Car accidents can be extremely traumatizing events. This is especially true when a crash results from someone else’s negligence and carelessness. Many victims of serious car accidents do not know what to do — or where they should turn next.
That is where the experienced legal team at Blackburn Romey can help.
Our skilled Fort Wayne, IN car accident lawyers understand the inconvenience, suffering, and pain that often come with car accident injuries. Our legal team can meet with you to discuss your case and the best way to move it forward. We could then file a personal injury claim with the appropriate insurance company on your behalf and work to recover the compensation you deserve.
The sooner you involve a car accident lawyer, the better off you and your case will be. For more information about how we could assist you, please call us right away at 833-264-0903 or contact us online to learn more.
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Victims of Indianapolis car accidents can find themselves seriously injured and damaged. In addition to recovering monetary compensation for your doctor visits, medical procedures, and lost earnings, we could help you recover monetary damages for your:
We cannot give you an estimate until we have discussed the specifics of your case with you. However, other damages may be recoverable, including pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and loss of future compensation. It would be our pleasure to speak with you and let you know if we can help without cost to you.
The right car accident lawyer can make a world of difference for your monetary recovery following a car accident. It is important to receive compensation for sudden and unexpected medical bills as well as pain and suffering in order to relieve your financial stress and focus solely on your recovery.
There are several ways that a Fort Wayne car accident attorney might be able to assist after your crash.
Car Accident Lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means they don’t charge a single dollar until you’ve won. However, this fee may vary from lawyer to lawyer and it’s important to take your case to a law firm you know will be charged a fair percentage and no more.
When drivers and others are negligent, several types of car crashes can happen.
One of the most common is a rear-end accident. In this type of crash, the front of one vehicle strikes the rear of another. These crashes often lead to soft tissue whiplash injuries resulting from the impact force. The collision might also cause the accident victim’s body to strike something in their vehicle, like the steering wheel, headrest, window, or door frame, leading to a serious injury.
Another common accident is a head-on collision. In a head-on crash, the fronts of two vehicles that are moving in opposite directions strike one another. In the moments before impact, a distracted or intoxicated motor vehicle operator might cause their vehicle to veer across the median strip or center line on a dual-lane highway. These crashes are also the most likely to cause a fatality.
Sideswipe collisions happen when the sides of two vehicles strike one another, usually on a busy highway. In a sideswipe accident, both vehicles are moving in the same direction. These crashes typically happen when a distracted driver negligently veers over into another travel lane.
Finally, T-bone accidents, or broadside collisions, are common at traffic intersections where a vehicle fails to yield the right-of-way. For example, the driver might be in a hurry to get through a yellow traffic light, negligently striking the side of a vehicle traveling on the intersecting roadway.
If you have suffered injuries in one of these accidents, the skilled team of Indianapolis, IN, car accident lawyers at Blackburn Romey are here to help. Our legal team can investigate the cause of your accident and file the appropriate claim or lawsuit against the at-fault party.
Our team has combined decades of experience handling all types of injury cases, both with insurance companies and in civil court. We bring all that we know about injury law to the table in each and every case.
We have many satisfied clients who were able to move forward with their lives in a better financial position following a serious accident and injuries. We can discuss our past results with you during your free consultation.
We are dedicated to our clients and communities in Indiana. Our goal is to provide comprehensive and compassionate legal services to injured and grieving individuals. We work hard to obtain the money you need so you can focus on recovery instead of worrying about medical bills, insurance claims, or lawsuits.
If you have suffered injuries in a Fort Wayne car crash, there are several important steps that you should take as soon as possible.
Car crashes happen for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, these accidents happen because of driver negligence. A negligent driver is one who acts unreasonably under the circumstances. Some of the most common types of negligent driving include failing to yield the right-of-way at the appropriate time – such as at an intersection – and exceeding the speed limit. Driver negligence also includes tailgating other vehicles and engaging in other types of aggressive driving.
Other parties besides negligent drivers can cause a crash. When a negligent driver operates their vehicle while they are on the job and while working within the scope of employment, their employer could share in some of the responsibility for any accident that occurs. Moreover, if a car accident results from negligent repair work, the accident victim could name the repair facility in the claim or lawsuit. Finally, bars, restaurants, and social hosts can be responsible for a car accident if they served alcoholic beverages to a clearly intoxicated individual — or one who was underage.
Many Indianapolis car crashes happen because of driver negligence, including violating rules of the road, engaging in distracted driving, and intoxicated motor vehicle operations.
