Indiana’s civil court system isn’t as nebulous as it seems. The system is designed to help survivors like you recover damages after serious accidents. You can work with a truck accident lawyer in Merrillville to take advantage of your right to recover in the wake of a collision with an absent-minded truck driver.The legal team at Vaughan & Vaughan wants to help you maximize the compensation you will receive after a truck accident case. Our Merrillville personal injury lawyers have worked with Hoosiers in need since 1913. We’re ready to break down your losses, determine their value, and oversee your fight for support.
When to Call a Merrillville Truck Accident Lawyer
The sooner you can contact a Merrillville truck accident attorney after an accident, the better. Attorneys can protect you from an insurance claims adjuster’s bad faith tactics and prevent trucking agencies from removing key evidence from the scene of your accident.More importantly, our attorneys keep you on top of your personal injury statute of limitations. Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)(1) requires anyone who wants to file a claim to do so within two years of their accident. You must get your claim in by this deadline, or else you may waive your right to financial compensation.
We Can Help You Work With Insurance Claims Adjusters
Most insurance companies want you to contact them within 24 hours of an accident with information about your losses. Because Indiana is an at-fault state, a liable party’s provider should offer you a settlement that covers your economic losses.However, insurance claims adjusters don’t want to provide you with the support you need to recover. These parties may use underhanded tactics to try to deny you coverage, including the following:
Removing key evidence from the scene of an accident
Ghosting you after conversations about your losses
Pressuring you into accepting an insufficient settlement
Denying your claim outright
If an insurance company continually refuses to acknowledge the reality of your accident, don’t panic. You can work with our staff to take a provider to court.
Building a Personal Injury Case: What to Do
Taking legal action against the party responsible for your losses allows you to recover tangible and intangible damages based on your accident-related losses. This means you stand to recover more money if you file a personal injury claim than you do if you strictly file an insurance claim.How, though, can you create a personal injury claim? A truck accident attorney in Merrillville can help you:
Assign Liability for Your Losses
You need evidence to name someone responsible for your truck accident losses. However, if you’re dealing with serious injuries, you may not have the time to return to the scene of an accident. That’s where our staff comes in. We can help you gather:
Photos from the scene of the accident
Video footage of your accident
A truck’s black box data
Electronic data relevant to your case
Bystander testimony
Expert witness statements
We also help you take a truck driver’s contract into account. If you got into an accident with an independent contractor, we can help you sue that individual. However, if a driver works on an employee’s contract, we can sue their employer.
Determine the Value of Your Case
Vaughan & Vaughan wants to help you maximize the settlement you receive after filing a truck accident claim. To do so, we calculate the value of the economic and non-economic losses you can include in your claim, like the following:
Property damage, essential restorations, and rentals
Lost wages or opportunities to return to work
Emergency room care and ambulance fees
Temporary or permanent disability
Long-term healthcare
Mental anguish
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Wrongful death and funeral expenses, if applicable
Choose How to Proceed With Your Case
There’s no set way to fight for the damages you need after a truck accident. Our attorneys are prepared to go to court on your behalf, but you can also request that an attorney arrange private negotiations between you and a liable party.Private negotiations allow you to discuss the extent of your losses without a judge present. This process tends to put money in your hands faster than a traditional trial. However, it's called a negotiation for a reason – most liable parties will ask you to remove certain losses from your request for support.If you suspect you won’t get the support you deserve from negotiations, our team can prepare you for the trial process.
Vaughan & Vaughan Wants to Support You
Truck drivers, their companies, and their partners aren’t immune to accident liability. If you get into an accident because these parties fail to look out for you, you can hold these parties responsible for your recovery.Our truck accident attorneys in Merrillville want to help you build a personal injury case against the party responsible for your recent collision. If you’re ready to learn more about your right to accident compensation, you can book a FREE case assessment with our team.
Exceptional Truck Accident Knowledge
Attorney Charles J. Vaughan is the only lawyer in the State of Indiana to hold a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). This distinction provides our clients with a clear advantage in trucking and other commercial vehicle accident cases.
