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November 4, 2022

Looking for the Best Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorney?

When you go up against an insurance company, the odds can already be stacked against you. Most insurance companies have vast financial resources and employ highly skilled attorneys who specialize in defending the company against personal injury claims. So, if you want to receive the compensation you deserve for your injury, you’ll need to hire the best Indianapolis personal injury attorney possible.

When it comes to finding the best personal injury attorney, there are several factors to consider and a handful of questions you should ask the attorney before making a final decision. This article will cover those in detail, allowing you to have the best information possible as you embark on your search. However, if you’d simply like to speak with one of the best Indianapolis personal injury attorneys today, call the Indiana Injury team at 317-857-0160 or complete our online contact form. Our Indiana personal injury lawyers are highly trained and experienced, and ready to begin working with you.

Preliminary Research on Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorneys

Those among the best Indianapolis personal injury attorneys will fill several roles during litigation—building your case, dealing with the insurance company, communicating with the defense attorney and the court, and negotiating a settlement. Given the tremendous influence that the Indianapolis injury attorney has on the outcome of your case, it is vital that you find an attorney or law firm that you can trust.

When searching for the best Indianapolis personal injury attorney, don’t just resort to calling the lawyer whose billboard you saw on the highway or on the side of a bus. Instead, start your search by speaking with any family members or friends who are attorneys. Even if they do not work on personal injury cases themselves, they often know who the reputable attorneys are in your area and can make recommendations.

You should also do some online research. The best way to start is by calling your local bar association. These are groups of attorneys, either local or national, that deal with issues affecting the legal profession within their jurisdiction. Typically, they should be able to provide you with some names of well-respected attorneys who work within the legal discipline that you require. In Indiana, the largest bar association is the Indiana State Bar Assocation and, if needed, they could certainly refer you to an attorney.

Another good place to do some research is on various legal review websites. One of the most common is Avvo, but not every attorney is listed on the site. Therefore, you should also look into Martindale, Findlaw and Lawyers.com to get a more whole picture of the best personal injury attorneys in your area.

Once you have the name of some law firms and attorneys, don’t forget to look at their Google Reviews. One of the benefits of Google Reviews is that the firm/attorney cannot modify or moderate the reviews that they have been given. This means you’ll see both the good and the bad and will be able to have a better grasp on the attorney’s reputation.

Questions to Ask When Interviewing the Best Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorneys

Now that you’ve done some research and have a list of potential candidates, you should schedule a consultation with several of the top picks. During these consultations, you will want to ask several things about their practice career, including their experience both inside and outside of the courtroom, their negotiation skills, average timelines, and their fee structure. The example questions listed below will provide you with a good place to start and allow you to understand what kinds of answers you are looking for when trying to identify the best Indianapolis personal injury attorney for your case.

“What Kinds of Personal Injury Cases Do You Handle?”

When you’re looking for the best Indianapolis personal injury attorney, you will want to find the best attorney for your specific type of case. If you are suffering from nursing home injuries in Indiana, then an Indiana bicycle accident lawyer won’t do you much good. So, during your free consultation with an attorney, make sure to ask them what kinds of cases they typically take on, and which ones they feel most confident handling.

One of the benefits of working with a firm that focuses their practice on personal injury is they often have experience in a variety of personal injury lawsuits. For example, the Keffer Hirschauer LLP at Keffer Hirschauer LLP have experience handling every type of personal injury case, including:

Regardless of the type of case, our Keffer Hirschauer LLP have the experience needed to present effective arguments on your behalf with the goal of maximizing your compensation or Indiana personal injury settlement. If you would like to speak with an Indianapolis personal injury attorney today, call the Indiana Injury team at 317-857-0160 or complete our online contact form.

“Are You Comfortable Dealing with Insurance Companies?”

Dealing with insurance companies can be intimidating and overwhelming, particularly for someone without experience doing so. Therefore, when you’re looking for the best Indianapolis personal injury attorney, make sure to ask them about their experiences dealing with insurance companies. Ideally, you’ll want to hire an attorney that will handle all communications with the insurance company, so you no longer need to carry that burden. In addition, they should offer to be present during your interview with the insurance company to advise and protect you.

“How Successful Have You Been in the Past with Negotiations?”

Most personal injury lawsuits never reach court but, instead, reach an agreement to settle the claim. Therefore, you’ll want to find out how skilled the attorney is at negotiating with both the insurance company and the defense counsel. Feel free to ask them how successful they’ve been in the past with negotiations, as well as how they build their arguments. The best personal injury attorneys in Indianapolis will use the facts and law on their side to build an argument that leverages the strongest points of their case into a settlement that meets both the needs and the goals of their client.

“Do You Have Experience with Personal Injury Litigation?”

Even if you don’t expect your case to go to court, you will want to make sure that any Indianapolis personal injury attorney you work with has litigation experience. Personal injury litigation is highly technical and procedural and differs drastically from cases in other practice areas. The best Indianapolis personal injury attorney will understand this and ensure the proper handling of your lawsuit. This includes filing your lawsuit within the correct timeframe. Per Indiana Code 34-11-2-4, any lawsuit for damages arising from a personal injury must be filed within two years of the injury.

The best personal injury attorneys will also know how to effectively communicate with the insurance company, the defendant’s lawyers, and the court. They’ll handle all negotiations and attend case management meetings with the court to discuss the progress of your case.

“Have You Taken Many Personal Injury Cases to Court?”

When interviewing attorneys, make sure you ask them about their experiences taking personal injury cases to court. The best Indianapolis personal injury attorneys will all have extensive courtroom experience. They will understand exactly how to handle formal hearings and trials and know what it takes to truly fight for their clients in a court of law.

Furthermore, a personal injury attorney who has handled many lawsuits and spent a considerable amount of time in the courtroom can often have stronger argument and case-building skills. This works to your advantage in negotiations, as defense attorneys and insurance companies are more likely to reach a fair settlement if they know that the plaintiff’s attorney has a reputation as a highly effective trial attorney.

“What is the Average Timeline for a Case to be Resolved?”

When looking for the best Indianapolis personal injury attorney, you’ll often want to avoid firms with a high volume of cases and quick turnover. If their caseload seems high, you may want to follow up that question by asking them “What’s the average timeline for a case to be resolved?” If the attorney says anything less than 6 months, that is a red flag. It means that they often settle with the insurance company, and almost never take the case to court.

At Injured Indiana, the typical case takes between 8 months and 1.5 years to be resolved. While this may seem like a long time, it is important to remember that to receive the compensation you deserve for your injury, your attorney may need to exhaust every option on the table, including taking your case to court to present in front of a judge and jury.

“What is Your Fee Structure?

Most personal injury attorneys in Indiana work on cases on a contingent fee basis. This means that you will not owe an attorney fee unless there is a recovery, and the fee is a percentage of the amount recovered (typically 33.33%). This sounds straightforward, right? Well, not always. Sometimes, even if they lose your case, attorneys may still charge you for “case expenses,” and this should always be disclosed upfront. Therefore, as you look for the best Indianapolis personal injury lawyer, make sure that you ask about their structure, and if possible, have them provide you with a print-out clearly outlining how much you will owe them, given each possible outcome of your case.

Keffer Hirschauer LLP: The Best Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorneys

Person injury litigation can be complex, emotionally challenging, and exceedingly difficult to handle on your own. The best Indianapolis personal injury attorney will be able to help you navigate litigation, lessen its impact on your life, and pursue the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries. For help with a personal injury lawsuit, contact Keffer Hirschauer LLP at (317) 857-0160 or schedule a free consultation.