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Dedicated & Tenacious Litigation Lawyers in Indianapolis

Personal Injury Lawyer in Indianapolis and Fishers, IN

When someone else’s carelessness leaves you hurt, Indiana law gives you a path to recover for what you’ve lost. Personal injury covers the legal claims people bring after a car crash, a fall on unsafe property, a defective product, a medical error, or any situation where another person or company failed to act reasonably and someone got hurt because of it. At its core, a personal injury claim asks a simple question. Did the other party owe you a duty to act safely, did they breach that duty, and did that breach cause your injury and your losses?

Indiana adds its own rules to that basic framework. The state follows a modified comparative fault system, meaning you can still recover damages even if you share some blame for what happened, as long as you’re found less than 51 percent at fault. Your recovery gets reduced by your percentage of fault, so an early, accurate read on how a jury might see liability matters from day one. Indiana personal injury law is complicated, and you shouldn’t have to figure it out alone. Our lawyers can help you with every step of the claims process. An Indiana personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the date of injury under the state’s statute of limitations, which means waiting too long to act can cost you the right to file at all.

At RileyCate, we built our personal injury practice around trial readiness rather than volume. We aren’t a settlement mill that pushes cases through as fast as possible and hopes the insurance company pays something reasonable. William Riley and Russell Cate have spent their careers preparing cases as if they’re going to trial, because that posture is what gets insurance companies and opposing counsel to take a claim seriously and negotiate in good faith. Our team has extensive trial experience, led by Partners Will Riley and Russell Cate. Both have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court, so if your case needs to go beyond a verdict, that appellate depth is already in house rather than outsourced to another firm.

We handle the full range of personal injury matters, including car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, rideshare and pedestrian collisions, bicycle accidents, slip and fall injuries, product liability, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical litigation, dog bites, brain injury, child injury, and wrongful death claims. Whatever brought you to this page, our approach stays the same. We investigate thoroughly, document your losses carefully, and build every case as though it might end up in front of a jury.

Our name goes on every case we take, and both partners stay closely involved in the matters we handle. Will Riley holds Super Lawyers recognition, a Top 100 Trial Lawyers designation, and an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, credentials that reflect peer review and courtroom results. Will Riley and Russell Cate lead our personal injury team. Russell Cate is recognized as a Super Lawyer and has received two Presidential Citation Awards from the Indiana State Bar Association for his contributions to the profession. He also served on the Indiana State Bar Board of Governors and chaired the Association’s Attorney Fee Dispute Resolution Committee.

Our appellate strength is part of what sets our team apart in personal injury cases. Will Riley and Russell Cate lead our appellate work. Both have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court, and he’s admitted to practice before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in addition to both the Southern and Northern District Courts of Indiana. That matters because insurance companies know which firms are prepared to fight a case through appeal and which ones will fold at the first sign of resistance. When we tell an adjuster or opposing counsel that we’re ready to take a case to trial, we mean it.

We also keep our caseload manageable on purpose. Will and Russell lead a team of equally skilled attorneys and associates, so you’re never handed off to a call center or someone unfamiliar with your case. You work directly with the attorneys handling your matter, from the first consultation through resolution, whether that resolution comes at the negotiating table or in front of a jury.

Why Choose Us

Nobody plans to need a lawyer. When something goes wrong, what you need first is someone who will listen, tell you honestly where you stand, and take the next steps off your plate. That is how every case at RileyCate, LLC begins.

We represent individuals, families, and small businesses across Fishers, Indianapolis, and surrounding counties in personal injury and complex litigation, business and real estate disputes, criminal defense, and appeals.

Will Riley and Russell Cate personally oversee every matter, staffing each case to its size and complexity. Both are recognized as Super Lawyers and have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Will also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer designation.

We are trial-tested, not just settlement-focused. We have tried hundreds of cases, because insurance companies, opposing businesses, and prosecutors negotiate differently with a firm willing to go the distance.

About RileyCate

In most cases, Indiana law gives you two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under Indiana’s statute of limitations. Some claims, like those against a government entity, carry much shorter notice deadlines, sometimes as little as 180 days, so it’s worth talking with an attorney as soon as possible after an accident. Waiting too long can mean losing your right to recover entirely, even if your claim is otherwise strong.
Under Indiana’s modified comparative fault rule, you can still recover damages as long as you’re found less than 51 percent responsible for what happened. Your total recovery gets reduced by your percentage of fault, so if you’re found 20 percent at fault, your award drops by 20 percent. Insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured victims to reduce what they owe, which is one reason having an attorney evaluate the evidence early matters.
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. We offer a free initial consultation to review your case and explain your options before you commit to anything. This arrangement lets you pursue a claim without adding financial risk on top of an already difficult situation.
Depending on your case, you may be able to recover medical expenses, lost wages, future earning capacity, property damage, and pain and suffering. Indiana law separates these into economic damages, which have a clear dollar value, and non-economic damages, which compensate for the physical and emotional toll of an injury. The specific damages available depend heavily on the facts of your case.
Most personal injury cases settle before trial, but we prepare every case as though it’s headed there. That approach tends to produce stronger settlement offers, because insurance companies negotiate differently with a firm they know is ready and able to try a case in front of a jury. If a fair settlement isn’t on the table, we’re prepared to take your case the distance, including through appeal if necessary.
Get medical attention first, even if your injuries seem minor, since some symptoms take hours or days to appear. Call the police so an official report gets filed, photograph the scene if you’re able, and get contact information from any witnesses. Avoid discussing fault with anyone at the scene or with an insurance adjuster before speaking with an attorney.
Workers compensation covers injuries that happen on the job regardless of fault, but it generally limits what you can recover and doesn’t include pain and suffering. A personal injury claim requires proving someone else’s negligence but can allow for broader compensation, including non-economic damages. Some situations, like being hurt by a third party while on the job, may let you pursue both.
An early settlement offer is often lower than what your claim is actually worth, especially before the full extent of your injuries and future medical needs are known. Insurance adjusters are trained to resolve claims quickly and for as little as possible. Before accepting any offer, it’s worth having an attorney review it to make sure you’re not leaving compensation on the table.
We’re a trial-tested firm rather than a high-volume operation, and our team brings real courtroom and appellate experience to every case we take. Will Riley and Russell Cate lead our trial team. Both have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court, and Will Riley holds Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and AV Preeminent recognition. Will and Russell personally oversee every matter and staff it based on its size and complexity, so you work directly with experienced attorneys, backed by a team of equally skilled associates, not a rotating cast of case managers.
Every case depends on the specific facts, including the severity of your injuries, your medical expenses, lost income, and how clearly liability can be shown. There’s no standard formula that applies to every claim. The best way to get an honest answer is a free consultation where we can review the details of what happened to you.

If you or someone you love was hurt because of someone else’s negligence, the first step is a conversation. We offer free consultations for personal injury claims, and we’ll give you a straightforward read on your situation, not a sales pitch. Reach out to RileyCate today to talk with a personal injury attorney about your case. The sooner we hear from you, the sooner we can start protecting your rights under Indiana’s statute of limitations.

Personal Injury Service Areas

Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville, Avon, Plainfield, Greenwood, and Greenfield, across Marion, Hamilton, Boone, Hendricks, and Hancock counties.

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