Merrillville Car Accident Lawyers
Experienced trial lawyers pursue full compensation after harmful crashes
How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help Me After a Crash in Merrillville, Indiana?
If you have been in a car accident, you might be wondering what to do. While there are some immediate steps you must take at the scene of a car accident to be compliant with Indiana law, the only way you can receive proper legal advice following a car accident is to speak to the car accident lawyers in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates today.
What are you required to do under the law after a car accident in Merrillville, Indiana?
- According to Indiana law, Indiana Code Title 9, Motor Vehicles, 9-26-1-1, if you’ve been in a car accident, you must stop “in a manner that does not obstruct traffic more than is necessary,” and remain at the scene until you and other drivers involved are able to exchange driver’s license and vehicle registration information.
- If the vehicle you collided with was unattended, you must “take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner,” and if you cannot notify the owner, you must inform law enforcement about the incident, according to Indiana law, Indiana Code Title 9, Motor Vehicles, 9-26-1-1.
- Seek medical attention and get help for those injured. It’s not just the right thing to do—it’s the law. Under Indiana law, Indiana Code Title 9, Motor Vehicles, 9-26-1-1, police officers, medical personnel, and 911 must be called if anyone is injured, killed, or entrapped due to a motor vehicle accident.
- Follow the instructions of law enforcement officers and emergency personnel on the phone to render aid to those injured.
- Call 911 to report the accident to the police, even if you think no one was injured. While in all cases you might not be legally required to report your accident to police, it might still be the wise course of action. Even accidents that appear initially to be minor can involve injuries that may not be immediately apparent. Having a police report is important when making an insurance claim or a personal injury claim.
- Let your insurance company know as soon as possible that you were involved in a car accident.
- Reach out to a car accident lawyer in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates. Our car accident attorneys can investigate your accident, estimate the value of your car accident claim, and help you take the next steps.
The car accident lawyers in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates are here to help you and your family take the next steps after a car accident to help you get the best possible settlement permitted under the law. You only have a limited time to make a claim after a car accident in Merrillville, Indiana. Don’t delay. Contact the car accident lawyers in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates today.
How Does a Merrillville Car Accident Lawyer Help You After a Car Accident?
The Merrillville car accident lawyers at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates can help you and your family navigate the aftermath of a car accident. If you or someone you love was hurt in a crash, you and your family might be entitled to receive compensation for your medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. A critical aspect of the personal injury claim process following a car accident involves making an insurance claim. The car accident lawyers in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates can review the details of your accident, review medical bills, and estimate the value of your claim. We can read the fine print of your insurance policy and negotiate with insurance adjusters to help you get the maximum possible settlement permitted under the law.
In the aftermath of a car accident, insurance adjusters and insurance companies have a responsibility to honor your insurance contract, but insurance adjusters also have an interest in saving the insurance company money. When you have a car accident lawyer on your side to estimate the value of your claim, you are more likely to get the settlement you truly deserve. To properly settle your claim, insurance adjusters need evidence of your injuries, medical bills, losses, and evidence to support the claim amount you might be seeking. The car accident lawyers in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates understand the insurance claim process, know where estimates can go off the rails, and can help you work with insurance adjusters to help you get the outcome you may deserve. You only have a limited time to make a claim under the law after a car accident involving serious personal injury. Contact the auto accident lawyers in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates today.
What is My Auto Accident Case Worth in Merrillville, Indiana?
The value of your auto accident personal injury claim will depend on several factors, including:
- The seriousness of your injuries
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Whether you have been permanently or temporarily disabled because of your accident
- Whether you will be able to return to work, or will need to retrain, or will need to collect disability benefits
- Whether you will need ongoing nursing and medical care as a result of your injuries
Contact the auto accident attorneys in Merrillville, Indiana at Marshall P. Whalley & Associates today.
For many fortunate motorists, a car accident is little more than an annoyance and a hit to the checkbook. But for a significant number of drivers, passengers and pedestrians, car crashes inflict severe injuries and even wrongful death. At Marshall P. Whalley & Associates, PC, our attorneys pursue your legal claim aggressively so that you can concentrate on putting your life back in order. For more than 30 years, we have delivered candid advice and knowledgeable representation. We focus all of our firm’s resources on helping Indiana car accident victims obtain full compensation either through a negotiated settlement or a trial.
Skilled counsel to keep up with the increasing danger on Merrillville, Indiana, roads
Whether due to distracted drivers, lower gas prices or other factors, auto accidents have been occurring more frequently in Indiana. In 2014, there were more than 205,000 serious traffic collisions in the state, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, the economic costs of motor vehicle collisions in Indiana in 2014 approached $3.8 billion. We have specific experience with common types of accidents such as:
- Blind-spot collisions — High speeds on highways can prompt devastating crashes when someone makes an unsafe lane change.
- Rollovers — Sport utility vehicles are susceptible to rolling over even when an impact is not especially severe, leading to a serious risk of head and neck injuries.
- Rear-end collisions — Inattention, particularly in this age of smartphones, often prevents drivers from timely braking.
- T-bone crashes — Drivers and passengers are especially vulnerable in side-impact collisions that frequently occur at intersections.
Auto insurance companies work hard to defend against claims and minimize payouts. In a claim for personal injury or wrongful death, our attorneys will present the strongest argument possible to hold the driver who hit you accountable.
Lawyers with detailed knowledge of the causes and consequences of crashes
It is clear from statistics that driver negligence contributes greatly to auto accidents on both small roads and major highways like Interstates 65, 70 and 74. Two leading contributing factors are excessive speed and alcohol consumption:
- Across Indiana in 2014, 24,810 accidents were speed-related, a 33 percent jump over the prior year. This represented 12 percent of all vehicle collisions on Indiana roads.
- More than a quarter of fatal collisions resulted from excessive speed.
- In 2014, 101 people died in accidents involving a driver legally impaired by alcohol (blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 percent).
- According to some metrics, Indiana had the highest rate of teen driving deaths in 2014.
- Younger drivers, perhaps because they’re less skilled and more susceptible to distractions, have the highest rate of accident involvement. In 2014, drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group had 1,178 accidents per 10,000 licensed drivers.
Although statistics are useful in confirming what we intuitively understand — that careless behavior leads to deadly accidents — the last thing you want if you are injured is to be treated like a statistic. At Marshall P. Whalley & Associates, we are fully engaged with you throughout the legal process. You can trust us to take your calls, answer your questions and keep you updated every step of the way.
Contact our Merrillville car accident lawyers for your injury or wrongful death claim
Marshall P. Whalley & Associates, PC provides trustworthy representation for all types of injury matters, including those involving car accidents. To schedule a free initial consultation and case evaluation at our Crown Point office, please call 219.769.2900 or contact us online.
