Indiana Car Accident Lawyer

Young, Reverman and Mazzei has a team of the best car accident attorneys in Indiana dedicated to helping victims of accidents pursue the financial security they need not only to recover from their injuries but also to move forward with their lives. For your free consultation, contact us online or call our attorneys at 800-721-1678.

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What Steps Should I Take Following a Car Accident?

It can be quite frightening to be involved in a car accident especially if you or your loved one sustain injuries. However, there are certain steps that you need to take to protect your right to compensation, they include:

Be Calm

You should pull over to the side of the road if your condition allows it, and avoid leaving the accident scene.

Contact the Police

Once you have checked to see whether anybody was injured in the accident, you need to contact the police to report the accident. You need to let them know whether there are any injuries so that medical personnel can be dispatched.

Collect Information

Talk to any witnesses present at the scene of the accident. Ensure that you collect their names, contact details, as well as any other information they can provide regarding what they witnessed.

See a Doctor

Injuries resulting from car accidents sometimes don’t show up immediately following the accident. That’s why you need to see a doctor as soon as possible after being involved in an accident. When you talk to the doctor, tell them how the accident happened and the injuries you may have.

Contact Your Insurance Provider

It is also important to contact the insurance company as soon as possible. If you fail to report your car accident in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, in a timely manner, the insurance company may refuse to cover the accident. You also should avoid signing anything or giving any statements to the insurance adjuster because anything that you sign or say can and will probably be used against you in the future.

Avoid Signing Anything with the Insurance Company Before Consulting a Lawyer!

You should first consult the lawyers at Young, Reverman, and Mazzei before signing anything for the insurance company since our specialty is helping those that have suffered injuries in Indiana vehicle accidents. Personal Injury Law in Indiana can be both complex and complicated. It is always preferable to only allow the knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled lawyers at Young, Reverman, and Mazzei to handle the case so that either you or your loved one can focus on recovery.

Is There a Time Limit for Filing Indiana Car Accident Claims?

Yes. Every state has a time limit within which injury lawsuits have to be filed in the civil court system, referred to as the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations in Indiana when it comes to personal injury claims is 2 years starting from the date of the accident. Exceptions have been provided to the 2-year rule. For instance, minors that sustain injuries in auto accidents are unable to file lawsuits on their own, so the statute of limitations starts on their 18th birthday. If the personal injury case is against a county or city, you have just 180 days to file a formal claim. If the claim names a government agency, you have just 270 days to file a lawsuit with the local Lawrenceburg court.

What Can the Statute of Limitations Affect Your Right to Seek Compensation For?

If you have a claim for any of the following damages they must be filed within the time frame given by the Statute of Limitations.

Property Damage

Victims of accidents have just 2 years from the accident date to recoup the costs of damage to their personal property. The court can award compensation for damage to your home, vehicle, contents of the crashed vehicle, yard, or other belongings lost in the accident.

Injury

Indiana allows remuneration for people that suffer injuries in car accidents. It may include drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders, motorcyclists, and passengers. If a child is injured as either a pedestrian or passenger, it will be up to the parents to seek damages on their behalf. Possible damages in such cases include permanent disability costs, loss of the ability to earn a living as an adult, loss of companionship, as well as pain and suffering.

Wrongful Death

Relatives of a person who suffers a fatality in a vehicle accident have 2 years to file a wrongful death claim in Indiana. The 2-year period, however, starts on the day of the accident victim’s death as opposed to the date of the accidents to give the relatives a longer filing period.

The best course of action is always to start the car accident case without delay. If the deadline within which to file your claim lapses, the party mentioned in the lawsuit can have the case dismissed and you might lose the right t compensation forever. Filing your claim early also increases your chances of winning the case since evidence may be collected before it is destroyed and witnesses are easily tracked down before their memories start fading.

How Is Fault Determined in Car Accidents in Indiana?

Determining fault in Indiana car accidents is done through a legal construct referred to as ‘comparative fault’. It is simply a sliding scale that’s represented by a percentage that apportions blame on the guilty or negligent party. For instance, if you sue for $100,000 in damages and it is discovered that you were 40 percent at fault as the plaintiff, you can only recover $60,000. If you are found to be 50 percent at fault, however, you won’t be able to recover anything. Indiana is a ‘fault’ state, which means that you are allowed to use the other driver’s insurance to pay for your damages such as fixing up your vehicle pf paying your medical bills before you dip into your own insurance in case you ever need to do so.

Determining fault in car accidents is done in several ways, including:

• Assessing the damage to both vehicles
• Viewing any available footage of the accident
• Examining the police records
• Collecting witness testimonies
• Assessing the duty of care on each driver owed to other members of the public
• Assessing avoidance or what all parties could have done to prevent the accident

What Happens in Case the Other Driver Was Uninsured?

You aren’t required to carry insurance in Indiana, but if you opt not to buy a policy, you have to demonstrate “financial responsibility” by releasing information about your income and personal assets to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. However, most people meet the requirement by buying minimum auto insurance coverage.

Indiana is a “fault” state when it comes to car insurance. It means that if you are involved in a car accident ant the other driver is determined to be at fault, it is possible to seek compensation from that driver’s insurance provider. If the other driver doesn’t have insurance, however, your options will be more limited. You can file a claim with your own insurance company for repair of the damage to your vehicle if you have “collision” or “comprehensive” coverage.

