Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis, IN

If you or a loved one has been hurt from an accident caused by others, you may want to take proactive steps toward protecting your legal rights. You can suffer an injury in many kinds of accidents. When you are hurt in an accident that you did not cause, there is limited time to seek help. Going to a personal injury for information about your legal rights and what you should do to file a claim is most recommended. You should search for a lawyer that is well-regarded by the community, and has the right experience and skills to best handle your case. At Ward & Ward Law Firm, each Indianapolis, Indiana personal injury attorney can provide legal counsel for any of your personal injury needs. You can come to us and our dedicated legal team can help you by offering our specialized legal services. Dealing with a complex personal injury case is tough, and you are likely not familiar with what it involves. You may have some general questions regarding your legal rights and personal injury cases, we are here to help answer those questions.

What are personal injury cases?

A personal injury case is when an individual suffers an injury in an accident that was caused by another person’s misconduct or negligence, either intentional or unintentional. When mishaps occur, the person who sustained harm or injury from the accident could hold the other party legally accountable for that injury. The victim who was injured has the legal right to pursue the person responsible for their injury. A skilled personal injury lawyer can handle cases of any complexity. The dispute can be handled by filing a formal lawsuit in Indianapolis, IN or having an informal settlement arranged. In both of these options, having a trusted Indianapolis, IN personal injury attorney from Ward & Ward Law Firm may help increase the value of your compensation. The following is a detailed explanation of the two approaches: 

• Formal Lawsuits: This occurs when the individual files a civil “complaint” against another business, corporation, person, or government agency because they acted carelessly or negligently and caused harm to the individual. If this is the path you want to pursue, then you will need to file a lawsuit. There are multiple steps to filing a lawsuit which can be quite intricate. A number of approaches can be considered to file a successful lawsuit. Having a personal injury attorney who understands the complexity of these legal matters could be an influential factor of the outcome of the lawsuit.

• Informal Settlement: This is the most common type of resolution used for personal injury cases. Many personal injury cases do not actually go to court, but are instead resolved in a settlement. Reaching a fair settlement is preferred because going to court involves additional time and expenses, and may be more complicated. The settlement is typically among the personnel involved in the dispute, their insurance companies, and lawyers representing each side. During this type of resolvement, both sides negotiate an amount of money that the injured party will receive. After the amount of money is agreed upon, a written agreement is signed by both parties that would prohibit any further action, such as a lawsuit.

Basis for Personal Injury

If you were injured it could have been due to another person’s negligence. In legal terms, negligence is the failure to use reasonable care, resulting in damage or injury to another. It is a core element in personal injury cases because a lawyer representing a victim that the defending party displayed carelessness or recklessness towards the victim which resulted in their injury. Negligence can cover a wide spread of personal injury cases, however, there are other grounds for filing a personal injury case. When evaluating a personal injury case, lawyers refer to the concepts of strict liability and intentional wrongs: 

• Strict Liability: This holds manufacturers and designers accountable and strictly liable for injuries that occur due to defective products. In this situation, it must be shown that the product was manufactured in a way that made it unreasonably dangerous when used for its intended purpose.

• Intentional Wrongs: These types of situations typically encompass assault and battery. This is when an individual deliberately harms you. They may have further criminal charges, but they can also be held financially liable for your injuries in a civil court in Indianapolis, IN.

Statute of Limitations

The injured party has a limited time to file a lawsuit. This is called a statute of limitations. This time period begins when the individual was injured or discovers their injury. The statute of limitations can vary by state and by the type of injury. Our attorneys are well-versed in the statute of limitations for different situations and may help you understand which deadlines apply to your case.

Contact Ward & Ward Law Firm Today

If you have been the victim of a personal injury, you deserve fair compensation for your medical bills, personal damage, and lost wages. The person who caused your accident should be held accountable for the harm and suffering they caused you. However, even if you had a contributing role in your accident, you may still be entitled to some amount of compensation. Seeking the best results in a personal injury case can be tough without a skilled attorney by your side to utilize the best legal strategies and tirelessly fight for you. A personal injury attorney Indianapolis, IN residents trust may fight aggressively on your behalf, whether you are filing for a lawsuit or wanting to obtain a settlement. Allow us to handle the legal stresses while you take the necessary time to get healthy once again.

Personal Injury Law and You

If you were injured due to someone else’s actions, then you’re most likely interested in how personal injury law can help you. For many people, various areas of the law – such as personal injury, aren’t too important until it’s applicable to them. However, if a personal injury accident happens to you, it can impact you in many ways. You might be left struggling with expenses or suffering through emotional trauma on top of your injury.  If you have recently experienced a personal injury and are not sure of what to do, you can rely on a lawyer for help. Feeling uncertain or concerned about your life after a personal injury is common. That’s okay – nobody needs to be the expert at everything, that’s what our personal injury attorneys are for.

