Common Types of Expert Witnesses in an Accident Lawsuit

Posted on March 9, 2021 by admin

Continue below to learn which kinds of expert witnesses you might outsource for your personal injury lawsuit.

Indiana Personal Injury Accident Lawsuit Attorneys 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Expert Witness Testimonies

When it comes to predicting the outcome of a client’s accident lawsuit, it all depends on what can be proven. As an injured victim, you and your team of personal injury lawyers are the plaintiff party, which means your side holds the burden of proving your damages, even if the case is obvious. Not only must you prove your past, current, and future damages, but as the plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit, you must also prove that your accident and subsequent injuries were a proximate result of the defendant’s negligence or carelessness. The plaintiff must prove their case on a more likely than not standard.

One effective strategy that accident lawyers rely on to prove their client’s damages is expert witness testimony. By calling on certified professionals and specialists, an accident attorney can strengthen their case by supporting their arguments with cold hard facts and empirical evidence given by qualified and reputable witness testimonies. This step is an important part of most personal injury lawsuits.

Your Accident Lawyer Will Choose Your Expert Witnesses

As a recent victim of an accident that was not your fault, you may not know if your personal injury case will require expert witness testimony, nor are you expected to know which experts to choose if you do. Instead, trust your seasoned Indiana personal injury attorneys to navigate these aspects of your claim for you, and choose the proper expert witnesses to recover the full and fair settlement you deserve. The expert witnesses they choose for your case will depend on the type of accident and injuries you’ve suffered, as well as the various details surrounding the accident and negligence itself. They will also consider the potential arguments the defense will likely raise.

Expert Witnesses Often Used in Accident Lawsuits

► Medical Experts – Doctors, nurses, counselors, therapists, and similar medical professionals are often called upon in personal injury cases. They are used to confirm the validity of the injured victim’s diagnosis, explain the details and necessity of their treatment, and to help prove the extent of injury. They will give their professional opinions and diagnoses on the severity of the injuries, and whether or not they are temporary, long-term, or permanent. Sometimes, multiple medical experts are called to the stand to testify in personal injury lawsuits.

► Mental Health Experts – Along with licensed medical professionals, often times a personal injury legal team will outsource expert witness testimony from mental health professionals, some of which are actually licensed doctors, such as psychiatrists. Other mental health experts used in such cases include psychologists, therapists, grief counselors, family counselors, and psychoanalysis experts.

► Accident Re-constructionists – Accident reconstruction specialists reconstruct the setting and circumstances of the accident to reveal certain facts, usually about who’s at fault. These expert witnesses are sometimes used on motor vehicle accident and pedestrian accident cases, as well as bicycle accident cases, workplace accidents, and slip and fall accidents.

► Industry and Occupational Experts – In some cases, a personal injury lawsuit will include witness testimony from certain industry or occupational experts. These professionals will testify regarding the safety standards surrounding the accident, as well as municipal factors, architecture, building codes, fire codes, OSHA, and more.

► Financial Experts – When it comes to proving the calculable losses suffered by the plaintiff party in a personal injury lawsuit, finance and economic experts are sometimes used. This is fairly common in accident cases that involve severe disability and extensive financial devastation, such as wrongful deaths and catastrophic accidents.

Do you need help with your personal injury case in Indianapolis, Indiana? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to learn your rights to being compensated for your damages and losses after being wrongfully injured. We represent the families in wrongful death cases and injured persons throughout the state of Indiana.

You Should Also Read:

Does an Injured Victim Need a Witness to Prove a Car Accident Case?
The Importance of Witness Statements After a Car Accident
Can I Settle a Personal Injury Claim if I Cannot Prove Fault?

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

How Social Media Posts Can Reduce Your Accident Lawsuit Settlement

Posted on March 4, 2021 by admin

If you are an injured victim preparing to file a lawsuit for damages against the party who caused your accident or getting ready to file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, beware what you post on social media. Whether you are tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming, or posting on any other social media forum, what you post can and will affect the overall value of your claim, and ultimately, the settlement you are awarded by the jury.

