When to Hire a Greenwood Car Accident Lawyer

July 16, 2024

As the largest city in Johnson County, Greenwood experiences a heavy influx of traffic from State Road 37 and Interstate 65 – and a heavy influx of traffic accidents as well, including 1,665 crashes in 2022 alone.  If you have been injured in a car accident in Greenwood, you may be thinking about retaining professional legal assistance, but exactly how long can you wait before you make a decision?  Join us as we examine when to hire a Greenwood car accident lawyer. 

You Have a Narrow Window in Which to Take Legal Action 

Whatever you choose to do about your Greenwood car accident, you should keep in mind that you have a narrow window in which to take legal action, known as the Statute of Limitations.  For most car accidents in Indiana, the Statute is two years from the date of the collision (with some exceptions), though it could be considerably shorter in cases against government bodies, with additional requirements that may need to be satisfied.   

Failure to file a lawsuit or otherwise resolve your claim before the Statute expires could forever bar you from full financial recovery, leaving you to cope with your losses entirely on your own.  And with the National Safety Council estimating the average cost of an “evident” automotive injury to be around $40,000.00, those losses could be far beyond your means, which is why many ultimately turn to skilled Greenwood car accident attorneys. 

What a Greenwood Car Accident Lawyer Can Do for You 

The sooner you reach out to a knowledgeable car accident attorney, the better your chances may be of getting what you deserve.  Any delays in establishing your case could limit the scope of the evidence you can secure for it while giving the at-fault parties and their insurance companies a head start in mounting a defense, which could put you in a weaker position during negotiations. 

You may have never been involved in a major car accident before, but the same will not be true of the insurance adjuster assigned to your case, who could exploit your relative inexperience to justify extending a lowball offer or even denying your claim altogether. 

But if you have a veteran legal practitioner at your side from the very beginning, like the dedicated Greenwood car accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, you could start your case off on the strongest footing possible.  Once hired, your attorney will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the causes of your car accident and everyone who may be responsible for it, acting swiftly to amass the materials to support your case, including: 

• Police reports 

• Citations and dispositions 

• Eyewitness statements 

• Crash scene photos 

• Dash cam, streetlight, and surveillance footage 

• Black box data 

• Phone records 

• Driving histories 

• Vehicle servicing logs 

• Forensic analysis and accident reconstruction 

Your lawyer will then work tirelessly to negotiate a settlement that reflects the totality of your losses, such as your: 

• Past, present, and future medical bills 

• Lost income 

• Diminished earning capacity 

• Pain and suffering 

• Psychological anguish 

• Reduced quality of living 

• Mobility restrictions 

• Loss of consortium 

• Punitive and wrongful death damages (if applicable) 

When faced with a rock-solid case that thoroughly conveys both the extent of your damages and the depth of the insured’s liability, an adjuster can be convinced to tender a fair settlement rather than risk a worse verdict at trial.  This is a key reason why personal injury plaintiffs with attorneys statistically obtain 3.5 times as much as plaintiffs without them, which could allow them to acquire the resources to become whole again. 

What Does It Cost to Hire an Attorney? 

If you are concerned about spending more money when you can least afford it, you should know that most car accident lawyers work on a contingency basis.  This means that it will cost you nothing up front to hire an attorney, and he or she may even cover the initial fees associated with your case.  Only when a favorable outcome is achieved will your lawyer seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses and payment for services rendered, usually as a percentage of your final compensation package. 

It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that minimizes the stress of pursuing a case while providing numerous advantages to the first-time plaintiff – advantages you can only enjoy if you hire a Greenwood car accident attorney right away. 

Getting Justice for the Everyday People of Indiana 

Hensley Legal Group has been getting justice for the everyday people of Indiana since 1998.  If you have been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, our Greenwood car accident lawyers are ready to explain the remedies available to you.  

Please call or text us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form at your earliest convenience to schedule a free case review with an accomplished Greenwood car accident attorney.