Car Accident Lawyer Indianapolis
A car wreck can be overwhelming between physical suffering, financial damages, and the legal process of filing a personal injury suit. When people come into our office, they are seeking more than an attorney. They want an advocate who will care as much about their situation as they do.
We have worked with many accident victims and their families to help them move forward and have hope during these difficult times. A personal injury lawyer untangles the complicated language of the law and provides options. Contact us to schedule your consultation and have an opportunity to ask us any questions.
Common Injuries After Car Accidents
Our Indianapolis car accident attorneys work with victims who have suffered a variety of injuries, from minor injuries like whiplash to more serious injuries that could require days or weeks of intensive care followed by months or years of physical and occupational therapy.
Back and Spine Injuries
Spinal cord injuries happen as a result of the impact of the car crash compressing or twisting the spine. These injuries can lead to loss of feeling and sensation in the affected area and below, resulting in incontinence and the inability to use the arms or legs. Injuries to the upper spinal cord can result in respiratory issues since the patient can no longer cough or control their diaphragm.
Less-severe injuries to the back can still be painful and immobilizing. There are 33 bones in the spine, called the vertebrae, that protect the spinal cord. These vertebrae can slip out of alignment or can fracture. Of course, with any back injury comes pain. Your doctor may recommend that you work with a physical therapist and a massage therapist to treat the inflamed muscles.
You may find it difficult to complete household tasks or to go to work while you treat your injury. It is important to follow your treatment plan and not return to work until your doctor allows it. Your Indianapolis car accident attorney will fight hard for you so that you can receive compensation for missed time from work and for the care that you need so that you do not exacerbate your injuries. Talk to a car accident lawyer today about your concerns regarding paying for the long-term care that a spinal cord injury requires.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are also common after hitting the head in a car collision. There are two types of brain injury – open and closed. Open TBIs occur when the skull has been pierced, and closed TBIs occur when the skull remains intact. Common examples of TBI include:
- Anoxic brain injury
- Brain hemorrhage
- Concussion
- Contusion
- Coma
- Intracranial hematoma
- Coup-contrecoup brain injury
- Diffuse axonal injury
- Second impact syndrome (SIS)
TBI can permanently change a person. They may suffer headaches, cognitive issues, or even personality changes. Our Indianapolis car accident attorneys have worked with injury victims and their families who have been devastated by TBI – and we are ready to help you, too.
Broken Bones
The most common bones broken after Indianapolis car accidents include femurs, ribs, vertebrae, and arms. A broken pelvis is also one of the most common injuries after car accidents. Not only do fractures cause a lot of pain, but they can also lead to infection and reduced mobility if not taken care of right away.
This is why you should always seek medical treatment immediately after a car crash. A car accident lawyer can get your health records from your doctor and physical therapist to develop a strong case on your behalf.
Internal Bleeding
Internal injuries can be life-threatening if not treated right away. The most common way that internal bleeding occurs is when the victim is pushed against the seatbelt, bursting capillaries under the skin. Sometimes the bruising is obviously in the shape of the seatbelt. Internal injuries require surgery. Our Indiana car accident lawyers understand how financially stressful surgeries can be, which is why we fight for you to get the compensation you deserve.
Road Rash
Often associated with motorcycle accidents, skin abrasions can occur in car accidents, too. Skin abrasions can happen for a number of reasons and often result in pain and scarring and can lead to infection. With immediate care, however, the chances of infection and disfigurement can be reduced. When you need a car accident or motorcycle accident lawyer, call RileyCate LLC.
Length of Recovery
How long it takes someone to recover from their injuries will largely depend on how the accident happened and what their health condition was before the accident. Some people can mostly recover within three to six months, while others live with lifelong pain and permanent immobility.
The length of your recovery will be considered as your attorney prepares your case. The severity of your injuries, as well as the projected path to recovery, will help your lawyer determine what compensation to pursue.
Car Accident Attorneys Take On Your Case So You Focus On Recovery
Most people are overwhelmed when it comes to personal injury claims, but your Indiana auto accident lawyer can make it easier. One thing that you can do to help your case is to release your medical records to our law firm rather than the insurance adjuster. The claims adjuster may use any information in your records to reduce how much you receive in your car accident case, which is why you should never provide your records to the insurance company.
