Where Do I File a Personal Injury Complaint?

Posted on July 30, 2021 by admin

After being injured in an accident that was caused by another person’s recklessness or negligence, it is likely that you are thinking about pursing a lawsuit. But where you ultimately file your personal injury complaint will depend on certain factors, including the extent of your injuries and the scope of your losses, as well as the person or party you are suing and where your accident took place.

Continue reading to learn the difference between filing an accident lawsuit in Small Claims Court and State Court, and who to trust for reputable Indiana personal injury representation.

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Personal Injury Filings in Small Claims Court

Following an accident that left you with injuries, you would normally bring your personal injury claim against the at-fault party in Small Claims Court if the total amount of money you are asking as compensation for your damages and losses are on the lower side of the spectrum, or below the state’s s Small Claims Court maximum threshold. Small Claims Court limits are generally set by the state and differ among jurisdictions, but most states establish theirs between $3,000 and $15,000.

Here in Indiana, the limit for Small Claims Court lawsuits is generally $8,000. Starting on July 31, 2021, the limit will be raised to $10,000. If your personal injury damages are less than the state’s damage cap for Small Claims Court, you could file your personal injury complaint there, but with the help of your Indianapolis accident lawyer. You can expect Small Claims Court proceedings to turnover much faster, oftentimes being resolved after just one court hearing.

Filing a Personal Injury Complaint in State Court

Personal injury victim would file their complaint in a regular State Court if the amount of compensation they are asking for is above the state’s threshold for Small Claims Court; and you would do so in the designated branch of the state’s civil court system. In either case in filing a personal injury complaint, your first step is to contact a skilled and experienced Indiana personal injury lawyer who can navigate your accident claim every step of the way. With an injury attorney on your case, you don’t have to think about where or how to file a personal injury complaint in the first place.

Are you looking for a seasoned personal injury representation after being hurt in an accident that was not your fault? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free initial consultation with a friendly and experienced Indianapolis accident la w yer. We serve clients throughout the state of Indiana.

You Should Also Read:

Is it Better to Settle an Accident Claim Out of Court in Indiana?
Is There Still Time to File My Indiana Personal Injury Claim?
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Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700 — Schedule a Free Consultation!

How to Obtain the Best Possible Outcome for Your Indiana Personal Injury Lawsuit

Posted on July 13, 2021 by admin

The Seasoned Litigators With Craven, Hoover, Blazek P.C. Will Recover the Maximum Settlement for You

If you or your loved one was recently involved in an accident here in Indiana, and as a result, has suffered serious injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your past, current, and future damages. In order to obtain the best possible outcome for your case, it is vital that you choose a skilled and qualified Indiana personal injury law firm to recover the maximum settlement or verdict for you.

Who can you trust to obtain a successful ending to your Indiana accident claim? Like thousands of accident survivors before you, trust none other than the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, Blazek P.C. in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Our Indiana Accident Lawyers Don’t Back Down to Insurance Companies

Let the expert Indianapolis personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, Blazek P.C. represent your accident claim after being seriously injured in an accident that was not your fault. Our experienced and knowledgeable accident lawyers know how to negotiate with insurance companies. In fact, our Indiana personal injury firm has a solid reputation for standing up to insurance companies, as well as various other opposing counsels, in order to recover the compensation our clients justly deserve.

We make sure that responsible parties are held accountable for our negligence and honor our responsibilities to our clients. Our legal teams work around the clock to secure all relevant documentation and records, such as police reports, medical charts, medical records, witness statements, and all existing evidence. We also secure expert testimonies and evaluations to back our case up with facts and more evidence. We will use every resource in our power to prove that you are owed compensation for medical expenses, hospital bills, lost wages, and much more.

We Will Get You and Your Family the Compensation You Rightfully Deserve

As proud members of The Trial Lawyers of America, the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, and several other notable administrations, you can trust that you are in the hands of top-choice professionals with a passion for helping victims of negligent accidents. Since the start of our practice in 1995, we have earned a strong reputation for providing aggressive, comprehensive, and quality legal advocacy for our clients.

At our firm, our legal teams will work hard to build a strong case based on the facts that substantiate your injuries and damages so that you and your family receive the maximum compensation deserved. If a settlement is not agreed upon, we will take the case to court and present it to a jury and judge. We believe that fair compensation should reflect the full extent of a client’s economic and personal loss. We will ensure your case is successful.

Ready to learn your eligibility for pursing legal action to recover compensation? Contact us directly at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free initial consultation with a licensed Indianapolis Indiana personal injury lawyer, today. We represent injured victims all throughout the state of Indiana.

