Representing Injured Car Accident Victims in Indianapolis & Throughout Indiana
Every year, Indianapolis’ roads see hundreds of accidents. Some of these are minor fender benders that cause a couple of dents, but others leave motorists with catastrophic injuries, mounting medical bills, and disabling pain. Although many victims think they can handle their own insurance claims, the fact is that the playing field is tilted against them.
We can help. Noakes Law is an Indiana law firm representing those injured in car accidents. If you need help, do not hesitate to contact us.
Injuries Sustained in a Car Accident
After an accident, you must get immediate medical treatment and follow your doctor’s recommendations. If you try to self-diagnose or self-medicate, you could make things worse for yourself and undermine your legal claim in the process.
With our decades of combined experience, we have seen all types of injuries, from the relatively mild to life changing:
- Soft-tissue injuries, including contusions, sprains, and strains
- Fractures
- Nerve damage, including compressed nerves
- Burns
- Head injuries
- Back injuries
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Death
Types of Car Accidents We Often See in Indianapolis
We have seen many kinds of car accidents, including:
- Head-on collisions. This is a particularly deadly type of accident. An impaired or drowsy driver might drift into oncoming traffic, leading to a crash.
- Sideswipes. Two cars parallel to each other might hit, often because one is in the blind spot of the other.
- T-bone collisions. Also called “side impact crashes,” these accidents occur when the front fender of one vehicle slams into the side of another, forming a T. These accidents are common at intersections.
- Rear-end collision. One motorist who is following too closely can slam right into the trunk of the vehicle ahead if the driver is not paying attention.
- Rollovers. Cars can flip on their sides or upside down if they are struck or if a wheel goes into gravel.
Reasons for Car Accidents
Sometimes accidents are truly that—accidents. In other situations, a defective car part might cause a driver to lose control, leading to injuries, or a defect in the road can contribute to a collision.
But many car accidents are caused by driver carelessness, called negligence. Drivers can be negligent in the following ways:
- Driving while tired
- Reading a text message or sending a message while behind the wheel
- Reaching for something in the glove compartment box or picking something up off the floor
- Daydreaming
- Arguing with someone in the car
- Failing to check mirrors when passing or backing up
Other drivers engage in risky, reckless behavior that goes beyond simple negligence:
- Driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Speeding
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Passing illegally
- Tailgating
- Driving on the shoulder
- Making an illegal U-turn
- Refusing to yield to traffic
How Noakes Law Can Help
Noakes can handle your auto accident case.
Obtaining Compensation for Your Injuries With the Help of a Lawyer
Car accidents are expensive. Our clients come to us with stacks of medical bills and prescription drug receipts which they cannot pay because they often must miss work. Fortunately, Indiana law requires that the driver at fault for the collision pay injured victims for the following:
- Medical care
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
There is no “average” settlement that people receive since no two cases are alike. However, an experienced car accident lawyer in Indiana can review your circumstances and estimate the amount you can receive.
If a loved one died, then surviving family members might obtain compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit. Obviously, money cannot replace a beloved family member. However, money is what the court can award you if you win, and many of our clients have received compensation for:
- The wages your loved one would have earned had he or she lived
- Lost benefits the deceased would have earned
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Any medical expenses to treat the deceased’s final illness or injuries
- The loss of an adult’s love and companionship
