How Do I Know If I Have an Indiana Car Accident Case?

December 27, 2025

Car accidents are an unfortunate fact of life in the State of Indiana, where 198,247 collisions occurred in 2023 alone, and they often result in catastrophic injuries demanding prolonged treatment that few families could afford without outside assistance. Fortunately, you might be able to obtain that assistance after being badly hurt in Indiana traffic – whether on a tiny street or a massive highway like I-69 – if you pursue a claim for compensation, assuming that you actually have grounds to do so. Join us if you’re asking yourself “How do I know if I have an Indiana car accident case?”

Was Your Car Accident Caused By Someone Else’s Negligence?

As in any kind of personal injury claim, a viable Indiana car accident case needs to allege two core elements: negligence, which is the failure to exercise sufficient care to avoid causing harm, and damages, which are the detrimental consequences of that negligence.

Basically, someone who incurs physical damages in a crash caused by someone else’s negligence can initiate a car accident case in order to secure financial damages from the negligent party, who is usually called the defendant.

So with that in mind, the answer to your question is: Yes, you should have an Indiana car accident case provided that you A) have been injured in a car accident in Indiana that B) was brought about the negligence of a defendant.

The Difficulties of Handling an Indiana Car Accident Case by Yourself

Yet if everything sounds pretty simple so far, the reality is that you are likely to encounter significant difficulties if you move forward with an Indiana car accident case, particularly if you decide to handle it by yourself, and one of the biggest difficulties is defendant identification.

Aside from the driver who hit you and the owner of his or her vehicle (if separate from the driver), the potential defendants might include the:

• Business deploying the car (if separate from the owner)
• Mechanic servicing the car
• Manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of a defective car or component
• Government agency in charge of a road in disrepair

In some instances, multiple defendants may share liability simultaneously, and you could be forever barred from being fully compensated if you don’t go after every single one of them within the time allotted by law, known as the Statute of Limitations.

And it’s not as if your difficulties will vanish if you do track down each of the defendants, since you will probably still encounter stiff resistance from their insurance companies, who will generally be your primary sources of fiscal recovery.

This may be your first car accident, but it won’t be the first for a veteran insurance adjuster, who could exploit your relative unfamiliarity with the claims process to settle your claim for less or merely deny it outright, leaving you with little recourse if you’re already on the brink of ruin.

What Experienced Indiana Car Accident Attorneys Can Do for You

Clearly, the deck can be stacked against you in the wake of a serious Indiana car accident. However, you can deal yourself a winning hand by retaining the kind of highly skilled lawyers you’d find at Hensley Legal Group, PC, a dedicated Indiana personal injury law firm whose experienced attorneys have been fighting on behalf of the wrongfully injured since 1998.

If you hire Hensley, our Indiana car accident lawyers will launch a comprehensive investigation to unearth all of the defendants who may have injured you, then establish valid claims and/or file suit against them before the Statute of Limitations expires.

Hensley’s attorneys will also move swiftly to amass the evidentiary materials required to back up any allegations that you make, such as:

• Police reports
• Citation and dispositions
• Photos and videos
• Eyewitness statements
• Black box data
• Phone records
• Driving histories
• Maintenance logs
• Forensic analysis and accident reconstruction

When a lawyer presents irrefutable proof of a claimant’s damages and a defendant’s negligence, a sensible insurer may agree to a generous offer now rather than risk a worse verdict later, a key reason why the vast majority of Indiana car accident cases can get resolved without a trial.

Nevertheless, a battle-tested Indiana car accident attorney will be indispensable if a trial becomes necessary, since approximately 96 percent of plaintiffs who represent themselves in the courtroom lose but plaintiffs with professional representation are statistically favored to prevail.

Reach Out to Our Indiana Car Accident Lawyers

Hensley Legal Group has been standing up for hardworking Hoosiers just like you for nearly 30 years. If you’ve been grievously injured in an Indiana car accident through no fault of your own, reach out to our Indiana car accident lawyers to explore your legal options.

You can call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form today to schedule a free case review with a knowledgeable Indiana car accident attorney.