Continue below to learn of an example of how social media posts can reduce accident lawsuit settlements, as well as how to ensure you recover the full and fair settlement for your damages and losses as a wrongfully injured victim in Indiana.

Don’t Make Social Media Mistakes After an Accident

Be Careful What You Post After Being Injured in an Accident

One of the most vivid examples of how social media posts can impact an accident settlement negatively involves an injured victim by the name Omiesha Daniels. Injured in a car wreck in Georgia, Daniels pursued a lawsuit for $1.1 million in damages. She claimed that the injuries she sustained in the auto accident made it impossible for her to continue her job as a hairstylist.

Unfortunately, the defense on the case was keen to her social media accounts, which painted a different kind of story regarding her injuries.

Here is Where the Mistake Was Made:

Omiesha Daniels tweeted posts and pictures of herself during her Spring Break vacation in New Orleans, some posts talking about partying on Bourbon Street, others showing pictures of her enjoying a sunny beach day, and one photo showing her holding her purse with her formally broken arm. Although Daniels was suing for $1.1 million in damages, the jury awarded her $237,000 in damages. But, after the defense used her Twitter account as evidence to disprove the severity of her damages, the jury lowered the value of her damages to $142,000.

The Fundamentals of a Personal Injury Lawsuit

In a car accident personal injury lawsuit, the injured party holds the burden of proof to a more likely than not standard. At trial, it is up to the plaintiff to prove the extent and severity of their damages and losses, while it is the job of the defense to prove that the plaintiff’s damages are not as bad as they claim them to be. This tug of war fueled by evidence is an important part of the trial because whoever has the strongest evidence will prevail.

Defense attorneys and defense adjusters will review you social media accounts. They will use what you post on these accounts in an attempt to diminish your claim for damages, usually by arguing and stretching the truth as to what the posts or photos allegedly show. You are better off not posting anything so this does not occur.

Are you looking for a skilled personal injury law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana to represent your accident claim? 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 persons and wrongful death claims throughout the state of Indiana.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Important Social Media Advice for Injury Victims
Social Media Mistakes That Can Jeopardize an Injury Claim
Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Filing a Personal Injury Claim

The Most Common Types of Damages Awarded in Personal Injury Lawsuits

Posted on March 1, 2021 by admin

Those who are injured wrongfully by a reckless or negligent party should not be financially liable for their damages and losses. Wrongfully injured victims deserve justice, and that justice by law comes in the form of full and fair compensation for everything from medical expenses and hospital bills, to lost wages, pain, suffering, disability, and much more. These types of losses all fit under one of two categories of damages, economic and non-economic. Within these two umbrella categories lies several other types of damages that are and should be awarded in personal injury cases. As an injured victim hurt in an accident that was not your fault, you deserve to know which types of damages you are entitled to under the law.

Continue reading to review the most common types of damages in personal injury lawsuits, and where to get trusted advice on your claim.

Indianapolis IN Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Economic and Non-Economic Personal Injury Damages

Economic damages represent quantifiable losses that are documented, and therefore, can be more precisely calculated. Examples of such damages include hospital bills, medical expenses, gas money spent traveling to and from doctor’s visits, lost wages from missing time at work, and similar out-of-pocket costs. Non-economic damages are the opposite, as they are more difficult to put a figure to. However, these types of damages are even more impactful and deserving of compensation, such as pain and suffering, emotional trauma, mental anguish, loss of consortium, loss of ability to work, permanent disfigurement or disability, and similar losses experienced by a personal injury victim.

⚖ Compensatory Damages – Economic damages, like hospital bills and medical treatment, are types of compensatory damages, or actual damages. They can be traced and calculated.

⚖ General Damages – General damages are also known as hedonic damages, and they represent non-economic damages like pain and suffering or reduced quality of life. These are the damages that injured persons are entitled to under the law and any settlement or award for these types of damages should be substantial if the injury was substantial.

