A car accident can change your life.
Every year, more than 2.3 million Americans are injured in car accidents. In Indiana, Lake County consistently tops the list of counties with the most motor vehicle collisions every year.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or killed in a wreck, a car accident lawyer in Merrillville, IN, can protect your rights, help you get compensated for your injuries and losses, and guide you through the legal process with compassion and knowledge.
The legal team at Yosha Law Firm has walked through the aftermath of an accident with so many car accident victims and their families. We know what kind of support you need to take the next steps in your recovery.
Instead of trying to get through this on your own, your attorney from Yosha Law Firm will seek justice on your behalf! Let’s get you back to living your life.
How to Get Compensation After Your Car Accident
After your accident, there is surely a lot on your mind.
You may have been seriously injured to the point of needing an extensive hospital stay. Even without a long hospital stay, you may have needed surgery, multiple doctor’s appointments, ongoing therapy appointments, and more. It’s likely that you missed work, or you may have even had to leave your job.
The stress of recovering from an accident is only made worse by the financial pressures of recovery.
You may be asking yourself questions like this:
- How will I pay for my medical appointments?
- What if I continue to need various therapies and treatments?
- How will I afford my medications?
- What will I do about all of my missed work?
- What do I do if I am disabled from this accident?
- How can I let my body heal when I have so much to worry about?
This is why getting compensation is so important.
When your injuries were caused by someone else’s careless or negligent behavior, you deserve to be compensated!
Understanding Indiana’s Car Accident Laws
Indiana’s car accident laws can be complicated to understand. Your attorney will be able to help you understand each law that applies to your specific and unique circumstances.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions about Indiana’s motor vehicle laws.
Is Indiana a “fault” state?
Yes, Indiana is a fault state. That means that when an accident occurs, the party who was the most responsible for the accident is also responsible for paying damages.
Can more than one driver be found at fault?
Yes. In Indiana, multiple drivers can be found liable for an accident. The state uses a “comparative negligence” rule. This means that if you are 51% or more responsible for the accident, you will be held responsible. On the other hand, if you were less than 50% responsible, you can sue for damages.
That said, your compensation may be reduced, depending on the percentage of your responsibility in the accident.
For example, if you are found to have been 15% responsible for the accident, your total compensation package will be reduced by 15% before payout.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Indiana?
The statute of limitations in Indiana for a personal injury lawsuit, including a car accident lawsuit, is two years after the accident occurred.
However, it is always better to start the process earlier, because your lawyer will be able to gather more effective evidence, and you won’t have to wait as long for compensation.
Proving Negligence After a Car Accident
Car accident lawyers in Merrillville are responsible for proving that the other party was negligent and at fault for the accident.
Proving negligence is a complicated process. Car accidents are rarely cut-and-dried. Individual drivers often have a difficult time proving to the courts or to the insurance companies who was at fault.
To prove negligence, you must prove the following statements to be true:
- The driver had a duty of care to drive safely and responsibility
- The other driver breached their duty of care by failing to drive safely and responsibility
- The plaintiff suffered injuries that require immediate, after-the-fact, and/or ongoing medical treatment
- The other driver was the cause of the accident
What Causes Most Car Accidents in Indiana?
Because Lake County is the site of so many car accidents, it is helpful to know what to look out for on the road. It may help you avoid dangerous drivers.
Distracted drivers
Distracted driving causes many of the accidents on Merrillville’s roads every year. It is illegal for drivers to use a handheld device such as a phone while driving, yet there are people who disregard these rules and use their phones to text, email, make calls, look up information, etc.while driving.
Distracted driving also includes eating, taking your eyes off the road, adjusting controls in the car, paying attention to passengers instead of your drive, and more.
In 2020, 39 people in Indiana were killed in motor vehicle collisions that involved a distracted driver. Nationally, that number tops 3,000 fatalities every year.
Reckless driving & speeding
Driving over the speed limit, tailgating, passing in the right lane, failing to yield the right of way, ignoring road signage, disregarding weather and road conditions – these are all examples of reckless driving that can cause an accident.
If the other driver in your accident was participating in reckless driving behaviors, your car accident attorney in Merrillville will be able to demonstrate that these behaviors were the cause of the collision.
Driving under the influence
If the other driver was under the influence of drugs, alcohol, illegal substances, or some prescription drugs, their driving was certainly impaired. Impairment is a significant problem on the roads in Indiana. In 2020, there were 106 fatalities on Indiana roads because one of the drivers was under the influence.
