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When a car accident happens, you may find yourself contemplating what next steps you should take. Whether you are researching lawyers in your area who handle personal injury suits, dealing with insurance claims, handling medical debt, and/or thinking about what claims to bring in a lawsuit, these are just a few of the things that you may be juggling. Knowing what your options are in a lawsuit, the deadline for filing a lawsuit, and other factors can be critical to recovering the damages you deserve after a car accident.

A recent news report revealed the details of a tragic accident in Fishers, Indiana. According to the report, a 2009 Toyota and a 2011 Toyota were involved in the crash, and there were three victims, one of whom was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of both vehicles were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The crash is still under investigation.

Indiana’s Negligence Laws for Car Accidents

Generally, negligence means that a person (in this case, a driver) had a responsibility or a duty of care to keep others safe, but failed to abide by the duty of care, which resulted in harm to others. There are elements that must be proven in order for a court to find that a driver was negligent, which includes a duty of care, breach of the duty, causation, and damages. In the state of Indiana, a modified comparative fault rule is applied. This means that a plaintiff can recover damages from a car accident as long as they are found less at fault for the car accident than the defendant. In response, the court will reduce the damages the plaintiff recovers according to the percentage of blame assigned to the plaintiff.

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With the excitement of a new year, many friends and families may find themselves traveling on the roads to attend new years events and celebrations. In some situations, the holidays may be a time of greater alcohol consumption, which can be a deadly combination when paired with driving on the road. New Year’s can be one of the main holidays where drunk driving is at its worst. People may find themselves on the road late at night or in the early hours of the morning after celebrating the ring of the new year, which can also present its risks, including limited visibility, distracted driving or driving while tired and not as alert. On busy nights like New Year’s Eve, some rideshare apps, such as Lyft, promote free or reduced Lyft rides. The National Safety Council estimated that 408 people may die on U.S. roads during the New Year’s Day holiday time.

According to a recent news report, at least one person was killed in the early hours of 2023 after multiple car accidents occurred in Indiana. One person was killed when a vehicle hit a bridge support on Interstate 70 before 6 a.m. Additionally, multiple vehicles, including a State Police car, were involved in a crash on the highway. Initially, a crash occurred involving eight vehicles around 3:30am. The State Police car was hit later in the morning while investigators were working at the scene. The trooper was not injured, as she was out of her vehicle at the time of the crash. However, one person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and later died at the hospital. The cause of the crashes was unclear and is still being investigated.

Holiday Safety Tips for Driving

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Vehicle accidents can happen in a split second. One minute you may be driving down the road, and the next minute, you may find yourself at the scene of the crash. Accidents happen so quickly that it can be difficult to determine who caused the accident and if there may be more than one party responsible for the accident. In accidents involving multiple vehicles, it can be tricky to determine who is the at-fault driver responsible for the crash. Drivers have a duty of care to ensure that all road users remain safe on the roadways. When this duty of care is not met, it can lead to serious and devastating injuries, or even death, for the parties involved. Multiple vehicles involved in a car accident could be the result of a chain reaction, where one driver hits the vehicle of another driver, which then subsequently causes another accident between another vehicle. These accidents can be scary because they can be beyond the driver’s control after their vehicle is hit, causing one or more subsequent crashes.

According to a recent news report, a 41-year-old woman died following a three-vehicle crash in Cass County, Indiana. Four other victims were injured and taken to local hospitals. The 41-year-old woman stopped in the roadway of M-60 to turn onto Anderson Road when a 34-year-old who was riding with three passengers and traveling southwest crashed into the back of her vehicle. The vehicle of the 34-year-old continued off the roadway and rolled onto its side. The 41-year-old’s vehicle was pushed into the northeast lane of traffic. Unfortunately, a 72-year-old who was driving a semi-truck crashed into the woman’s vehicle. The 41-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the 34-year-old driver and three passengers were taken to local hospitals for their injuries.

Determining Fault in Multi-Vehicle Crashes

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It is not every day that you see a car going in the wrong direction, and when such is the case, it can lead to dangerous circumstances for all those nearby. Head-on collisions are considered the most harmful events in approximately 14 percent of all U.S. traffic fatalities each year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration.

