Avon Car Accident Lawyer

Are you looking for a car accident lawyer in Avon, IN?

At Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers, we serve clients in Avon car accident matters with more than 100 years of combined legal experience.

If you were injured in a car accident in Avon, IN, you are likely dealing with medical bills, repair estimates, and calls from insurance adjusters. Our founding attorneys have handled Indiana injury claims since 1954, and we represent injured people only. An Avon, IN car accident lawyer from Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers will review the crash report, explain how Indiana’s fault rules apply to your claim, and handle every contact with the insurance company. Contact us today to set up a meeting. The first consultation is free.

Car Accident Lawyer Avon, IN

Avon recorded 979 reported collisions in 2019, the second-highest total of any municipality in Hendricks County, according to county crash profiles published through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Countywide, 822 people were injured and 18 people were killed on Hendricks County roads that year. U.S. 36, known locally as Rockville Road, carries the heaviest traffic in town and has been the site of repeated fatal crashes.

A car accident lawyer is an attorney who represents the injured person in a claim against the at-fault driver and that driver’s insurance company. The work includes obtaining the crash report and witness statements, documenting medical treatment, calculating past and future losses, negotiating with the adjuster, and filing a lawsuit in Hendricks County when the insurer refuses a fair settlement. Our Avon car accident attorneys handle each of those steps for our clients.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Avon

Avon sits between Indianapolis and Danville on a corridor used by commuters, delivery trucks, and traffic from I-70. These are the cases our Avon car accident lawyers handle most often.

• Rear-end collisions. Stop-and-go traffic on U.S. 36 and at the Dan Jones Road intersection produces frequent rear-end crashes. The trailing driver is usually responsible, but insurers sometimes argue that a sudden stop shifted part of the fault. We use the crash report, vehicle damage, and available video to answer that question.
• Intersection and T-bone crashes. Left-turn collisions at signalized intersections along Rockville Road cause side-impact injuries to the hip, ribs, and head. We investigate signal timing, sight lines, and witness accounts to establish which driver had the right of way.
• Distracted driving crashes. NHTSA reports that 3,275 people were killed and an estimated 324,819 people were injured in distraction-affected crashes nationwide in 2023. Phone records obtained during the lawsuit can show that the other driver was texting at the moment of impact.
• Truck accidents. Semi-trailers and delivery vehicles travel U.S. 36 and County Road 100 North through Avon daily. These claims involve the trucking company and its insurer, and the company’s driver logs and maintenance records become evidence.
• Drunk driving crashes. Hendricks County recorded 69 alcohol-impaired collisions in 2019 in the same county profile. A conviction or a blood alcohol result supports the negligence claim, and Indiana law permits punitive damages when the conduct was reckless.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims. When the at-fault driver has no insurance or a policy too small to cover the injuries, we file a claim under the uninsured motorist coverage in your own policy.
• Passenger injury claims. Injured passengers can recover from the driver of the car they were in, the other driver, or both. We handle these claims even when the at-fault driver is a family member or friend.
• Rideshare accidents. An Uber or Lyft accident may involve the driver’s personal policy and the rideshare company’s commercial policy. Which policy applies depends on whether the driver had accepted a ride at the time.
• Fatal crashes. When a collision kills a family member, the personal representative of the estate can bring a wrongful death claim for medical expenses, funeral costs, lost financial support, and the loss of the relationship.

Why Choose Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers as my Car Accident Lawyer in Avon, IN?

Two Founding Attorneys With a Record Dating to 1954

Donald W. Ward was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1954. He served as Deputy Trial Prosecutor for Marion County from 1962 to 1965, as Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis from 1975 to 1980, and as President of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. He sat on the Indiana Judicial Nominating and Qualifications Commission during three separate terms, and the Indiana Bar Foundation presented him with its Legendary Lawyer Award in 2015. 

Charles P. Ward has practiced since 1989. He clerked for Justice Richard M. Givan of the Indiana Supreme Court from 1990 to 1991, holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and has been selected to Super Lawyers every year since 2005. Both attorneys handle car accident cases, and together they bring 109 years of Indiana practice to each claim.

Free Consultation and No Fee Unless We Recover

Our personal injury attorney in Avon, IN handles car accident cases on a contingency basis. You pay no retainer and no hourly fee, and our fee comes out of the settlement or verdict at the end of the case. If we do not recover money for you, you owe us no attorney fee. Our attorney will tell you at the first meeting whether we believe the claim has value and what the likely obstacles are.