Driving while drowsy
Sleepy driving is incredibly dangerous. If someone is driving while drowsy, they are just as dangerous on the roads as a driver who is drunk or under the influence of illegal or controlled substances. A tired driver has slower reflexes and is less attentive to the road.
It can be difficult to show that the other driver caused the accident because they were sleepy, but an experienced lawyer will be able to interpret the evidence to determine if a driver’s drowsiness was a contributing factor.
Types of Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
Injuries from a car accident can be minor, serious, or even fatal.
If you have suffered one or more of the following injuries, you are not alone! You deserve support as you heal from these injuries, some of which are life-changing:
- Head and skull injuries
- Brain injuries (including Traumatic Brain Injuries)
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Lacerations
- Serious bruising
- Broken bones (limbs, fingers, ribs, and more)
- Seat belt injuries
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue damage
- Burns
- Scarring
- Limb amputation
- Torn ligaments
- Joint injuries
- Penetrative injuries from flying debris
- Wrongful death
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be hospitalized for days, weeks, or even months. Car accident survivors often have months or years of recovery ahead of them, including medical treatments, ongoing medication needs, various physical therapies, and mental health care therapy to address the trauma of the accident and recovery process.
When to Call a Car Accident Attorney in Merrillville
In the most minor of accidents, or in the event of a single-vehicle accident that you were responsible for, you may not need a Merrillville car accident lawyer. However, it’s always a good idea to seek legal advice if you meet any of the following qualifications:
- You were seriously injured in the accident
- You need long-term medical treatment to recover
- Another motorist, pedestrian, or cyclist was seriously injured
- The accident caused the death of someone involved
- You had to miss work because of your injuries – or you had to leave your job altogether
- Your car was totalled or badly damaged
- You are having trouble with your insurance company
- Your insurance company has asked you to sign a release
- Your insurance company is offering you money to settle your claim
- You were the victim of a hit-and-run
- Liability is being disputed
Was my accident serious enough to contact a lawyer?
We often hear from our clients that they hesitated to contact a lawyer because they weren’t sure if their accident was serious enough to warrant a lawyer.
It is always a better idea to contact a car accident attorney and discuss your case with them instead of waiting until it’s too late to get legal help. At Yosha Law Firm, we offer free consultations to help potential clients determine if they need to retain a lawyer. Sometimes, we let them know that they don’t need one after all – but never in a way that condescends to them or makes them feel like they were foolish for reaching out!
How Yosha Law Firm Can Help You After a Car Accident
We know how overwhelming it can be to think about the legal reality that follows a car accident. If you try to “go it alone” and manage all of the paperwork, negotiations, and compensation claims on your own, you will just be adding more and more onto your list of responsibilities.
You should be able to focus on healing, rather than on your medical bills and lost wages.
At Yosha Law Firm, our Merrillville, Indiana personal injury attorneys use their knowledge, experience, and compassion to support you on your journey toward wholeness.
We want to set things right.
At Yosha, we don’t get paid unless you do
Our job is to stand by our clients and help you get the compensation you deserve.
You can expect us to be in constant communication with you about your case and any updates. We answer questions quickly and put your needs at the forefront of all of our processes.
Working with Yosha Law Firm poses absolutely no risk to you.
That’s because we work on contingency, and we don’t accept any payment from our clients until they have received their money, either in the form of a settlement or a court-ordered award.
There are NO fees upfront, and we start working on your case without any payment at all.
Types of Compensation You May Get After a Car Accident
Our team can help you get the compensation you deserve.
You can receive compensation for the following and more:
- Medical bills (including those since the accident and those that are to come)
- Medication costs
- Lost wages from missed work
- Loss of earning capacity (especially if you had to leave your job)
- Bills related to therapy services (physical, occupational, speech, and mental health therapies)
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
Yosha’s Merrillville Car Accident Attorneys are Here for You
Our car accident attorneys in Merrillville are ready to talk when you are!
In Indiana, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit after your accident, but we hope you will reach out sooner, rather than later. The earlier we can get started, the faster we can get you the compensation you are owed.
Reach out to us to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to speaking with you, learning about your case, and coming up with a strategy that will alleviate your stress and help you recover the monetary and non-monetary damages you have experienced!