According to a recent news report, a fatal accident occurred in Northwest Indiana on I-65 about one mile from the exit ramp at U.S. 231. A driver was killed when he was heading northbound in a southbound lane and crashed head-on with another vehicle as he attempted to flee a crash at a convenience store in Crown Point, Indiana, The other driver involved in the head-on collision also was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of a third vehicle that was hit as a result of the crash suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

It is important to follow roadway signs and markers, as well as local laws, including speed limits, in order to ensure the safety of all drivers and pedestrians. If you are on a road and approach a wrong-way sign, the DOT advises drivers to stop immediately, pull over to the side of the road, and turn around when it is safe to do so. If you are driving and encounter a wrong-way driver, the DOT advises you to use caution, reduce your speed, pull over and call 911 to report. If your loved one has been killed in a head-on collision or wrong-way collision, you may consider filing a wrongful death lawsuit to receive compensation for your loss.

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Truck accidents can be particularly devastating due to the size of a typical truck and the resulting impact of a forceful collision. Sometimes, these senseless accidents can happen at random without an obvious cause. However, when truck drivers operate their vehicles while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, their behavior may result in a crash that could have been entirely preventable.

According to a recent news article, a semi-truck crashed into a school bus in Warsaw, Indiana and injured 16 bus passengers. Prior to the accident, local police received calls about a semi-trailer speeding and swerving between lanes. As police were on their way to pull over the truck, they learned the truck had hit a school bus holding 26 people. The passengers were members of a high school hockey team traveling back from their weekend tournament. Medics transferred 16 people to area hospitals for their injuries, three of whom were in critical condition. Officials questioned the truck driver, who presented with slurred speech and an odor of alcohol. After failing a field sobriety test and refusing a chemical test, he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a felony offense.

How Can You Obtain Compensation After an Indiana Truck Accident?

To prevail in a negligence lawsuit, a plaintiff must prove the defendant failed to exercise reasonable care and that the failure to do so caused the plaintiff’s injuries. Driving under the influence can be relatively clear-cut instance of failing to exercise reasonable care on the road. Unlike other causes of a truck accident, a drunk driver often cannot blame the accident entirely on an issue with the truck’s manufacturing. By contrast, an accident that involves a faulty tire, broken part, or a manufacturing defect may allow a truck driver to shift the blame onto the manufacturer of a non-functioning part.

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In 2020, 29% of 808 fatal collisions in Indiana involved dangerous driving, a category that includes speeding. 72% of all dangerous driving collisions included speeding as at least one factor, and speeding was involved in 9% of all collisions regardless of the ultimate cause. While speeding instances have decreased from 2016 to 2020, they remain a significant cause for loss of life while driving—and the cause is almost entirely controllable. And preliminary data unfortunately shows that traffic fatalities in Indiana are up year over year.

According to recent reports, a young woman has died at the scene of a 6-car crash in Indiana. A Cadillac SUV was speeding when it rear-ended the GMC SUV driven by the woman, who was stopped at a red light. The GMC was pushed into the rear of a third vehicle and all three cars were shoved through the intersection. Three other cars were involved in secondary crashes stemming from the accident. The woman has been identified as a local middle school teacher and is mourned by her students and fellow faculty, as well as her husband of just four months.

Two others were taken to the hospital with injuries from the accident, and many others involved in the crash suffered pain but did not go to the hospital. One person sustained a minor head injury and is expected to recover. The second person taken to the hospital was trapped in their vehicle unconscious and was taken to the hospital via helicopter for severe head and internal injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

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While many road accidents can result in serious injury, head-on collisions are particularly dangerous. These collisions occur when a driver crosses a dividing line between lanes, veering into oncoming traffic. When the front of two vehicles strike one another, the force of the collision can often result in serious injury or even death.

For example, a recent news article reported that two drivers died following a head-on collision in Fortville, Indiana. According to the article, the driver of one vehicle traveled to the left, crossing the center dividing line between lanes. She then collided with a driver in the opposite lane head-on. Both drivers died from their injuries.

What Are the Causes of a Head-On Collision?

