Car Accident Attorney in Fishers, Indiana

Car accidents are devastating and can lead to serious injuries. Whether you are a victim of a drunk driving accident or distracted driving, you deserve to have your medical bills and physical injuries covered by the responsible party.

In Hamilton County, having a Fishers car accident lawyer by your side is important to help you navigate the legal process and recover compensation as an accident victim. Crossen Law Firm can help you with your personal injury claim if you have been involved in a car accident in Fishers. We uphold the highest standards of professionalism to ensure your trust in our legal knowledge.

Contact a car accident attorney in Fishers, Indiana from Crossen Law Firm by calling 317-401-8626 for a free consultation today.

Why You Need a Car Accident Attorney in Fishers, Indiana

A car accident is complicated to go through. An Indiana car accident can lead to serious damages. Car crashes account for a huge portion of personal injury lawsuits, and having an experienced car accident lawyer on your side can help you in determining liability and establishing fault so you can claim compensation.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

While not every vehicle accident has the same cause, there are a few common causes that are recognizable to the insurance adjuster at an insurance company and the auto accident attorney who will work on your case.

Some causes include:

Drunk Driving: When someone is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it can lead to incredibly dangerous car accidents that require medical attention. These accidents are often tragic but can be avoided by carefully monitoring your alcohol intake and driving with caution.

Distracted Driving: These car accidents occur when a driver is distracted by their phone, radio, or something else in their car and isn’t paying attention to the road. They might also be distracted by a government vehicle parked on the side of the road or with its lights on.

Shared Fault Accidents: This type of car accident occurs when more than one driver is responsible for the crash. An insurance adjuster will usually assign a certain percentage of responsibility, and your car accident lawyer will help argue your side of the case in court.

Bad Weather: Poor visibility, slick roads, and heavy winds and rains can also cause a car accident. Take your time driving in poor weather or pull over to the side of the road until the worst of the weather has passed.

Reckless Driving: In this type of car accident case, the responsible party is likely driving recklessly by speeding, changing lanes without checking for clearance, or tailgating.

Damages from a Car Accident

There are a variety of damages that an injured party can sustain after a car crash or other vehicle accident.

These damages include:

Minor Injuries: Minor injuries include scrapes, bruises, contusions, small fractures, and lacerations that aren’t life-threatening. Most car accident victims often deal with these types of damages following an automobile accident.

Major Injuries: Major injuries include spinal injuries, back injuries, brain injuries, internal bleeding, loss of limbs, or even wrongful death. These types of injuries often have high medical bills and long recovery periods after the auto accident.

Emotional Damages: Auto accidents can also lead to emotional damages like PTSD, emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and other types of non-physical injury. In Indiana car accident cases, victims can seek compensation for these damages.

Property Damages: A car accident case can also result in property damages if your vehicle or property was damaged in the auto accident. A Fishers car accident lawyer can help you get these damages covered in your lawsuit.

Other Types of Personal Injury Accidents

Car accidents aren’t the only kind of personal injury claim that may require the expertise of an experienced personal injury attorney.

At Crossen, our Fishers car accident lawyers are also experienced in other cases, including:

Truck Accidents: Our Fishers auto accident lawyer teams can help you if you have been in a truck accident involving a semi-truck or trailer.

Motorcycle Accidents: Our team can help you with medical bills and expenses after a motorcycle accident from distracted driving, drunk driving, or reckless behavior.

Medical Malpractice: If you have been harmed as a result of medical malpractice, we can help you with a personal injury case against the responsible medical group.

Wrongful Death: If a loved one was killed due to negligence or another type of accident, our team can help you recover damages for your loss with personal injury suits.

Nursing Home Negligence: If you suspect elder abuse or other negligence going on in a nursing home, our team can help you gather medical records and build a case for damages.

No matter what type of personal injury lawsuit you are dealing with, our team can give you the legal representation you need. Our personal injury lawyers know how to help you build your case to receive fair compensation for your damages from insurance companies. We understand the challenges you face and are here to offer compassionate support and dedicated legal counsel.

Why a Car Accident Attorney in Fishers, Indiana Is Important for Victims

Car accidents are complicated, and it is important to have someone on your side who understands how to approach insurance companies, how to file accident claims, and can guide the legal process.

At Crossen, our Fishers car accident lawyer team is experienced in helping clients with their car accident claims. Most car accidents require negotiation with insurance companies so you get the compensation you deserve. Our car accident lawyer Fishers team helps you navigate the claims process so you can focus on recovering. We break down complex legal processes into clear, actionable steps, empowering you to make informed decisions.

The Importance of Keeping a Post-Accident Journal

Gathering evidence is crucial to helping your car accident attorney present your case. Even an experienced car accident lawyer can have an easier time when they have additional supporting materials to help argue the case in court.

What Is a Post-Accident Journal?

A post-accident journal is a diary where you track the details of the car accident after the event has taken place. Usually, you use it to record your medical expenses and the ongoing treatments you receive to have a detailed, personal report of the damages you are experiencing.

How to Start a Post-Accident Journal

Your post-accident journal doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated.

Just a simple record of your accident, your hospital or other professional healthcare expenses, and your thoughts and feelings during these processes is sufficient. Insurance companies can then look through these records to get more information about the accident and the impact it has had on your life.

Your journal should include information such as:

• Your injuries
• Property damage
• The accident scene
• Ongoing pain and suffering
• Medical bills and costs
• Prescription costs
• Rehab or physical therapy experiences
• Counseling or therapy
• PTSD or trauma
• Day-to-day impacts on your work, personal life, or income
• Pain and suffering

Admissibility of a Post-Accident Journal

Your car accident attorneys can use the post-accident journal as evidence in your case. However, that doesn’t mean you can take any liberties in your journal. It’s important that the details you write about can be backed up by evidence, if need be, like your medical records, insurance company reports, mechanic reports, and police documentation.