⚖ Special Damages – There is also another category known as special damages, which are awarded for things like property damage, legal fees, and even incidental and future damages, if eligible.

Punitive Damages

Courts may also award additional punishable damages in special cases of extreme offensive conduct including gross negligence. These are called punitive damages, or exemplary damages, and are more intended to reprimand the wrong-doer rather than award the victim (although the victim still receives a percentage of the monetary compensation awarded). Punitive damages are awarded in cases where victims suffered losses as a result of another’s maliciousness, brazenness, or gross negligence. They are intended to set an example, as well as reform the wrong-doer and deter others from similar immoral behaviors.

Aggravated Damages

Aggravated damages are not a separate category of damages, but rather an extension of general damages that fall under compensatory damages. Aggravated damages are essentially the same as punitive damages, since they are awarded for cases of egregious invidious conduct, however, they are directly compensatory in nature. Punitive damages are meant to punish, whereas aggravated damages are meant to monetarily compensate a victim for aggravated injuries sustained by a defendant’s extreme malevolent conduct.

To learn more details about the common damages awarded in a personal injury claim, speak with a licensed Indiana accident lawyer who has the knowledge and experienced necessary to obtain the full and fair compensation you deserve as a wrongfully injured victim.

Learn More About Making a Personal Injury Claim in Indianapolis, Indiana

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to learn your rights to being compensated for your damages and losses after being wrongfully injured in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers retain extensive trial and litigation experience, and never collect attorney fees unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Contact us today to schedule a free initial case evaluation, and explore your claim’s strength with a skilled injury lawyer. We serve clients in and around Indianapolis, and all throughout the state of Indiana. Act now before evidence is lost and time runs out on your claim!

You Might Also Like:

The Difference Between General Damages and Punitive Damages
Legal Facts About Pain and Suffering Damages in Indiana
How to Get the Maximum Settlement for Your Indiana Accident Lawsuit

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.

Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

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.

You Might Also Like:

Is it Optional to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer for an Accident Claim?
What You Need to Know About Using a Personal Injury Lawyer
Qualities to Look For When Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney

How to Prevent Winter Slip and Fall Accidents

Posted on February 23, 2021 by admin

There is no denying that Indiana took on a significant amount of snowfall these past two weeks. Right now, businesses, apartment complexes and offices all across the state are coping with and mitigating the inevitable trails of snow, slush, sleet, and ice brought in by foot traffic. So, right now, it is important to ensure that visitors and tenants are reasonably protected against these inclement environments, both indoors and out. Under Indiana’s premise liability laws, businesses and employers have a legal duty of care to do so.

If you are a property owner, continue reading to learn some helpful tips for avoiding winter weather-related slip, trip, and fall accidents, as well as what to do if you are injured on the property of another.

Indiana Slip and Fall Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Winter Safety for Property Owners

It is important to be prepared, first and foremost. Watch the weather reports and keep up with changing conditions. This will allow the property owner or property manager time to plan and arrange the proper maintenance procedures. Keep in mind that freezing ice that melts and then refreezing is dangerous as well and salting should take place quite often.

We all know that snow and ice lead to wet floors. So, it is wise to be prepared with warning signs, dry mops, fans and most importantly constant inspections to look out for dangerous conditions so the dangerous condition may be fixed before people are injured.

If your employees upon inspection see icy or slippery conditions at work, advise them to be sure to immediately notify a supervisor before any accidents can take place and they should remain with the dangerous condition to warn patrons of the store and the employee who found the dangerous condition should send some other employee to advise a supervisor so that the warning signs, dry mops, fans are brought to the where the dangerous condition exists.

Slip and Fall Prevention for Employers and Places of Business

Employers are encouraged to pass around memos, send emails, give out pamphlets, and hang posters to promote optimal workplace safety inspections at all times. Staff training and safety seminars are another effective tool to further protect staff and customers from slip and fall accidents. A proper inspection schedule and inspections training are vital to keeping the premises safe for all who enter the premises.

