How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Indiana?
In Indiana, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim, and missing that deadline usually bars recovery regardless of fault. You can still recover compensation even if you were partly at fault — your award is just reduced by your percentage of fault.
The personal injury attorneys at Keffer Hirschauer LLP are here for you if you—or a loved one—suffered a serious personal injury or worse in an Indiana car accident or other injury caused by another’s negligence or misconduct. Our Indiana injury lawyers know the law—and how insurance company lawyers operate. From car and truck accidents to slip and fall injuries or nursing home abuse, we take on cases involving the most severe of injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and wrongful death. Keffer Hirschauer LLP’ trained attorneys know how to interpret the facts, apply the law, and skillfully present the strongest arguments for compensation.
Why Choose Indiana Injury Lawyers Who Understand Both Sides of a Case?
If you or a family member is involved in a serious accident, you will want Indiana injury lawyers who have considerable experience dealing effectively with insurers, individuals, and businesses determined to deny responsibility for your injuries. We prepare for the long haul fight while also working toward a resolution that includes the compensation you deserve for your injuries, medical expenses, and loss of income.
Attorneys Bradley Keffer and Tom Hirschauer have spent years fighting for the rights of individuals against overwhelming odds. From their start as prosecuting attorneys in Marion and Tippecanoe Counties—including leadership on Fatal Alcohol Crash Teams—to establishing themselves as personal injury attorneys in demand throughout the state, Bradley and Tom have developed keen insight into how to maximize compensation in personal injury cases.
What Makes a Personal Injury Case Complex in Indiana?
While most crashes in Indiana only cause property damage, as many as 15 to 20 percent of wrecks can result in personal injury to a vehicle occupant or pedestrian, and some even involve a fatality. The dedicated personal injury attorneys at Keffer Hirschauer LLP have significant experience successfully investigating and trying auto accident cases as well as other personal injury cases.
Bradley Keffer and Tom Hirschauer received training directly from investigators who personally investigated accidents to prosecute and convict persons criminally responsible. Most Indiana injury lawyers do not receive this kind of training, which provides shrewd insight into the cause of accidents. Further, prosecuting attorneys must meet a much higher standard to prove a criminal case than a civil case, and Bradley Keffer and Tom Hirschauer were the attorneys trusted by the State of Indiana to prosecute these cases. They have taken on the hardest cases and won, and are ready to help you achieve success in an Indiana personal injury case, insurance claim, or litigation in any Court in Indiana.
Not every Indiana personal injury lawyer can tell skid marks from yaw marks or knows the significance of the difference. Fewer still know what hot shocks are and how they can help determine whether a driver had headlights on at the moment of a nighttime crash. Our skill and training give us an eye for detail and an edge in litigating any personal injury claim.
What Types of Personal Injury Cases Does Your Firm Handle?
As citizens, we have an obligation or a duty to act in lawful, responsible, and careful ways so as to do our part to prevent harm or injury to others. Failure to do so can result in automobile accidents, slip and fall accidents, neglect or abuse causing injury to others. Indiana injury lawyers are specially trained to help you to recover from damages and injuries caused by the neglect, misconduct, or unlawful actions.
Automobile Accidents
Drivers have a duty to drive safely and carefully, paying attention to the traffic, weather, road conditions, and adjusting their driving accordingly. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of vehicle accidents happen in Indiana every year because of drivers who were speeding, drowsy or fatigued, driving drunk, or texting while driving, or engaging in other distracted driving behaviors. Our training and experience in crash scene investigations has helped us effectively litigate every aspect of crash cases from investigation through prosecution and jury verdict.
Our Indiana injury lawyers have litigated some of the most serious crashes and understand the mechanics of all types of accidents, including rear-end and head-on collisions, multi-vehicle crashes and rollover accidents. We accept all types of car accidents, including rideshare (Uber or Lyft) accidents, accidents involving uninsured drivers or hit-and-run, and collisions involving pedestrians, bicycles, or e-scooters. We have extensive experience with severe motorcycle accidents or truck accidents, including complex cases involving a jackknife or underride accident. Keffer Hirschauer LLP is the firm to turn to for help after a motor vehicle accident of any level of complexity.
Premises Liability Cases
Property owners owe a duty to their guests and customers to ensure a safe environment for those invited on the premises or who have a lawful right to be there. Indiana injury lawyers know this duty includes fixing dangerous conditions and warning people about hazards on the property that may not be obvious.
