Indianapolis Truck Accident Attorney

Why Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?

Indianapolis truck accident attorney Lee Christie has successfully represented clients in complex trucking cases for decades, securing multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Trucking companies and insurance adjusters aggressively defend these claims, immediately deploying teams to gather evidence and control narratives. Our firm matches this intensity with our own rapid-response team of investigators and accident reconstruction experts, ensuring evidence is preserved to strengthen your case.

At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, we are members of several trucking litigation groups with the American Association of Justice. We are members of the Association of Trucking Accident Attorneys. Lee Christie has been a member of both of those organizations for over 10 years and specializes in trucking and semi-tractor collisions. If you have been involved in a truck accident, time is of the essence. You need to contact Lee at Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, and we will get a team immediately on your personal injury case to make sure that you are fully protected. We have won several large multi-million trucking accident verdicts and settlements with our knowledgeable litigation team, a few of those results are listed here:

For answers to your questions with a truck accident serving Indianapolis, IN, call:
317-488-5500

When Should You Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis?

You should contact a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after the crash—ideally within days. Trucking companies and their insurers begin building their defense immediately, often sending investigators to the scene to protect their interests. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that key evidence like black box data, dashcam footage, or driver logs could be lost or destroyed.

Early legal involvement allows your attorney to:

• Preserve time-sensitive evidence
• Communicate directly with insurance adjusters on your behalf
• Protect you from lowball settlement offers or recorded statements that can be used against you
• Ensure you meet important deadlines, such as Indiana’s two-year statute of limitations

Even if you’re unsure whether you have a case, speaking with an experienced Indianapolis truck accident attorney can clarify your options and help you make informed decisions.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

How Our Indianapolis Truck Accident Lawyers Build Your Case:

• Rapid Response Investigation: Quickly gathering critical evidence from accident scenes, securing black box data, and interviewing witnesses.
• Expert Accident Reconstruction: Partnering with respected experts to analyze crash details, demonstrate fault, and clearly present liability.
• Aggressive Negotiations: Handling all negotiations with insurers, preventing tactics aimed at minimizing payouts.
• Comprehensive Legal Strategy: Preparing each case thoroughly, ready for trial if necessary to obtain maximum compensation for victims and their families.

Our Attorneys

Tina M. Bell, Esq.

Partner

Meet Lee C. Christie, Esq.

Partner

Laura J. Conyers

Of Counsel

Meet Kevin P. Farrell, Esq.

Partner

Meet Kathy A. Lee, Esq.

Retired

Meet Kyle L. Christie, Esq.

Partner

Katherine M. Marshall

Partner

Christopher D. Simpkins

Associate

Click to contact us today

Types of Truck Accidents We Handle

Not all truck accidents are the same—and each type presents its own challenges when it comes to investigating liability, securing evidence, and pursuing compensation. At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, our Indianapolis truck accident lawyers have extensive experience handling a wide variety of commercial vehicle crashes, including:

• 18-Wheeler Accidents – Collisions involving large tractor-trailers are often devastating due to their size and weight, leading to severe injuries and complex liability issues.

• Tire Blowout Accidents – When a truck’s tire fails, the driver can lose control and cause a multi-vehicle crash. These cases may involve tire manufacturers, maintenance teams, or the trucking company.

• Unsecured Load Accidents – Improperly secured cargo can shift or fall onto the road, putting nearby drivers at serious risk of injury or death.

• Underride Accidents – These deadly crashes occur when a smaller vehicle slides under the rear or side of a trailer, often due to lack of underride guards or sudden stops.

• Jackknife Accidents – When a trailer swings out to form a 90-degree angle with the cab, it can sweep across lanes and involve multiple vehicles.

• Dump Truck Accidents – Common in construction zones, these accidents often involve overloaded beds, tipping hazards, or mechanical failure.

• Concrete Truck Accidents – Concrete mixers are top-heavy and prone to rollovers, especially when navigating tight turns or improperly loaded.

• Fuel Tanker Accidents – These crashes pose additional risks of explosions and toxic spills, often requiring environmental and hazardous material investigations.

• Garbage Truck Accidents – Slow-moving but massive, garbage trucks present dangers in residential neighborhoods due to frequent stops and large blind spots.

• Commercial Truck Accidents – We also handle crashes involving box trucks, delivery vehicles, and other non-tractor commercial trucks operating in and around Indianapolis.

