you that layer of protection against self-incrimination, but a good lawyer will know all the tricks that the insurance companies use to try to weasel their way out of paying compensation to injured motorcyclists. We know how to fight to protect your best interests. Let us handle the predatory insurance adjusters so you can focus on tending to your injuries.

A motorcycle on the ground in the middle of the road after a motorcycle accident.

What Is the Average Payout for a Hickory Motorcycle Accident?

You are entitled to what we call “compensatory damages.” This means that you can receive compensation for whatever it takes to get you back to where you would have been had the accident never occurred. Surgery, physical therapy, exam fees, motorcycle repair, court fees, you’re entitled to all of it.

The minimum limits required by North Carolina law are $30,000.  However, we’ve seen clients walk out with over a million and a half. There’s simply no fixed formula to it. There are so many potential factors that can come into play:

  • How badly you’re injured.
  • How long you’re out of work.
  • Cost to repair or replace your bike.
  • The level of negligence by the person who caused the collision.

And a whole bunch of other things you may not have thought of.

The more you document about what happened as soon as you can, we will have an easier time determining your compensatory damages and proving them in court.

The best way to start to get an initial sense of what sort of payout you may be entitled to, whether it’s from a settlement or through litigation, is to get a free consultation from a Hickory motorcycle accident attorney. Do it while the details are still fresh in your head. We’ll talk about the specifics of your case and help you figure out your best path forward.

Who Is at Fault in Most Motorcycle Accidents in Hickory?

Most of the time, the at-fault party in Hickory is someone in a car or a truck. These vehicles have blind spots that a motorcycle can easily get lost in. Motorcyclists, on the other hand, have an unobstructed view in every direction, and our relative vulnerability means we’re used to having our head on a swivel.

Beyond that, most drivers simply aren’t watching out for something as small as a motorcycle. Cars are imposing and easy to see at a glance. This is not the case with motorcycles.

Finally, car and truck drivers are more prone to distractions than motorcyclists. Texting, eating, messing with the radio — these are distractions that we on motorcycles don’t face, and the personal injury consequences of distracted riding are much more severe.

That said, it’s often enough that motorcyclists crash their bikes all on their own — usually from taking a curve too fast and spilling over the side. The forests around here are a lot of fun to ride, but those curves can catch you off guard if you’re not careful.

About half of the really serious injuries and fatalities we see don’t involve another vehicle at all. The other half of the time, when more than one vehicle is involved, it’s about twice as likely that someone in a car or truck is to blame.

What Are the Odds of Surviving a Motorcycle Accident?

About 5% of all motorcycle accidents end in death.

That may not sound very high at a glance, but an incredible 75% of motorcycle accidents result in injury, and less than half of those injuries can be considered “minor.” That means that about 19 times out of 20, you’re going to survive. But your odds of walking away uninjured are only 1 in 4.

Of course, it’s not as simple as that. The majority of motorcycle injuries and fatalities are caused by head trauma. Wearing a helmet increases your chance of survival by more than a third.

No amount of money can compensate for the loss of a loved one. Your life is the most important and valuable thing you own. And there is no single thing you can do to increase your odds of surviving a motorcycle accident besides wearing a helmet.

A motorcycle helmet sits on the street by the curb behind a crashed motorcycle further down the road.

How Long Does a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit Take in Hickory?

The length of any lawsuit is another area where a lot of factors come into play:

  • Insurance companies like to take their time responding to counteroffers, hoping the statute of limitations will run out on your claim.
  • A case that goes to trial will take longer than a case that ends in settlement.
  • If more parties are involved, then more insurance companies are involved, which leads to a longer assessment process.
  • More witnesses means more testimony, which makes for a longer trial.
  • Some juries reach a verdict very quickly, and others just can’t come to an agreement.

There’s no way to know for sure how long any given case will take. Still, most claims that come through our Hickory office tend to be resolved within several months.

What Is the Most Common Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?

The single most common cause of motorcycle accidents is a driver in a vehicle who did not see the biker. Most of these are while the motorist is turning left. Like I said before, we’re small, we’re fast, most motorists aren’t looking for us, and cars are full of distractions.

The bad news is that the motorcyclist is much less likely to survive than the driver of the car, and it’s very unlikely you’ll come away without injury. And the injuries that occur are much more likely to be severe. The good news is that the motorist making the left turn is nearly always found to be the party at fault, and so the motorcyclist is almost always entitled to compensatory damages.

If you are involved in a multi-vehicle motorcycle accident, you have a very good chance of coming out of the courtroom with your losses compensated.

Broken motorcycle on the road after traffic incident

Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Hickory, NC.

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

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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