Indiana Car Accident Lawyers

According to figures released in 2023 by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, almost 207,000 vehicle collisions occurred across the Hoosier State’s 92 counties during 2022. More than 46,500 of those vehicle collisions caused injuries.

If another driver’s negligence caused an accident that left you injured, you may be able to obtain compensation for your recovery costs and lost wages. A car accident lawyer can explain your rights and compensation options.

How Could an Indiana Car Accident Lawyer Help Obtain Compensation?

A car accident law firm for Indiana could show how another driver’s actions caused your injuries. The at-fault driver may become liable for any harm that you suffered as a result of the accident.

The next step that your attorney takes will most likely be to negotiate a settlement amount with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If, however, the negotiations do not produce a settlement that is appropriate to the amount of harm you suffered, a well-prepared attorney will take your case to court.

Proving the at-fault driver’s degree of negligence

Proving the degree of negligence on the part of the driver who caused you harm is an important step in obtaining compensation. Because the Hoosier State follows the modified comparative fault system, a car accident lawyer must also show that you did not contribute to causing the accident by any degree greater than 50%. If, for example, your actions or lack of action contributed to the accident by 60%, you won’t be able to obtain compensation from the other driver.

The comparative fault system will also reduce your compensation by the degree of your contribution if it falls below 50%. If the at-fault driver’s degree of responsibility is 100%, however, you may receive the full amount of compensation your injuries deserve.

What Types of Driver Actions Could Prove Negligence?

Indiana’s laws require motorists to drive safely and not allow themselves to become distracted by texting or hand-held cellphones. A failure to do so could prove a driver’s negligence if an accident results. In many cases, cellphone records could help determine if a distracted driver caused an accident. Auto accident lawyers for Indiana may also prove negligence through a police report or citations issued by law enforcement at the scene of an accident.

Overall, driver-related factors represent a primary cause of vehicle collisions. The research conducted by Indiana’s Public Policy Institute showed that unsafe driver actions caused more than half of the state’s vehicle collisions and roadway fatalities in 2022. Based on an estimate from the nonprofit research group Tripnet.org, vehicle accidents that same year caused Indiana to suffer societal harm totaling more than $45 billion in economic and quality-of-life costs.

In addition to distracted driving, some of the unsafe actions that caused Indiana’s vehicle accidents in 2022 included speeding, failing to yield and following too closely. The number of vehicle collisions caused by speeding reached an average of 197 across Indiana’s 92 counties in 2022.

The greatest number of speed-related crashes occurred in LaGrange, Huntington, and Tippecanoe counties. In terms of overall collision types and causes, Marion County and its Indianapolis metro area are where the majority of serious collisions occur. Vehicle accidents in Marion County involved more than 65,500 individuals in 2022. Collisions across the entire state involved close to 364,000 individuals that year.

What Other Factors Could Help Prove a Driver’s Negligence?

A car accident lawyer may use a blood alcohol content report to effectively show that an impaired driver caused your injuries. Although Indiana’s Public Policy Institute reported that alcohol impairment only played a role in 2% of the collisions reviewed, alcohol impairment also accounted for 8% of the statewide collisions that caused fatalities. The 2022 study noted an average of 36 alcohol-related collisions per-county. Wayne County showed the highest ratio of alcohol-related collisions relative to its county-wide number of licensed drivers. In order to classify as an alcohol-related collision, the driver must show a BAC level of 0.08% or greater.

Unsafe road conditions may also reflect negligence

In some cases, the negligent party may not be another driver. Local government entities are responsible for maintaining safe roadways. If they fail to do so, an investigation conducted by our car accident lawyers for Indiana may show that a government agency failed to properly maintain a stretch of road that caused you to lose control of your vehicle. Hazardous potholes, pavement cracks or missing roadway signs could point to negligence and its associated liability for any harm caused to motorists.

Could a Non-Motorist Negligent Party Face Liability for a Work Zone Vehicle Collision?

In some cases, vehicle crashes that occur in roadway work zones could involve more than one negligent party. Roadway and construction crews must set up easily seen warning signs, flashing lights or traffic cones that provide drivers with an adequate amount of time to adjust their speed. Issues such as increased traffic and lessened visibility during rush hours also require consideration. When roadway work crews neglect or overlook motorists’ safety issues they could incur liability for any harm caused. If a road crew unknowingly used defective maintenance or construction equipment that led to a vehicle crash, an investigation may render the equipment manufacturer liable.

The Indiana Department of Transportation reported that more than 1,400 injuries resulted from vehicle crashes that occurred in work zones during 2022. Overall, 6,347 work zone collisions occurred statewide that year with Boone, Tipton and Hancock counties showing the highest numbers. Drivers rather than road crew workers tend to suffer harm in work zone crashes. The crashes often occur when a vehicle enters or leaves the work zone. A car accident lawyer for Indiana will most likely include a thorough accident site review to determine the role played by a worksite crew or its equipment in a vehicle collision.

When and Where Do Most Vehicle Collisions Occur?

Indiana’s Public Policy Institute review of vehicle collisions showed that the highest number of monthly crashes occurred during October, November, and December. Overall, daytime crashes took place in greater numbers than nighttime collisions by a ratio of about 2 to 1. Most of the collisions occurred during the weekday hours just before and during the end-of-day rush hour traffic periods.

The greatest percentage of vehicle collisions occurred in urban areas, followed by the Hoosier State’s suburban, rural and exurban areas. A larger proportion of the collisions causing fatalities, however, occurred in non-urban areas.

Some of the factors that could influence the number, types and outcomes of collisions that occur within a given location include:

• Population size
• Number of licensed drivers
• Social and behavioral norms
• The number of miles traveled

One of the reasons a greater number of Indiana’s car accidents tend to increase during the months of October, November, and December is that those months make up the deer breeding season. The number of vehicle collisions can increase by the thousands as deer become more active and wander across their habitats in search of breeding partners.

Drivers should remain highly focused during deer season and turn on their high beams when no other vehicles are on the road. The deer are most active during the hours of dawn and dusk, which is when drivers should exercise the greatest degree of care, especially in rural areas. Drivers who fail to exercise the required degree of caution during deer season could become liable for harm caused to their passengers during a deer collision.

What Types of Compensation Could an Injured Driver or Passenger Obtain After a Vehicle Collision?

A car accident lawyer could help you obtain compensation for the costs of any medical attention related to your injuries. If your injuries also caused you to lose income by taking time off from work to recover, you may also obtain compensation to cover your lost wages. If a car accident caused by another party’s negligence left you disabled or unable to resume your previous career path, you may be able to receive compensation relative to the loss of your future earning potential.

In many cases, a serious vehicle accident could also cause lingering emotional anxiety or a reduced quality of life, which may also become part of your settlement. It’s not uncommon for the issue of pain and suffering to become part of a car accident settlement involving serious injuries.

The Hoosier State experienced 964 fatal car crashes in 2022, which indicates that the number of vehicle-related deaths has increased at a steady rate since 2019. Vehicle collisions that cause fatalities can be devastating for surviving family members regardless of how or where they occur. A car accident lawyer may help family members move forward through their grief by recovering compensation for the loss of a loved one’s companionship and support.

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Choosing the Right Car Accident Legal Team

If another party’s negligence caused you to become injured in a vehicle collision, the legal team you choose could make a considerable difference. Experience, investigative resources and negotiation skills can become vital factors when going up against powerful insurance companies focused on limiting their settlement costs.

Don’t take chances. We are not based in Indiana, but we can help you. Contact us now to team up with a knowledgeable and seasoned car accident lawyer who you can trust. There’s never any fee unless we win your case.