Why Should Employees Injured in Work-Related Car Accidents Hire a Lawyer?

In last week’s blog, we discussed some of the most frequently asked questions about work-related car accidents, including various facts about workers’ compensation benefits, third-party claims, and hiring a car accident lawyer to represent injured people in such cases. In today’s blog, continue reading to learn how a skilled and specialized personal injury lawyer can protect wrongfully injured car accident victims by recovering the full and fair compensation they deserve for their damages and losses.

Company Car Accident Lawyers Indianapolis 317-881-2700
Company Car Accident Lawyers Indianapolis 317-881-2700

Work-Related Car Accident Injuries and Claims

There are several reasons why an injured employee who is hurt and work-related car accident should hire personal injury lawyer. Here are some scenarios to demonstrate the importance of retaining proper legal representation after being injured in a car accident while performing work-related duties:

Employers or their insurance carriers may try to establish that an employee’s car accident wasn’t work-related and attempt to reject their workers’ compensation claim. If this were to happen, an employee would need a skilled litigator to fight for their rights to compensation by proving their case.

In the case that an employee’s workers’ compensation claim is approved, the employer’s insurance company may try to reduce the benefits of the claim or change the benefits in a way that negatively impacts the employee. For instance, the employer’s insurance company can have the worker compensation doctor the insurance carrier chose issue an opinion that an employee has reached maximum medical improvement and require them to return to work before they are actually capable; or the doctor chosen by the worker compensation carrier may issue a lower permanent partial impairment rating than should be issued.  It is very important to understand that in most work-related automobile collisions, it is the worker compensation carrier and not the patient who chooses who the treating doctor is.

Numerous work-related car accidents involve third parties who may also be held accountable for any damages and losses suffered by an injured employee. Third-party claims are not handled by an employee’s insurance company or employer. An employee would be responsible for hiring their own lawyer to pursue any third party claims and they absolutely should.

An experienced personal injury lawyer is an injured victim’s best chance at obtaining the most successful outcome possible in a car accident claim. Indiana civil litigators are well-versed in tort law and may be able to find other types of settlements to pursue outside of workers’ compensation.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer after being injured in a work-related car accident makes the entire legal process easier for victims. Lawyers will handle and navigate every element of your case so that you can focus solely on getting better.

Hire a Workers’ Compensation/Third-Party Liability Lawyer FAST

It is very common for injured workers to lose out on their possible benefits a because they do not hire an Indianapolis IN workers’ compensation lawyer fast enough. In order to have a successful recovery, employees who are injured in a work-related car accident must get their investigation started early; before evidence is lost that supports their claim. Not only can witnesses forget details and paperwork and get lost in the shuffle, but all states have a set period in which a wrongfully injured victim can pursue legal action against an at-fault party known as the statute of limitations.

Are you ready to speak with an expert workers’ compensation and third party liability lawyer who can begin investigating your claim right away? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 and schedule a free consultation with a skilled Indiana workplace injury lawyer as soon as possible.  We represent injured victims throughout the state of Indiana and Indiana residents injured in other states.

You Might Also Read:

Statute of Limitations for Common Personal Injury Claims
FAQS About Having to Go Back to Work After a Workplace Injury
Standard Workers’ Compensation Benefits You Can Expect

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700
Schedule a Free Consultation!

What is Maximum Medical Improvement in a Workers’ Compensation Case?

In a past blog, we discussed a legal principle under workers’ compensation law called Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). Continue below to learn what maximum medical improvement means in a workplace injury case, and what you need to know about recovering from a serious injury after being hurt in an accident while working for your employer.

Indianapolis Workers Compensation Attorneys
Indianapolis Workers Compensation Attorneys 317-881-2700

Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)

When a worker is injured in a workplace accident, they often end up involved in a workers’ compensation insurance claim. Whether the accident was their fault or not, in most cases, an injured worker will be entitled to compensation for their damages and losses. However, the legal procedures that are involved in personal injury compensation cases are quite specific, and one will only receive such benefits under certain circumstances, and to certain extents.

Injured workers, depending on the scope and seriousness of their injuries and losses, will be entitled to certain types of benefits, such as Temporary Total, Temporary Partial, Permanent Total Disability (PTD), and Permanent Partial Impairment (PPI). See our blog, “What Benefits Can I Get For My Workplace Injury Claim in Indiana?” for a brief explanation of each type of benefit. In Indiana, injured workers can receive benefits for hospital bills, medical expenses, lost wages, permanent disability, wrongful death, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, gas mileage for doctor appointments, and much more.

Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) comes into play when an injured employee is awarded such benefits. In many cases, an injured victim receiving temporary total or partial benefits will only receive their benefits until they are diagnosed as fully-healed or as fully-healed as they are going to get by a licensed physician. This is referred to as Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), which describes a patient that has reached their optimal recovery point, and no further improvement is possible. Keep in mind that MMI does not translate to healed. It simply means that no further treatment will improve their condition. Once a worker reaches full improvement, their doctor will assign a disability rating, which denotes their work limitations.

Talk to a Workplace Injury Lawyer for Help With Your Claim

For a better understanding of how workers’ compensation settlements work, consult with a trusted and seasoned Indiana workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. Indiana does have a statute of limitations that restricts how long you can make a claim for compensation. Be sure to schedule a consultation with a licensed personal injury lawyer who specializes in workplace accident claims before this time limit runs out.

Indianapolis Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free consultation with a licensed Indianapolis workers’ compensation attorney who can determine the best strategies for your workplace injury case. Not only does our law firm offer free consultations, we never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you! Call 317-881-2700 to get started on your financial recovery, today.  We represent injured workers throughout Indiana and are located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700
Schedule a Free Consultation!

How Long Does a Personal Injury Lawsuit Take?

Many questions arise after being negligently injured in an accident. One of the more common inquiries involves time; that is, many accident victims want to know how long a personal injury lawsuit can take. If you are a recent accident victim, you may be wondering the same thing.

Continue reading to learn more about personal injury lawsuits, including the possible standard events of the average legal process.

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Law Firm
317-881-2700

Immediately After the Accident

As soon as you are involved in an accident, you must get medical treatment immediately. Even if you look and feel fine because of adrenaline, there could be underlying bodily injury such as whiplash, back injuries, spine injuries, orthopedic fractures, burns and more. Always get checked out by a medical professional right after an accident. Once you have received your medical treatment, continue with any physician’s orders and show up for all scheduled doctors’ appointments.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

After you get home from the hospital, it is wise to start looking for a lawyer to represent your personal injury claim. Choose a seasoned Indianapolis accident lawyer who has experience in your type of accident and provides free initial consultations to discuss your case. It is also helpful to choose a law firm that works on a contingency fee basis, meaning they do not collect lawyer fees unless the recover a settlement for you.

Case Investigation and Development

Upon hiring a lawyer, the next step of the process mainly rests in their hands. From here, your lawyer will document your case through an investigation, while also utilizing all types of sources and evidence, such as witness statements, 911 tapes, photographs, videos, professional testimonies, medical records and more. They will also negotiate with the opposing insurance company to obtain the full and fair compensation you deserve for your damages and losses as an accident victim.

Negotiations

The negotiating part of the process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, or even years, depending on many factors, including how cooperative the opposing insurance company is and how long it takes for you to recover. Sometimes, lawyers will not make a demand until a victim has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), and they have mostly recovered from their injuries. No accident victim should want to even make a settlement demand until a doctor tells them there is no further treatments which can improve their situation.

Filing a Lawsuit

Not all personal injury claims go to trial and in fact the majority of cases do not, but if they do, the process starts as soon as the lawsuit is filed. From there, it can take up to 1 to 2 years for the case to make it to court, however, every state has different pretrial procedures, so it is hard to really predict how long it will take.

Discovery Process

Once the lawsuit is filed, both sides begin the discovery process to investigate and research the legal claims and defenses, which involves interrogatories, document requests, and more. The discovery process generally takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months, but this can vary depending on various factors such as case complexity and court deadlines.

Mediations

Once the discovery process closes, both sides enter into the mediation and negotiation phase of the process. Basically, they begin to discuss the possible settlement. If the lawyers representing each side cannot agree on a settlement among themselves, obviously with the consent of their clients, they will go to mediation. If mediation does not work, the case will go to trial. However, most personal injury lawsuits settle out of court using mediation.

Trial

If a personal injury lawsuit goes to trial, it is very difficult to predict how long it will take. There are several factors that influence the legal timeline of such cases. Hearings can also be pushed back and rescheduled. This means a trial can take anywhere from one day to several months, or longer, depending on the case.

Where to Get the Best Legal Advice Regarding Your Claim

Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Law Firm
317-881-2700

Call The Law office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to make a personal injury claim in Indiana. Our seasoned Indianapolis accident lawyers are ready and able to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve. Not only does our law firm offer free consultations, we never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you!