No matter what type of truck caused your injury, our team is equipped to build a strong case, prove negligence, and pursue the full compensation you deserve.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

Timeframe to File a Claim After a Truck Accident

Filing a personal injury claim, within a specific period known as the “statute of limitations” is an important factor in any lawsuit. The statute of limitations on most any personal injury claim in Indiana is two years, per Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4(1). Failure to submit your claim within this timeframe may lead to the forfeiture of your right to receive compensation.

Common Truck Accident Injuries We Handle

Due to their size and weight, commercial trucks often cause far more severe injuries than typical passenger vehicles. Our firm regularly represents clients who suffer:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Neck and back trauma
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Amputations
• Severe burns
• Broken bones and fractures
• Wrongful death and fatal crash injuries

Compensation You May Be Entitled to After a Truck Accident in Indianapolis

Truck accidents often cause catastrophic injuries, long-term disabilities, and overwhelming financial losses. If you’ve been hurt due to the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company, you may be entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages under Indiana law.

Our truck accident attorneys at Christie Farrell Lee & Bell fight to maximize every category of compensation available, including:

Economic Damages

These cover your direct financial losses, such as:

• Current and future medical expenses

• Surgical procedures, rehabilitation, and therapy

• Lost income due to time off work

• Loss of future earning capacity if you can’t return to your job

• Property damage, including your vehicle and belongings

Non-Economic Damages

These reflect the emotional and physical toll of the accident:

• Pain and suffering

• Emotional distress, anxiety, or PTSD

• Loss of enjoyment of life

• Permanent disfigurement or disability

• Loss of consortium (impact on your relationship with your spouse)

Wrongful Death Damages

If a loved one was killed in a trucking accident, your family may also be entitled to:

• Funeral and burial costs

• Loss of financial support

• Loss of companionship

• Survivor’s emotional distress

We Don’t Leave Money on the Table

Insurance companies often try to minimize what they pay—especially in high-stakes trucking claims. Our legal team works with medical experts, life-care planners, and economists to fully document your damages and ensure no losses go unaccounted for.

If you’re wondering what your case may be worth, contact us today for a free, personalized consultation.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in Indiana?

Over 16,000 people had an accident with a commercial vehicle in Indiana in 2017. These truck and commercial vehicle collisions included 16% of all fatal traffic collisions in Indiana, claiming 152 lives. Most shockingly, there was a 21% increase in Indiana commercial vehicle collision fatalities from 2016 to 2017.

Why? Almost 94% of these accidents were related to the behavior of one or more drivers involved. Here are the most common behaviors by truck drivers that led to catastrophic injuries:

• Unsafe lane movement: 2,774 (19.5%)
• Following too closely: 2,302 (16%)
• Unsafe backing: 1,542 (11%)
• Improper turning: 1,183 (8%)

High-Risk Truck Accident Areas in Indianapolis

Indianapolis sees concentrated truck accident risks on highways and intersections, notably:

• I-465 & I-70 interchange
• Southport Road & I-65
• Keystone Avenue & 86th Street

According to Indiana DOT data, these areas consistently rank among Indianapolis’s most hazardous for severe trucking accidents, underscoring the importance of local legal expertise when pursuing compensation.

Can You Recover Punitive Damages After a Truck Accident in Indiana?

In Indiana, punitive damages are not awarded in most personal injury cases—but they can apply in truck accident claims where the at-fault party acted with gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar behavior—not just compensate the victim. You may be eligible if, for example:

• A truck driver was knowingly operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol

• The trucking company ignored federal safety violations or falsified logbooks

• The truck had serious mechanical defects the company failed to fix

These cases require clear and convincing evidence. If we uncover a pattern of reckless behavior, our attorneys will aggressively pursue punitive damages in addition to full compensation for your injuries.

How Much Compensation Can You Get After a Truck Accident in Indianapolis?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how much a truck accident claim is worth—it depends on the severity of your injuries, the long-term impact, and who’s liable.

That said, compensation in trucking cases often exceeds car accident claims because of:

• Greater medical costs due to severe injuries

• Higher policy limits on commercial vehicles

• Multiple liable parties (driver, company, third parties)

You may be entitled to compensation for:

• Emergency medical treatment and ongoing care

• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity

• Pain and suffering

• Emotional trauma and loss of quality of life

• Permanent disability or disfigurement

• Wrongful death-related damages (if applicable)

Our team investigates every aspect of your case, consults financial and medical experts, and ensures every damage is documented to maximize your recovery.

How Are Truck Accidents Different From Car Accidents?