As a personal injury victim, you may have many questions about what to expect as we handle your case. If you’re looking for answers to your questions regarding your accident, then the best possible resource is a personal injury attorney in Indianapolis, IN from Ward & Ward Law Firm. Here is some introductory information to get you started.

Do I have a personal injury case?

If you’ve sustained any injury or harm as a result of someone else’s decisions or actions, then you potentially have a personal injury case. Personal injury involves numerous types of accidents and injuries including auto accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, and birth injury, to name a few. Even if your accident doesn’t seem like it would fall into the category of personal injury, you should still consult with an Indianapolis, IN personal injury attorney. They’ll be able to outline the most beneficial avenues for you to take during your case. After thoroughly assessing your case, they can inform you of the next steps that you should take if they believe that your case is valid. In general terms, there are three types of personal injury claims you can file.

Three types of Personal Injury Claims

• Negligence: If your injury was a direct result of someone else’s negligent behavior, then you would file this type of personal injury claim. Negligence is defined as the failure to take proper care in a certain action, and traverses many accident types. Medical malpractice, distracted drivers, or asbestos exposure through work can all be forms of negligence that result in injury. The extent of your injuries and the level of negligence displayed by the defendant are both factors that will determine the significance of your case, which in turn affects the total payout you could potentially receive.

• Intentional Torts: When someone purposefully does something that results in you getting injured, it is considered an intentional tort. A tort is essentially the act of infringing on someone’s rights and in the case of personal injury, an intentional tort is both a tort as well as a crime. The person knowingly committed an act that was intended to inflict harm towards another individual. That means you can still file a civil suit against the defendant even if they are acquitted of their criminal charges.

• Strict Liability: When a product has a defect that results in your injury, then you can potentially claim strict liability. Under strict liability, you don’t have to prove the defendant’s actions were negligent or purposeful but only that those actions created a defect product that caused you injury. To win these cases, you need to prove that there was a defect of some variation that went without correction throughout the manufacturing/distribution process, the defect caused the product to be dangerous (sticking your finger in a rotating fan wouldn’t be considered strict liability, because the product was established as being dangerous before it got to you), and finally that your injuries were a direct result of said defect.

If you have been injured due to the actions of another party, you may have many more questions that what our firm has covered here. To learn more, contact an Indianapolis, IN personal injury attorney from our firm so they can evaluate your case personally. Remember to give your personal injury attorney as much detail as possible about the case, as well as any evidence such as witness statements, photos, and your own first-hand account of the incident.

If you haven’t called to schedule your free consultation, don’t wait until it’s too late. Call Ward & Ward Law Firm today to meet with a personal injury attorney Indianapolis, IN clients recommend.

How Common Is Wrongful Death Due to Medical Errors?

If you were asked to guess what preventable reality kills an average of 250,000 Americans each year, what would your answer be? Car crashes? Smoking? Obesity? According to researchers at Johns Hopkins, a minimum of 250,000 Americans die as a result of preventable medical errors on an annual basis. It is worth noting that other studies place this number as high as 440,000 deaths per year due to preventable medical errors.

If you have recently lost a loved one and suspect that a medical error may have contributed to your loss, please consider connecting with an experienced Indianapolis, Indiana personal injury attorney now. You may not be able to tell at first glance whether your loved one died as a result of preventable behavior, but an experienced Indianapolis, IN personal injury attorney will be able to help you discover the truth. If it turns out that a medical error did play a role in your loved one’s death, you may be entitled to seek justice and financial compensation through civil action.

Deaths Due to Medical Negligence – The Basics

At present, medical errors are the third-leading cause of death among American adults behind heart disease and cancer. This reality is staggering. However, it is important to understand that not every medical error serves as grounds for legal action. Only when a medical professional/facility breaches its legal duty to a patient by behaving negligently, recklessly or intentionally can the loved ones of a deceased patient take legal action. Unfortunately, such negligence and recklessness occurs all too often.

Legal Guidance Is Available

If you believe that a loved one may have passed away due (either in-part or completely) as a result of a medical error or medical negligence, please consider scheduling a consultation with an experienced Indianapolis, IN personal injury attorney immediately. It is often very difficult for loved ones to determine whether an individual’s doctor and/or care team may have contributed to that individual’s death. As a result, it is generally a good idea to speak with an Indianapolis, IN personal injury attorney about your loved one’s situation, even if you cannot yet prove whether you have grounds to file legal action. An attorney experienced in this area of law will know how to get you answers to the questions you seek – as far as doing so is possible. Once you have a better understanding of what occurred, you will be able to determine how to proceed given the legal options available to you. If medical negligence did indeed contribute to the death of your loved one, your family may be entitled to significant financial compensation.

Even if you are unsure of whether your loved one passed away due (in part or in full) to a medical error, please consider scheduling a confidential, risk-free consultation with a member of the legal team at Ward & Ward Law Firm today. We are passionate about helping loved ones seek answers and then assisting them with making informed decisions about their legal options. Don’t wait to learn about your rights and seek help from a lawyer today. We would be happy to learn more about your situation and to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to taking your call.