South Bend is home to the Fighting Irish, fierce contenders on the football field and basketball court throughout the year. The fame of the Fighting Irish makes South Bend a hotbed for tourist traffic, particularly during sports-heavy times of the year. Unfortunately for locals, that extra traffic can make area interstates more dangerous to drive on.
Combine tourists’ lack of familiarity with the area and South Bend’s near-constant construction, and you have a recipe for interstate accidents. South Bend lawyers understand how life-changing these crashes can be. That’s why Vaughan & Vaughan’s team fights to help you get back on your feet again.
You can book a free case assessment with personal injury lawyers in South Bend to learn more about your right to interstate accident compensation.
When to File an Interstate Accident Claim
If you want to take legal action after an interstate accident, you need to operate within Indiana’s personal injury statute of limitations. The state statute of limitations gives you the right to summon a liable party to civil court via a personal injury claim. To benefit from the statute, though, you need to file your claim within two years of your accident.
Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4 goes into more detail about your deadline, stating that you must file your claim by the second anniversary of your accident. If you don’t bring an interstate accident claim forward in that time period, you may waive your right to fight for interstate accident compensation in Indiana’s civil courts.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
When to Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
That two-year filing period is a strict one. If you want to benefit from your right to civil action, we recommend that you contact a South Bend, IN, interstate accident lawyer as soon as you can after an accident. Our personal injury lawyers can join you at the scene of an accident to begin representing your best interests.
You can alternatively take some time to assess your losses and get essential medical attention before you commit to legal representation. Our team offers personal injury case evaluations free of charge and without the pressure to commit. You can meet with our team at your leisure to discuss how to fight for the financial support you need to recover.
We can support you whether you decide to file an insurance claim or go to court.
There is no fee
unless you win
How to File an Interstate Claim
If you want to take a liable party to civil trial after an interstate accident, you need to compile evidence establishing their liability in a personal injury claim. To create a comprehensive interstate accident claim, you specifically must:
Find Evidence to Prove Liability
You can’t bring an interstate accident case forward in civil court unless you have evidence proving that a specific party (or parties):
- Owed you a duty of care on the road
- Engaged in avoidable and preventable negligence
- Violated their duty via negligence
- Caused you avoidable economic losses
The evidence you bring forward to make these points can include video footage of the accident and statements from witnesses. Our interstate accident attorneys in South Bend can even call on our professional network to connect you with accident recreationists and medical professionals who can contribute their testimonies to your case.
Calculate the Value of Your Economic and Non-Economic Interstate Losses
Personal injury claims outline your demands for financial support after an accident. You don’t let the court or a liable party decide how much your case is worth, though. You get to determine what losses to include in your claim. The losses you include can cover any economic and non-economic expenses related to your crash.
Interstate accident economic losses tend to include tangible expenses. These can include the cost of your:
- Medical bills
- Property restoration and rentals
- Lost wages or an inability to return to work
Your interstate accident’s non-economic losses don’t generate bills, but they still have a dollar value. Our team can help you assign a specific dollar amount to losses like the following:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Stress
- Mental anguish
You can count on Vaughan & Vaughan to emphasize your right to comprehensive financial support after an interstate accident. Survivors like you can contact us today to learn more about the formulas we use to help you calculate the total value of your case.
Determine How You Want Your Case to Proceed
You do not have to go to trial to get fair compensation for interstate accident losses. You can instead request that a South Bend interstate accident attorney arrange out-of-court negotiations on your behalf. These efforts allow you to meet with a liable party on your own time to discuss the estimated value of your losses.
Unfortunately, interstate accident settlement negotiations only work when a liable party acknowledges that they were in the wrong at the time of your accident. Liable parties that refuse to acknowledge their role in an interstate accident can refuse to give you the support you deserve, thereby forcing you to go to trial.
Our team can help you determine which approach to your fight for compensation might suit your interests best. We can also help you pivot from one approach to the other depending on a liable party’s response to legal action.
Let Vaughan & Vaughan Go to Work for You
South Bend’s interstates see a significant amount of construction and traffic, particularly as the Fighting Irish draw more people into the city. If you find yourself struggling to recover from an interstate accident, know that you’re not alone. You can work with experienced interstate accident attorneys in South Bend to overcome your losses.
Vaughan & Vaughan can specifically help you bring a lawsuit against the party liable for your recent accident. Our efforts can help you secure the financial support you need to get back on your feet. Are you ready to learn more? You can contact our team today to book a free, no-obligation case evaluation with Hoosiers like you.
