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Indiana Car Accident Lawyer

Call (888) 471-3714 to speak with a car accident attorney.

Being involved in a car accident, whether or not you played a part in causing the accident, can be a frightening event. Even if it's just a tap on the bumper in the drive-thru, your adrenaline can spike and leave you shaken for hours. When you experience a more severe car accident, in which injuries or even fatalities are sustained, the effects can reverberate for months or even years. It may be difficult to keep calm in the immediate aftermath of an automobile accident, or even to know what to do, but there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

Of course, calling emergency services police and an ambulance will probably be the first thing you do. Even if no one requires emergency medical attention, it's important that you have a thorough medical examination as soon as possible after the accident, nonetheless. Some injuries or after-effects may not manifest themselves until later, and it's important that you have a record of your health at the time, and of having consulted with a health-care professional. In this way, you may be able to claim medical damages in a future lawsuit.

It's also vital that you contact a personal injury lawyer who is a member in good standing of the Indiana State Bar Association. A reputable lawyer will not charge you any fees up front, but will offer you an initial consultation free of charge. If the lawyer does decide that you have a valid case, he or she will usually work on a contingency basis, which means they will not get paid until after your case is successfully resolved and you have received an award, judgment or settlement.

You may be entitled to compensation for both damages sustained to your car or property, and injuries that you have suffered. You may also be entitled to compensation for medical expenses and motor vehicle repairs, as well as for pain and suffering. If you have experienced the loss of a loved one due to a car accident in which another driver or party was negligent, you may be entitled to receive compensation for loss of consortium. There are Indiana attorneys who specialize in wrongful death car accident lawsuits.

Indiana has a two-year statute of limitations on filing automotive accident lawsuits. It's not only for this reason that it's a good idea to contact an attorney right away, however. Since your lawyer will rely heavily on evidence, witness testimony, and documentation of the accident scene through pictures or video, he or she will need to begin gathering these things right away, in order to present the most accurate picture possible of the circumstances surrounding your accident. Even if you are hospitalized or bedridden at home, don't delay in contacting an attorney most attorneys will come to your home or hospital in order to conduct the consultation.

One more thing to remember directly after you have been involved in a car accident is that it's not advisable to speak directly with a representative from the other party's insurance company. These people are looking out for the best interests of their company, and their company's bottom line. It's not unheard of for them to use your heightened emotional state and confusion to try to get you to make a self-incriminating statement in this way they can help the insurers avoid paying out large settlement amounts.

Do not speak to the insurance adjuster until after you have secured the services of an attorney chances are that your attorney will in fact take over the communication. He or she will also file the necessary paperwork with the insurance companies and the court, and will take care of all the pesky details, so that you can focus on recuperating from your injuries and getting back to the business of living your life.