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How to Prepare for Your Personal Injury Consultation

Posted on June 18, 2021 by admin

When meeting with a personal injury lawyer for the first time after being wrongfully injured in an accident that was not your fault, it is normal to experience a broad range of emotions, including nervousness, anxiety, and confusion. So, before your initial case evaluation at a personal injury law firm, help yourself by learning what to expect and how to prepare. Continue reading for tips on meeting the personal injury lawyer for the first time.

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The Purpose of a Personal Injury Case Evaluation

Virtually all personal injury law firms offer free initial consultations, which allow potential clients to learn their eligibility for pursuing legal action against the wrongful party who caused their accident and subsequent injuries, as well as get to know the lawyers and legal team that will be working the case. During your initial consultation, you will discuss your accident and injuries with a licensed personal injury attorney who will gauge the strength of your claim and determine the best course of action to recover compensation for your damages and losses from the at-fault person’s/company’s insurance company.

How You Can Prepare for Your Initial Consultation With an Accident Lawyer

There are plenty of things you can do on your end to be fully prepared for your initial consultation at a personal injury law firm. First, gather all relevant documents and proofs of evidence related to your accident and subsequent injuries. Such documents might include medical bills, notices, letters and/or emails from insurance companies, receipts, police reports, witness statements, medical records, doctors’ notes, records of current treatment, previous paychecks prior to your accident, and anything else that might have to do with your claim.

Once you have gathered all of the necessary paperwork and documentation that is related to your case, your next step to prepare for an initial consultation is to write down a statement or summary of your accident, injuries, and current quality of life and living situation. Be as chronological and detailed as you can, including any times, dates, people, places, and things involved in the accident. At the end of your summary, write down any questions you have for your lawyer. This way, you’ll be able to remember exactly what inquiries you have about your rights.

The Day of Your Case Evaluation

It is important that you arrive on time for your personal injury case evaluation. If you are unable to be on time, or unable to make it all together, be sure to call ahead and let the office manager know as soon as possible.

When you arrive at the office for your meeting, you will check in at the front desk with the office manager or receptionist. You will likely have a seat and a small waiting room, and then be escorted back to an attorney’s office by the attorney themselves or their paralegal. It is very important that you be completely honest with your lawyer and turn over all documents and paperwork that you have gathered for your case.

Are you ready to schedule a free personal injury case evaluation in Indianapolis? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to meet with a seasoned Indianapolis Indiana accident attorney you can trust to recover the settlement you deserve. We represent injured persons and dependents of loved ones in wrongful death cases throughout the state of Indiana.

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How a Personal Injury Attorney Will Prove Your Accident Claim

Posted on June 8, 2021 by admin

Negligence is the legal concept that personal injury cases depend on. You need proof of negligence for an injured victim’s legal team to recover compensation for the injured person’s damages. This is why it is so vital to hire a licensed personal injury attorney that is experienced in the specific type of serious accident (motor vehicle, trucking collision, slip and fall, wrongful death, etc…) you or a loved one were recently involved in.

Hiring a seasoned accident attorney will give you an advantage when it comes to proving fault in a personal injury case. Just be sure to act fast before evidence is lost and file a claim before your state’s statute of limitations runs out.

Continue reading to learn more about establishing negligence and personal responsibility in an injury claim.

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A Brief Explanation of Duty of Care in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

Negligence can be defined in many ways, but there are two fundamental factors that make evident its basic concept: the two factors being “duty of care” and “breaching” that duty. Every person in the United States has a legal responsibility, or duty of reasonable care, to prevent or avoid causing harm to another person, whether intentional or accidental. Establishing a party’s duty of care is the primary step in a personal injury case, and the step your lawyer will be initially focused on.

Proving Liability

Your hired legal team will work to prove that the at-fault party had a responsibility and failed to uphold that responsibility, causing another person to get injured or killed. They need to show the jury or judge that a defendant breached their personal duty of care, which led to a person getting hurt. If these two concepts can be established and upheld, then a plaintiff has a greater chance of winning their case and recovering recompense for their damages.

Proving Damages and Losses

Once these two concepts are demonstrated and confirmed, the next step is to prove that their client (the injured victim or plaintiff) suffered damages as a result of the defendant’s negligence. For more information or advice regarding accident lawsuits and filing claims after being hurt in an accident, be sure to consult a licensed Indianapolis Indiana accident lawyer for accurate and knowledgeable counsel you can trust.

