Car Accident Lawyers in Louisville, KY

Louisville Car Accident Attorney

A car accident can be one of the most physically and emotionally traumatizing events you may ever go through in your lifetime. If you or a loved one was injured in a car wreck, you need strong legal representation to access the maximum compensation you deserve. A Louisville car accident lawyer from Thomas Law Offices will evaluate the facts of your car accident case to make sure that the other driver is held accountable for their negligent or reckless actions.

At our law firm, we know the importance of working with a personal injury lawyer you can trust and rely on. We believe that our track record of securing compensation for accident victims speaks for itself, and we are ready to get started on your auto accident case. You can also schedule a free consultation to see if Thomas Law Offices is the right fit for you.

Why Work With a Louisville Car Accident Attorney?

Louisville car accident lawyer

You have rights following a serious motor vehicle accident. However, if you are trying to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage, the other driver’s insurance company might do everything in its power to suppress those rights. They rely on you not knowing what you are entitled to and have a track record of persuading and even bullying victims into accepting settlements that do not fully cover their damages. A car crash lawyer won’t let that happen. Here are the ways in which an experienced personal injury law firm can help if you’ve been severely injured in an auto accident.

Dealing With the Insurance Company

The insurance company is not your friend, so do not expect them to have your best interests at heart. In our experience, the at-fault driver’s insurer will actively try to minimize your injuries and overall damages, and may even try to shift the blame back onto you. When you work with a personal injury attorney, you’ll have someone on your side who will stand up to the insurance company.

An experienced car accident lawyer can also take over all forms of communication with the insurance company. Instead of negotiating your own settlement, you’ll have someone on your side who will refuse to let the insurer push you into accepting anything less than you are owed.

Determining Fault

No two motor vehicle accidents are alike, which makes determining fault complex. A Louisville car accident attorney will know what steps to take to prove liability in your personal injury case. If you try to prove that the other driver was at fault without any legal backup, it may come down to your word against theirs.

A knowledgeable personal injury attorney will access information from the police report, eyewitnesses, and pictures or videos of the accident scene. In some situations, it is necessary to utilize the expertise of an accident reconstructionist.

Valuing Your Claim

You are entitled to financial compensation after a serious car crash. Despite this, many car accident victims are bullied out of receiving the fair compensation they are owed. This is because correctly valuing a claim is an enormous undertaking and involves more than just considering what you need in the present. To fully understand what you might be owed, your Louisville personal injury lawyer will take the following into account:

  • Current and future medical expenses
  • Loss of income
  • Reduced earning capacity
  • Auto repairs
  • Any court costs
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma
  • Moving costs if your home is no longer suited to your injuries or disabilities
  • Loss of companionship or consortium

Louisville Car Accident Lawyer

Why Thomas Law Offices?

At Thomas Law Offices, our attorneys have dedicated their legal careers to helping auto accident victims. We have the experience, knowledge, and ability to hold the at-fault driver and their insurance company accountable for your injury claim. We’re a Kentucky-based law office with access to nationwide resources.

We can also be of service if you were injured in a hit-and-run accident or if the other driver was uninsured. In this situation, you will need to recover compensation from your own insurance company. We’ll help you navigate your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage through your own insurance coverage, which will help you cover medical expenses and any other damages related to your vehicle collision.

We Prioritize Transparent Communication

This is your injury case, and you deserve to know what’s going on. The attorneys at our law firm will make sure that you feel included and up-to-date about every aspect of your claim. If you’re confused about a part of the process or are unsure of your next move, you’ll never feel like you have nowhere to go for help.

We believe that open communication built on a foundation of trust and a strong attorney-client relationship is key. We are committed to making sure that each and every crash victim who chooses to work with our law firm knows that they can reach out with any question at any point, and we’ll be there to answer.

We Work on Contingency

It is not uncommon for a car accident victim to put off speaking with a lawyer because they are worried about legal fees. We don’t want you to be worried about anything but your own health and recovery, which is why we work on a contingency fee basis. This means we only get paid if you win your case. We also offer free consultations, during which you can ask us about our services, experience, and how the contingency fee works.

We Prioritize Your Future

When you are dealing with the immediate aftermath of a car accident, it can be difficult to think about anything else other than the present. You need an expert to help determine how your injuries will impact your future. The Louisville car accident lawyers at Thomas Law Offices have the experience it takes to consider what type of effect your injuries will have in the long-term. We’ll answer the important questions like:

  • Will you be able to work with this injury?
  • Will you need to change jobs?
  • Is your current home inaccessible due to your injuries?
  • Will you need ongoing medical care and treatment?

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit?

car accident lawyer in Louisville
There are several important timelines to which you must adhere before you can successfully pursue a car accident claim. The Louisville car accident attorneys from our law firm can advise you of these deadlines and provide invaluable assistance in ensuring that they are all met:

  • Kentucky State Police requires you to file an accident report within 10 days of a car wreck.
  • According to Kentucky state law, personal injury claims must be filed within one year of the date of the wreck.
  • Kentucky law allows for up to two years to file a property damage claim that does not involve any injuries.

