Hiring an Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyer

After an accident, you may need to consider seeking legal counsel. Indianapolis personal injury lawyers are there to help you get what you need for a fair and active recovery and can fight for the justice you deserve. When someone else acts in a way that is reckless, careless, or downright negligent, and this leads to injury or death, you need someone on your side. 

Personal injuries are not always avoidable; after all, accidents do happen. But when you or a loved one find yourself in this situation, count on the help of a reliable Indianapolis personal injury lawyer. 

What is Personal Injury Law? 

Personal injury law is also known as tort law. The law ultimately protects an individual when another person causes harm to them or their property through some form of action, or even inaction. The person who causes such harm is liable for compensating the victim. There are several things that can fall under this category. 

In each personal injury claim, there will be both damages and responsibility. What was the liability of the defendant, based on lost wages, injuries, and other damages? The extent of these damages will vary. The attorneys work with the judge through the justice system to determine what the accused is responsible for and award the victim compensation based on the case presented. 

Let’s talk about a few of them. 

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when a medical practitioner is negligent in their duties. That negligence is deemed as duties not being executed to the standards of practice in the field, leading to harm to patients in the process. A medical practitioner could be anyone in the medical field, such as doctor, nurse, dentist, hospital staff, hospice, technicians, etc. 

Negligence

The majority of personal injury suits relate back to negligence in some way. This could pertain to auto accidents, as well as falls/slips and other mishaps. A personal injury case requires the claimant to be able to prove the accused was negligent in an owed duty of care. They then must show that the duty of care was violated, injuries were caused, and the type of damages incurred because of it. Those damages could include medical expenses, suffering, trauma, pain, lost wages, etc. 

Product Liability

In some cases, products can be responsible for personal injury. In the U.S., most states adhere to laws on product liability. This ultimately allows an individual who is injured because of a faulty or defective product to file a personal injury claim. When harmed by a product, you don’t generally have to prove the manufacturer was negligent, but rather that the product was defective in some way. 

Top Causes of Personal Injury in Indianapolis

Throughout Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, there are many reasons a personal injury case may be necessary. The most common cause is a car accident in which negligence is at play. 

An Indianapolis personal injury lawyer can help to assess the nature of the injuries, the scope of damages, and whether or not they may be eligible for compensation in this case. Take a look at some of these common causes in Indianapolis. 

Car Accidents

Car accidents happen every day. Sometimes they lead to death or significant injuries, while other times they might cause only a minor injury. According to data, Indiana saw more than 200,000 car accidents in 2021, which was a significant increase from prior years. 

Of those car accidents, nearly 40,000 reported injuries and more than 800 resulted in some sort of fatality. These are some of the most common causes: 

• Work zone incidents
• Speeding
• Improper seat belt use
• Driving under the influence
• Distracted driving

Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Accidents with semi trucks and other commercial vehicles have increased significantly in recent years. This accounts for a large number of injury accidents on the road. Those commercial vehicles include large trucks, semis, pickups, commercial vans, school buses, transport buses, and others. 

Because of the size of these vehicles, the injuries may be more severe or affect a larger number of people. 

Bicycle Accidents

Riding a bike has become increasingly popular, particularly in cities with congested traffic. Those on bikes are still at risk, and often fall victim to negligence or distracted driving. Bike safety should be more highly educated for both bike riders and drivers. However, when an accident occurs, it could be from negligence. 

Premises Accidents

Finally, when an injury takes place on someone else’s property, there is the possibility they will be liable. This depends on the situation and whether poor maintenance or improper supervision could be at play. 

Filing a Claim with Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident of any kind, you need to contact an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer to review your case. Be sure to hire a trustworthy attorney who is willing to investigate the case, has worked with this type of situation, and knows how best to proceed. 

They will be trained in negotiation, claims processes, and will know how to best advise you through the process. 

There will be a process for establishing damages, proving malpractice or negligence, and determining what the damages caused might be. This includes both economic and non-economic damages. Your case will likely go before a jury, which will eventually determine what the victim is to be awarded on behalf of the claim. 

Conclusion

Don’t just assume that there is no help for you. If you’ve experienced loss of wages, medical bills, pain & suffering, or any other type of challenge due to an accident, you need to take a stand for yourself. Contact a trusted Indianapolis personal injury lawyer right away. 

The earlier you reach out for help, the sooner you can come to a resolution. Your case will be much stronger if you don’t wait for too much time to pass before you bring your case to a lawyer you can trust.