Bloomington, Indiana, serves as the county seat of Monroe County in south-central Indiana. Home to Indiana University Bloomington, it also features major employers in a wide range of fields, including education, the life sciences, advanced manufacturing and technology. Consequently, there are a lot of passenger vehicles on the road at all hours, and when weather, traffic patterns, or driver behavior are unfavorable, accidents can and do happen: Monroe County recorded more than 3,700 car accidents in 2024, with 10 people killed.

Habig Injury Law brings over 25 years of litigation experience to Bloomington victims from their Greenwood office. Attorneys Eric Habig and Tim Cochren have spent years holding insurance companies and large corporations financially accountable for the harm done to car accident victims, and are diligent when fighting for the compensation our clients need. Call 317-642-3813 or complete our online form for a no-obligation case review.

Insurance companies and corporate defendants use the same playbook in every case:  minimize payouts, question your injuries, and delay settlements until you’re desperate enough to accept whatever you can get. At Habig Injury Law, we’re thoroughly familiar with these strategies. When you hire us for your Bloomington car accident case, you benefit from:

• Defense-Side Experience: Eric Habig spent 18 years defending trucking and logistics companies in catastrophic loss cases before switching to plaintiff work in 2017. Tim Cochren worked at the same firm. They know how corporate legal teams evaluate cases, which arguments succeed in court, and which settlement approaches are most likely to succeed. 
• Contingency Fee Arrangement: You pay nothing upfront and during your case. Habig Injury Law works on contingency, so our Bloomington car accident lawyers only get paid when you receive compensation. If they don’t win, you don’t pay attorney fees. This arrangement removes the financial risk from hiring an attorney.
• Availability When You Need It: Our firm answers calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you can’t travel to our office because of injuries, we can meet you at your home or hospital room in Bloomington. Your case doesn’t wait for business hours, and neither do we.
• Access To Specialists: Complex cases call for expert testimony. Habig Injury Law works with accident reconstruction analysts who can prove how a motor vehicle crash happened, medical specialists who explain your injuries to a jury, and economists who calculate lifetime care costs for catastrophic injuries.

Habig Injury Law has recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. We’re a dedicated Bloomington personal injury law firm, not a general practice law office where car accidents compete for time with divorces and estate planning. Your case gets the focus it deserves.

Indiana law directs how and when you recover compensation after a car accident. Here are some statutes and rules you should know about.

• Statute of Limitations: Indiana Code 34-11-2-4 requires you to file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the accident date. The two-year clock starts running on the day the accident occurs. Claims against government entities (e.g., accidents involving government employees or vehicles) have shorter deadlines and usually need written notice within 180 to 270 days.
• Comparative Fault Rule: Indiana follows a 51% bar rule under Indiana Code 34-51-2-6. You can recover damages only if you’re 50% or less at fault for the accident. If a jury finds you 51% responsible, you may get nothing. Your compensation also decreases by your percentage of fault – if you’re 20% at fault for a $100,000 injury, you collect $80,000. Unfortunately, insurance companies often exploit this rule by inflating your responsibility to reduce payouts.
• At-Fault Insurance System: Indiana operates as an at-fault state, not a no-fault state, so you file your personal injury claim against the driver who caused the crash. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) isn’t required or available in Indiana. Instead, insurers offer optional Medical Payments coverage (MedPay) that pays medical bills regardless of fault, but it covers less than PIP and doesn’t include lost wages.

Car accident damages generally fall into two categories: economic losses with receipts and non-economic damages that are intangible but still compensable. Insurance companies calculate these amounts using formulas designed to minimize what they pay, but an experienced Bloomington car accident lawyer can help you maximize your recovery.

• Economic Damages: These damages cover quantifiable financial losses like medical expenses, which include emergency room treatment, surgery, prescription medications, physical therapy, and future care costs. Lost wages compensate you for time missed from work during recovery, while property damage pays to repair or replace your vehicle. Economic damages also include out-of-pocket costs like rental cars, transportation to medical appointments, and home modifications for permanent disabilities.
• Non-Economic Damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life can’t be measured by bills or receipts. Personal injury lawyers and insurance companies typically use the multiplier method – they add your economic damages and multiply by a number between 1.5 and 5. Minor injuries use lower multipliers (1.5 to 2), while catastrophic injuries justify higher multipliers (4 to 5). For example, $30,000 in medical bills multiplied by 3 for a moderate injury equals $90,000 in pain and suffering damages, plus the original $30,000 for total compensation of $120,000.

Courts may also award punitive damages when defendants act with willful misconduct or recklessness, such as drunk driving. Indiana Code 34-51-3-4 caps punitive damages at the greater of three times your compensatory damages or $50,000. These damages, which punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct, are rare in car accident cases and require clear and convincing evidence of egregious behavior.

Insurance companies lowball initial offers by using minimum multipliers, disputing injury severity, and pressuring quick settlements before you know the full extent of your injuries. Their first offer normally covers immediate medical bills but ignores future treatment, lost earning capacity, and pain you’ll endure for years. Never accept a settlement without consulting a personal injury attorney who can calculate what your case actually costs.