Are you ready to begin the process of filing an accident claim after being wrongfully injured in an accident or event? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to learn your eligibility for pursing legal action against a suspected at-fault party. Once a verdict or settlement is obtained, the at-fault party’s insurance carrier pays the verdict or settlement. From the initial consultation to the final verdict if necessary, our Indianapolis personal injury attorneys are by your side every step of the way.

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Facts About Lost Wages in a Personal Injury Claim

Posted on May 14, 2021 by admin

There are many types of damages and losses a personal injury victim can incur as a result of their accident and subsequent injuries. But one of the most common types of losses experienced by accident survivors is lost wages. When a person is seriously injured, they often lose time at work due to frequent hospital or doctors’ visits, or miss work entirely because they are unable to perform their work duties. Without a steady paycheck, accident victims then go on to suffer other types of financial losses, such as house bills and car payments.

For this reason and more, it is important for wrongfully injured victims to recover the full and fair compensation they rightfully deserve, including damages for lost wages. A personal injury lawyer can help you obtain the maximum settlement or verdict for your accident claim if you lost past, current, or future earnings as a result of another’s negligence.

Continue below to learn more about lost wages, including how to prove them in a personal injury case and where to find skilled personal injury representation near you.

Recovery After an Accident

Because injuries vary so greatly, so does the spectrum of recovery times. One person might recover within a few weeks, and able to return to work while they finish healing, while another person might spend years in recovery. Some personal injury victims never fully recover and lose their ability to work altogether. In all cases and scenarios, wrongfully injured victims deserve to be compensated for their lost income, as well as a wide range of additional damages, such as medical expenses, hospital bills, pain and suffering, mental and emotional anguish, permanent or partial disability, and much more as it pertains to the case.

Types of Lost Wages and Proving Them

There are various types of earnings a personal injury victim can lose out on, whether the victim is the actual injured person or a spouse or family member. The most common types of lost wages awarded in personal injury cases include hourly wages, overtime, sick leave, vacation days, bonuses, company perks, and benefits (i.e. insurance, social security, pension, etc.).

With so many kinds of wages paid to injured workers, it is necessary to prove such incomes with concrete evidence. The most common pieces of evidence used to prove a victim’s lost wages include pay stubs, tax documents, W2’s, a letter from the employer verifying a worker’s wages, a doctor’s note stating an employee cannot work, medical records, expert testimony, and basic data about their work schedule and weekly hours. If a victim is self-employed, their business’s banking records would be presented.

Future Lost Wages

Not only can personal injury victims possibly collect compensation for past and current lost wages, but they may also qualify to collect compensation for future lost earnings as well. This type of personal injury claim is referred to as a loss of potential to earn, and is often awarded in personal injury cases when a victim’s injuries are sustaining, rendering them unable to work for the foreseeable future. They are compensated for all projected future earnings, including pay raises, promotions, bonuses, overtime, and benefits.

Do you want to learn your eligibility for collecting compensation for lost wages after being wrongfully injured in an accident? Contact the accident attorneys at Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free case evaluation with a seasoned personal injury lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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How Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Decide to Take a Case?

Posted on March 30, 2021 by admin

There are several factors that accident attorneys consider when they decide to take on a new client or not. If you are a recent accident victim who was seriously injured as a result of another’s negligence, you should learn your eligibility for pursing legal action against the at-fault party.

Continue below to review some of the basic factors that accident lawyers may consider when making the decision to take on a personal injury case.

Personal Injury Lawyers Do Deny Cases

Personal injury lawyers do not take on all cases that come to them. There are many reasons why that is, and ways you can help document your accident claim. The most common reasons why cases are denied is lack of merit, or because the time limit for filing a claim has run out. This time limit is known as statutes of limitations, and for personal injury claims, it is an average of 2 years.

Additional factors that might influence an attorney’s decision to take on an accident case or to work with another attorney on your case include:

> Lawyer’s Specialties – Sometimes, a personal injury lawyer specializes in certain types of accident cases. If your case does not fall within their realm of expertise, they may refer you to a lawyer who is more well-versed or experienced in the particular kind of accident you were involved in or they may work in conjunction with another attorney.

> Out of State Cases – People are sometimes involved in automobile collisions or slip and falls that occur outside the state they live in. When this occurs, a law firm will sometimes hire a local law firm where the incident occurred since that is the law that would apply to the case and where any lawsuit would need to be filed, if necessary. The law firm in the state where the injured persons resides would usually handle obtaining all the medical bills and records since that is where any treatment would occur. In these situations, the law firms split any attorney fees on the case since they are splitting the work and in any event, the client is only charged one fee and is not charged any more because two law firms are necessary.

