Personal injury accidents result in severe damage and injuries. For instance, you may not be able to walk or even perform everyday duties. For this reason, your recovery process will take weeks or even months.
During that hard time, your injury-related expenses will pile up. And if you don’t find a reliable Indianapolis law firm to help you take legal action fast, you will end up paying for the medical expenses yourself.
That is why it’s important to know how Indianapolis’s legal system works and if you or your loved one has sustained injuries caused by someone’s reckless and careless behavior. You need a seasoned and highly trained personal injury lawyer from an experienced Indianapolis law firm to help you.
What can you be compensated for?
Suppose you or your loved one sustains injuries caused by someone else’s carelessness. In that case, you might qualify to get compensation for the accident-related expenses, even if the expenses occur years after the incident.
Some of the accident-related costs include:
- Lost wages
- Emergency medical expenses
- Lost future salary
- On-going medical care
- In-house nursing care
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Home modification
- Property damage
Every accident is unique. These accident-related expenses will vary since every accident is not the same. A team of experienced lawyers will analyze the accident and explain the available options based on the circumstances.
Things that can affect a personal injury case
Many things can affect the outcome of a legal case. If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you might take legal action against the involved parties, the driver, and the insurance company under numerous circumstances.
- Driver texting while driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Over speeding
If it’s a medical malpractice lawsuit, you might take legal action if the medical expert for your injuries failed to act professionally and ethically, such as:
- Delay of treatment
- Not following the required standard medical procedures
- Operating while under the influence
If you or your loved one was injured at work, the same legal protocol would apply to the workplace accident case. That is why meeting with an experienced lawyer at a reputable Indianapolis law firm is important.
Fault insurance system
Like most states in the US, Indianapolis has a fault insurance system. That means the person who caused the accident (the faulty person) is responsible for compensating you for all the accident-related expenses.
This fault insurance system applies to vehicle accidents like:
- Truck accidents
- Auto accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Cycling accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
But theoretically, a fault-based insurance system applies to every personal injury accident. When you sustain severe injuries due to someone else’s carelessness, they should compensate you.
Who determines who is at fault in a personal injury accident?
In an auto accident, an insurance company will decide who is at fault for the crash. That’s why insurance firms hire independent investigators to gather the evidence to define who was at fault.
If you’ve been injured in a different type of personal injury accident, various organizations or people can rule out who caused the accident. They include:
- Independent medical examiners if it’s a medical malpractice lawsuit
- Insurance company investigators if it’s a personal injury accident
- Occupational safety and health administration if it’s for workplace accident
Your injury lawyer will launch an independent investigation to determine who caused the accident. They know what evidence to collect, the kind of questions to ask, and how to change that information into a winning case.
Can one challenge a fault ruling?
If one believes the ruling in a lawsuit was unfair, one can take legal action. Your ability to get compensation for your injury-related expenses will be at risk if you don’t challenge the ruling.
Whether it’s the insurance companies downplaying the seriousness of the injuries or someone falsely claiming you were the cause of the accident, you have to set the record straight. This ensures you won’t be held accountable for compensating the other person.
How long do you have to take legal action?
After a personal injury accident, you have up to 24 months to take the required legal action. The deadline is called the “statute of limitations.” Indianapolis’ statute of limitations is 24 months for various cases, such as:
- Personal injury
- Product liability
- Wrongful death
- Property damage
But having two years to take legal action does not mean you wait that long. Taking a long time to initiate legal action will make your case difficult since memories will fade and evidence will disappear.
It’s also important to understand that the investigators from the insurance company won’t wait. They get to the accident scene immediately, looking for essential evidence with the primary goal of denying your claim. That’s not fair. Hence, you need to seek professional help from a reputable Indianapolis law company.
How an Indianapolis law company will help you
You’ll easily get the compensation you deserve whenever you have experienced a legal team fighting for your interests and rights. Experienced lawyers will dedicate their efforts and resources to helping personal injury victims get the financial support they require to move on.
Don’t allow insurance firms to dictate what happens to you after an accident that wasn’t your fault. Pursue the settlement you deserve. Our lawyers are highly trained and experienced in handling personal injury cases such as auto accident cases, workplace accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, and even wrongful death. Call to schedule your case evaluation immediately. The best part is that you’ll only need to pay once you win the personal injury lawsuit.