The health complications of a personal injury may take months or even years to fully recover from. Time away from your work life, your family, and your social life can take its toll on your mental health, too. If you or a loved one suffers a personal injury in an accident of any kind, you should not take it lightly. Some injuries may appear minor at first, only to worsen over time.
If you suffered a personal injury due to the negligence or misconduct of another party, a West Lafayette personal injury lawyer could help you seek justice.
Types of Accidents Known to Cause Personal Injuries
Personal injuries are a serious cause of death for residents of Indiana and throughout the rest of the United States. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) cites it as the number one cause of death in the state for citizens ages 1 through 44. Moreover, it is the fourth leading cause in the country. Some of the most common causes of personal injuries include the following:
Automobile Accidents
Automobile accidents are some of the most dangerous incidents that cause personal injuries. High-speed impacts between cars, trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles often produce serious injuries such as:
- Spinal cord damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Disfigurement
When looking at automobile accidents as a whole, their origins vary as widely as the injuries inflicted upon victims. For example, drunk drivers suffer from an inebriated state that can cause them to make erratic movements, poor judgment calls, and aggressive maneuvers. Similarly, drowsy drivers may fall asleep at the wheel and collide with another vehicle.
Collisions can also result when texting and driving lead drivers to look away from the road at crucial moments. One or more of these reasons may be the source of serious personal injuries.
In any case, drivers who demonstrate these careless and reckless behaviors deserve to be held accountable for their actions. When you have a lawyer on your side, they can investigate your accident and fight to see that the responsible parties are deemed liable for their behavior.
Premises Accidents
When you visit a piece of public property, you have the right to your safety. Bad lighting, poorly maintained grounds, and insufficient security may all contribute to accidents that cause personal injury. In some premises liability cases, you may qualify to collect compensation to cover the costs of your medical bills and other damages.
One type of a premises liability accident would be a slip and fall. This is when someone slips or trips on your property and gets injured due to hazards like wet floors or broken tiles. You could argue that the property owner should have protected welcomed guests from these dangers. For instance, they could have placed warning signs, cordoned off the area, or fixed the issue. Not doing so could be considered negligence on their part.
A West Lafayette personal injury lawyer can defend your rights after an accident due to a property owner’s negligence. They can establish a liable party, interpret the law, and pursue any forms of compensation that you may be owed.
Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bite cases also fall under the premises liability umbrella, and you may be able to pursue compensation for your injuries. Indiana follows a “one-bite rule” in some dog bite cases, while others follow the strict liability outlined in Indiana Code § 15-20-1-3.
The strict liability for dog bites typically applies to incidents in which an unprovoked dog attacks someone completing a legal duty or other official task, such as a police officer or mail carrier.
In cases where the one-bite rule applies, the situation becomes more nuanced. With this rule, owners who knew or should have known that their dog could bite someone without provocation can be help liable for the victim’s losses.
For a free legal consultation with a personal injury lawyer serving West Lafayette, call 317-636-7777
Compensation Options in West Lafayette
Here are some ways you could file for damages against the party who injured you:
File a Claim With the Insurance Company
If your injury was caused by accident, you could file an injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance. Liability coverage protects policyholders from paying out of pocket by covering their victim’s expenses.
Indiana’s auto insurance requirements include $25,000 for injuries per person and $50,000 per accident, plus coverage for property damage. Businesses have liability insurance if an employee or the business’s negligence results in a customer getting hurt. If an injury happens on private property, homeowner’s insurance can cover injuries.
Pursue a Lawsuit Against the Negligent Party
There are also instances where you might have to proceed with an injury lawsuit instead of settling with an insurer. This would be necessary if the other party’s liability coverage is not enough to compensate you properly, or you could not come to an agreement for a fair settlement amount.
Since you got injured in West Lafayette, you would have to bring your suits to the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. They handle civil cases like yours and will determine how much you could recover from the liable party.
West Lafayette Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me 317-636-7777
How a West Lafayette Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Finding a lawyer can help to relieve some of the pressure that follows a personal injury. In many cases, victims of an accident may think that they can sufficiently defend themselves. However, without the proper knowledge and experience, it can be quite challenging to traverse the legal system on your own.
A lawyer can step in to defend your rights while also seeking to recover any forms of financial compensation that you may be owed for your injuries.
Comply with the Statute of Limitations
In Indiana, there are some specific laws that a legal team can help you to interpret. For example, as Indiana Code § 34-11-2 points out, a statute of limitations governs the amount of time you have to take legal action after an incident that results in personal injury.
According to Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4, you have up to two years to file your case in court. While two years seems like more than enough time, you would best start working as early as possible. Failure to comply with the statute of limitations will get your suit automatically dismissed. However, the West Lafayette personal injury lawyer can track the case progress to see how much time your have to file your lawsuit.
Estimate Your Damages
Economic and non-economic damages are the main types of damages you can recover from your personal injury settlement. Computing economic damages is straightforward enough since it compensates for your injury expenses. However, non-economic damages are harder to determine as they pay for your pain and suffering. Generally speaking, their value increases with your injury’s severity.
For example, if you had multiple bone fractures after an accident, the court could establish that you suffered more than if you just dislocated one joint. The West Lafayette personal injury lawyer can assess your injuries and expenses to help you get a rough estimate of your recoverable damages.
Remembering to contact legal assistance after an accident is not always easy, especially if you are still in recovery. By doing so, you can afford your lawyer time to gather evidence, construct a claim that represents your legal position or file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Click to contact our West Lafayette Personal Injury Lawyer today
Contact Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. Today
No one should have to suffer through the legal complications that follow a personal injury on their own. The emotional and mental trauma caused by the injuries is often worsened by a slew of legal and financial woes. In addition, trying to prop up your defense can prove overwhelming when dealing with your physical health.
However, when you have a lawyer working on your behalf, they can defend you while you heal and get back to your life. A West Lafayette personal injury lawyer from Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. can defend your rights after an accident that causes you or a loved one a personal injury. We will fight to establish a liable party and go after any forms of compensation available for your suffering and losses.
Our lawyers focus on personal injury cases, and as such, we will devote ourselves to your defense once we take you on as a client. Get in touch with a member of our office today.
Call or text 317-636-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