The vast majority of drivers will carry a form of coverage referred to as “uninsured motorist coverage.” While it isn’t the law to do so, you will often see it in quite a huge number of insurance policies. You don’t have to carry uninsured motorist coverage in Indiana, but you have to refuse the coverage in writing. If you have uninsured motorist coverage and it is determined that the at-fault driver didn’t have coverage, you can ask your own insurance company to compensate you for your lost wages, medical bills, vehicle damage, as well as pain and suffering. The first step to be taken by your Indiana car accident lawyer in such a situation is verifying that there aren’t any applicable coverages for the at-fault driver and this is done by performing various background checks.

You might be somewhat hesitant to file an uninsured claim for your car accident. However, it is important not to feel this way if that’s the only coverage available. You pay premiums every month for the coverage and it is important to use it. If your work with the auto accident attorneys at Young, Reverman, and Mazzei, we will pursue all avenues of compensation to ensure that you make a complete recovery.

Dealing Directly with the Insurance Company

Insurance companies are known for rushing those that have sustained injuries to settle their claim, and the main reason why they do this is that they are aware of the fact that quick settlements are to their advantage in most instances. This is particularly true for people with soft-tissue injuries that cause problems such as back and neck pain or nerve damage. Such types of injuries are usually subjective and quite unpredictable, which means that they can have lasting effects and you may have to complete months of physical therapy before the problem is adequately resolved.

If you decide to settle your personal injury claim with the insurance company before the doctor says that you are fully recovered, chances are high that some of your problems might return and those may require further treatment. In such a situation, if you had already agreed to the settlement offered by the insurance company, you would be responsible for all costs associated with future treatment and therapy for your car accident-related injuries.

Is It Necessary to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Indiana?

If you decide to take the quick settlement offered by the insurance company, there isn’t any guarantee that your claim will be handled with your best interests in mind. It might take longer to have the claim handled professionally, but it could be worth thousands of dollars you might not have received otherwise.

Having a Personal Injury Attorney Representing You to Fight the Insurance Company

The process of your personal injury claim won’t be automatically sped up if you hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you. In fact, it might even take longer for you to receive your money, but it is still your best option and for good reason.

Once the insurance company knows that you have a lawyer representing you, they will change their tactics. Instead of rushing to settle the claim, they will start dragging their feet with the hope that you will get frustrated. They do that because they are aware of the fact that you are likely to receive more money for the claim if you hire a lawyer. Fortunately, the personal injury attorneys at Young, Reverman, and Mazzei know how to handle the ineffective strategies of insurance companies to ensure that you end up receiving the settlement that you are entitled to as well as the treatment that you deserve.

How Much Will Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer in Indiana Cost?

You will have much to worry about an Indiana car accident that leaves you with serious injuries. You will be facing a long recovery, losing your vehicle, and the inability to work. Since the accident wasn’t your fault, you may consider hiring a car accident lawyer near Lawrenceville to represent you in the settlement claim, but it isn’t always necessary for you to have the money that you assume is needed to secure a lawyer. If you contact Young, Reverman, and Mazzei to represent you, however, this isn’t something you should worry about. We operate on a contingency fee basis, which means that you won’t need to pay anything upfront to secure an experienced legal team.

What Does “Contingency Fee Basis” Mean?

It might sound too good to be true, but you can be sure that we won’t ask for any payment to take on your case. That way, you will be free to focus on your physical recovery as opposed to worrying about the legal bills above all else. We will collect our fee from the settlement once we have settled the case to your satisfaction.

Simply put, a contingency fee agreement works as follows:

• We meet with you, review your case and discuss the contingency fee arrangement. We will try to explain what we believe your case to be worth as well as the percentage of the settlement that we will receive as payment.
• We will cater for all expenses until the case has been settled, including medical records fees, filing fees, travel expenses, expert witness fees, as well as other expenses.
• We won’t receive any payment until the case concludes and you receive your settlement, whether it is going to trial or it is settled out of court.

A contingency fee arrangement allows just about anyone to afford quality legal representation. You were the victim after all, which means that you shouldn’t need to pay out of pocket to be sure that your claim is fairly settled and that you receive the financial settlement needed to replace what you have lost.

How Much Is My Indiana Car Accident Claim Actually Worth?

Before looking at the factors that might affect the value of your auto accident claim, it is important to know that nobody can initially tell you how much your car accident claim is actually worth; not until you give your version of the story, liability is determined, your medical treatment is completed, and your case has been reviewed by an experienced personal injury law firm.

It is also not okay to have a dollar figure thrown at you immediately. After all, if the accident actually has a “price tag,” then you wouldn’t have the opportunity to present your case, which means that you would potentially reduce your entire claim by thousands of dollars. The top goal of our law firm is probably similar to yours at the moment: recover the maximum possible amount of compensation for your accident. The best way to ensure a fair settlement is by presenting a professional and persuasive case supported by medical documentation as well as a measurable course of treatment such as physical therapy.

How Long Will It Take Before My Auto Accident is Settled?

One of the most common questions that we receive at our law firm is “How long will it take before my case is settled?” The quick answer to the question depends on whether or not you are willing to accept the low-ball quick settlement offered by the insurance company or if you are willing to hire a law firm to ensure that your case is handled in a professional way.

For Your Free Consultation Contact Young, Reverman, and Mazzei Law Firm Today!

If you have suffered injuries after being involved in a car crash, one of the most important decisions that you can make is to work with an experienced law firm. Young, Reverman & Mazzei was established in 1972 and has an extensive record of success in personal injury cases, which include those related to motor vehicle accidents of all types. Our attorneys work hard to recover the maximum possible compensation for personal injury victims within the shortest time possible. We also have the expertise and resources to take your claim to court in case you receive unjust settlement offers. We offer all our clients a free initial, no-obligation consultation that will help you understand the legal options available to you better. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you won’t have to pay us anything unless we are successful in resolving your claim. Contact us online or call us today at 800-721-1678 to find out how we can help you.