Clarksville Personal Injury Lawyer
Clarksville, Indiana, is situated across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. With just over 22,000 residents, Clarksville has the charm of a small town, with the advantages of being close to a big city. Clarksville is part of the Louisville metro area, and many residents commute over the Kennedy or Lincoln bridges to work every day.
Although the community is removed from Louisville’s city center, Clarksville residents can still get hurt in an accident and require the services of an experienced Clarksville personal injury lawyer.
The legal team at Stein Law represents clients in the Clarksville area who have been hurt on the job, in a vehicle accident, or by a variety of negligent actions.
In legal terms, a personal injury is one caused by an incident or accident for which you weren’t responsible. A personal injury can happen anywhere in Clarksville, from navigating around large semi-trucks on I-65 or I-64 to encountering an aggressive dog in Liberty Park.
Our Clarksville personal injury lawyers represent victims in personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, workers’ compensation accidents, brain and spine injuries, motorcycle accidents, slip-and-fall cases, and nursing home abuse.
If your loved one died as a result of one of these accidents, we can pursue a wrongful death case on their behalf.
The Benefit of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney in Clarksviille
A Clarksville personal injury lawyer helps victims of an accident pursue a claim for damages against the party that caused the accident, which could be another person or an organization, like a consumer products manufacturer or medical care center.
Damages can include compensation for medical bills, property damage, or pain and suffering.
For example, if you are driving near Veterans Parkway and another car hits you, your damages may include repairing or replacing your vehicle, immediate medical treatment, and follow-up care, such as surgery or chiropractic treatment.
At Stein Law, our Clarksville personal injury lawyers can build a case against the other driver by gathering evidence proving that their reckless or careless actions caused the accident.
Such evidence could include a police report from the Clark County officer that responded to your 911 call, witness statements detailing how the accident occurred, or traffic cameras that may have caught the incident. We use this evidence, and more, to prove to a judge that you were not at fault for the collision.
In a situation where an employee has been injured on the job — perhaps while working at a manufacturing plant along the Ohio River or for a supervisor who doesn’t enforce OSHA standards — a personal injury attorney can help you get the maximum value from your workers’ compensation case by obtaining safety records, company accident reports, and security camera footage.
Your lawyer is your representative when negotiating with the other party’s insurance company, whether in mediation or in a Clark County courtroom. We protect your interests and help you get the best settlement possible.
Indiana Statute of Limitations
A statute of limitations is the legal deadline to file a personal injury case. If you don’t file within the statute of limitations for your accident and location, the court will most likely dismiss the case, no matter how egregious the other party’s actions were.
When you hire a personal injury attorney, they make sure to meet all deadlines for filing and other submissions.
The statutes of limitations for Indiana personal injury cases are as follows:
- Personal Injury: Two years
- Wrongful Death: Two years
- Nursing Home Abuse: Two years from the date of the incident or discovery
- Product Liability: Two years from the date of the incident or discovery
- Medical Malpractice: Two years from the date of the incident or discovery
Most of the time, repercussions in a personal injury case show up right away, such as when you have sustained a bite from a dog, a concussion from a car accident, or a sprained ankle from a slip-and-fall on a slick floor at the supermarket.
But other times, injuries don’t immediately appear. For example, you may discover that you have developed leukemia after years of using sunscreen containing benzene while boating on the Ohio River. In this case, the statute of limitations would start on the date you were diagnosed with cancer.
Testimonials
Content Reviewed by:
Nick Stein
Attorney
Recovering Damages in a Personal Injury Lawsuit
- You can seek compensation to cover car repairs after an accident, medical bills, and ongoing treatment, or money you didn’t earn because you had to miss work to recover.
- You may also be entitled to compensation for loss of quality of life. For instance, your injury may leave you in constant pain or unable to participate in your favorite sports or hobbies.
- Your Clarksville personal injury lawyer may also seek punitive damages. These are more common in cases where the defendant is a company or organization but may be allowed in any case where the judge determines the defendant’s actions were especially reckless or harmful.
Parties That Could Be Liable in a Personal Injury Case
In some personal injury cases, the liable party is obvious, such as a driver who hits a cyclist along the Louisville Loop. The driver would likely be the responsible party in this case. Other times, however, liability can be more complicated.
For example, you may be driving near the Kennedy and Lincoln bridges, crossing the Ohio River from Clarksville into Louisville — an area traveled by commercial trucks as they head into the heart of Louisville — when you’re hit by a semi-truck. Liability in this case may not be cut and dried.
Enlisting the help of a Clarksville truck accident lawyer is key to determining whether the driver is the sole liable party.
When to Contact a Clarksville Personal Injury Lawyer
The moments after an accident are chaotic, confusing, and painful, and you’re probably not thinking about contacting a lawyer. However, it’s best to hire an attorney sooner rather than later to ensure you have protection as early as possible.
The other party’s insurance company may offer a fast settlement, maybe even while you are recovering. It might be tempting, but not in your best interests, to accept.
Insurance companies are not on your side. They want to settle your case as fast as possible for as little as possible. They know you cannot come back and ask for more money once you accept a settlement.
Suppose you slipped in a puddle at the local Target on Veterans Parkway and broke your wrist. If the judge finds that the store is at fault for the accident, Target’s insurance company may offer a settlement that covers the cost of your transport to Clark Memorial Health and setting your wrist.
You may accept the offer so you can pay your medical bills on time. A couple of months later when the cast comes off, your orthopedic physician may determine that you need physical therapy. At that point, you would have to pay for it yourself.
The store’s liability should have covered all the damages from your accident, not just the immediate treatment. Experienced personal injury lawyers seek a settlement large enough to cover just this kind of contingency.
Cost of a Personal Injury Attorney
Many people may hesitate to hire a lawyer because they are worried about affording the legal fees. Our Clarksville personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that they get paid only if your case is successful. Their fees equal a percentage of your awarded compensation, so you don’t have to pay upfront.
Your Experienced Clarksville Personal Injury Lawyers
At Stein Law, our legal team has more than 75 years of combined experience working for personal injury plaintiffs like you. We work in New Albany, Clarksville, Jeffersonville, Floyd’s Knobs, and the surrounding Southern Indiana region to give you the legal expertise you need and the compassionate representation you deserve.
If you’ve been in a car accident, slipped and fallen, or were hurt on the job, we can help.
