Indianapolis Truck Accident Lawyer

Trucking is central to life in Indianapolis, supplying the city with the goods that it needs to thrive each day, though the preponderous of large trucks and semi-trailers in the Hoosier State can make major collisions inevitable, which may be why Indiana saw 5,410 truck accidents in 2023 alone.  

Moreover, because commercial trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times more than the typical passenger car, truck accidents inflict a disproportionate number of vehicular deaths nationwide.  This is particularly true when trucks collide with smaller vehicles, whose occupants incur around 72 percent of the casualties, but even truck accident survivors could be left with physically and financially devastating injuries that could break the bank of most Indianapolis families. 

Fortunately, assistance could be available if you have been hurt in an Indianapolis truck accident through no fault of your own, though success is never guaranteed.  To tip the odds in your favor, get in touch with the Indianapolis truck accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, where we have been fighting for the seriously injured for over a quarter century. 

To discover what a knowledgeable Indianapolis truck accident attorney can do for you, schedule a complimentary case review by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form today.  

Common Causes of Indianapolis Truck Accidents 

Every truck accident is unique, yet there are a host of factors that can make truck accidents likelier to happen, and nearly all of them have to do with drivers.  Indeed, the Indiana University Public Policy Institute blames 65 percent of auto accidents in the state on “unsafe [driver] actions,” while the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration links drivers to 87 percent of the “critical reasons” for truck accidents. 

Some of the most common driver-based causes of Indianapolis truck accidents include: 

• Speeding – Traveling too fast is the chief contributor to motor vehicle accidents of any type.  Drivers who speed have less time to react yet need more time to stop, which can be a catastrophic combination when a driver is at the helm of a truck or semi-trailer with tens of thousands of pounds of momentum behind it. 

• Distraction – Distracted driving played a role in almost 10,000 crashes in Indiana in 2022.  While distraction has long been a concern in the state, it has grown into an epidemic with the rise of smartphones, which are associated with 12 percent of modern collisions, despite the fact that states like Indiana have banned handheld devices behind the wheel. 

• Recklessness – Truck drivers who engage in such reckless conduct as disregarding traffic control signals, weaving in and out of lanes, abrupt overtaking, and refusing to yield the right of way could put everyone in the vicinity in jeopardy. 

• Intoxication – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is highly illegal and incredibly dangerous, diminishing a driver’s reflexes, reactions, vision, and judgment.  Trucking companies are obliged to seek out drivers with no history of automotive intoxication and to administer drug tests when truck accidents occur on their watch. 

• Drowsiness – Drowsy driving can be as detrimental as drunk driving, with one study finding that going more than 20 hours without sleep can produce a degree of impairment that is comparable to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.  In contrast to the average motorist, who only drives about 61.3 minutes per day, truckers spend most of their workdays driving, so they could be more susceptible to drowsiness and the tragedy that could ensue from nodding off on busy highways like the I-465. 

• Inadequate training – Professional truckers in Indiana must have Commercial Driver’s Licenses, for which they need to undergo extensive training, and their ability to operate these massive vehicles safely could be compromised when that training is inadequate. 

Aside from driver errors, external elements could precipitate an Indianapolis truck accident too, such as: 

• Improper loading – At any given moment, a semi-trailer could be carrying a staggering amount of cargo.  If that cargo has not been correctly loaded and secured, it may be at risk of shifting suddenly during transit, which could lead a truck to veer into another lane or off the shoulder, roll over on its side, or empty its contents out onto the road. 

• Poor truck maintenance – Routine truck maintenance is pivotal for preventing dangerous malfunctions in traffic, such as brake failure, trailer detachments, and tire blowouts. 

• Poor road maintenance – Road maintenance can be as important as truck maintenance, since a poorly constructed or renovated road could make certain kinds of motor vehicle accidents inevitable.  Such maintenance should be performed in designated work zones that are clearly marked so that truck drivers can maneuver through them without harming themselves and others. 

• Inclement weather – Rain, sleet, hail, snow, ice, and other inclement weather conditions could hinder traction and visibility, and the outcome could be dire if truckers don’t modify the way that they are driving accordingly. 

No matter what the specific cause of your truck accident is, our Indianapolis truck accident lawyers will determine the best course of action to take if you are contemplating a case against whomever may be responsible for it. 

Who Is Responsible for an Indianapolis Truck Accident?  

But exactly who is responsible for an Indianapolis truck accident?  The answer may not be obvious because of the complex nature of the trucking industry.  There are approximately 15,829 registered Indiana trucking companies transporting over 417,000 tons of freight throughout the state every day.  These shipments are generally the work of many hands, each of whom could be culpable when something goes awry.  Potential defendants in an Indianapolis truck accident claim could include the: 

• Truck’s driver 

• Truck’s owner (if separate from the driver) 

• Company making use of the truck (if separate from the owner) 

• Loader 

• Mechanic or servicing agent 

• Manufacturer, distributor, and/or retailer of a defective truck or component 

• Government body in charge of building or repairing a road 

• Contractors employed by the government body 

In some situations, multiple individuals and entities could share varying levels of legal liability for the same Indianapolis truck accident, for which they might share varying levels of fiscal liability, and you must go after them all within the time allotted by law, known as the Statute of Limitations.  The Statute for Indiana truck accident claims is usually two years from the date of the incident, though it could be much shorter in cases against the government. 