Truck accidents are much more complex and dangerous than regular car accidents. Here are a few key differences:

• Regulations: Truck drivers are governed by federal laws (FMCSA), which regulate everything from driving hours to vehicle maintenance.
• Increased Risk: Due to the size and weight of trucks, crashes are more likely to result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities.
• Multiple Liable Parties: Trucking accidents may involve the driver, the trucking company, and even third parties (like cargo loaders or maintenance companies).

Trucking Accidents Cause Greater Damages

Obviously, every accident is unique. However, across the board, trucking accidents have the ability to cause a much greater level of damage and permanent disability than those involving regular-sized automobiles. In early 2020, a truck driver on I-65 looked away to put down his coffee cup. He did not see the backed-up traffic in front of him and crashed into the stopped line of cars, killing three people, and injuring 14. This driver’s negligence may have been the same as in other accidents, but the impact was far more deadly and damaging due to the size of the truck.

Trucks are much heavier than cars, and the impact of a 3,700-pound sedan versus an 80,000-pound semi-truck barreling into another vehicle can be far more severe. In 2018, 4,136 people died as the result of large truck crashes, a 31 percent increase from the lowest count of deaths in 2009. Even beyond the damage to other vehicles, the injuries received from trucking accidents can be much more severe.

Though any injury is possible during an accident, some common forms of trucking accident injuries are:

• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Severe Burns
• Amputations

To learn more about how an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer can help, call Christie Farrell Lee & Bell at 317-488-5500 for a free case evaluation. 

Trucking Accidents Have Different Causes

Operating a semi or other large truck is different than driving a car. Although many accidents are due to negligence on one party’s side, the fact is that the reasons for trucking accidents are often unique.

Some of these may include:

• Careless driving
• Improper cargo loading
• Difficulty breaking in close situations
• Speeding in order to make a delivery on time
• Improper training or certification of the operator
• Distracted driving or driver fatigue due to long hours on the road

Though some smaller commercial trucks like a box truck or a heavy-duty pickup can be driven by anyone with a valid driver’s license, trucks carrying a gross weight of over 26,000 pounds need to be operated by someone with a CDL license. If these trucks are being operated by someone without the proper qualifications, a truck accident attorney in Indianapolis can use this to establish negligence in the event of an accident.

Indiana Trucking Accident Cases Have Different Regulations

Accidents involving commercial trucking are handled differently by trucking accident attorneys because of the laws and regulations surrounding them. Establishing liability in a trucking case starts with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation Act (FMCSA), which sets specific rules for routine background checks, strict regulation for hours driven in a single day, company evaluations of existing drivers, and drug and alcohol testing. If any of these are broken, an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer can use this to establish negligence. Additionally, these trucks are covered by different types of insurance policies by insurance carriers. The bottom line is that handling trucking accidents are more complex than a fender bender involving an individual driving their own car.

Trucking accidents are complex and unique, and in order to properly handle these cases, contact the experience and knowledge of a truck accident attorney. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a trucking accident, contact Christie Farrell Lee & Bell today at 317-488-5500.

Indianapolis High-Risk Intersections for Truck Accidents

Indianapolis is home to some of the busiest truck corridors in the state, making certain intersections particularly hazardous for truck drivers and other motorists. Traffic congestion, road construction, and the volume of vehicles contribute to high-risk zones where accidents occur with greater frequency. Areas such as the I-465 & I-70 Interchange, Southport Road & I-65, and Keystone Avenue & 86th Street have been identified as common sites for truck-related collisions. Traffic reports and accident data help outline where truck accidents are most likely to happen, giving local residents a clearer picture of these high-risk areas. According to the Indiana Traffic Safety Data from the Indiana Department of Transportation, intersections like these are notorious for congestion and truck-related accidents.

Indiana Highways With High Truck Accident Rates

Truck accidents in Indiana are often concentrated on major interstate highways, especially those passing through Indianapolis. Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and Interstate 465 are significant truck routes, but their high traffic volumes and speed limits increase the likelihood of accidents. These highways are often subject to congestion, high-speed travel, and weather-related hazards, all of which can contribute to truck accidents, including rollovers and rear-end collisions. Understanding the dangers associated with these highways is essential for both motorists and trucking companies. Data from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) show that highways like I-65, I-70, and I-465 have been at the center of several high-severity truck crashes in recent years.

Understanding where truck accidents happen most frequently in Indianapolis helps us build strong cases based on local accident history.

Call 317-488-5500 to discuss your case. Serious personal injury cases are all we do!