"How much is my Indiana personal injury accident worth?"
Indianapolis attorneys explain how state's legal system works
Personal injury accidents in Indiana often result in serious injuries. In an instant, you might not be able to walk or perform other, normal functions. As a result, you might need several weeks or months - or even longer - to fully recover.
During that time, your accident-related expenses can add up fast. And if you don't take decisive legal action right away, you could end up having to pay for your accident yourself - even though you didn't do anything to cause it.
That's why it's critical that you understand how Indiana's legal system works if you've been injured in an accident caused by someone else's reckless or negligent behavior. That's why our experienced Indianapolis personal injury lawyers at Hocker Law, LLC want to help.
"What can I be compensated for?"
If someone else caused your personal injury accident in Indiana, you could potentially be eligible to receive financial compensation for all your accident-related expenses - even if such expenses occur years after your accident. Common accident-related expenses include:
- Emergency medical expenses
- On-going medical care
- Physical therapy
- Lost income
- Lost future income
- In-home nursing care
- Accident-related property damage
- Hiring someone to perform household chores
- Home modifications if you sustain a permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
Many other accident-related expenses exist. That's because every accident is unique. Our attorneys can analyze your accident and explain all the available options depending on the circumstances of your accident.
"What factors can affect my case?"
Many different factors can potentially affect the outcome of your legal case in Indiana. If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident, you may be able to take legal action against the other driver and his or her insurance under many circumstances, including:
- Driver drunk
- Driver texting while driving
- Driver excessively speeding
- Driver asleep at the wheel
If you're dealing with a medical malpractice case, you may be able to take legal action if the medical professional responsible for your injury failed to act in an ethical or professional manner, including:
- Not following standard medical procedures
- Delay of treatment
- Operating while intoxicated
If you were injured at work, similar legal principles could apply to your workplace accident claim. That's why it's important to meet with an attorney at our law firm as soon as possible.
Indiana's fault insurance system
Like many states, Indiana has a "fault" insurance system. This means the person who caused your accident (the "at-fault" person) is responsible for compensating you for your accident-related expenses.
Indiana's "fault" insurance system applies to all motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Auto accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Cycling accidents
But in theory, Indiana's "fault"-based insurance system applies to all personal injury accidents. If someone caused your injury, they should be responsible for compensating you.
What are Indiana's insurance requirements?
Indiana has a unique insurance system. Technically, drivers in Indiana are not required to have auto insurance. But if they do not have insurance, they must prove that they have sufficient assets to comply with Indiana's minimum car insurance requirements.
Specifically, drivers must demonstrate "financial responsibility" to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles if they do not want to obtain car insurance. Indiana's minimum auto insurance requirements include:
- $10,000 for property damage
- $25,000 for bodily injuries per person
- $50,000 for bodily injuries per accident
- $50,000 for accidents involving uninsured/underinsured drivers
Who determines who's at fault?
In the case of a motor vehicle accident, insurance companies normally decide who was at fault for the accident. That's why insurance companies have independent investigators who carefully comb through all the evidence to determine who was at fault.
If you were injured in another type of personal injury accident, many different people or organizations could be the ones ruling on who was at fault in your accident. Such people could include:
- Independent medical examiners (in the case of medical malpractice cases)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (workplace accidents)
- Insurance company investigators (personal injury accidents)
As your attorney, we can launch our own independent investigation into who caused your accident. We know what evidence to look for, what questions to ask and how to transform all that information into a strong legal case.
"Can I challenge a fault ruling?"
Yes. If you believe the ruling in your case is wrong, you should take immediate legal action. Your ability to obtain compensation for your accident-related expenses could be in jeopardy if you fail to challenge a ruling against you.
Whether it's insurance companies downplaying the severity of your injuries or someone else falsely claiming you were the one who caused your accident, you have to act quickly to set the record straight. Otherwise, you could be the one held responsible for compensating everyone else. And that could add up to tens of thousands of dollars or even more.
"How long do I have to take legal action?"
After your accident, you have up to two years to take legal action in most personal injury cases. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. Indiana's statute of limitations is two years for the following types of cases:
- Personal injury
- Medical malpractice
- Product liability
- Property damage
- Wrongful death
But just because you have two years to take legal action doesn't mean you should wait that long. The longer you take to initiate legal action, the more difficult your case could become. Evidence can disappear. Memories can fade.
And it's important to understand that insurance company investigators almost never wait. They're often at the accident scene hours afterwards, searching for critical pieces of evidence with one goal in mind - to deny your claim. That's not right. That's why we want to help.
How our law firm can help you
When you have an experienced legal team fighting for your rights, you can demand the compensation you rightfully deserve. Our lawyers have dedicated their careers to helping injury victims obtain the money they need to move on with their lives.
Don't let insurance companies dictate what happens to you. Demand the compensation you deserve. Contact Hocker Law, LLC and schedule your free case evaluation right now. Best of all, you only have pay us if we win your case. That's because we work on a contingency fee basis in all personal injury cases.