Slip and fall accidents can be painful and traumatic and cause lasting injury. They can also be complex cases that are challenging to prove. Property owners often claim they did not know about the danger or have time to fix it before the accident happened. Other times, they may argue that accident victims weren’t looking where they were going and slipped and fell when they could have avoided the hazard. Our experienced Indiana personal injury lawyers know how to counter the property owner arguments and show their responsibility for injury due to their failure to take reasonable and timely steps and precautions.
Dog bites are another hazard faced with owners do not maintain control of their animals. When the injury occurs on the dog owner’s property, the case involves elements of premises liability. Regardless of where the injury occurs, you need experienced counsel to fight for the compensation you’re due from the responsible party.
Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Indiana injury lawyers know how difficult it is when our loved ones require regular medical attention or a level of care that we can’t provide ourselves. At a certain point, we may have to entrust their care to the trained and skilled professionals at a nursing home or assisted living facility. Unfortunately, these facilities don’t always live up to their mandate to provide quality care.
All too often, nursing home residents are the victim of neglect or even intentional abuse. Of the nursing homes in Indianapolis, a large number are rated “below average” or “much below average” on medicare.gov. Even when you think you’ve found a good facility, staffing turnover, shortages, and other factors may still put your loved one at risk. Complaining to state agencies about abuse or neglect can be slow, frustrating and ineffective.
Our Indiana injury lawyers take action to stop and prevent any further abuse while seeing to it that your family members get the care and compensation they need when they have been deprived of medical services, dignity, or the quality of life to which they are entitled.
What Types of Personal Injury Claims Are Most Common?
There is no shortage of personal injury examples. Keffer Hirschauer LLP protects clients’ interests for all types of personal injuries:
Case by case, the lawyers in our firm research, investigate, and collaborate to develop a strategy for obtaining the rightful compensation of victims of personal injury.
- ATV Accidents
- Vehicle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Car Accident
- Dog Bite Accidents
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Uninsured Motorist
- Hit and Run
- Motorcycle Accident
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Personal Injury Protection
- Rollover Accidents
- Slip and Fall
- Truck Accidents
- Wrongful Death
Can I Still Recover Compensation If I Was Partly at Fault?
You may be entitled to compensation even if you are found to have contributed to the cause of your injury. Any award would just be reduced based on the percentage you are determined to be at fault. Our deep litigation experience and creative strategies can help reduce your exposure to such reductions and maximize your potential recovery.
Our Indiana Injury Lawyers Can Help
When you or a family member have been injured as a result of another person’s negligence, misconduct, or illegal actions, Keffer Hirschauer LLP can help you to realize the compensation necessary to recover from property damages and injuries. Different types of personal injury cases such as car accidents, slip and falls, nursing home abuse, or other incidents will require the skill and experience of our Indiana injury lawyers to help you navigate your personal injury claims. For a free consultation, fill out our online contact form to get started, or call us at (317) 455-4043 so we can get started immediately.
Additional Areas We Serve
Our Indianapolis personal injury lawyers handle a wide range of personal injury cases throughout Indiana. Our firm has an office in downtown Indianapolis, but we manage all types of personal injuries and claims throughout the state, serving the following communities as well:
Frequently Asked Question
You may have a personal injury case in Indiana if you were harmed because someone else was negligent—such as in a car crash, slip-and-fall, dog bite, or unsafe property situation. Speaking with a personal injury attorney can help confirm whether the facts meet the standards for negligence under Indiana’s personal injury laws.
In Indiana, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the accident under the state’s statute of limitations. Missing this deadline usually prevents any recovery, regardless of fault.
Compensation in a personal injury lawsuit include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and in severe cases, future medical needs or diminished earning capacity. Property damage and loss of consortium may also be available depending on the injury.
While you are not required to hire an Indiana personal injury lawyer, having one can significantly improve your chance of recovering full compensation—especially when dealing with insurance companies. Many injured people choose to work with the best personal injury lawyer in Indiana to ensure they are not undervalued or denied.
The value of a personal injury case depends on factors such as injury severity, medical costs, lost income, long-term effects, and liability disputes. No two personal injury lawsuits are alike, and accurate valuation usually requires reviewing medical records, prognosis, and insurance coverage.