These deadlines are important for victims pursuing car accident cases. Your Louisville car accident attorney will make sure that all documents are correctly filled out and submitted in time.

Games Insurance Companies Play

The insurance company exists to prioritize its bottom line, not to pay out settlements to injury victims. When you try to file a claim, the insurer will employ a number of tactics to lower your settlement and prevent you from filing a personal injury lawsuit. Watch out for the following:

  • Any questions such as “How are you today?” or “Are you doing well?” While these might seem like innocent questions that we answer as a social nicety on a daily basis, your answer can be purposely misconstrued by an insurance adjuster who is trying to minimize your injuries.
  • Requests for additional paperwork or documentation. While you’ll have to submit things to help support your claim, repeated requests for additional documentation can be a sign that the insurer is trying to run out the clock on the statute of limitations.

Common Auto Accident Injuries

car accident attorney in Louisville
Most car accident claims are filed by victims who are suffering a mixture of minor and serious injuries. While your doctor is responsible for diagnosing and treating any injuries suffered as the result of an automobile accident, it is our job at Thomas Law Offices to get you compensation for related medical bills.

Catastrophic Injuries

A catastrophic injury is one that is considered especially severe. For car crash victims, catastrophic injuries tend to be those that have long-lasting impacts on their lives, limiting their physical or mental capabilities. At our law firm, our personal injury lawyers have helped recover compensation for victims who are suffering from the following severe injuries:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Back injuries
  • Neck injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Paralysis
  • Severe burns
  • Amputations
  • Internal organ damage

Minor Injuries

Just because an injury is considered minor does not mean that it cannot have a significant impact on victims of car crashes. On their own, minor injuries can negatively impact your physical and emotional well being, and can further exacerbate any severe or catastrophic injuries you are already dealing with. Be wary of any car insurance company that tries to downplay the severity of any of the following:

  • Broken bones
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • Scratches, cuts, and lacerations
  • Minor burns
  • Sprains and strains

Car Accident Lawyer

No Injury Is Too Small for Thomas Law Offices

At Thomas Law Offices, we routinely work with injury victims who are struggling to get the insurance company to take them and their injuries seriously. If you suffered injuries in a car crash that was not your fault, and you now need to seek medical treatment, we can help. Our law firm will make sure the insurer understands the severity of your situation. We use information pulled from the police report, your medical records, and other sources to paint a picture of your life post-auto accident.

What Causes Motor Vehicle Collisions?

Louisville auto accident lawyer
Your Louisville auto accident lawyer will help make sense of your accident, including its cause. Determining the cause of the crash is a crucial step in obtaining maximum compensation for your injuries. Your car accident attorney will look at different factors and sources when determining cause, whether the other driver was violating any traffic laws at the time.

It is helpful to work with a Louisville car accident lawyer who is familiar with some of the most common causes of collisions. As of 2020, the following are the top reported contributing factors for auto accidents in Kentucky:

  • Driver Inattention – 35.07%
  • Vehicle Not Under Control – 14.33%
  • Failure to Yield – 10.38%
  • Misjudging Clearance – 7.59%
  • Following Too Closely – 5.35%
  • Distracted Driving – 4.53%
  • Driving Too Fast for Conditions – 3.76%
  • Alcohol Involvement – 3.47%
  • Disregarding Traffic Control – 3.38%
  • Overcorrecting – 2.28%
  • Drug Involvement – 1.86%

Driver Error

Many car accidents are the result of driver error. When you file a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident that was caused by driver error, you are seeking to collect compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurer. Their insurer will likely do everything possible to limit their scope of responsibility, though. If you are unsure of how to definitively prove that driver error caused your accident, contact Thomas Law Offices to schedule a free consultation with one of our Louisville car accident attorneys.

Defective Auto Parts

A defective auto part can complicate liability, and you may be left wondering whether the other driver or the auto part manufacturer is responsible for the serious injuries you have suffered. When you choose to work with our law firm, we’ll explore all options for liability, including whether a driver’s failure to fix a defective auto part of which they knew about contributed to your accident.

If the auto manufacturer is also at fault, we’ll help you hold them accountable via a product liability lawsuit. Personal injury victims can file both a product liability claim and a car accident claim if both the driver and manufacturer were partially responsible for the resulting accident.

Kentucky Car Crash Statistics

Louisville car crash attorney
Data from the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety paints a grim picture of our roads. Consider the following:

  • There were 119,449 accidents on Kentucky roads in 2020, and a total of 708 fatalities.
  • In 2019, there were 156,758 total accidents and only 680 fatalities.

Total collision figures include all types of wrecks, including passenger vehicle, bicycle, and truck accidents. While there were fewer total collisions in 2020 than in 2019, the number of fatal crashes increased. Some of the most dangerous roadways that experienced the largest increase in traffic fatalities in Louisville, KY include:

  • I-264
  • I-65
  • U.S. 31W
  • U.S. 31E
  • KY 61

What To Do After a Crash in Kentucky

Louisville auto wreck attorney
Feelings of confusion and panic are common in the aftermath of a car accident. If you are involved in a collision in or near Louisville, KY, the following steps will serve as an invaluable guide.

