Monon Trail in Carmel is one of the city’s most beautiful features to date. Residents and visitors alike can follow the trail through Carmel’s Monon Boulevard into the city’s quieter, forested areas. Pedestrians are free to use the trail’s many amenities, including its ping-pong tables and playgrounds, to blow off steam at the end of a long day.
That said, pedestrians on Monon Trail and throughout Carmel are still at risk for serious injuries. Fortunately, pedestrians forced to address the bills and physical losses that come with these accidents can take legal action against the parties responsible. If you’ve been in a pedestrian accident in Carmel, Vaughan & Vaughan’s attorneys can help you pursue an injury claim.
Indiana’s Pedestrian Accident Statute of Limitations
Pedestrians injured by bicyclists, motorists, or other negligent parties do have the right to take legal action against those parties in civil court. However, Indiana limits the amount of time in which pedestrians are expected to conduct their investigations, estimate their losses, and file their complaints.
Indiana Code §34-11-2-4 specifically caps a person’s right to file a pedestrian accident claim at no more than two years beyond the anniversary of that person’s accident. That means that the deadline for your personal injury accident triggers on the same day that your accident occurs.
That deadline can naturally be overwhelming for most people, particularly those contending with severe injuries after a pedestrian accident. Fortunately, our Carmel pedestrian accident lawyers have the experience to help you focus on your recovery without compromising your deadline. Our team can initiate an investigation into your losses within hours of your accident.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Acting Within Your Statute of Limitations
What do pedestrian accident attorneys in Carmel do with the two years given to our team to investigate your losses? We can:
Hold the Right Party Accountable for Your Losses
When it comes time to hold someone responsible for your pedestrian accident, you need to consider what evidence of negligence you have on hand. You must be able to defend accusations of fault if you want to fight for compensation in civil court. With that in mind, our team fights to get to the scene of your accident early to better gather:
- Statements from bystanders
- Photos of your surroundings
- Video footage of your accident
- Records of debris distribution
- Police reports
- First responder records
We can also use statements later issued on social media by bystanders and allegedly-liable parties to elaborate on fault.
All of this data plays a role in determining what negligence caused your accident and who engaged in that negligent behavior. While other pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists are often to blame for a pedestrian’s losses, other liable parties can include government officials, rideshare corporations, and construction crews.
Break Down the True Value of Your Pedestrian Accident
Your post-pedestrian accident bills can add up quickly. Between your medical care, property replacement, and wages lost during your recovery, you can find yourself facing the risk of substantial debt. When you collaborate with an attorney, though, you can get out ahead of that debt courtesy of compensation from an at-fault party.
Our attorneys calculate the compensation you may have the right to by finding the sum of your economic and non-economic pedestrian accident losses. We look at your post-accident bills from emergency responders and general practitioners and supplement those expenses with an estimate of the wages you haven’t earned.
We then use state-approved modifiers to stand in for the accident losses that don’t generate bills. You have the right to receive economic compensation for intangible losses like emotional distress, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. You can discuss your right to these damages during your initial case consultation.
Help You Decide How Your Case Moves Forward
There’s no single road you have to take to secure the compensation you deserve after a pedestrian accident. If the person responsible for your accident seems remorseful, you could initiate a conversation about a settlement in out-of-court negotiations. These negotiations could see you receive a settlement for your losses within weeks of your accident.
That said, belligerent liable parties or corporations may refuse to meet with you for independent settlement negotiations. In these cases, you can opt instead to take your case to a judge. A jury oversees your right to compensation in a civil trial. These procedures require you to go through:
- Opening statements
- Examination
- Cross-examination
- Closing statements
- Deliberation
- Verdict
If you want to go to court or find yourself with no other option, our attorneys can prepare you for the long haul. We can prepare you for examination and help you defend yourself against accusations of fault leveled against you during the defense’s cross.
There is no fee
unless you win
Vaughan & Vaughan Offers Pedestrian Accident Services on Contingency
You don’t have to let a fear of legal fees prevent you from pursuing compensation after a pedestrian accident. Vaughan & Vaughan’s pedestrian accident attorneys in Carmel operate on contingency. When you schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation with our firm, we can sit down and discuss your case without the threat of bills lingering over your head.
The term “contingency” specifically means that our firm will not get paid for services rendered unless we win your case. Even then, we can discuss a contingency fee agreement ahead of time. You can learn more about Vaughan & Vaughan’s contingency policies by calling our office or reaching out to us online today.
Pedestrians Can Fight for Accident Compensation in Civil Court
Injured pedestrians like you have the right to hold the people who’ve hurt them accountable for that negligence. When you take a pedestrian accident case to court, you give yourself the tools you need to pursue not only justice but the financial support you need to recover from your accident, too. Vaughan & Vaughan has the experience to help.
If you’re ready to bring your case to a judge’s attention, get in touch with our Carmel pedestrian accident attorneys. We can schedule your first no-obligation case consultation and help you gather the evidence you need to make your case plain. Contact us online or by calling our office today.
