Lane Change Accident Lawyers  

Car accidents are an unfortunate fact of life in Indiana, where 24 crashes per hour took place in 2022 alone, and drivers and passengers may be particularly vulnerable during lane changes, which are linked to more than 8.3 percent of collisions in the state. Though Indiana mandates that a vehicle “not be moved from [its] lane until the person who drives the vehicle has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety,” far too many motorists disregard the law and the dictates of common sense, sometimes with tragic results.

But if you have been harmed because of somebody else’s improper lane change in Indiana, you may have grounds for a personal injury case, and you can increase your chances of success by partnering with the Indiana car accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group. No feat is too daunting or adversary too intimidating to stop us from doing whatever it takes to get our injured clients the compensation that they deserve.

To learn what a dedicated Indiana lane change accident attorney can do for you, schedule a free consultation by calling our office at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form today.

Leading Causes of Indiana Lane Change Accidents

Whether a driver is heading into an adjacent lane or trying to merge into traffic from an on-ramp or a parked position, this maneuver should be accomplished with sufficient care so that a devastating lane change accident can be avoided.

While every car accident is unique, certain factors are frequently associated with lane change crashes, and most of them are related to driver misconduct. Essentially, drivers have a duty to change lanes only when it can be done without incident, and shirking this duty tends to be the main culprit in these types of collisions.

Some of the leading driver-based causes of Indiana lane change accidents include:

Not checking blind spots – In any car, there are areas beyond the driver’s normal field of view called blind spots, which are chiefly located to the rear or on either side of the car and are often created by interior visual impediments. Because smaller vehicles can sometimes be entirely hidden within these blind spots, drivers must check them before they change lanes by craning their necks and looking over their shoulders. Any driver who doesn’t do so could smash into a vehicle in the intended lane and injure the occupants of both vehicles involved.

Neglecting to deploy turn signals – It is critical for drivers who are changing lanes to inform others of their intentions, as they may not slow down accordingly if a turn signal is not deployed before the lane change is attempted.

Distraction – Drivers who do not keep their minds on the task at hand could fail to notice other drivers who are in their paths until it is much too late. Driver distraction has long been a source of concern in the United States, and it has grown into an epidemic with the rise of cellphones, which are currently linked to 12 percent of American car accidents.

Drowsiness – Drowsy driving can be as destructive as drunk driving, contributing to approximately 100,000 motor vehicle accidents, 50,000 injuries, and 800 deaths nationwide per year. Anyone who is falling asleep behind the wheel is at risk of drifting into a neighboring lane of traffic and injuring anybody who may be traveling in it.

Intoxication – As detrimental as vehicular drowsiness can be, it pales in comparison to the wreckage that automotive intoxication routinely leaves in its wake, especially in Indiana, where law enforcement makes an average of one DUI arrest every 11.98 hours. A driver who is impaired by alcohol or drugs is likelier to make rash decisions and swerve abruptly, thereby bringing about a catastrophic lane change accident.

Additionally, there are external elements that could potentially provoke a lane change accident, such as poor surface or weather conditions that may hinder traction or visibility, though drivers are still expected to react appropriately to any difficulties they may encounter.

Yet no matter what the root causes of your lane change accident may be, you can rely on our tenacious Indiana lane change accident lawyers to identify and go after everyone who may be at fault for it.

Who Is at Fault for an Indiana Lane Change Accident?

This raises an important question: Exactly who is at fault for an Indiana lane change accident? Generally speaking, a lane change may not be performed unless a driver has confirmed that it is safe to proceed into the desired lane.

Consequently, that driver will probably be liable in the event of an Indiana lane change accident, along with the owner of his or her vehicle (if separate from the driver) and any company making commercial use of that vehicle (if separate from the owner). However, other parties could be blamed too if their actions precipitate a dangerous loss of control that sends a vehicle into another lane, such as a negligent cargo loader, a lax mechanic, or the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of a defective vehicle or component. Similarly, a government agency could be culpable when a road is built or maintained so inadequately that it makes a sudden lane change inevitable, as could any independent contractors in its employ.

In some Indiana lane change accidents, multiple defendants could share varying degrees of legal and fiscal liability simultaneously, and all of them must be pursued within the time allotted by law, known as the Statute of Limitations. The Statute is two years for most car accidents in Indiana, though it could be significantly shorter in cases against the government, with further requirements that may have to be met under the state’s Tort Claims Act.

If you don’t file a lawsuit or otherwise resolve your lane change accident claim before the Statute elapses, you could be forever barred from full recovery – the kind of thoughtless oversight that will not happen when Hensley Legal Group is on the case.

How Our Indiana Lane Change Accident Attorneys Can Help

A reckless driver speeding into your lane can change everything in an instant. Before you realize it, you could be buried beneath a mountain of escalating expenses and incapable of earning the funds you need to dig your way out, but the Indiana lane change accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group can help.

If you hire Hensley, we will begin by launching a thorough investigation into your lane change accident and the individuals and entities who may be responsible for it, then establish valid claims against them and possibly file suit as well in a court with the authority to issue a binding judgment.

Our Indiana lane change accident lawyers will also amass the materials necessary to construct a rock-solid case against each of the defendants, then enter into exhaustive negotiations with their insurance carriers for a settlement that reflects the totality 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

Punitive damages (if relevant)

And if we do not receive an offer that is worthy of your claim, we are than willing to go to trial for a verdict that is, in contrast to many of our competitors, who rarely, if ever, set foot inside of a courtroom, and leave money on the table that belongs in their clients’ pockets.

You may be worried about committing to more expenditures when you can least afford them, but our firm operates on a contingency basis, so you won’t owe us anything unless our Indiana lane change accident attorneys win your case.

What may have started out as a brief car trip may now feel like it will never end, but Hensley will guide your journey to a satisfying conclusion.

Reach Out to Our Indiana Lane Change Accident Lawyers

Hensley Legal Group has been standing up for hardworking Hoosiers like you for over a quarter century. If you have no idea what to do after being badly hurt in Indiana traffic, reach out to our Indiana lane change accident lawyers to explore the remedies that may be available to you.

For a complimentary case review with a skilled Indiana lane change accident attorney, please call our office at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form at your earliest convenience.