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Compassionate Personal Injury Lawyers You Can Count On

A catastrophic injury can leave victims and their families with devastating and life-changing physical, emotional, and financial pain. Yet even a so-called “minor” injury can still lead to significant medical expenses, lost wages, and other lasting effects. 

If you or a loved one were harmed due to someone else’s negligence, the personal injury attorneys at the Karl Truman Law Office are here to fight for you. Let our experienced lawyers handle the hard work, so that you and your loved ones can focus on getting life back to normal. 

When the unexpected occurs, you need someone you can trust by your side. Our legal team has aggressively defended a wide range of personal injury cases and can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call (502) 222-2222 or contact our team today to schedule your complimentary case review.  

Our Personal Injury Case Results 

When accident victims come to our personal injury law firm for help, we work hard to make sure the insurance company is held accountable. Our legal team is ready to make sure you get fair compensation and can recover in peace.

Serious Injuries Require Serious Representation 

Surveys show that, at first, many personal injury victims try to handle their cases and recover compensation on their own. However, things can get complicated quickly. The insurance company adjuster might act friendly and give you a quick settlement offer, but will it really be a fair one? Probably not.

Unfortunately, it’s also very easy for injury victims to make simple, preventable mistakes that could harm their case. Statements you make to an adjuster can be twisted and used against you. Crucial evidence could disappear before you have a chance to preserve it. Critical legal filing deadlines can get missed.

When you hire the Karl Truman Law Office, you can count on us to investigate, build your case and handle communications with the insurance company on your behalf. Our Indiana and Kentucky personal injury lawyers always act in your best interest, and will keep you informed on the status of negotiations with every development.

We know how insurance companies work, including their tactics to shift blame away from their insured to the victim in an accident. Our lawyers and staff prepare for these scenarios and know how to push back against unfair practices with solid evidence. We will thoroughly review any materials you present to us, as well as the police report, accident reconstruction summaries we commission, and more.

A Law Firm That Puts You First  

A personal injury lawsuit can be a long, frustrating process. If your case goes all the way to trial, it may take two years (or more) to obtain the fair compensation you deserve. That’s why it’s so important to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer that truly cares about you and your family—not just the big paycheck at the end.

At Karl Truman Law, we take great pride in putting our clients’ needs first. We’re here to help you get the medical care you need. We’re here to answer any questions you have about your case, no matter when you reach out. We will always treat you with the respect and compassion you deserve.

Our job is to support you in any way we can, so you can focus on your medical recovery and spending time with your loved ones—while we focus on your legal case. 

Suffered Serious Injuries? Need Help Getting Justice?

Call An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Today

Personal Injury FAQs

What Should I Do After Suffering an Injury?

The most important thing to do after an accident is to seek medical attention right away. Even if you don’t think you have a serious injury, it’s important to be evaluated by a doctor. Often, it can take days or even weeks for symptoms to develop, especially in the event of a brain injury.  

You’ll need to make sure your condition is properly diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. In addition, seeking prompt medical treatment will serve two important purposes: 

  • It will help you document that the injury occurred at the time of your accident, preventing the insurance company from claiming your injury occurred due to a different incident. 
  • If you fail to receive prompt treatment, the insurance company may claim your actions exacerbated the condition, which may prevent you from maximizing your compensation. 

You should also take the following steps to help your attorney build a strong case on your behalf: 

  • File a police report (in the event of a motor vehicle accident) or an injury report (if the accident occurred at work or some other place of business). This report will provide an official document detailing the events of the accident. 
  • Exchange relevant information with others involved. If it is a vehicle accident, make sure to get the other driver’s contact information, driver’s license number, vehicle registration and insurance information. In all accidents, record the names and contact information of any witnesses who can support your version of what happened. 
  • Gather evidence to support your case. Take photos of the accident site and of your injuries. Jot down some notes about what happened so that you will remember the events clearly at a later date. 
  • Record your costs and expenses associated with the injury. This can include medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages. Also record any changes you experience to your daily life. This may include chronic pain, changes in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, or any ways your schedule has been disrupted. 
  • Do not sign any documents or waivers from the insurance company without speaking to an attorney. Do not admit fault to an insurance company (or anyone else for that matter). Do not accept an initial settlement offer without having an attorney review it. 