  • Call 911. Call for medical help right away, even if no one appears to be seriously hurt. Some injuries require a trained eye to identify, and symptoms of something as serious as a traumatic brain injury could be mistaken for the general confusion that so often accompanies car accidents.
  • Contact the police. Under Kentucky Law KRS 189.635, you are required to immediately contact the authorities if even just one of the following conditions is met:
    • There was a nonfatal injury
    • There was a fatality
    • There was more than $500 in property damage in an accident that took place on a highway
  • Take pictures. Use your phone to take pictures of the accident scene. Evidence such as skid marks or road debris that can be crucial to your car accident claim can begin disappearing the moment you leave the scene. If you are unsure whether you should document something, take a picture just in case. Our law firm suggests that anyone who has been injured in a crash in Louisville, KY take pictures of the following:
    • Damage to your vehicle
    • Damage to the other driver’s vehicle
    • Road conditions
    • The area surrounding the scene
    • Anything that shows the weather conditions at the time of the accident
    • Your injuries
    • The other driver’s license plate
  • Exchange information. You’ll need the other driver’s information to file your personal injury claim. Consider asking for the contact information of any eyewitnesses, as well. The car accident lawyers at our law firm regularly rely on eyewitness accounts when liability is in dispute. Louisville car accident laws also require you to exchange certain information with all drivers involved in an accident:
    • Names
    • Addresses
    • Contact information, such as phone numbers
    • Driver’s license numbers
    • Auto insurance providers
  • Seek medical care. Go to the emergency room if you are experiencing any troubling symptoms or signs of injury following a car wreck, including:
    • Pain in your back
    • Trouble turning your neck
    • Numbness in any of your limbs
    • A headache that won’t go away
    • Dizziness
    • Confusion
  • Notify your own insurance company. You’ll need to let your insurer know that you were involved in a car accident. There is no need to give a recorded statement at this time. Only give the facts of the crash and stick to what you know without exaggerating or playing down the severity of the crash or your injuries.
  • Contact a car accident lawyer in Louisville, KY. A car accident can be an isolating experience, but you are not alone. We have helped guide countless victims of car accidents in Louisville, KY through the process of recovering maximum financial compensation for their medical bills, missed paychecks, court costs, and more.

We are strong advocates for injury victims who have been harmed through no fault of their own. Whether you were injured in a reckless driving accident or by a truck driver who was operating on too little sleep, a Louisville car accident lawyer will be by your side every step of the way.

What if I Was Partially Responsible?

Louisville car accident injury lawyer
Liability is not always clear-cut. Indeed, there are some situations in which both drivers might be partially at-fault for an accident. If this was the case with your collision, you may still be able to recover partial compensation.

Kentucky operates on comparative fault rules. According to Kentucky Revised Statutes 411.82, you can recover damages for your injuries, but those damages will be reduced by the same percentage of your fault.

Take, for example, a car accident in which you suffered $10,000 in damages that you were also 20% at fault for. Your recoverable damages would be reduced by 20%, making you eligible for $8,000 in compensation.

Aggressive Louisville Car Accident Lawyers Ready To Fight for You

Louisville car accident
Thomas Law Offices is a proud advocate for car accident victims in and around Louisville, KY. When you choose to work with our law firm, you’ll have a constant proponent on your side who will stand up to the insurance company on your behalf. The personal injury protection we offer prioritizes you, the victim, rather than the big insurers and their bottom lines.
You deserve to work with a law firm that will treat you as more than just your injuries. Your Louisville car accident lawyer from Thomas Law Offices will take a whole-person approach to your claim, building the attorney-client relationship on a foundation of trust and respect.

To learn more about how we can help, contact us at our Louisville, KY offices today to schedule a free case evaluation.

Free Case Evaluation

At Thomas Law Offices, our personal injury attorneys recognize that our potential clients are likely going through some of the most difficult times of their lives. We don't want you to have to worry about paying out of pocket for legal advice when you're just starting to learn your legal rights and options. That's why we provide free case evaluations. We'll offer our expert advice about your potential case and walk you through how we can help you.

Call us or fill out the form below to tell us about your potential case and a personal injury lawyer will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Meet Our Founder

Tad Thomas - Trial Lawyer

Tad Thomas

Managing Partner

Tad Thomas has dedicated his practice to representing plaintiffs in various types of civil litigation, including personal injury, business litigation, class actions, and multi-district litigation.

After graduating with his law degree in 2000 from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, Mr. Thomas immediately opened his own private practice and began representing injury victims.

In 2011, Thomas Law Offices was established in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past decade, Mr. Thomas has expanded his firm and now has offices in three additional locations: Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbia, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. He is also a frequent lecturer on topics like trial skills and ethics and technology.

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Ohio Association for Justice
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