Car Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis

Highway traffic in Indianapolis, Indiana is notorious for its snares and jams. Whether you’re traveling through the congestion of I-65 or I-465 during rush hour, or contending with bottlenecked roads off downtown exit ramps, it may seem like traffic is always backed up due to an accident. 

However, car accidents can occur anywhere, at any time of day. Unfortunately, when another driver acts carelessly, you may find yourself in a collision that results in significant property damage and severe injury.

In the aftermath of a car accident, you should be able to focus on your recovery and find justice for all that you’ve lost. Insurance companies may be reluctant to pay your claim in a timely manner, could offer you a settlement that doesn’t begin to make up for your losses, or even deny your claim.

Where can you turn for help?

A Yosha Law car accident lawyer in Indianapolis can help you to explore the strength of your case, battle insurance giants on your behalf, and guide you through the legal process as you determine your course of action. Your story and your trauma matter. Get the support you need today.

What you need to know about car accidents in Indianapolis  

A recent Volvo report on  “America’s 100 most loathed highways”  included both I-65 and I-465 as roads most Hoosiers would prefer to avoid. However, if you live or work in Indianapolis, you’ll have to contend with heavy traffic on the majority of the city’s roads. Although car accidents can occur on any road, congested routes often lead to significant accidents.

Here are some other facts about car accidents in Indianapolis and throughout the Hoosier state that you should know:

• Marion County has the highest number of reported car accidents in the state, and the majority occur in or around Indianapolis.
• In Indiana, the average of fatal car accidents annually stands at approximately 900.
• An average of 45,000 car accidents in the state result in non-fatal injury.
• 28% of all fatal car crashes are due to excessive speeds.
• 81% of all collisions are due to driver error.
• The Indiana Highway Safety Plan (HSP) was introduced in 2024 to help prevent traffic accidents.
• In 2024, Indiana had the second highest number of car accidents in the U.S.

Steps you should take after a car accident

In the aftermath of your accident, to ensure you receive the care you need and can protect your legal rights, it’s important to take the following steps:

1. Safely Pull Over and Exchange Insurance Information  

Move your car away from oncoming traffic and pull over to the right shoulder if it’s possible to do so. Exchange contact information with the other involved parties. Your instinct may be to apologize or to admit fault — refrain from doing either.

2. Call 911 and Wait for First Responders

Indiana law requires that you report any accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,000. You should call 911 as soon as you’ve safely removed your car from oncoming traffic and wait for first responders to arrive.

Law enforcement officers who respond to your accident will conduct an initial investigation of the collision, take any eyewitness statements, record your statement and the statements of any other involved parties, and help you fill out a police report. You’ll need an official police report for your claim and as foundational evidence if you choose to file a personal injury lawsuit.

3. Gather Evidence

If your injuries don’t prevent you from doing so, use your smartphone to document your accident via video and photographs. Save any bloody clothing or personal property damaged inside of your vehicle (for example, a destroyed laptop or tablet).

Make sure you keep any receipts for car repairs and medical bills, too. This evidence can help to build a strong case for your car accident claim.

4. Seek Immediate Medical Attention

In the aftermath of your car accident, shock can mask the severity of your injuries. However, your injuries could worsen over time and present significant health risks — even minor injuries should be diagnosed by a medical professional. 

Any diagnosis, prescriptions, and treatment will also help a car accident lawyer in Indianapolis to build your case.

5. Consult a Car Accident Lawyer

Even before you file your insurance claim, you may want to consult an Indianapolis car accident lawyer. A lawyer can help you in the insurance claims process, can strengthen your case should you choose to file a lawsuit, and will help you to discern the amount of compensation you should seek. 

Yosha Law offers an initial obligation-free consultation that can help you to determine your next steps in the claims process.

6. File An Insurance Claim

Call your insurance provider to begin the claims process. Your insurance company will contact the at-fault party’s insurer and you’ll be assigned a claims agent and case number to reference throughout the process. 

Your lawyer can negotiate on your behalf if the at-fault driver’s insurer attempts to slow down the claims process or offer you an extremely low settlement.

7. Avoid Posting on Social Media 

When you’ve endured the trauma of a car accident, you may be tempted to post photos of the accident or vent about the experience on social media. However, it’s important to avoid discussing your accident on any social media platform. Insurance companies have experienced legal teams that will try to use anything you post to weaken your case or to deny your claim.

