Legal options available to you after your crash
Our motorcycle accident lawyers can explain your rights
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver, you often have several legal options available to you. But what are your options? Which ones make the most sense for you? What should you do?
Fortunately, you don’t have to make these decisions on your own. We can help. Our dedicated legal team at Glaser & Ebbs has an in-depth understanding of how the legal system works in Indiana. That’s because we have more than 100 years of combined legal experience.
When you have our law firm on your side, you can take an aggressive approach after your accident. Instead of insurance companies dictating what happens to you, you can set the agenda. You can demand the money you rightfully deserve. You’re in charge.
What legal options are available to me?
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver in Indiana, you often have several options for obtaining the financial compensation you deserve for your accident claim.
First, it’s important to understand that Indiana has a fault-based insurance system when it comes to motorcycle accidents. That means the at-fault party is responsible for financially compensating all injury victims. As a result, the options often available to injured motorcyclists often include:
- Accepting a settlement offer from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Don’t be surprised if the driver’s insurance company makes an offer to settle your claim. Unfortunately, many initial settlement offers don’t even come close to covering all your accident-related expenses.
- Negotiate a better settlement offer with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. This is a common approach taken by many injured motorcyclists. The at-fault driver’s insurance company needs to be willing to negotiate in good faith, however, which is not always the case.
- File a lawsuit against the at-fault driver’s insurance company. This is a common approach injured motorcyclists often take, especially if the driver’s insurance company refuses to negotiate a better settlement offer or denies the claim altogether.
Whichever approach you decide to take, an experienced lawyer who knows the law and fully understands how the legal system works in Indiana can help you every step of the way.
Who can file a lawsuit?
Injured motorcyclists are often the only ones who can take legal action after a motorcycle accident caused by another driver. If a loved one died in a motorcycle accident, certain family members can often take legal action in such cases, including filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Family members who can take legal action after a fatal motorcycle accident include:
- The husband or wife of the deceased motorcyclist
- The father or mother of the victim
- Siblings of the victim
- Children of the victim
- Other immediate family members in certain circumstances, including grandparents
If you’re not sure if you can file a lawsuit or take other legal action, simply talk to a lawyer at our law firm. We can review the details of your case and explain the best options available to you for getting the money you deserve for your motorcycle accident claim.
How much time do I have to take legal action?
Under Indiana law, you have two years from the date of your motorcycle accident to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. If you don’t take legal action during that two-year time period, you could miss out on your only opportunity to obtain the money you deserve for all your accident-related expenses.
Just because you have two years doesn’t mean you should wait that long to take legal action. In most cases, the sooner you file a lawsuit or take other legal actions, the stronger your claim. That’s because the best legal cases are built on strong evidence.
As time goes by, the evidence you need to build a case might no longer exist. Accident debris is often destroyed. Witnesses might no longer remember what happened or might move away and can no longer be reached. Make the most of your opportunity for justice. Call a lawyer and start the legal process right now.
Get the law firm that gets results. Contact us.
We know what’s at stake in many motorcycle accident cases. Expenses can quickly add up to thousands of dollars or even more. We also know the games insurance companies often play to try to avoid paying injured motorcyclists the money they deserve.
They don’t scare us. We know how to investigate motorcycle accidents. We know what evidence to look for, what questions to ask and how to take on insurance companies and win. Read our reviews. Check out our case results. We’re the law firm you want when it matters most.
Contact us and discover what we can do for you. Schedule a free consultation with a lawyer at our firm after your motorcycle accident. We can meet with you in our Fort Wayne or Indianapolis office or at one of our other convenient locations statewide.