Indiana Personal Injury Lawyer

What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?

An Indiana personal injury lawyer represents people who have suffered injuries as a result of another party’s conduct. They do so by investigating the incident that resulted in your losses and gathering information that can help establish who was responsible.

With this evidence, they can start negotiating with insurance companies to help you obtain damages. If the insurance companies aren’t cooperating and refuse to agree to a personal injury settlement, your attorney can then take the case to court.

What to Look for When Choosing Indiana Personal Injury Attorneys

When deciding on an Indiana personal injury lawyer, one important factor to consider is their experience. The attorney must have successfully handled cases similar to yours and managed to get reasonable settlements or jury awards for their clients.

You need an attorney who has excellent reviews and whom you can quickly get in contact with if an issue arises. You may want to find someone who doesn’t charge you any upfront fees but instead works on a contingent fee basis.

Common Types of Personal Injury Claims Filed in Indiana

Any time that someone’s conduct results in injuries, it may be possible to file a claim. The following are the most common reasons people begin these legal actions in Indiana.

Car Accidents

The most common cause of personal injury claims in the state is car accidents. It’s no surprise, either, when you consider that there were 206,936 total collisions in Indiana in 2022. Many of these collisions involved passenger cars in large cities like Indianapolis.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Pedestrians and cyclists are vulnerable road users, which makes it common for them to suffer catastrophic injuries when they’re involved in crashes. Filing a claim can be the best way of recovering losses incurred in this type of accident.

Truck Accidents

When a truck hits another vehicle, its weight and overall size can end up causing severe injuries and even fatalities. A truck accident lawyer will know how to fight for fair compensation.

Motorcycle Accidents

Even if a biker is wearing a helmet and other safety gear, a motorcycle doesn’t offer a substantial amount of protection for those involved in collisions. Everything from broken bones to brain injuries can occur.

Slip and Fall Accidents

If wet floors, faulty steps, improper lighting or ice causes you to slip and fall when on someone else’s property, you may be able to file a claim against them to recover your losses.

Medical Malpractice

When a medical professional offers care that falls below the accepted standard and you suffer injuries, you may be entitled to begin a medical malpractice claim against them.

Dog Bites

In Indiana, a dog’s owner can be held liable for a bite if they knew the dog was dangerous. That’s the case even if the animal had never bitten anyone before. To file a claim, you must show that you didn’t provoke the animal and that you were on the property legally.

Workplace Accidents

After suffering an injury at your place of work, you can file to receive workers’ compensation. If a third party contributed to your injuries, you can begin a lawsuit against them, too.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

Although assaults can also result in personal injury cases, the majority of these claims focus on negligence. To prove that negligence occurred and that you deserve compensation for your losses, you have to establish that the defendant owed you a duty of care that they breached. That misconduct must have resulted in compensable losses.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Law Firm?

The sooner you hire a personal injury law firm after suffering an injury, the better it can be for your claim. These are complex procedures that require experience, so don’t attempt them alone.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Indiana?

You typically have two years from the date of the injury. There are exceptions that can shorten or lengthen the time you have available, so having an attorney by your side from the start protects your claim.

Common Damages in Personal Injury Cases

A personal injury claim gives you the opportunity to seek a variety of damages.

Medical Bills

Damages can cover any medical expenses you incurred. This includes hospital stays, ambulance fees and medical equipment costs. When struggling with injuries that will require months or years of care, you can receive compensation for future medical costs.

Property Damage

Property damage is common, especially in traffic accidents. You can receive compensation to cover repair bills or the purchase of comparable items.

Lost Income

When you suffer an injury, you might need to take time off from work, and this means lost wages. Economic damages can compensate you for this.

Lost Earning Capacity

If you sustained a disabling injury, you can receive compensation for the loss of earning capacity you experienced.

Pain and Suffering

Non-economic damages compensate you for the mental and physical distress the injuries caused.

Loss of Consortium

When an accident severely impacts the relationship between the victim and their spouse, it’s possible to receive compensation for loss of companionship and support in the form of loss of consortium damages.

Serving Personal Injury Clients Across Indiana

The team at ConsumerShield can help connect you with trusted lawyers, no matter where you live in Indiana. We offer assistance to people in:

• Fort Wayne
• Indianapolis
• South Bend
• Evansville
• Carmel
• Michigan City
• Gary
• Wabash

If you live anywhere in Indiana, we can make finding an attorney much easier.

Connect With Experienced Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers

ConsumerShield can assist you in choosing the right attorney for your personal injury claim. We connect people with local counsel to help them fight for fair compensation. Contact us to get started.