How a Yosha Law Car Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis Can Help

For over 60 years, Yosha Law has successfully battled insurance giants like Geico and Progressive, and recovered compensation for the underdog. Your voice and your story matter, and we’re dedicated to fighting for your justice.

When you’re a Yosha client, you become an extended part of our family. We care about your recovery and healing, and the impact your car accident has had on your family and your life. You aren’t just another case number and we won’t back down against insurance companies that offer you paltry compensation for your pain and suffering.

We can’t guarantee a successful outcome in your case, but over 172 years of combined experience and the Yosha track record include the following successes: 

• 100+ successful court verdicts that beat an insurer’s final offer
• A 98% success rate in beating an insurer’s final offer
• Consistently beating the final insurance offer by 4xs
• Helping to legislate laws to keep Indiana roads safe for passengers and drivers alike
• Multi-million dollar settlements recovered for clients, including a $5 million settlement for a passenger in a car accident
• Majority of business comes through client referrals

A Yosha Law car accident lawyer in Indianapolis also:

• Offers a free case evaluation with no obligation to retain our services.
• Uses proven strategies to battle insurance companies and fight for just compensation after a car accident.
• Calculates the compensatory damages you should seek based on the losses you’ve incurred. 
• Fight for your justice in negotiations and, if you file a lawsuit that goes to trial, in court.

What to expect during your car accident claim

Your car accident claim begins with the insurance claims process. However, if you cannot reach a satisfactory agreement with the insurer (s) of the at-fault parties in your collision, you can then file a personal injury lawsuit.

A personal injury lawyer in Indianapolis can help you to determine the amount of monetary compensation you should receive, help to prove the at-fault party’s negligence and represent you in all negotiations with insurance companies and through the entire legal process. The circumstances of your case can cause additional steps and a unique process, but here are the general steps you can expect during a car accident claim:

• Consult an attorney to ensure you know what to include in your claim
• Any insurance claims should be filed within 30 days of the date of your accident.
• The insurer(s) will conduct an investigation of the accident and any damages incurred, and may try to prove that you were at fault for your accident.
• If your claim is straightforward, the insurance company will make you an offer within several days or weeks of your accident
• If you choose to accept the settlement offer, you have no further legal claim for compensation
• If you refuse the settlement offer, your car accident lawyer will enter into negotiations with the insurer (s).
• If an agreement still cannot be reached, you can file a lawsuit.
• Your complaint will be filed with the courts, and the named defendants in your case will be served with legal papers.
• Defendants have 30 days to issue a complaint response or file a counterclaim.
• Your car accident attorney will prepare your case by collecting evidence, conducting a thorough investigation, researching the at-fault driver’s history of traffic violations, and obtaining testimony from expert witnesses, eyewitnesses, and credible people who can testify to how the accident has impacted your daily life (for example, employers, family members, and other loved ones).
• The discovery process will begin — all evidence and a list of witnesses will be shared by your lawyer and the defense attorneys.
• Mediation and negotiation meetings will begin — your lawyer will represent you and both sides will attempt to come to an agreement before going to trial.
• Although 95% of personal injury cases are settled before going to trial, if a settlement agreement cannot be reached, your car accident lawyer will fight on your behalf before a judge or jury. 
• Based on the complexities involved in your case, a personal injury trial might take between several days and several months before a verdict is reached.
• Once a verdict is reached, a judge or jury will determine the amount of compensatory damages you are owed.

How to Communicate with the Insurance Companies

If your car accident lawyer in Indianapolis advises you to file a lawsuit, it’s important to avoid direct communication with the at-fault party’s insurance company. A Yosha Law attorney will act as your representative and handle all communication so that you can focus on your recovery.

If you contact the at-fault party or their insurer on your own, you could jeopardize your case. We’ll guide you through any written statements or information the insurance company needs, and will submit them on your behalf.

Compensatory Damages in an Indianapolis Car Accident

The compensation you might receive after a car accident in Indianapolis falls under categories known as damages. Damages signify both the quantifiable and immeasurable losses you’ve endured and are classified as three different types: Economic, Non-Economic, and Punitive.

Economic Damages

Economic damages (also called special damages) represent the losses you’ve suffered that another party is liable for and have a measurable monetary value. In other words, the total costs you’ve incurred that can be proven through bills and receipts are considered economic damages.