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury cases are based around the legal concept of negligence. In order to have a legitimate case, you need to prove two basic things: someone else failed to take proper care for your safety and wellbeing, and you got hurt as a result.

Our experienced personal injury attorneys can confidently handle a wide variety of personal injury cases, including (but not limited to): 

  • Brain injuries 
  • Spinal cord injuries 
  • Burn injuries 
  • Motor vehicle accidents 
  • Boating accidents 
  • Negligent supervision 
  • Workplace injuries 
  • Dog bites 
  • Nursing home abuse 
  • Dangerous drugs and defective medical devices 
  • Wrongful death claims 

How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

When someone else hurts you, you’re entitled to seek financial compensation to “even the scales” and make up for what’s been taken from you. You can claim:

  • Economic damages for the full financial impact of your serious injury, such as past and future medical bills and lost wages.
  • Non-economic damages for losses that don’t come with a specific dollar figure already attached—for example, physical pain and suffering, emotional trauma, scarring, loss of quality of life, etc.

However, calculating the exact value of your claim can be difficult. The insurance company will likely disagree with you on how serious your non-economic damages truly are. They may even argue that not all of your medical bills were necessary or related to the crash. You may also run into trouble if the amount of insurance coverage available isn’t enough to fully cover your losses.

At Karl Truman Law, our Louisville personal injury attorneys will work with you to gather the right evidence, accurately calculate the value of your case, and defend your rights. 

What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

A personal injury lawyer is a legal professional who represents people who were harmed by a car accident, defective product, dangerous workplace, or another incident. Their goal is to help injured people recover fair compensation from the parties that caused those injuries.  

Your personal injury attorney can help you through the entire claim process: investigating your accident, identifying all the negligent parties and their insurance carriers, filing an insurance claim, calculating your case’s settlement value, negotiating with the insurance company, and when necessary, filing a civil lawsuit and representing you at trial. 

But a good personal injury lawyer does much more. They counsel their clients, helping them during tough times and giving them the information they need to make better decisions. They also advocate for their clients, standing up to insurance companies and big businesses and doing everything they can to hold wrongdoers accountable. 

When Should I Contact a Personal Injury Attorney?

You should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible if you are hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault. There are many reasons why you need to act quickly. 

First, the evidence that might prove or strengthen your injury claim won’t last forever. An experienced attorney will be able to act quickly to investigate the accident, protect essential evidence. 

Second, the insurance company will try quickly to settle your claim as cheaply as possible. It might even try to get you to make damaging statements that devalue your claim. A lawyer can protect you from these insurance company tactics, and give you the time and space you need to heal. 

While some minor accidents won’t require an attorney, initial consultations are always free. Whether you hire a lawyer or not, you have nothing to lose (and potentially much to gain) by seeking out expert legal advice. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim?

If you wish to file a lawsuit after a car crash or other personal injury, you must do so within the statute of limitations. This varies by state and sometimes by type of case. 

In Kentucky, you only have one year after the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. In Indiana, you have two years. There are some rare exceptions to this rule, but it’s best not to rely on them. 

Keep in mind that it also takes time to investigate a personal injury claim, and you want to be as prepared as possible before filing a lawsuit. That means you should not wait until the statute of limitations is near before taking action on your personal injury claim. Talk with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident to give yourself the best chance at a positive legal outcome. 

RELATED POST: How Much Time Do I Have to File a Claim After a Car Accident? (trumanlaw.com) 

What Is the Personal Injury Claim Process?

In general, a personal injury claim can be divided into three major stages: the pre-litigation phase, the litigation phase, and trial. Not every claim will require all three stages, however. 

During the pre-litigation phase, your attorney investigates the incident and you focus on your medical treatment. Once your attorney has all the facts, they will begin settlement negotiations with the insurance company. 

If these negotiations don’t produce an agreement, your attorney will file a lawsuit and begin the litigation phase. Both sides will share evidence, take depositions, and prepare for trial. Settlement negotiations can also continue, but if the sides still can’t come to an agreement, the case will ultimately go to trial. 

Most cases are settled in the pre-litigation phase. However, even though most cases eventually settle, it is still wise to hire a Louisville personal injury attorney with trial experience. If your attorney has a successful track record of court victories, it gives them more leverage to negotiate a truly fair settlement.