It is important for businesses to stay on top of wet surfaces and floors, and post Wet Floor signs in areas that have just been mopped and cleaned. Exterior snow and ice removal is another factor that must be reasonably addressed by business owners to ensure their staffs and guests are protected, especially against melting snow and related hazards. Ice-melting salts should be applied after proper snow shoveling and inspections should be performed and documented as being performed. Moreover, a business and apartment complexes should designate a representative to watch weather reporting services so the property can be made safe for customers before the customers begin arriving and before tenants have to walk on the sidewalks to get to their cars to go to work.

Were You Seriously Injured at Work in a Slip and Fall Accident in Indiana?

Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to speak with a seasoned Indiana workplace injury lawyer about your best options for pursing legal action after being seriously injured or incapacitated in a slip and fall accident. Our Indiana injury attorneys do everything possible to obtain the full and fair compensation that is rightfully owed to our clients. We retain the proper skills, legal resources, finances, and more to obtain fair and full relief for accident victims. Contact us today at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free case evaluation over the phone, via video conference, or in-person at our Indianapolis law office. We represent clients throughout the State of Indiana.

Can I Recover Compensation for Lost Wages After My Personal Injury Accident?

Posted on February 19, 2021 by admin

A wrongfully injured personal injury victim experiences several losses after an accident, but a significant types of damages they suffer is the loss of paychecks from missing time at work. Often times, wrongfully injured victims face financial challenges since they are not bringing in the same, steady income they were before. For those who are primary care-takers of their families, this is an added burden. Fortunately, wrongfully-injured victims can prove their lost wages in a personal injury lawsuit, and thus, be awarded compensation for the paychecks they would have received, and possibly future lost wages as well.

Continue reading to learn how an experienced personal injury lawyer can prove your lost wages and recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after being injured in an accident that was not your fault.

Indiana Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700 — Indiana Lost Wages Attorneys 317-881-2700

Claiming Payments for Lost Work Wages After an Accident

Missed payments and similar earnings are considered lost wages. They apply even if an injured victim goes back to work, but in a limited scope, and at a lower pay. Lost wages can include base pay, bonuses, commissions, tips, company perks, overtime, PTO, sick days, and even vacation days. Whether you have had to take full time off work after your personal injury accident, are only able to work part-time or temporarily, or you can never go back to work ever again, you should be a good candidate for receiving a settlement or verdict in your favor if the accident that caused your injuries was not your fault.

You must, however, be sure to hire an experienced Indiana personal injury law firm to represent your claim. Only they can navigate your case in the right direction, and in the best interest of your and your claim’s outcome. Essentially, they have the knowledge and skills to prove wage-related losses in an accident lawsuit, or well-before your claim even goes to trial.

Proving Lost Wages

In order to prove that you have in fact lost out on work paychecks as a result of your accident and subsequent injuries, your lawyer will substantiate a case filled with concrete irrefutable evidence and documentation. They will prove that your accident was caused by a negligent party, and that the accident was caused genuine, precise, and compensable losses. Lost income is one of these types of specific and calculable losses.

Additionally, your lawyer will provide other types of evidence to support this claim, including a detailed description of your job and work hours, past paycheck stubs, recent tax return documents and W-2’s, a letter from your boss confirming your lost wages, medical records, doctors’ letters, and even expert testimonies if necessary. As a personal injury victim, you might also recover compensation for future lost wages and similar earnings, including loss of retirement benefits and loss of pension.

How to Get Your Personal Injury Claim Started in Indianapolis, Indiana

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to learn more about your rights to being compensated for your lost wages after a serious personal injury accident in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned accident attorneys have extensive trial and litigation experience, and never collect attorney fees unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Contact us today to schedule a free initial case evaluation, and explore your claim’s strength with a skilled injury lawyer. We serve clients in and around Indianapolis, and all throughout the state of Indiana. Act now before evidence is lost and time runs out on your claim!