Accident victims want to know who will pay their medical bills. An Indianapolis car accident lawyer can discuss your options with you and how they intend to fight for a fair settlement on your behalf.
Damages In Personal Injury Cases
The two most common damages after an Indianapolis car accident are economic damages, which encompass all of your financial losses, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Your Indianapolis car accident lawyer will tell you which damages they think you may be eligible to receive.
Economic Damages
If you have been injured in an Indianapolis car accident, no doubt you will need emergency medical treatment as well as long-term care. You may be out of work for a long time, too. Economic damages compensate you for your medical costs, lost wages, property damage, and other expenses related to your personal injury claim.
Your Indianapolis car accident attorney will use financial documents to prove these losses. If you have been receiving bills, invoices, or statements, then you can provide them to us and we will take care of the rest. Let’s say that your doctor recommended that you see a specialist in another county or another state. Your travel expenses are considered economic damages, too. Talk to an attorney from RileyCate LLC about the costs you have incurred related to your accident, care, and inability to work.
Non-Economic Injuries
A car crash causes more than physical injuries. Our Indiana car accident lawyers fight for accident victims to receive non-economic damages in their personal injury claims. Some of the most common types of non-economic damages in car accident claims include physical pain and discomfort, emotional distress, mental anguish, permanent scarring and disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), disabilities, permanent impairments, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Your Indianapolis personal injury attorney gets to know you and listens to you talk about your struggle after your accident to be a better advocate. Understanding how your life has changed and how much stress it has put on you and your family allows us to fight to get the maximum compensation possible for your injuries.
Your Indianapolis car accident attorney can help you understand the complexities of filing your insurance claim and recovering compensation. Even if your health insurance has paid any of your medical bills, it may want reimbursement from the other driver’s insurance company. RileyCate LLC can handle these complexities on your behalf – but it is helpful if you give your attorney a copy of your medical bills so they can work on your case.
Facts About Indiana Car Accidents
Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute gathers facts and figures on traffic accidents that occur in the state. They also prepare a report that details the statistics on Indiana’s 92 counties. Here are some of the statistics that they published.
In 2020, there were 3,820 Indiana collisions involving drunk drivers. In Marion County, there were 341 accidents involving drunk driving, and 25 of those car crashes were fatal. Twenty-five percent of drivers who are involved in accidents in the state of Indiana were in passenger vehicles, 34.4% were in a pickup truck at the time of the accident, 24.6% were in a sports utility vehicle, and 23.1% were in a van.
Alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities were down slightly in 2019 but increased again in 2020. Among drivers who were involved in fatal crashes in 2020 involving alcohol, 25% of them were passenger car drivers.
Speeding accounted for 9% of all Indiana car accidents in 2020 and 25% of all fatal collisions in the state. Pike County and Lake County both have the highest percentages of speed-related car collisions.
Another cause of accidents is animals crossing the road. In 2020, there were almost 15,000 car accidents in Indiana caused by deer, mostly in rural areas. Marion County had one of the lowest percentages of collisions involving deer, whereas Pulaski County (50%) and Warren County (48%) had the highest percentages.
The National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), a department within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), provides a wide range of analytical and statistical data on car accidents in the US. They estimate that 20,175 lives are lost in motor vehicle traffic crashes every year.
Filing an Insurance Claim After an Indiana Car Accident
Most people have questions after a traffic accident regarding who will be liable for damages, particularly the resulting medical expenses. According to Indiana law, you can recover damages against the at-fault driver in a personal injury lawsuit if you are less than 51% at fault for causing the accident. This is because Indiana applies a legal theory of modified comparative negligence, which means that your damages will be reduced by the percentage that corresponds to your share of fault or liability.
Your Indiana personal injury lawyer can look over the insurance policy that the other driver has to determine how much is available. By law, Indiana drivers must carry the following minimum insurance policies:
- Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured motorist bodily Injury: Minimum of $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
- Uninsured motorist property damage: $25,000 per accident
- Underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
Sometimes the negligent driver doesn’t have enough insurance to cover all of the damages commonly sought in personal injury suits. An experienced auto accident attorney looks into what options are available to you, such as collecting damages from your own insurance company.