Failing to file a lawsuit or otherwise bring your claim to a conclusion within the time allotted by law could forever bar you from obtaining what you deserve – the sort of careless mistake that our Indianapolis truck accident lawyers will not allow. 

The Difficulty of Pursuing an Indianapolis Truck Accident Case 

As you might imagine, pursuing an Indianapolis truck accident case can be difficult, most notably during the initial stages, when one false move might doom your case before it has barely begun. 

For example, even if you manage to track down each of the defendants, you may face stiff opposition from their insurance companies, who tend to be the chief sources of economic recovery for truck injury claims.  Commercial trucks and semi-trailers are legally required to carry more insurance than most passenger vehicles, with policy limits ranging from a floor of $750,000.00 when shipping non-hazardous materials to upwards of $5 million when hauling hazardous freight.  

While coverage of this magnitude could improve your chances of full reimbursement, it could also give the insurer a greater incentive to minimize the value of your case, a goal that could be easier to accomplish if you do not retain a lawyer.  This may be you first truck accident, but it won’t be the first for a veteran insurance adjuster, who could take advantage of your relative inexperience to resolve your claim for less than it is worth – and the reality is that you might not actually know what it is worth. 

Whether or not you have been injured before, you probably have not calculated injuries in dollars and cents before.  Consequently, you may have no idea if a proposed settlement for your injuries is too low, and your current injuries might account for just a tiny fraction of your losses anyway, since long-term complications could develop that you did not anticipate.   

Additionally, some of your damages may be classified as monetary, like doctor bills and lost wages, but others may not come with a price tag attached, like discomfort and psychological trauma, though that doesn’t make these non-monetary damages any less harmful or enduring.  As such, if you agree to a figure that merely reflects your short-term, monetary damages, you could be stuck with the remainder of the costs of your Indianapolis truck accident when they finally emerge. 

How Our Indianapolis Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help 

An Indianapolis truck accident could be over in an instant, but its effects may be felt for months, years, or maybe decades to come, overwhelming you with mounting medical bills while undermining your ability to go to work to cover them.  Simply making ends meet could soon become tough, much less meeting the new demands on your wallet. 

You need attorneys with the compassion to support you during your struggles and the skill to get you past them – like the Indianapolis truck accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group.  No adversary is too intimidating or task too daunting to keep us from doing everything in our power to protect our clients’ interests. 

If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation into your Indianapolis truck accident and those who may be liable for it, then establish valid claims against them within the time permitted by law.  If the circumstances warrant it, a lawsuit could be filed as well in a court with the authority to issue a binding judgment against the defendants. 

Next, we will move swiftly to amass the materials to assemble your claim, including both evidence of your damages and evidence of the defendants’ wrongdoing, such as:  

• Police reports  

• Tickets and dispositions  

• Crash scene photos  

• Dash cam, streetlight, and surveillance footage  

• Black box data  

• Witness statements 

• Phone records  

• Hours of Service (HOS) and maintenance logs  

• Forensic analysis and accident reconstruction 

Upon putting together an airtight case, our Indianapolis truck accident lawyers will enter into negotiations with the defendants’ insurance carriers in order to get you compensated for the totality of your losses, be they short-term, long-term, monetary, or non-monetary, including your:  

• Medical expenses  

• Lost income 

• Pain and suffering  

• Mental and emotional anguish  

• Mobility restrictions  

• Scarring and disfigurement  

• Reduced quality of living  

• Loss of consortium  

• Punitive and wrongful death damages (if applicable)  

And if we do not receive an offer that is commensurate to your claim, we are not afraid to go to trial for a verdict that is, unlike many of our competitors, who rarely, if ever, step foot inside of a courtroom.  

No two Indianapolis truck accidents are completely alike, but we will always endeavor to get you top compensation for yours. 

You Won’t Pay Us Anything Until We Win Your Case 

We understand that you might be reluctant to commit to more expenditures when you are least able to afford them, so you may be pleased to learn that Hensley Legal Group works on a contingency basis.  This means that you won’t have to pay us anything until our Indianapolis truck accident lawyers win your case.  

We took you on as a client because we believe in you, and we are willing to take on all of the burdens involved in making you whole again. 

Reach Out to Our Dedicated Indianapolis Truck Accident Lawyers 

Hensley Legal Group was founded more than 25 years ago on the principle that justice belongs to everyone, regardless of what they have or who they know, and that principle continues to guide our firm in the present day.  If you are confused about what to do or where to turn after being badly hurt by the thoughtless acts of a thoughtless actor, reach to our dedicated Indianapolis truck accident lawyers to explore your legal options.

To schedule a free consultation with a seasoned Indianapolis truck accident attorney, you can call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form now.