What Is Important To Understand About Car Accident Cases?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Car Accident Cases

Indiana law requires the injured person to prove that the other driver failed to use reasonable care and that the failure caused the injury. Fault is assigned in percentages, and the percentage controls what you can recover.

• Medical expenses, including the medical bills already incurred and the cost of future treatment your doctors expect.
• Lost wages during recovery and reduced earning capacity when the injury limits the work you can do afterward.
• Pain and suffering, which compensates for physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of daily activities. Indiana places no cap on this category in car accident cases.
• Comparative fault. Indiana’s modified comparative fault rule reduces your award by your percentage of fault and bars any recovery when your share exceeds 50 percent. The insurer will try to push your share upward, and our comparative fault work focuses on keeping it accurate.
• Punitive damages. Indiana allows them for reckless conduct, such as drunk driving, and caps the award at three times the compensatory damages or $50,000, whichever is greater. The criteria for punitive damages are stricter than for ordinary negligence.

What Is The Car Accident Case Timeline?

Most claims settle before trial, but the length of the process depends on how long your medical treatment lasts and whether the insurer disputes fault. An Avon car accident attorney from our firm will explain where your claim stands at each stage. Car accident claims in Hendricks County generally follow this sequence.

• Investigation during the first weeks, including the crash report, photographs, and witness contact information.
• Medical treatment until your doctors can describe your long-term condition, which may take several months.
• A written demand to the insurer with medical records, bills, and wage documentation.
• Negotiation, and a lawsuit filed in Hendricks County if the insurer’s offer does not reflect the losses.
• Discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial when the case does not settle earlier.

Indiana gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. A claim against the Town of Avon, Hendricks County, or another government body for a crash involving a public vehicle requires a written notice within 180 days, and a claim against the State of Indiana requires notice within 270 days.

What Are Important Aspects of a Car Accident Case?

The insurance company begins building its file on the day of the crash. The steps you take in the first two weeks affect the value of the claim.

• The police report records the officer’s observations, the drivers’ statements, and any citations. We obtain it and correct errors early.
• Adjusters request a recorded statement within days. You are not required to give one to the other driver’s insurer, and we advise clients to decline until we have reviewed the file.
• Gaps in medical treatment are used to argue that the injury was minor or unrelated to the crash. Keep every appointment and follow the treatment plan.
• Photographs, dashcam footage, and damaged property should be preserved. Our attorneys explain how to gather evidence before it is repaired or discarded.

What Should You Bring to Your Car Accident Consultation?

Bring the documents you have. We can obtain anything that is missing.

• The crash report or the report number from the Avon Police Department, the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office, or the Indiana State Police
• Photographs of the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries
• Hospital discharge papers, bills, and the names of your treating providers
• The declarations page from your own auto insurance policy
• Any letters, emails, or voicemails from an insurance company

During the consultation, we review the facts, explain the two-year filing deadline and the comparative fault rule as they apply to you, and give you a candid assessment of the claim. Most consultations with a car accident lawyer in Avon take less than an hour.

Most Dangerous Intersections for Car Accidents in Avon

• U.S. 36 through Avon carries the town’s heaviest traffic, and its intersections with Dan Jones Road, Raceway Road, Avon Avenue, and County Road 525 East have been the sites of fatal collisions in recent years.
• County Road 100 North and Ronald Reagan Parkway carry commuter traffic at highway speeds past residential subdivisions.
• Crash reports for collisions investigated by the Avon Police Department or the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office can be purchased through the Indiana State Police crash report system.
• Lawsuits arising from Avon crashes are filed in the Hendricks County courts in Danville.
• Seriously injured crash victims in Avon are typically transported to IU Health West Hospital on Ronald Reagan Parkway or to Level I trauma centers in Indianapolis.

Reach Out to Ward & Ward Personal Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation

If a driver’s negligence injured you in Avon, our attorneys will handle the insurance claim and, if necessary, the lawsuit. The consultation is free, and we take car accident cases on a contingency basis with no fee unless we recover. We respond to new inquiries within one business day and can meet by phone or video if your injuries make travel difficult. Contact us to schedule a consultation with an Avon, IN car accident lawyer.