The minutes after a crash can determine whether you’re able to prove your case months later. We recommend you follow these steps to protect your legal rights and preserve evidence.

• Call 911: Move to a safe location if you can do so without worsening any injuries and turn on your hazard lights. Call 911 even for minor crashes – police reports establish an official record of what happened. Officers will review the scene, interview witnesses, and note violations like speeding or phone use. 
• Document The Accident Scene. Take photos of vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signals, road conditions, and debris. You should also get names, phone numbers, and addresses from witnesses – their statements prove fault when the other driver lies about what happened. 
• Seek Medical Care Immediately. Go to the emergency room or urgent care the same day, even if you feel fine. Delayed treatment lets insurance companies claim your injuries came from something else or aren’t serious. Medical records created within 24 hours of the crash link your injuries directly to the collision. 
• Notify Your Insurance Without Admitting Fault: Indiana law requires you to report crashes to your insurer, but you don’t have to give a recorded statement immediately. Say “I need to speak with an attorney before providing a statement” and end the call.
• Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer: Insurance companies tend to offer quick payment in exchange for signing away all rights to future compensation. Don’t engage with them until you’ve hired a personal injury lawyer who can guide you toward the best outcome.

Car accident injuries range from minor soft tissue damage to catastrophic trauma needing lifelong medical care. The severity of your injuries directly affects the compensation you can recover. Habig Injury Law represents victims across this entire spectrum, from whiplash cases to wrongful death claims.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries and Concussions: High-impact crashes can cause the brain to strike the inside of the skull, resulting in concussions, contusions, or diffuse axonal injuries. Symptoms include headaches, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and personality changes. Severe TBIs can require years of rehabilitation and permanently affect your ability to work or live independently.
• Spinal Cord Damage and Paralysis: Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis below the injury site. Cervical spine injuries affect all four limbs, while thoracic or lumbar injuries impact the lower body. Victims face wheelchair modifications, home renovations, ongoing physical therapy, and attendant care costs that can exceed millions of dollars over a lifetime.
• Broken Bones and Fractures: High-energy collisions can fracture ribs, arms, legs, hips, and facial bones. Compound fractures break through the skin and carry infection risks. Many of these injuries need surgical repair with plates, screws, or rods. Recovery includes months of immobility, physical therapy, and potential complications like improper healing or chronic pain.
• Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries: Rear-end collisions can snap the head forward and backward, tearing muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck and back. While insurance companies dismiss these as minor injuries, severe whiplash can cause chronic pain that lasts for years. Treatment includes physical therapy, pain management, and sometimes surgical intervention.
• Burn Injuries And Road Rash: Post-collision fires or contact with hot engine components can cause first-, second-, and third-degree burns. Motorcycle and bicycle accidents can also scrape skin off when victims slide across pavement. Severe burns need skin grafts, leave permanent scarring, and create disfigurement that affects employment and daily activities.
• Wrongful Death Claims: If you lose a loved one, Indiana law allows the personal representative of the estate to file a wrongful death claim within two years of the date of death. Recoverable damages include funeral expenses, medical bills before death, lost future income, and loss of companionship for surviving family members.

Habig Injury Law has recovered compensation for clients suffering all these injury types. We work with medical specialists who document the full extent of your injuries, calculate future medical costs, and present clear evidence to insurance companies and juries about how the crash changed your life, so you have the best chance of getting what you need.

Driver errors cause most auto accidents in Monroe County. The 2024 Indiana Crash Facts report shows that vehicle collisions usually stem from identifiable, preventable behaviors. Examples include:

• Distracted Driving: Indiana’s hands-free law took effect July 1, 2020, making it illegal to hold a phone while driving. Research shows drivers using phones are two to six times more likely to crash than those who don’t. At 55 miles per hour, looking at your phone for five seconds means you drive the length of a football field without seeing the road.
• Speeding and Aggressive Driving: Speed-related collisions made up 28% of fatal accidents statewide in 2022, according to the Indiana Crash Facts report. Monroe County recorded 328 speed-related collisions that year – 9% of all county collisions. Higher speeds reduce the time drivers have to react and increase the force of impact when crashes occur.
• Drunk Driving: Indiana sets the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit at 0.08% for standard drivers and 0.04% for commercial vehicle operators. In 2022, 72 people died in crashes involving drivers with a BAC of 0.08% or higher – 8% of all traffic fatalities that year. 
• Weather-Related Incidents: Statewide data shows that weather and road conditions contribute to thousands of traffic crashes annually. Rain and snow create slick road surfaces that extend stopping distances and reduce tire traction. Drivers who fail to adjust speed for wet or icy conditions lose control when they brake or turn.
• Commercial Truck Accidents: Large trucks need longer stopping distances and have larger blind spots than passenger vehicles. When trucks collide with cars, the size and weight disparity results in catastrophic injuries for car occupants. Bloomington’s position along major freight routes increases exposure to these crashes.

Habig Injury Law offers free consultations to Bloomington accident victims. Our attorneys answer your questions, explain your legal options, and tell you whether you have a valid claim – all without charging you a fee. Call 317-642-3813 anytime, day or night. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because accidents don’t happen on a schedule. You can also complete our online contact form, and we’ll respond ASAP. We look forward to being of service.