> Hard-to-Win Cases – Some cases pose too many challenges, making them too hard to win. Examples include cases in which the victim is probably more than 50% at-fault, failed to get proper medical treatment and/or has demonstrated actions or circumstances that question their credibility.

> Case Size and Load – In some instances, some cases are really big and complicated and the law firm does not retain the adequate resources and capital to obtain a successful outcome. In these situations, the attorney can work in conjunction with another law firm that does have more resources and capital to obtain a full and fair settlement or judgment for a client.

Tips for Supporting the Strength of Your Accident Claim:

☑ Seek Medical Treatment and Follow All Doctors’ Orders as Much as Possible

☑ Keep All Possible Evidence (Documentation, Paperwork, Photos, Video, Witness Info, etc.)

☑ Meet With an Experienced Accident Lawyer

☑ Be 100% Honest With the Accident Lawyer

☑ Let Your Personal Injury Lawyer Take the Lead on Your Case

Are you ready to meet with a seasoned personal injury attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free case evaluation, today! We represent injured victims all throughout the state of Indiana. We also represent persons who live in Indiana but their injury occurred in another state.

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Tips for Your First Meeting With a Personal Injury Lawyer

Posted on February 26, 2021 by admin

As an injured victim, you have already been through enough stress and suffering. But when it comes to meeting with your personal injury lawyer for the first consultation, you should not feel any anxiety or confusion whatsoever. To help ease your nervousness, continue below for advice on how to prepare for and what to expect at your initial case evaluation with your personal injury attorney.

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Before You Meet With Your Lawyer

The initial meeting with your personal injury lawyer is a case evaluation. For this reason, most accident law firms do not charge for a consultation. Our law firm certainly does not. Your primary responsibility for preparing for your initial meeting is to gather all evidence you have access to regarding your accident, injuries, and losses. This includes pictures, video, witness statements, police reports, medical records, hospital bills, medical treatment bills, receipts, letters and contact data from the insurance companies involved, and similar documents that support your case. If you have these items you should bring them with you to your initial meeting. If you do not have these items, and you certainly will not have all your medical bills and medical records as you will still be treating for your injuries, just bring what you do have and your attorney will obtain all the necessary items for your case.

Write down any questions you have for your lawyer to help you remember important points you wish to address regarding your accident claim at the initial meeting.

Arriving For Your Meeting

Be sure to do your best to arrive on time. If you are scheduled for a video conference or over-the-phone meeting, be sure you are properly equipped and ready to begin the meeting at the scheduled time. Personal injury lawyers work very hard on their cases because they believe in obtaining justice for their wrongfully injured clients. Although they do not charge you hourly, it is important to respect their time for this reason. If you are running late or cannot make it to your meeting, please call the office to let them know. You can simply reschedule at a later date. Your attorney should also respect your time and if they have an emergency, running late or cannot make it to your meeting, they should contact you to keep you apprised of any emergencies and the need to reschedule. Mutual respect for one another is the key.

What Happens in the Meeting

During the meeting, the main focus will be to learn as much as possible about your accident and subsequent injuries. The lawyer will review any compensable damages and losses, and educate you on your options for pursuing legal action against the negligent party who caused your accident. During this meeting, you too will have a chance to get to know the lawyer, and ask them questions about their credentials, case history, experience with your particular kind of injury, and so on. The key here is to be honest with your lawyer no matter what you are discussing. Remember, you are protected by the attorney-client privilege, so there is nothing to worry about when disclosing facts about your accident and overall case. This attorney-client privilege even applies if for some reason the attorney decides not to take your case on so it vitally important to be 100% honest with everything.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers Who Will Fight For Your Accident Claim Settlement

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our seasoned personal injury lawyers in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attorneys Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek have multiple decades of trial and litigation experience in various types of injury cases in Indiana, and if we take your case, you do not pay lawyer fees unless we recover compensation for you! Contact us soon, before evidence is lost and time runs out for you to make your claim. It is always best to call our firm as soon as you can after you get home from the hospital so we can start obtaining the necessary evidence to prove your case for you.

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Why Choose Our Indianapolis Personal Injury Law Firm

Posted on January 22, 2021 by admin

Here at Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C., our accident lawyers and legal teams work hard to achieve client satisfaction, because we strongly believe that all innocent victims of a negligent accident deserve justice and they have the right to be fully and fairly compensated for their damages in Indiana. This is why Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. is a leading Indianapolis personal injury law office with a long history of professionalism, client support, and successful case results. If you need effective legal representation after you or your loved one was wrongfully hurt or killed, you are in the right place.