The most important thing to understand is that you don’t have to understand insurance policies. Instead, your Indianapolis car accident lawyer reviews the policy and untangles legal jargon. You do not and should not speak to the claims adjuster about your case, since they are likely to ask you questions and try to get you to answer in a way that harms your case.
Your Car Accident Lawyer Fights The Insurance Company
Serious injuries are costly. So costly that insurance companies fight to avoid paying full compensation to victims. They hire attorneys to scrutinize every expense and find any reason to deny parts of your claim. They may try to argue that medical treatment was not necessary, for example. Our skilled attorneys fight back with facts and evidence supporting your case.
You need a personal injury lawyer who has experience in proving the negligence of at-fault drivers in cases similar to yours. The burden of proof is on the injured party, known as the plaintiff, to establish fault. The most common forms of evidence used in accident cases include photos and videos you took from the accident scene, your medical records, eyewitness statements, expert witness testimony, and police reports.
Car accident lawyers who have been in practice for years have developed strong professional relationships with expert witnesses who can be called upon to testify in a personal injury case. Let’s say there is some contention about the facts of the case that someone with a background in physics, auto mechanics, or medicine could explain. An expert witness who is an authority in their respective field can provide necessary background information to cast light on an important part of the case.
Our law firm has the financial resources, access to expert witnesses, and knowledge to advocate for you. Call now to speak to an Indianapolis car accident lawyer and learn more.
Legal Fees In a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Our Indianapolis car accident attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that we do not get paid until you get a settlement or trial award. Additionally, your attorney fees are typically paid by the defendant if your case is successful.
There is no risk when you call to speak to one of our Indianapolis car accident lawyers. In fact, most people feel a sense of relief knowing that they have taken a step toward moving on from this event in their lives. If an insurance company representative calls you to discuss your motor vehicle accident, it’s imperative to let your lawyer know right away and have them contact the insurance company.
Indianapolis Car Accident Attorneys Help You
Call now to schedule your free legal consultation with one of our Indianapolis car accident lawyers. We listen to you and will be happy to look over documents or evidence you have collected that you want us to see – including photos from the scene of the accident, messages you have received from the insurance company, and medical bills.
Once our Indianapolis car accident lawyers have determined that you have a valid claim, we get started on your case. This may involve going to the scene of the accident, talking to witnesses, and collecting other forms of evidence.
Car accident victims are usually overwhelmed and anxious at the beginning because they don’t know what the future holds for them, but we do our best to make sure each person gets the attention they deserve. We have recovered millions of dollars in car accident cases for others, and we have stood up to large insurance companies on their behalf.
Choosing an Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyer
Large law firms spend most of their time trying to bring in new business and making their junior car accident lawyers take on cases. Far too many law firms try to lure clients in, promising they’ll be represented by senior partners only to be assigned the greenest attorneys at the firm. When you work with RileyCate LLC, however, you meet with the car accident lawyer who will be handling your case personally.
Whether you were driving your own vehicle or were injured in an Uber car accident, Indianapolis bicycle accident, or were in a truck accident, we can help. Let us show you what strong advocacy and compassion looks like. Contact us today.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
It is impossible to know what the outcome of a case will be from the outset. Your attorney can’t know what will happen until they file your claim and begin negotiations with the insurance company. However, if your case does go to trial, RileyCate, LLC is prepared to provide aggressive representation.
Our goal is to settle your case and get you the maximum compensation possible without having to put you through a lengthy trial. There is always a risk when going to trial that a jury may not give you the award that you want. This is why we try so hard in the negotiation phase to get you what you deserve. If we need to take your case to a trial, though, then we will fight and put all of our resources into winning for you.
We have the experience and qualifications to face large corporations and insurance companies. You can check out our track record of success at trial and see how much we have won for prior clients. We welcome you to ask us during your consultation about the successful verdicts and settlements obtained by our law firm. Contact us today to get started on moving forward after your car accident.