How to Get the Maximum Settlement for Your Indiana Accident Lawsuit

Posted on February 16, 2021 by admin

If you are an injured victim recovering from a wrongful death or injury accident in Indiana, a call to the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. is the phone call you need to make. Just be sure you call soon, before evidence proving your case is lost or before time runs out to make a claim. We can get you the maximum settlement or verdict for your economic and non-economic damages and losses, including medical expenses, hospital bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and more.

Why Choose Us for Your Indiana Accident Lawsuit?

There are many reasons why our Indianapolis, Indiana personal injury law firm has continued to excel in both case results and professional reputation. Hoosiers all across the state have received full and fair compensation for their injuries and related damages as a client of ours, and you can too. We are seasoned personal injury lawyers who have extensive trial and litigation experience representing victims of negligent accidents, and can obtain the best possible settlement or verdict for your Indiana accident lawsuit or claim.

We strongly believe that wrongfully injured victims deserve justice as we too have been injured as the result of negligent persons and companies and a person should never be left financially responsible for paying their bills, expenses, and having to suffer other losses when those losses were not caused through fault of their own. We work around the clock to ensure our client’s get justice for their wrongful accident in the form of compensation, which is what Indiana law requires. That is why we also provide free initial case evaluations, and work on contingency, which means we only collect payment from a settlement or verdict if we are successful at obtaining a settlement or verdict for you.

Our Indiana Accident Attorneys Will Fight for Your Right to Be Fully Compensated

As honored members of The Trial Lawyers of America, the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, and several other notable associations within our field, we have earned distinguished careers practicing law. We retain a solid reputation for providing aggressive, all-inclusive, and valuable legal advocacy for clients with the primary goal of ensuring that our clients are supported physically, emotionally, and legally during the progression of your case. In fact, we handle all aspects of our client’s case so that you can put your attention toward healing and simply getting your life back to where it was the day before the negligence and injuries were caused.

Get Started on Your Indiana Accident Claim Without Paying a Single Penny

In addition to representing a wide range of accident cases and wrongful death cases, do not forget that our seasoned personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Craven, Hoover and Blazek P.C. offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we recover a settlement for you. Furthermore, we also offer 24 hour phone services, at-home visits, hospital visits, Spanish speaking staff, and much more. Unable to travel? No problem, as we also offer case evaluations and meetings over the phone, via email, or through online video conference, such as Zoom or Skype.

Contact our Indianapolis, Indiana personal injury lawyers at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your rights to pursuing legal action against a party who caused your accident and subsequent injuries.

Settling Back into Parenthood After a Personal Injury

Posted on February 9, 2021 by admin

A personal injury accident can certainly throw your entire life off course. From having to endure serious injuries, relentless discomfort and pain, to losing time at work, suffering a disability, feeling mental anguish, missing important milestones or social gatherings, and even having to withdraw from taking care of your family, the experience of a personal injury victim is nothing short of traumatic. As a parent of young or preteen children, the adjustment phase to getting settled back into parenthood can pose additional stressors during the personal injury recovery process.

If you are recently recovering from a personal injury, and having some trouble readjusting into the role of a parent to young or adolescent children, continue reading for some tips that may help relieve some stress and confusion.

Indiana Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

How to Get Back to Parenting After a Personal Injury Accident

Suffering a serious injury after an accident is horrible in itself. But when you are a provider and caretaker of a family, the level of stress and pressure can take a toll on both you and your loved ones. Settling into the role of a mom or dad or caretaker is not always a smooth transition for injured victims, but there are some tips available that can help with the adjustment process.

As a personal injury victim, you can better find your feet again when it comes to acclimating back into parenthood with these 3 tips:

❶ Remain Honest With Your Loved Ones

Kids, especially older ones, will sense that you are hurt or more limited than you were before your accident. It can help to simply be honest with your children so to prevent them from worrying about you, or experiencing stress during your recovery. Your honesty can encourage them to be more patient with their own needs, and better understand that you need time to get back to your normal self. In fact, Psychology Today agrees that demonstrating honesty to your children is a highly effective way to teach them to practice honesty themselves.