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The Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. can help you recover the full compensation you are entitled to for your resulting damages and losses. We will work hard to recover recompense for your past, current, and future losses, including hospital bills, medical costs, pain and suffering, and much more. Continue below to learn more about us, and why you should choose our skilled and experienced Indianapolis personal injury lawyers to represent you in your claim.

There are Many Reasons Why You Will Benefit as a Client of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

☑ FREE CASE EVALUATIONS

Here at Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C., we offer your first consultation with an esteemed and seasoned accident attorney, free of charge. There is never any out-of-pocket obligation to meet with our lawyers and discuss the viability of your case. If you cannot meet in-person at our Indianapolis-based office, we can conduct case evaluations over the phone, via Skype or Facetime, at your home or at your care center where you are being treated.

☑ WE TRAVEL FOR OUR CLIENTS

The accident lawyers at the Law Firm of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. have seen a lot of accidents and injuries over the past 30 years of our practice, so we know just how unpredictable and challenging recovering from such accidents can be. So, if you cannot come to us for a case evaluation or any other type of meeting, we will come to your house or care center you are at.

☑ WE WORK ON CONTINGENCY

When we tell you that there are never any upfront lawyer fees to become our client, we mean what we say. Not only do we provide free initial consultations, but we also work on a contingency-fee basis, which means that you do not owe us for our services unless and until we recover a settlement or verdict for you.

☑ WE KNOW INSURANCE COMPANIES

Here at our Indianapolis personal injury law firm, our combined, extensive trial and litigation experience sets us apart from our competitors because it has given us the advanced skills and knowledge of how insurance companies work in accident claim negotiations and litigation. We know all of their tactics and never back down to them.

☑ WE ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY PERSONAL INJURY

Other law firms might advertise personal injury representation, but also represent a wide scope of other civil claims, such as divorce, child custody, immigration, criminal defense, and more. But here at Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C., we are almost exclusively a personal injury practice, which means that we know the field of tort law in greater depth, plus we have decades of experience in handling thousands of accident claims.

Contact Our Indianapolis Accident Law Firm Today

Contact us today at 317-881-2700 to learn more about us, or to schedule a free case evaluation with an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer. Attorneys, Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek are accident lawyers with extensive trial and litigation experience in several practice areas of tort law, and are fully-prepared to represent your accident and injury or wrongful death claim. We represent injured persons throughout the State of Indiana, so get started with a free consultation, today.

The General Stages of a Personal Injury Lawsuit

Posted on December 23, 2020 by admin

Most personal injury claims do not end up in court. However, when a personal injury claim does turn into a lawsuit, the legal climate changes. Although not all personal injury lawsuits are alike, once the courts are involved, most tend to take on the same succession of steps. Whether you are preparing to enter into personal injury lawsuit, or you are a recent victim of a personal injury and wish to move forward with an accident claim, it would be wise for you to familiarize yourself with what might take place. Continue reading to learn the general stages of a personal injury lawsuit, and how to get started on your accident claim in Indiana.

When a Personal Injury Claim Goes to Trial

Even though personal injury lawsuits are all different, when they end up in trial, they usually have the same litigation milestones. These milestones lay the foundation of what you can expect the general succession of steps in a personal injury lawsuit to look like. If you have already decided to file a personal injury lawsuit, you have hopefully already hired professional legal representation from a law firm who specializes in personal injury law.

This is the first stage of the process.

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Stage 1

The first step to addressing any legal matter is to retain qualified legal representation. However, you do not want to hire just any attorney. It is vital that you seek legal assistance from a law firm that specializes in the type of claim you need to file. In this case, you would hire an Indiana personal injury lawyer. Most personal injury law firms provide free initial case evaluations for you to learn your legal rights to being compensated for your damages and losses.

Additionally, most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning they do not collect any lawyer fees unless they recover settlement or verdict for you. If they are unsuccessful at obtaining a settlement for you, there is no obligation to pay them for their services. Be sure to also choose a law firm that has extensive trial and litigation experience.

Stage 2

The next stage of a personal injury lawsuit mostly involves your hired legal team. To determine if you have a valid case, your personal injury lawyer will likely begin an exploratory investigation, starting with a liability investigation and confirming the adequacy of the opposing party’s insurance coverage. Sometimes, this step is done prior to making the client-attorney relationship official.