If you have suffered injuries in a car accident that resulted from someone else’s negligence, you have legal options available. Our legal team can help you assess those options and decide on the best way to recover monetary compensation in your case. In some instances, that might mean settling the case out of court, while at other times, it might mean taking your case to a jury trial, mediation conference, or binding arbitration hearing.
In some cases, car crashes do not result from negligent driving but from some other form of negligence. For example, a repair facility might perform work on the vehicle in a negligent manner, leading to an accident. Alternatively, a vehicle part – such as a steering or braking mechanism – might be defective, causing the vehicle to malfunction on the road.
Decades of handling truck accident cases in Indiana have equipped Blackburn Romey with the expertise to challenge insurance companies effectively. We start fighting for your compensation from day one, making sure no piece of evidence is overlooked.❞ Act now! Contact Chris Blackburn today, and let us work for you.Chris Blackburn
Within two years of the date of the accident. In Indiana, there is a statute of limitations on all personal injury cases, including car accidents. A lawsuit must be filed within two years of the date of the accident or two years from the date of death in wrongful death cases. There can, however, be complications depending on the specific circumstances of your accident.
It varies from case to case, but some deadlines may be as short as 180 days after the accident. A skilled attorney can help you avoid missing your window of opportunity to seek compensation.
The skilled personal injury lawyers in Fort Wayne at Blackburn Romey are here to assist you at every stage of your car accident case. For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a skilled Fort Wayne, IN car accident attorney, please call us at 833-264-0903 or contact us online today.
What Our Clients Are Saying About Us
After I suffered a devastating car accident with an uninsured driver, Blackburn Romey took the time to listen to my fears, concerns, and situation. I had physical and emotional damage to work through before I was comfortable getting behind the wheel of a car again. They worked with my insurance and the state to get me all the help I needed and took care of all the paperwork so I could concentrate on getting better. I got a wonderful settlement and am back to living a normal life. They showed that they really cared, and while no one wants to be in that type of situation, they proved to be a positive asset to get through it.
There are two ways to settle your injury car accident claim. You can either resolve it through settlement negotiations or court litigation. Depending on which path you take, your timeline will vary. Every case timeline will vary, but most cases take a year to resolve. A settlement process often takes one to three months to resolve and usually involves negotiating with the insurance company using evidence.
The lawsuit process is more exhaustive and includes the following steps:
The case may be resolved at any moment during negotiations. As you might imagine, all of these steps can extend your timeline. Your Indiana car accident attorney will work to resolve the case as quickly as possible for a fair amount.
There is a two-year window where accident victims can file car accident lawsuits. However, the insurance company will have stricter deadlines, usually within a week. The insurance wants you to report your accident within their timeframe so they can investigate and determine your outcome. You can risk a case dismissal if you wait until after this period to take action. There are some exceptions pertaining to minors or when there is a delay in identifying the injuries.
For minors, the two-year deadline begins when they turn 18. Another exception would include when a person is mentally or physically disabled, such as in a coma. Once the individual is no longer legally disabled, the timeline for their claim begins. Another exception is if the individual dies during the two years. The timeline is then extended eighteen months from the death date.
Hiring our firm requires no payment up front, and you will never pay fees unless we settle your case or secure a jury verdict. Then, payment comes from your settlement – never out of your own pocket.
Claim values vary widely based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to), severity (and permanency) of the injuries, length of recovery, medical bills, the type of health insurance coverage you have, whether or not you are partially at fault for the accident, the quality of insurance covering the at-fault party, the county where the accident occurred, the identity of the at-fault party, among many others. As you can see, it is not a simple process to determine the value of your case, and sometimes it is not a quick process either. Some of these things take time to develop. We would need to assess your situation and losses to advise you on the possible value of your case.
Four general elements of negligence must be proven, whether a case is from a car accident, a dog attack, workplace injury, or other personal injury matters. The four elements of negligence are:
Personal injury law is designed to hold negligent parties accountable for the harm they cause. However, an injury victim must present evidence to prove negligence to obtain compensation.
In most circumstances, the Indiana Statute of Limitations to file a personal injury claim is two years from the date of injury. There are possible exceptions to the general Indiana statute of limitations, which can extend the amount of time to file a claim. The statute of limitations might be extended based on age, disability, incapacity, or other compound circumstances.
Blackburn Romey founding partner Tom Blackburn graduated with honors receiving a degree from Indiana University at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Initiating his legal career in 1977, he has been active in practicing law and currently serves as a member of the Indiana State Bar Association on the Ethics and Advertising Committees, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, as a board member at the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, and as an appointed member of the Executive Committee for the State of Indiana for the National Trial Lawyers Association.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Tom Blackburn, who has more than 47 years of legal experience, including over 39 years specializing as a personal injury attorney.