❷ Be Realistic About Your Capabilities

It is important to be honest with your kids about your personal injury, but it is arguably more important to be honest with yourself. While recovering from a serious accident, try your best to take it easy, and avoid pushing or exerting yourself. If something is difficult to do, do not attempt to do it until you are more healed. It is important to understand your limitations and nurture them to avoid increased pain and potentially extending your recovery period.

❸ Recover Compensation Through an Injury Claim

There is a reason why Indiana has laws that allow wrongly injured victims to obtain compensation for their damages. When wrongly hurt by another, whether intentional or out of carelessness, you should not be held financially liable for any of your resulting losses. This includes hospital bills, medical expenses, lost work wages, prolonged physical therapy, disability, pain and suffering and so much more. Contact an Indiana personal injury law firm as soon as possible about your opportunity to recover compensation for your recent accident.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With Our Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to file a personal injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned accident lawyers are fully prepared to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after being seriously injured in a wrongful accident. Not only do we offer free initial consultations, but we do not collect lawyer fees unless we recover a settlement or verdict for you. Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. represents injured persons throughout the State of Indiana. Get started soon, before the time limit runs out on your claim or before evidence disappears.

Common Distractions That Lead to Intersection Car Crashes

Posted on February 5, 2021 by admin

Were you just injured in a car collision that occurred at an intersection? Was the accident the fault of another driver? If so, you could be entitled to compensation for your damages. Let’s discuss what might have led to the other driver’s negligence, and what you should do to protect your rights and obtain the justice you deserve after being wrongfully injured in a car accident.

Continue below to learn about the most common distractions that lead to intersection car crashes, and where to get the legal facts and advice you can trust regarding the initiation of your personal injury claim.

Indiana Car Accident Attorneys 317-881-2700

Intersection Car Crashes Usually Involve a Form of Negligence

When cars collide at an intersection, whether a junction of traffic lights or stop signs, there is always some form of negligence involved; generally, on the part of a driver, since most intersection crashes involve one or more vehicles. However, it could also be due to another at-fault party, such as a J-walking pedestrian, a cyclist who fails to adhere to traffic laws, or even the local government who maybe neglected to repair a traffic light. For the sake of this blog, we will discuss the common distractions that cause drivers of vehicles to be involved in an intersection car accident.

Types of Distractions That Cause Intersection Collisions:

► Intoxication – Whether it be illicit drugs, alcohol, or a type of controlled substance, such as prescription pain medication, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of any can be a crime and is negligence. Intoxicated driving happens to also be one of the number one causes of car accident, including intersection crashes. Intoxicated drivers can fall asleep at the wheel, run red lights, increase their speed and lose control of their vehicles in and near an intersection, all of which are very dangerous actions.

► Cell Phones and GPS – Texting, reading, sending emails, and dialing numbers on a cell phone is a top cause of car accidents in the 21^st century. As for intersections, texting has caused many injurious, and even fatal crashes. This also includes GPS and navigational devices. Taking the eyes off the road at the wrong time, also while traveling through an intersection, can have grave consequences.

► Drowsiness – Drivers who are fatigued or drowsy, whether from lack of sleep, overload of sugar, a big lunch, or side affects of a medication, are very dangerous. Drowsy driving is incredibly hazardous, especially when traveling through a busy intersection. At night, this danger is even greater. Fatigued driving is a top cause of car accidents, which often take place at traffic light and stop sign intersections.

► Human Error – Another frequent cause of intersection car collisions is basic human error. Sometimes a driver gets confused and anxious about a traffic signal, which is common among new drivers and adolescents. Other times, a distracted driver might drift into the other lane, or even misjudge how long it will take them to come to a complete stop at the light. Sometimes the cause is blatant, intentional recklessness and sometimes it is a lack or reasonable care.

