What to Do When You Have a Car Accident and How an Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

August 21, 2025

Car accidents are far too common in Indianapolis, which saw 30,883 collisions in 2022 alone, though compensation may be available when somebody else is at fault for your Indianapolis car accident. Nevertheless, how much you obtain may depend heavily upon the decisions that you make in the aftermath of a crash, including the decision to join forces with an attorney. Let Hensley Legal Group explain what to do when you have a car accident and how an Indianapolis car accident lawyer can help.

Tasks That Should Be Completed Following an Indianapolis Car Accident

It can be difficult to think clearly following an Indianapolis car accident, whether it’s a modest fender bender at the intersection of Meridian and 30th or a massive pileup on 465, but certain tasks should be completed without delay so that you can protect yourself and any personal injury case you might have. Specifically, you should remember to.

Move to a safe location to avoid getting into another accident.
Take out your phone and dial 911 to request the presence of police and emergency personnel if they have not already arrived, and give the responding officer a thorough account of what happened.
Snap photos and shoot videos of your surroundings to ensure that the scene is visually documented.
Seek treatment.
Exchange identifying information with the other driver and anyone who may have witnessed the collision.

Additionally, notifying your auto insurance company about the Indianapolis car accident promptly can allow you to remain in compliance with the terms of your policy and access any of its benefits, but you may want to keep your distance from the insurance companies for the other parties. As eager as they may be to talk to you, anything you say to them could be used against you, potentially dooming your case before it has begun, yet talking to a skilled legal practitioner could tip the odds in your favor.

What an Indianapolis Car Accident Attorney Can Do for You

While this may be your first serious car accident, it definitely won’t be the first for a veteran insurance adjuster, who could take advantage of your relative inexperience in order to resolve your claim for less, assuming that it isn’t denied altogether.

But if this won’t be the first accident for the adjuster, neither will it be the first for a seasoned Indianapolis car accident attorney, who will better equipped to fend off the tricks and tactics that might otherwise be deployed against you. Your lawyer will also be better equipped to calculate what your case is really worth and will always strive to equal or exceed that amount, a huge part of why personal injury victims receive 3.5 times more on average with attorneys than they do without them.

Once retained, your Indianapolis car accident lawyer will launch a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading up to the crash and the defendants who may be to blame for it, then establish valid claims against them all within the time permitted by law. If the situation should warrant it, a lawsuit can be filed as well in a court with the authority to issue a binding judgment.

Next, your attorney will move swiftly to amass the materials to back up any allegations you have made, such as:

Police reports
Citations and dispositions
Black box data
Eyewitness accounts
Phone records
Driving histories
Servicing logs
Accident reconstruction and forensic analysis

After an airtight case has been assembled against each of the defendants, your lawyer will negotiate tirelessly with their insurance carriers until a settlement is secured that reflects the full spectrum of your losses, including your:

Medical bills
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Mental and emotional trauma
Mobility restrictions
Scarring and disfigurement
Diminished quality of living
Loss of consortium (if applicable)

In the face of compelling evidence of both the extent of your damages and the depth of the insured’s liability, a wise insurer may opt to make a generous offer rather than risk a worse verdict. In fact, the vast majority of Indianapolis car accident claims can be concluded amicably without going to trial, but a dedicated attorney will become indispensable if a trial proves necessary.

Whereas plaintiffs who represent themselves in the courtroom lose about 96 percent of their cases, plaintiffs with professional representation statistically win more often than not, and they could even be awarded the resources they need to get their lives back to normal.

Reach Out to Our Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyers

Hensley Legal Group has been standing up for hardworking Hoosiers just like you for over a quarter century. If your world has been turned upside down by the reckless acts of a reckless actor, reach out to our Indianapolis car accident lawyers to learn about your legal options.

You can schedule a free consultation with an accomplished Indianapolis car accident attorney by calling our office at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form today.