While Gary is a truck driver’s nightmare, Indianapolis’s I-465 and its tributary interstates are equally dangerous for all drivers. The inherent dangers of these interstates don’t excuse drivers’ bad behavior, but they do make your chance of an accident go up. If you get into an accident on one of the interstates near or leading to Carmel, the resulting losses may prove devastating.
You don’t have to resign yourself to the bills that come with an interstate accident, though. You can seek justice instead. Vaughan & Vaughan can help you connect with the Carmel, IN, car accident lawyer who can help you fight for post-accident damages.
The Dangers on Nearby Interstates
While Carmel is its own independent entity, many consider it to be a subdivision of greater Indianapolis. Regardless of your local loyalty, Carmel’s proximity to Indiana’s capital leaves locals up close and personal with Indianapolis traffic. The dangerous interstates in and around Carmel subsequently include:
- I-465
- US-31, or Meridian Street through Carmel and Indianapolis
- US-32, or Indiana State Road 32
For many locals, it’s impossible to avoid these interstates. Even the most diligent of Carmel drivers can find themselves involved in a dangerous accident. Fortunately, you can take steps to limit the financial ripple effect of a crash caused by someone else’s negligence.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Reacting to an Interstate Accident
So you’ve been in an interstate accident. You’ve communicated with police officers and first responders. You’ve exchanged insurance information with all other parties involved in your crash. Now you want to go home, put up your feet, and forget the accident ever happened.
That’s a normal feeling to have after such a traumatizing event. You deserve a few days to rest and determine what your next steps look like. If you want to take legal action in the face of your interstate accident losses, though, you need to move quickly. Fortunately, having an attorney on your side makes your recovery all the more straightforward.
Let’s Have a Conversation With Your Insurance Provider
Interstate accident lawyers in Carmel primarily help you investigate your losses and hold a liable party accountable for their misconduct in civil court. That said, our services can vary depending on your needs. For example, most insurance providers expect you to reach out to them with details about your accident within 24 hours of the collision.
Most insurance providers then connect you with an adjuster who can establish the overall value of your case. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters operate with their business’s bottom line in mind. As such, these parties can drastically underestimate the value of your losses.
That’s where we step in. If you work with an attorney to communicate with your insurance provider, it can be easier to make that provider take your losses seriously. Delegating insurance communication responsibilities to our team also gives you the time you need to rest, recuperate, and pursue any additional medical attention you need to recover.
There is no fee
unless you win
How to Prove Interstate Accident Liability
You’ve spoken with your insurance provider. You’ve rested and addressed your injuries. Now it’s time to take legal action. It’s your responsibility to file a legal complaint describing your accident and the value of your losses with a Carmel civil court. Your complaint must answer the following questions:
- Who’s responsible for your accident?
- What negligence caused your accident?
- Did that negligence violate the duty of care owed to you?
- What losses did your accident generate?
- What’s the value of those losses?
- Do you have evidence establishing both liability and the value of your case?
Fortunately, you don’t have to answer these questions alone. Our team can initiate an investigation into your interstate accident within hours of you committing to a case. We bring forward evidence ranging from physical debris to video footage to determine what form of negligence may entitle you to compensation.
It’s this evidence, alongside any relevant contracts, that helps us determine who to hold liable for your losses.
How to Demand Interstate Accident Damages
Evidence plays an equally important role when it comes time for you to demand damages after an interstate accident. You must prove that you’re entitled to certain damages under Indiana state law. This means establishing the sum of your losses and bringing forward data to back that estimate.
It’s easiest to prove your right to economic damages after an interstate accident. Your economic losses generate bills, allowing our team to point to those bills when including said losses in your case’s total value. The economic losses an interstate accident may entitle you to can include:
- Post-accident medical expenses
- Ongoing at-home care
- Restoration of lost or damaged property
- Replacement of lost or damaged property
- Lost wages or opportunities for employment
Your non-economic interstate accident losses are comparatively difficult to verify. That doesn’t mean that you’re not entitled to this support, though. Instead, a Carmel interstate accident lawyer can refer to guidelines set by Indiana to assign economic value to losses like:
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death, if applicable
When Should You File an Interstate Accident Claim?
The sooner you can bring an interstate accident claim forward in civil court, the better. A complaint filed within a year of your accident sees you deliver a more accurate description of your losses and the events that led to your accident. Similarly, any witnesses you bring forward may better remember what they saw.
What’s more, Indiana limits the amount of time you can take to build your interstate accident case. Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4 states that you have until the second anniversary of your accident to file your personal injury claim. If you don’t bring your claim forward by that deadline, you lose the right to request damages through a civil court.
Don’t let that deadline scare you. You have attorneys on your side. Our attorneys can make the most out of the time allotted to you by the state, even if you have to spend a significant portion of that time in recovery. You can discuss your preferred filing timeline with our team during an initial consultation.
Let Vaughan & Vaughan Take Your Case to Court
Living in Carmel may put you in close proximity to Indiana’s Spaghetti Bowl, but that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to an interstate accident. If you’re hit by a careless driver, you have the right to sue. Vaughan & Vaughan can connect you with an interstate accident lawyer in Carmel who can help you build your personal injury complaint.
If you want to learn more about your right to roadway accident damages, or if you have questions about our legal services, get in touch today. Let’s schedule your first no-obligation, fee-free consultation and see what the future holds for you. You can contact us by calling our office or filling out our online contact form.