In the event that your accident lawyer believes your case is valid, they will move forward by filing a personal injury complaint against the defendant in the appropriate civil court. This personal injury complaint is the very first official document of an accident lawsuit. From this time, your personal injury lawyer will have to locate and serve the defendant a copy of the complaint.

Stage 3

After a defendant is served a lawsuit, the defendant will provide a copy of the lawsuit to their insurance carrier and the insurance carrier will hire a defense attorney for the defendant to answer the complaint and defend the case. Under any insurance policy a defendant has with their insurance company, the insurance company chooses the defense attorney and the insurance company pays the defense attorney.

Stage 4

At this stage of the personal injury lawsuit process, the lawyers hired to represent both parties will begin the pretrial process. This is known as discovery, and involves several steps in itself. During this time, both lawyers will exchange all evidence with one another, including witness information. They will also go before the proceeding judge to let them know how the case is proceeding. Also in the presence of the judge, they will decide on all deadlines for filings in the case, a mediation deadline, a final pre-trial conference date and a trial date.

As the discovery stage continues, both lawyers will also schedule depositions and other necessary interviews and statements. This stage of the personal injury lawsuit process can take several months and involve a few court appearances. The amount of time it takes to complete the pretrial stage will depends on various factors, such as the current traffic of the court, the amount of investigation required, court delays, rescheduled court dates, and so forth.

The Final Stage is Trial

The last stage of the personal injury lawsuit process is the actual trial, which can last for several days. The judge will be the ultimate decider, unless it is a jury trial, in which a jury will decide who is at fault for the accident and which damages the plaintiff is entitled to. Most personal injury cases are jury trials. After the trial, either side can choose to file an appeal. Once all appeals are extinguished, the defendant [ie. defendant’s insurance company] must pay the plaintiff their verdict if they received one.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers That Will Fight For Your Rights

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 if you need an experienced personal injury lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers are ready and able to recover the full and fair amount of compensation you deserve after being seriously injured by another’s negligence. You should recover for damages and losses, including medical expenses, hospital bills, pain, suffering, lost wages, and more if the damages were caused by another person’s negligence. We represent injured persons throughout the State of Indiana. Get started with a free consultation, today.

Can I Discuss My Accident Claim With the Other Party’s Insurance Company?

Posted on December 21, 2020 by admin

After being hurt in an accident, you will be confronted with the invitation to speak with the other party’s insurance company. You may even want to talk with a defendant’s insurance adjuster because you would probably be feeling like you are helping. Speaking to an insurance adjuster prior to speaking with an attorney is not wise.

Continue reading to learn why, and what you should do to fully protect your rights to a full and fair settlement.

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Insurance Adjuster Tactics are Not in Your Favor

Insurance companies train their adjusters to use very specific tactics to get information out of claimants that can jeopardize their rights to being compensated. You see, the opposing party’s insurance company has one primary objective, which is to pay out as little as possible, preferably nothing at all, for your accident claim. They will record whatever you say, and then dissect it until they can piece together your words out of context to try to limit your claim. A defendant’s insurance adjuster does not owe any duty to an injured claimant and they are not trying to help you with your claim.

For these reasons and more, personal injury claimants should never, under any circumstances, speak with the other party’s insurance company until they have spoken to their own lawyer. Even then, it is very unlikely that a personal injury lawyer will let their client talk to the other party’s insurance adjuster, or at least alone and without legal advice.

What to Do After an Accident

After an accident, your priority should be to seek medical treatment by a licensed doctor. Be sure to keep any and all documents as evidence of your medical treatment. Follow all doctors’ orders and appear for all follow-up appointments if at all possible.

Once you are stable, or if an immediate family member can help, contact an Indiana personal injury law firm to retain professional representation for your accident claim right away. Reputable firms offer free case evaluations and work on contingency, which means you do not have to pay any lawyer fees upfront.

Not only is it important to follow the advice of your doctors and medical professionals, but it is also vital to take the advice of your personal injury lawyer very seriously. You do not want to make any these common mistakes with your personal injury claim. Moreover, as defendants’ insurance carriers have attorneys on staff, it is important for you to obtain your own attorney who will look out for your interests and only your interests as well.

How to Get on the Right Path Toward a Successful Personal Injury Settlement in Indiana

Call the law office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to file a personal injury claim in Indiana. We are seasoned personal injury attorneys who want nothing more than to recover the full and fair compensation for accident victims across Indiana. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we prevail for you. Call 317-881-2700 and get started as soon as today.