There are many situations on the road that can lead to a head-on collision, but two contributing factors may be distracted driving and speeding. Drivers who do not keep their eyes on the road may veer into another lane and collide head-on with another vehicle. Distracted driving can often take the form of “multi-tasking,” such as talking on the phone, eating, or applying makeup while operating a vehicle. Unfortunately, multi-tasking can cause drivers to pay too little attention to the road in front of them, leading to a tragic and avoidable accident. To avoid a head-on collision, avoid performing activities that distract you from the road.

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From July 2020—July 2021, U.S. drivers reported 2.1 million animal collision insurance claims, according to the Insurance Information Institute. During deer season, which lasts from October through December, a significant increase occurs in the movement of the deer population. As they move to a new location, many deer end up on highways and local roads. Consequently, more car accidents involving deer occur during deer season than any other time of year. In addition to deer-vehicle collisions, multi-vehicle collisions can also result from deer crossing the road. When drivers see a deer approaching the road, their natural instinct may be to swerve out of the way. Unfortunately, swerving into another lane can lead to a collision with another vehicle, which may be fatal.

As a recent news article reported, a multi-vehicle accident involving a deer left three people dead and two injured in St. Joseph County, Indiana. As an SUV traveled westbound at nighttime, the driver struck a deer. To avoid the deer, the SUV driver crossed over the center median of the road. The SUV then collided with a pickup truck driving eastbound. Both the driver and passenger of the SUV died at the scene of the crash, along with the front seat passenger of the pickup truck. The pickup truck driver and back seat passenger suffered serious injuries and were transported to the hospital.

How Do I Avoid Collisions with a Deer or Another Vehicle?

If you see a deer ahead of you on the road, avoid the urge to swerve into the opposite lane. Otherwise, you may be at risk of colliding with another vehicle or losing control of your car. If there is a shoulder on the highway, try to pull over instead. This way, you can avoid hitting the deer without placing yourself and other drivers at risk of injury or death. Additionally, if you notice a deer on the road before you approach, you may have more time to stop and pull over. To spot deer on the road as early as possible, make sure to pay attention to the road and avoid distracted driving. If you are driving at night, use your headlights to ensure you can see the road in front of you.

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In Indiana, 175,821 motor vehicle collisions were reported in 2020. Of those, 8%, or 14,221 involved commercial vehicles. Of those commercial vehicle accidents, 134 were fatal. Accidents with semi trucks or commercial vehicles may lead to more questions than answers for victims. Commercial trucking companies have extensive legal teams ready to prevent you from getting your much-deserved compensation. Accidents often have no easily discernible cause, making it even harder for victims to recover damages.

According to a recent article, two semi-trucks collided head-on after one crossed the center median for unknown reasons. The driver of the semi-truck that crossed the median died on the scene, and the other was taken to the hospital with injuries. The incident combined with several other crashes that day led to massive closures on I-70, bottlenecking roads and diverting drivers.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck crash victims and their loved ones may be left with more questions than answers after an accident. To file a claim, injured drivers and passengers must prove a truck driver acted negligently or breached a duty of care in a way that caused their injuries. This can be difficult when an investigation into the cause of an accident is ongoing and the reason for the accident is not immediately clear. A skilled personal injury attorney with experience in truck accident claims can help understand potential factors that may have caused your accident to evaluate your claim. Attorneys have access to experts that can recreate the accident and determine the cause.

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Drivers and cyclists often occupy the same road. Consequently, distracted or reckless driving may end in a fatal accident. Both drivers and cyclists must act responsibly and stay vigilant on the road. However, the speed, size, and weight of a typical car will far exceed that of most bicycles, placing the cyclist at risk of severe injury or death when the two collide.

For example, when driving at night, it may be difficult for a driver to fully perceive their surroundings. As a result, someone who is speeding or driving recklessly may not see a cyclist or pedestrian on the road until it is too late. According to a recent news article, a cyclist was killed by a hit-and-run driver on the north side of Indianapolis on August 9. The victim, a 67-year-old woman, was riding north on Keystone Avenue at 32nd Street at night when she was struck by a car heading south. Rather than stopping to render assistance, the driver continued on, fleeing the accident. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

As the article reports, this hit-and-run is part of a string of deadly incidents on the streets of Indianapolis. In the first seven months of 2022, fatal accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists have approximated the total from all of 2021. Local police believe the uptick in accidents stems from speeding and reckless driving, which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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