What You Need to Do as a Car Crash Victim in Indiana

If you were injured in a car accident, whether at an intersection or not, it is vital that you immediately seek medical treatment, and retain all documentation of your medical treatment. It is also vital to take photos and retrieve other forms of evidence regarding the details of your car accident, including video recordings, witness contact information, pictures of vehicle damage, pictures of the surrounding car accident scene, and more. You may have a loved one help you gather this type of car accident evidence. From there, be sure to follow all doctors’ orders and appear for all scheduled medical appointments. You will also need to immediately hire a car accident lawyer in Indiana to represent your claim. They can determine if you have a strong case, and then protect your rights to being fully compensated.

How to Get an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Indiana ASAP

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to get in touch with an experienced personal injury lawyer who concentrates on car accident injury cases in Indianapolis, Indiana. We offer free initial consultations and never collect attorney fees unless we obtain a settlement or judgment for you. After a free initial case evaluation, our accident attorneys will determine if your case is worth pursuing, and if it is, we will begin working on it immediately. We represent injured persons throughout the State of Indiana.

What You Need to Know if You Were Injured on Stairs Without Handrails

Posted on February 2, 2021 by admin

Falls down stairs happen. If a person is seriously injured on a staircase that was not properly equipped with handrails, you can pursue a personal injury claim. If this has happened to you or someone you love within the last two years, you may still have time to pursue legal action against the negligent party that caused your staircase accident.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know about determining your case’s viability, your rights to compensation, and how to get started on your accident claim.

Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm 317-881-2700 — Indiana Slip and Fall Attorneys 317-881-2700

Missing or Broken Handrails Make Stairways Unsafe

According to a publication on Pubweb.com, more than a million United States citizens fall victim to stairwell injuries each year. With such alarming numbers of staircase fall accidents, you would think that more security and safety precautions would be taken for public staircases and stairwells. But unfortunately, these types of accidents are still happening year after year, and at shocking rates. For innocent victims of staircase falls and injuries, there should be simply no tolerance for this type of negligence.

If you fell down a flight of stairs because of broken, defective, or missing handrails, you deserve to be compensated for your subsequent damages and losses. Your injuries have likely caused you to incur a long list of financial losses, such as hospital bills, medical expenses, lost wages from missing work, and even fuel costs for driving to and from treatment or rehabilitation. Then there are non-economic damages that many slip and fall victims experience, like pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of future work abilities, permanent disfigurement, disability, and more.

Stairwell Building Codes for Indiana

There are specific building codes that all public and commercial properties must adhere to at all times. Although these building codes vary from state to state, most are congruent across the board on the most basic requirements for stairways. Staircases are required to meet certain measurement criteria, such as landing clearance, riser height, handrail heights, handrail sides, number of handrails, and more.

For instance, here in Indiana, the maximum riser height must be 8 ¼ inches, and the highest riser cannot be bigger than the smallest riser by more than 3/8^th of an inch. In Indiana, handrails cannot project more than 4 ½ inches on either side of the stairway, and at minimum, must have a clear width of at least 31 ½ inches from the handrail height to the steps if on just one side, and 27 inches for handrails on both sides. Additional criteria set regulations for treads, the width of steps (runs), handrail grips, and more.

As you can see, there are several specific building code criteria for public stairways and handrails that are pertinent to your staircase fall case. You have two years from the time of your accident to make a claim for compensation against the negligent party who was responsible for the defective or missing handrails.

If you slipped and fell down a stairway as a result of another type of negligence of defective, such as poor lighting, crumbling materials, unlevel steps, or improper snow and ice management, you may also have a case. Contact an Indiana slip and fall attorney right away to learn your rights to pursuing legal action against any company that has caused you to lose so much as a result of your personal injury accident.

Get Help With Your Slip and Fall Claim From Our Experienced Indiana Injury Lawyers

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to speak with a seasoned personal injury lawyer about your recent stairway slip and fall accident in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their seasoned accident lawyers offer free initial consultations and never collect attorney fees unless they win your settlement. Call our office today at 317-881-2700 to schedule your consultation with an Indianapolis personal injury attorney who cares. We represent injured persons throughout the state of Indiana.