RELATED POST: How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take? – Truman Law 

What if I Am Partially at Fault for My Personal Injury?

It depends on the state where the accident took place. 

Both states where we practice, Kentucky and Indiana, use a form of comparative negligence. This means you might still have a case even if you are partially at fault. However, your damages will be reduced proportionately. 

For example, if you suffered $100,000 in damages but were 25% at fault, you could only receive $75,000. 

Kentucky law follows “pure comparative negligence,” which means that even if you are 99% at fault, you could still recover 1% of your damages. Indiana law follows the “51% rule,” meaning you can only recover damages if you are 50% at fault or less. If you are 51% at fault or greater, you cannot recover anything. 

RELATED POST: Is Kentucky a No-Fault State? – Truman Law 

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

Personal injury attorneys almost always work on a contingency basis. This means they are paid a percentage of your final settlement or award, and only get paid if you do too.

In other words: you won’t have to pay your personal injury lawyer while your case is ongoing and there is no retainer fee. At Karl Truman Law Office, we also cover any case or court fees up front, and only get reimbursed if we get you a recovery. No matter who you are, or what your situation in life, you can afford experienced legal representation for your personal injury case.

Personal injury attorney fees vary depending on the lawyer and the case, but are usually around 1/3 of your final settlement. Research consistently shows that injury victims who are represented by an experienced attorney still receive much higher compensation on average than those who are unrepresented.

When Should I Accept a Settlement Offer from the Insurance Company?

You should only accept a settlement offer if you are confident that it is fair, or if no greater amount can be obtained (for example, the settlement offer is for the policy limits of the available insurance).

Once you decide to settle a personal injury case, the matter is closed. You cannot ask for more later. So, it’s extremely important to make sure that the amount offered is enough to provide the support and stability you need to live your best possible life. We know you may just want your case to be over and money back in your bank account. But trust us: it’s far better to be patient and get a fair settlement than to accept too little and later wind up struggling to make ends meet.

An experienced personal injury attorney can help you accurately estimate the damages you’re entitled to, such as compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. They can also give you honest, objective advice about your chances of success at trial, and help you make an informed decision about whether to settle or try the case.

Some additional tips:

  • Rejecting an initial settlement offer doesn’t mean you won’t get a better offer later. It is the start of negotiation—not a “take it or leave it” ultimatum.
  • The first offer made by the insurance company will almost always be a “low ball.” They are incentivized to settle your case quickly and cheaply, not to treat you fairly.
  • You should almost always wait until you have reached maximum medical improvement before accepting any settlement. This makes your long-term medical costs much easier to estimate accurately.

Are Personal Injury Settlements Taxable?

In general, personal injury settlements are not considered taxable income.

IRS rules specifically exclude compensatory damages from taxation, as long as they are related to a physical injury or illness. “Compensatory damages” are those portions of a settlement that are meant to compensate you for specific losses that you’ve sustained, such as medical bills or lost wages.

Do note that this exclusion doesn’t apply if you didn’t sustain a physical injury. For example, if you sued for emotional damages only, or a breach of contract, those settlements would be taxable.

Furthermore, if you obtained any punitive damages in your settlement, that portion would be taxable as well. Punitive damages are specifically meant to punish and discourage excessive recklessness or malice, rather than compensate injured victims for specific losses. However, most personal injury settlements don’t include them.

If you have any questions about whether or not you’ll owe taxes on any part of a personal injury settlement, speak with your personal injury attorney or a tax attorney.

Avoid Common Mistakes That Wreck Personal Injury Cases 

man on leg rehabilitation

Car accidents lead to serious injuries every day. It’s hard enough for victims and their families to focus on their recovery; they shouldn’t also have to struggle to learn the finer points of personal injury law and fight back against manipulative insurance companies.  

In his free book, 7 Fatal Mistakes That Could Wreck Your Auto Case, Karl provides honest legal advice without the legalese for personal injury victims. Although nothing compares to a consultation with a real lawyer, Karl’s book is a great starting point for injury victims looking to learn more about personal injury claims.  

Count on the Colonel—Contact Us Today 

When you need legal representation you can trust, contact the Colonel. At Karl Truman Law, we know personal injury law and are ready to fight for your rights when you need us most. If you or a loved one need legal assistance after an injury, contact our team today or call us at (502) 222-2222 to schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. 

The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.