Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, we’re not just personal injury attorneys; we’re dedicated advocates who stand by your side, ensuring your voice is heard. From our local office in Crown Point, we can help you with many personal injury cases, including but not limited to:

  • Car Accidents: Every road user deserves safety. When accidents occur, we step in to ensure the responsible parties are held accountable.
  • Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcyclists face unique risks on the road. We’re committed to ensuring they get the justice they deserve when accidents occur.
  • Truck Accidents: The aftermath of a truck collision can be devastating. Our team is here to ensure victims navigate the complexities and secure the compensation they rightfully deserve.
  • Birth Injuries: The joy of childbirth should never be marred by negligence. We champion the rights of families affected by birth injuries.
  • Medical Malpractice: When that trust in medical healthcare is breached, our Crown Point medical malpractice lawyer ensures the responsible are held to account.
  • Catastrophic Injuries: We’re here to ensure victims get the support and compensation they need.
  • Product Liability: Consumers trust products to be safe. When they’re not, we challenge those who put unsafe products on the market to pay for the injuries and economic damage you suffered.
  • Premises Liability: Property owners have a duty of care. When they fail, we ensure victims’ rights are upheld.
  • Wrongful Death: Our wrongful death attorneys stand by families of those who sadly passed away due to the negligence of others, ensuring their rights are upheld during such difficult times.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to someone else’s negligence, don’t navigate the legal process alone. Our team is here to guide you every step of the way, ensuring you receive the compensation and justice you deserve.

The Role of a Crown Point Personal Injury Attorney in Fault Determination

In Indiana, proving fault after a personal injury isn’t always black and white. The state follows the principle of contributory fault, as outlined in the Indiana Code § 34-51-2. Here, each party involved in an accident gets a percentage of fault assigned. Your potential compensation shrinks by your fault percentage. 

And if you’re over 50% at fault? You might not be able to present a valid claim.

Evidence Gathering

Determining fault goes beyond the surface. It involves analyzing the incident’s circumstances, collecting crucial evidence, and understanding Indiana’s specific legal nuances.

For example, in car accidents, factors like traffic violations, distracted driving, and even weather conditions can play a role in fault determination. In slip and fall cases, the property’s condition and any provided warnings become central.

Our team of personal injury lawyers in Crown Point can sift through these details, ensuring that every piece of evidence is considered, and your claim is robustly supported.

Damages You Can Recover After a Personal Injury in Indiana

If you’ve been injured in Indiana, you may be entitled to recover two types of damages for your injuries and other damages: economic and non-economic. In an initial consultation, we can help you calculate these damages to present a claim that fairly covers what you need to recover.

Economic Damages

These are concrete losses with a clear amount of compensation according to the impact of your injuries, and may include:

  • Medical expenses.
  • Lost wages.
  • Property damage.
  • Funeral and burial costs, in case of wrongful death.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages, on the other hand, address the less tangible, yet deeply personal effects of an injury. They might not have direct monetary values, but they’re crucial for a holistic recovery. These types of damages cover:

  • Pain and suffering.
  • Emotional distress, including psychological injuries like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
  • Loss of enjoyment of life.
  • Loss of consortium.

While no amount of compensation can truly make up for the physical and emotional pain, we know that understanding the damages you can claim is a crucial step toward rebuilding and finding closure and we are here to help you go through this process.

Don’t Settle for Less – Know Your Legal Options After a Personal Injury

If you’ve been injured in Crown Point, Indiana, it’s important to know your legal options. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may be able to pursue one or more of the following paths:

  • Filing an insurance claim with your own insurance company.
  • Filing a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
  • Filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party.
  • Filling a lawsuit against your insurance company.

In personal injury cases, proving liability is crucial to determine how and against whom to pursue legal action, and the participation of a local attorney is key to securing compensation.

For instance, you might be entitled to file a claim not just against an at-fault driver in a car accident, but also against the manufacturer if a vehicle defect caused the accident.

Similarly, in cases of medical malpractice, both the healthcare provider and the institution can be held accountable. This, again, will depend on your case’s specific circumstances, and our team will help you choose the best path.

Injuries You Can Claim for in Indiana

We know injuries aren’t just physical marks, they’re life-altering events that impact victims and their families, often leaving them without economic support to recover. With decades of experience serving community members who suffered due to the negligence of others, we see these common injuries present local claims:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Burns
  • Broken bones
  • Whiplash
  • Amputations
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • Emotional injuries

How to File a Claim after a Personal Injury in Indiana

After deciding to pursue legal action in your personal injury case, there are several steps you should take to protect your rights and maximize your chances of recovering damages:

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention

Immediately after the incident, ensure you get the necessary medical care, even if you don’t think your injuries are serious. Your health and safety should be your top priority after an injury.

Additionally, seeking medical attention will help you collect valuable medical records you can later use as evidence to support your claim.

Step 2: Gather Evidence

The next step is to collect as much evidence as possible to support your claim. This may include:

  • Photos of the accident scene, your injuries, and other damages
  • Witness statements and contact information
  • Police reports
  • Medical records
  • Insurance and contact information from the other parties involved

Step 3: Notify the At-Fault Party

The next step is to notify the responsible party of your intent to file a claim by contacting their insurance company or their attorney.

Step 4: Contact Your Insurance Company

Then, notify your own insurance company of the accident and your injuries, including all necessary details. They may be able to provide coverage for your medical expenses and other losses.

Step 5: Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you decide to hire a personal injury lawyer, you have significantly more chances of presenting a successful claim that fairly covers your damages, including ongoing medical care if needed.

We can help you build a strong case, negotiate with insurance companies, and represent you in court if necessary.

Step 6: Negotiate a Settlement

Next, your lawyer will negotiate with the at-fault party or their insurance company to secure a fair settlement. Sometimes, lawyers also use mediation or arbitration techniques as alternative dispute resolution methods.

Step 7: File a Lawsuit if Necessary

Although most personal injury cases are resolved with a settlement, if the negotiations don’t yield a satisfactory outcome you have the option to take the matter to court.

In this scenario, your lawyer can help you file a lawsuit against the at-fault party and then defend your case in court.

What a Crown Point Personal Injury Lawyer Can Do for You

At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, our team of experienced personal injury lawyers in Crown Point, Indiana has helped victims throughout Indiana recover damages for their losses since 1993.

We are here to hear your case, help you with your questions, and plan together a strategy that maximizes your chances for compensation. If you believe you have a case, don’t hesitate to request a free initial consultation to make an informed decision.

Contact us today and let us help you get the compensation you deserve.