Is It Worth Hiring an Indianapolis Car Accident Attorney for a Car Accident?

October 14, 2024

Car accidents are an unfortunate part of life in the Indianapolis area, where 37,003 collisions took place in 2021 alone – the equivalent of more than one car accident every 15 minutes.  It can be hard to know what to do or where to turn after you have been hurt in a crash.  Maybe you have seen ads around town for lawyers promising to get you top compensation for your injuries, but is it worth hiring an Indianapolis car accident attorney for a car accident?  Join us as we explore the benefits of retaining a skilled lawyer for your car accident case. 

It Won’t Be the Insurance Company’s First Car Accident 

If this is your first car accident, you can rest assured that it won’t be the first for the at-fault driver’s insurance company.  The adjuster assigned to your claim may have already worked on dozens of car accident cases or more, including many that are very similar to yours.  He or she may try to take advantage of your relative inexperience and offer to settle your claim for the bare minimum, and you might accept that offer because you do not know the true value of your car accident. 

Even if you have sustained a major injury before, chances are that you have never considered one in purely economic terms.  If you have no idea what a constitutes a fair settlement for a back or neck injury in a car accident, how will you know if a settlement for your own back or neck injury is too low?   

And should you somehow manage to calculate the present costs of your injuries, you may not anticipate the long-term costs associated with them, not to mention the impact of such non-monetary damages as pain and suffering, psychological trauma, and diminished quality of living.  While they may not come with a price tag attached, non-monetary losses can sometimes be more detrimental and more enduring than monetary ones. 

If you agree to a settlement that only reflects the immediate monetary costs of an Indianapolis car accident injury, as far too many unrepresented claimants do, you will be entirely on your own for the remaining costs of your car accident injury, which the National Safety Council estimates to be as much as $40,000.00 on average.  What may seem like a good offer now could come back to haunt you down the road, assuming you are lucky enough to get an offer at all.  In some situations, an adjuster could deny your claim altogether, leaving you with little recourse if you still hope to get justice. 

How an Indianapolis Car Accident Attorney Can Make a Difference 

This is why hiring an Indianapolis car accident attorney can make a difference.  It may not be the adjuster’s first car accident, but it won’t be the first for your lawyer either.  With years or even decades of experience negotiating car accident cases, he or she will be better equipped to meet the adjuster on a level playing field and overcome the standard insurance industry tactics that often doom rookie plaintiffs. 

Additionally, your Indianapolis car accident attorney will be able to accurately assess the value of your case and will work tirelessly to equal or exceed that figure.  In fact, the Insurance Research Council has found that personal injury plaintiffs who have lawyers statistically obtain verdicts or settlements that are 3.5 times higher than the verdicts or settlements obtained by plaintiffs who represent themselves. 

While a denial from the insurance company may stop you in your tracks, it will not stop a seasoned Indianapolis car accident attorney, who will know the most effective arguments against the insurer’s objections and the strongest evidence to support them.  When faced with an airtight case that fully conveys the extent of your damages and the defendant’s guilt, an adjuster can be motivated to reverse a denial in order to avoid an even worse outcome at trial.   

In the event that a stubborn adjuster makes a trial necessary, an accomplished lawyer will be indispensable.  Plaintiffs without representation only win at trial about 4 percent of the time.  In contrast, plaintiffs with attorneys are favored to prevail in the courtroom, putting them in the best possible position to acquire the resources to become whole again. 

Reach Out to Our Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyers 

Hensley Legal Group has been fighting for the innocent victims of negligence for more than 25 years.  If your world has been turned upside down by a serious collision, reach out to our Indianapolis car accident lawyers today to discover the potential remedies available to you. 

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