Fort Wayne
Reckless Driving
ATTORNEY

DELVENTHAL LAW

Reckless Driving

Many car accidents are caused by negligent drivers who fail to use sufficient care when operating their vehicles. But reckless driving is different. A reckless driver is someone who appreciates the risks they are taking but goes ahead and takes them anyway. In other words, reckless drivers in Fort Wayne know they are endangering the public but don’t care.

Have you been injured by a reckless driver? If so, you should meet immediately with an experienced Fort Wayne reckless driving attorney. You might be able to sue and receive compensation for your injuries and finally hold a reckless driver accountable for his actions.

EXAMPLES OF RECKLESS DRIVING

Any time a motorist knows he is endangering someone, even a passenger, he has engaged in reckless driving. For example, the following usually qualify:

• Drag racing. Racing on the roads is a clear danger to the public. Vehicles often go out of control and smash into other cars or pedestrians.
• Excessive speeding. There’s a big difference between going 10 miles per hour over the speed limit and 50. A motorist who is driving way too fast is endangering the public as well as his passengers.
• Driving into a crowd. A person might pull into a crosswalk that has people in it or otherwise try to move through large groups of people. This can be reckless behavior when the driver is not being extremely careful.
• Driving while intoxicated. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated or high dramatically increases the odds of an accident and therefore is reckless behavior.

These are only a few examples of reckless driving. There are others. You can meet with a Fort Wayne reckless driving attorney to review the facts and circumstances of your accident.

INJURIES FROM RECKLESS DRIVING

Because reckless driving often involves high speeds, people often sustain more devastating injuries than they do in regular fender benders. Many car accident victims suffer from:

• Disfigurement, including facial disfigurement. Facial bones can be broken and lacerations can leave behind permanent scars.
• Burns. If a car crashes, it can catch on fire, which happened with actor Paul Walker, who died from his injuries.
• Nerve damage. Anything pressing on a nerve can cause constant pain and will lead to nerve death if not relieved in a timely fashion.
• Concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI). The shaking of a person’s brain can disrupt how it normally functions.
• Spinal column injuries. These can leave a person in intense pain and possibly result in paralysis.

COMPENSATION FOR A RECKLESS DRIVING ACCIDENT IN FORT WAYNE

If you’ve been hurt in a crash, you should discuss possible compensation with a Fort Wayne reckless driving attorney. Many of our clients receive money to cover certain economic and non-economic losses, including:

• Past, present, and future medical care. Any medical care that is used to reasonably treat an injury qualifies, such as surgery, doctor visits, prescription drugs, massage, rehabilitation, and assistive devices like crutches.
• Past, present, and future lost wages. A serious injury can keep someone out of commission for months, resulting in lost wages or income.
• Damage to property, including damage to our client’s vehicle, which might need to be repaired or replaced.

Generally, our clients can receive 100% of these economic losses unless they were partially responsible for the accident, in which case they will receive less based on their proportion of fault.

A Fort Wayne reckless driving accident lawyer can also receive compensation for non-economic losses, such as:

• Physical pain
• Mental anguish or suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Lastly, Indiana law provides that a defendant may have to pay punitive damages if they were reckless when driving. Punitive damages are meant to punish a defendant, and a jury can award any amount it believes will accomplish that goal.  However, Indiana law places a cap on punitive damages of $50,000 or 3 times a person’s compensatory damages, whichever is greater.

TIME LIMITS TO FILE SUIT

Indiana has a statute of limitations that gives victims a short length of time to bring a lawsuit for compensation. If they fail to, then a judge will dismiss the case, and the window of opportunity to sue the defendant has passed.

Under Indiana law, a victim has only 2 years to file suit. There may be some narrow exceptions, but we encourage you not to rely on them. Instead, meet with an attorney to avoid delay.

SPEAK TO A FORT WAYNE RECKLESS DRIVING ATTORNEY TODAY

Reckless drivers are a threat to public safety and must be held accountable when they injure innocent members of the public. At Delventhal Law Office, we take great pride in representing injured victims of reckless driving in Fort Wayne in lawsuits against reckless and hazardous drivers. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Fort Wayne reckless driving attorney.