812-213-4551Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers
Protecting You From the Negligence of Others
Pursuing a personal injury claim lands you with the difficult task of navigating the legal system in an effort to hold negligent and reckless people accountable for their actions.
Gerling Law Injury Attorneys is here to make sure that negligent people face those consequences.
Let’s find out more about personal injury claims, the damages they cause, and how a personal injury attorney can help get you compensation for your lost wages, medical expenses, and the recovery you were forced to go through.
What is Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law is a legal process that allows you to seek compensation for injuries, harm, and damages caused by someone else’s negligence or intentional actions.
Personal injury laws cover a wide range of incidents, from car accidents to medical malpractice.
The process of pursuing a personal injury claim is complicated. It requires determining who is at fault for your injuries, the monetary losses you have faced because of your injuries, the impact the accident has had on your psychological and emotional health, and how you will be made whole again.
What are the Types of Personal Injury?
There are many types of injuries you can sue for when someone else’s negligence leads to you suffering an injury.
Here are the most common injuries that injury victims can seek compensation for:
Car Accidents
Car accidents are among the most common incidents that lead to a personal injury lawsuit. If someone is driving distracted, impaired, or recklessly, and they crash into you, causing you or your passengers injury, then you will likely have a lengthy, expensive recovery ahead of you. Car accidents can lead to broken bones, soft tissue damage, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other long-lasting injuries that accident victims may have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
Car accidents are terrible, but when a car strikes a pedestrian or cyclist, the threat of severe injury increases substantially. 40mph or more is all it takes for a reckless driver to accidentally kill a pedestrian. Pedestrians and cyclists hit by cars can face a lifetime of debilitating pain and psychological damage.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents have the potential to cause severe accidents. Motorcyclists forgo many safety features offered by cars and trucks in exchange for the freedom that a motorcycle offers. Motorcyclists can suffer severe injuries when struck by a distracted or reckless driver. Road rash, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and psychological damage are all very real possibilities that bikers face when a negligent driver decides their phone is more important than the road in front of them.
Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Our country survives on the backs of truckers and commercial drivers. Commercial vehicle accidents, commonly simplified to just “truck accidents,” are especially dangerous and often deadly. A fully loaded truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, and if a reckless driver is speeding when they hit you, then your life is very likely never going to be the same. Truck accident victims will have a long legal battle ahead of them because commercial drivers are often backed by multi-million dollar companies with substantial legal representation and greedy insurance companies that want to spend as little as possible to make your problem go away.
Truck accidents can result in the same injuries and issues as regular car accidents, but the injuries are often more severe, and the legal process can be more drawn out.
Workplace Accidents
Many workplace accidents and even workman’s comp claims are handled by personal injury lawyers. A workplace injury can be any injury you suffer while on the clock and on the job site. Personal injury claims against your workplace can feel difficult because many people feel like they owe their employer. But the fact is, your employer owes you and all their employees a safe workspace.
Workplace accidents are often related to slip and fall accidents, equipment accidents, vehicle-related accidents, or being struck by falling or moving objects. However, just about any injury that occurs while working may be classified as a workplace accident.
Premises Liability
The places you legally visit owe you a certain level of safety. Premises liability covers the injuries you suffer as a result of a property owner’s negligent or intentional actions. The most common premises liability injury claims are slip and fall injuries. However, neglected outdoor walkways, unsafe stairs or steps, or damaged and broken equipment meant for customer use can all lead to damages.
Medical Malpractice
We trust doctors and other healthcare professionals to ensure our health and well-being. However, even these trained professionals can succumb to negligent and reckless behaviors. When a doctor injures you during a procedure or they fail to administer appropriate medical care, then they may be liable for damages they have caused to you or a loved one.
Dog Bites
A man’s best friend can sometimes cause significant damage and injuries when their owners are negligent. Dog bite cases are more common than you would think. Indiana holds dog owners liable for injuries caused by their dogs, especially if they should have known their dog was aggressive or violent.
Indiana follows the “one-bite” rule, which means owners may not be liable for a dog’s first act of aggression. But even a dog’s first biting incident can land the owner in legal trouble if they fail to properly restrain their pet.
Wrongful Death
When someone’s extreme neglect or reckless behavior results in the death of your loved one, you may be left feeling like their criminal trial wasn’t enough to hold them accountable.
If you have lost a loved one because of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation from that person. This compensation can include funeral expenses, pain and suffering, and even the fact that you lost the companionship and financial support of your loved one.
What Kinds of Damages and Compensation Can You Sue For?
When you are thinking about suing someone because of an injury they have caused, you may be wondering what exactly you can sue for. There are two types of compensatory damages you can sue for: economic damages and non-economic damages, as well as something called “punitive” damages.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages are meant to compensate you for the losses you suffered as a result of your injuries.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are easy to calculate because they often involve bills and expenses that arise after an injury.
Economic damages can include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Physical therapy expenses
- Costs associated with the repair or replacement of damaged property
- Lost income, including the loss of future income as a result of your injury
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are a little more difficult to justify. Compensation for non-economical damages is meant to cover your intangible losses, such as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Non-economical damages may include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Physical disability
- Physical disfigurement
- Psychological and emotional damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages compensation is meant to punish the person who injured you. Punitive damages are often limited to cases that involve intentional actions, such as aggravated assault or fraudulent behavior.
Indiana allows you to pursue punitive damages; however, punitive damages are subject to strict conditions and limitations, requiring you to prove that your injuries were the result of malice or gross negligence.
What Does a Personal Injury Attorney Do?
Personal injury lawyers are integral to your personal injury case. You may be wondering why you should hire a personal injury attorney when the negligence that led to your injuries is so obvious. It’s just another person who wants a cut of your settlement, right?
Experienced attorneys do so much to help their clients with their injury cases, but most of it has nothing to do with going to court.
Here are a few things Gerling Law Injury Attorneys will be able to help you with during this legal process:
Evaluate your case and the specific details surrounding it- Not all cases result in successful personal injury claims. With a free consultation, we can help you determine whether you have a solid case.
Investigate the facts surrounding your case – A personal injury attorney will know what evidence you need and how to get it, along with collecting expert testimony.
Negotiating- Dealing with insurance companies, truck companies, and difficult people can all be draining. Let your attorney take on these tasks and speak on your behalf.
Damage assessment- While the damages you suffer may seem huge to you, having a realistic expectation of what you are owed is important. Your attorney will be able to evaluate your damages and come up with a compensation demand that will make you whole again.
Litigation- Sometimes, your claim will be settled out of court. Sometimes, the defendant will think they can reduce their financial burden or dismiss the case altogether by letting it go in front of a judge. Our team is not afraid of bullies or litigation.
Why Should You Hire Gerling Law Injury Attorneys?
We see each and every one of our clients as an individual with different needs and circumstances. We understand that all you want is for your life to get back to normal.
Why should you hire us? All we want is to help you get your life back to normal, and we have the experience to help you do so.
Call 812-213-4551 to schedule your free consultation with Gerling Law Injury Attorneys today!