The more detailed and accurate you can be in your post-accident journal, the more helpful it will be for helping your car accident claim to get you a fair settlement for your damages after the car accident.

Steps to Take if You’re Injured in a Rideshare Accident

Not all accidents take place in your personal vehicle. Car accident lawyers are experienced in more than just simple fender benders with your registered car or truck and can help your car accident claims change and evolve, like a rideshare accident.

What Is a Rideshare Accident?

With the rise of rideshare apps and services like Uber and Lyft, some accidents can take place while you are using one of these services. While you obviously won’t be able to claim damages for a damaged vehicle, you can still get compensation for your emotional, physical, or small personal property like a cellphone that may have been damaged in the accident.

Steps to Take in a Rideshare Accident

If you are involved in a rideshare accident, here are some crucial steps to follow to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you before you begin to think about processing a car accident claim for your damages.

Step 1: Seek Immediate Medical Attention

Call 911 or the authorities in the area to come to the scene so you can receive attention and medical assistance for your injuries. It’s always a good idea to have help from professionals, since some injuries, like head or spinal injuries, may not be apparent at first glance. You can also get medical help for the driver of the car or other people involved in the accident.

Step 2: Gather Evidence and Information

Your car accident lawyers and the insurance company will require evidence to process a claim, so once your medical needs have been met, it’s important to start to gather evidence and information at the scene. Ask what insurance companies the rideshare driver and the other vehicle drivers have, see if you can get the phone number of any witnesses, and take photos or videos of the scene so accident reconstructionists can use them in their investigations to assign fault.

Step 3: Track All Medical Expenses

As mentioned before, keeping track of your ongoing expenses and medical bills is critical for the success of your case. A post-accident journal can help you keep organized and gather that information in one place. Make sure to take copies of all your records and bills and share them with your attorney so they can include them in your settlement claim.

Step 4: Report the Car Accident and Make a Copy of the Accident Report

Make sure that the accident is reported to the rideshare company and that you collect a copy of the report they file. This will help you in your case and give your attorney some more documentation. The rideshare company may reach out with their own offer or settlement amount, but never accept this without speaking to an attorney first.

Step 5: Reach Out to the Insurance Company

Start looking into what the regulations of the insurance company of the rideshare company or the driver are for these types of accidents. Not every rideshare company has the same rules for drivers, and the circumstances of who is responsible for your damages might be different from case to case.

Step 6: Contact a Fishers Car Accident Attorney

The final step is to get in contact with a Fishers auto accident lawyer who can help you process your claim and proceed forward with your lawsuit so that you can receive the compensation you deserve to cover your damages and suffering. A car accident attorney in Fishers, Indiana, is ready to help you.

The Impact of Traffic Violations on Your Car Accident Claim

One question that often emerges during an investigation is what happens to your claim if you have traffic violations on your record or that come up during the process of assigning fault.

Do Traffic Violations Impact the Claims Process?

The short answer? Yes. If you are found to have committed traffic violations during the accident at hand, it can impact your claim and the amount of compensation you receive. You may be found at fault for the accident entirely, and you will only be covered for your insurance expenses and nothing else.

However, that only matters if those violations are attributed to you for the current accident. If you aren’t at fault for any traffic violations for the accident you are filing a claim on, then you likely won’t be assigned any fault for the accident, and you can receive a full settlement for your damages without owing anyone else any additional payments through your insurance company.

What to Do if You Have Previous Traffic Violations

If you have previous traffic violations on your record, it should not impact the specific claim you are making if those violations are not relevant to the case at hand.

In short, if you were responsible for an accident or had tickets in the past, those shouldn’t impact the amount of compensation you can receive for the ongoing case. Your attorney can help ensure that you aren’t being negatively impacted by previous traffic violations during your lawsuit.

FAQ

Some frequently asked questions come up in a car accident claim, including these two popular questions for attorneys:

Can You Sue for Lost Wages After a Car Accident?

Yes, you can sue for lost wages after your car accident. However, there are a few exceptions to keep in mind. You need to prove that the accident is responsible for the loss of income, such as missing work from being in recovery or going through medical treatment. You may also lose income from future disability due to the accident.

You and your attorney need to tie these instances back to the accident and create a connection between it and your employment changes to prove that you have lost wages because of the car accident.

Can You Be Held Liable for an Accident in a Borrowed or Rented Vehicle?

If someone has borrowed your car and then gotten into an accident, you may still be responsible for any damages they caused. If you have permitted someone to use your vehicle, then the insurance of the vehicle owner will be the one used to cover damages from the crash.

However, if the vehicle was taken without your permission, then the rules are different. The person who took your car may be responsible since they did so without your consent. The type of insurance coverage you have and the policy itself will also impact who is responsible. A car accident lawyer can help you navigate through fault and responsibility in these cases so you know who is required to accept responsibility for the accident.

If you are involved in an accident in a rented vehicle, your insurance policy will often carry over, unless you’ve taken the policy offered by the rental company. These policies are often limited in their coverage, so be sure to carefully consider your options before taking any short-term coverage policy offered by a rental company.

Contact a Crossen Car Accident Attorney in Fishers, Indiana

At Crossen Law Firm, we are proud to serve the Fishers community with injury lawyers and car accident attorneys who have years of experience in helping clients get compensation for their damages. We help them navigate the claims process with ease so they can focus on recovering from their injuries.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a car accident, then we are standing by to support you.

Leveraging extensive research and proven strategies, we confidently navigate through the intricacies of the law to advocate effectively on your behalf.

For a free consultation, give Crossen Law Firm a call at 317-401-8626 any time.