Economic damages can include:

• Assisted Living Costs
• Counseling (if the trauma you’ve experienced causes you to seek psychological treatment, your bills might be claimed as economic damages)
• Funeral Costs 
• Home Healthcare Costs
• Lost Wages (including anticipated raises, bonuses, and tips that your injuries prevented you from receiving)
• Medical Expenses (medical bills can become extremely costly and if you were injured due to another person’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to pay for appointments, hospital stays, prescriptions, surgeries, treatments, or any other medical bills)
• Property Repair or Replacement Costs (vehicle repairs or replacement, or property like smartphones or laptops that was damaged in your accident)
• Transportation Costs (public transportation, rental cars, and rideshare services)   

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages (also called general damages) signify the immeasurable losses you’ve suffered as a result of your accident. Although these losses don’t have a set monetary value, they may alter your life in greater ways than accident-related expenses and can often take an extreme toll on every aspect of your life.

For example, if you lose a loved one in a car accident, no amount of money can make up for their death, but non-economic damages may help you to live comfortably while you concentrate on healing. 

Non-economic damages can include:

• Catastrophic Injury
• Chronic Pain
• Disfigurement
• Emotional Trauma
• Loss of Consortium (companionship and intimacy)
• Loss of Enjoyment (if you can no longer enjoy the activities that filled your life before your accident)
• Loss of Limb
• Mental Anguish
• Pain and Suffering
• Paralysis
• Third-Degree Burns
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Wrongful Death

Punitive Damages

A car accident lawyer in Indianapolis might advise you to seek punitive damages if there’s evidence that the at-fault party in your case exhibited gross negligence (a willful disregard for the safety of others and a breach of the standard duty of care). However, punitive damages are rarely sought by a plaintiff in a general personal injury lawsuit.

More often, a judge or jury will choose to include punitive damages as additional compensation to punish a defendant and deter others from exhibiting the same behavior.

For example, if your car accident occurred due to an intoxicated driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road, punitive damages could be included in your compensation.

In Indiana, 75% of punitive damages are directly transferred to the Indiana Violent Crimes Victim Compensation Fund and the plaintiff receives the remaining 25%.

Contact Yosha Law for a free case evaluation today.

Indiana Laws that Could Impact Your Car Accident Case

An Indianapolis car accident lawyer will work diligently to ensure your case is not detrimentally impacted by the following laws:

Modified Comparative Fault  

Indiana is one of only a dozen states that uses modified comparative fault (also known as comparative negligence) to determine the outcome of a personal injury case. Comparative fault is often used by insurance companies and their lawyers as a strategy to undermine your claim. 

Per Indiana State Code § 34-51-2-5, modified comparative fault means: 

• If you are at fault for over 50% of your collision, you can no longer seek compensation and do not have a legal avenue to do so.
• If you hold over 0% but under 50% of responsibility for your car accident, you can still file a claim. 

Indiana Statute of Limitations

Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4 sets the statute of limitations for all personal injury cases, including car accident claims.This state law mandates that you file any legal claim within two years of the date of your accident.

The statute of limitations allots a significant amount of time for you to discern whether or not you should file a lawsuit, but also protects defendants from having to respond to old claims. 

However, if you were under the age of 18 or mentally incapacitated at the time of your accident, the courts will grant you a filing extension. 

Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyer FAQs

How much will a car accident lawyer cost me?

Yosha Law works on a contingency basis. This means that we don’t get paid until you get paid. You won’t have to worry about upfront costs or costly legal expenses upfront. We work to achieve a successful outcome in your case without charging you until after your case has completed the legal process.

What is the average compensation awarded in a car accident case?

The amount of compensation you receive in a car accident case can vary — there is no set average. Compensation is determined by a variety of factors including the severity of your injuries, the cause of your accident, and how the accident has altered your life.

At Yosha Law, we’ve beaten the insurance companies’ final offers in 98% of our cases, and have helped many clients receive millions in settlement offers.

What should I bring to my first meeting with an Indianapolis car accident lawyer at Yosha Law?

In your initial consultation with an Indianapolis car accident lawyer at Yosha Law, you should bring any evidence you collected at the scene of your accident, documentation of any accident-related medical care you’ve already received, copies of car repair bills, and a copy of your filed police report.

You should also be prepared to give a detailed account of the accident and how your injuries have impacted your daily life.