Home | Garrison Law Firm

Chris Garrison

Founder | Injury Attorney

Meet Chris

Gabriel Berry

Owner | Injury Attorney

Meet Gabriel

Cody Cogswell

Owner | Injury Attorney

Meet Cody

Joshua Martin

Owner | Injury Attorney

Meet Joshua

Stephen Thompson

Owner | Injury Attorney

Meet Stephen

Meet Your Indianapolis Personal Injury Team

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Our injury attorneys field a lot of questions throughout the course of a case. Here are some of the most common questions our clients ask our team.

This is a typical question we address in our first meeting with a client. That first answer likely will not be a timeframe measured in days, weeks, or months. It will most likely be measured in stages of a case.

If you hire Garrison Law Firm while in the hospital, your recovery time may be longer.

That may include continuing medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. No personal injury attorney can accurately determine the value of your case without knowing the following.

How much are your total medical bills?

How much lost income will you incur?

Will you have any permanent injuries and future ongoing treatment?

How painful of a recovery period will you have?

Once you finish treatment, we will collect and review your medical bills and records. Then, we collect lost income records and determine the value of your permanent injury before considering the total value. This evaluation process can take many weeks.

The speed of submitting records affects how quickly insurance claims are processed. The complexity of medical issues also plays a role in the processing time. This process is important for both medical providers and employers.

Once we determine the value of your case, we will demand a settlement from the insurance company. The company may respond quickly or sit on the claim for weeks or even months.

A lawyer who promises a quick settlement may care more about making money than fully resolving your case. They might rush through the process to close the deal. This could lead to important details being overlooked.

It’s important to choose a lawyer who prioritizes your best interests.

There may be considerable value in patience by the patient (client).
Some lawyers for personal injury will vary in their response to this question. Generally, it takes 4 – 12 months. Each case is unique. Call for a free consultation, and we can give you a better idea of timing based on the details of your injury case.
Typically, payment for a personal injury settlement can be received in

2 – 4 weeks.
Our accident lawyers handle all injury cases on a contingency fee. That means you only pay an attorney fee if we make a recovery for you. That fee is a percentage of the total recovery. Here’s how that breaks down…

We charge one-third of the total recovery if your case is settled without filing a lawsuit.

If necessary, we will file a lawsuit, and our percentage will increase to 40% once we file your lawsuit in court.

Both rates are subject to rare exceptions.

Processing a claim is different than litigating a lawsuit. In personal injury law, the negotiation process often leads to a settlement without filing a lawsuit in court.

There are no court dates, meetings, or paperwork to deal with in this situation. You don’t have to go to court, prepare for meetings, or complete paperwork. There are no deadlines or appointments to worry about. Just relax and take a break.

Once the lawyer has to file a lawsuit, the case becomes much more labor-intensive, so the fee percentage goes up.
Are there additional costs of a personal injury case?
At Garrison Law Firm, we typically advance the claim preparation costs for medical records on behalf of the client. If we file a lawsuit, we typically advance all litigation expenses. This includes expert witness fees.

Once the case is resolved, those advanced expenses must be repaid by you. This typically is paid out of settlement proceeds or from the collection of a jury verdict.

Under Indiana law, contingent fee agreements must be in writing. So, we will give you a contract to sign that explains in more detail the agreement for your case.
There is no set formula. The duration of treatment, the medically noted level of pain during the treatment period, and whether the pain was temporary or permanent all play a role in the value of pain and suffering.
Two years, but if the State of Indiana or any political subdivision has fault, you must file a tort claim notice with the proper authorities in as little as 180 days.

This is why it is important to hire an Indiana personal injury lawyer immediately following an accident.
Expect the lawyer to initially inquire about how your accident happened and what injuries you received, then the lawyer should explain the claim process and the potential litigation process if a settlement is not reached before suit is filed.
We must prove that the other “person” was primarily at fault for causing the accident. We must prove that the injuries for which you wish to recover damages were actually caused by the accident.

Important elements are witness statements, photos and videos, medical records and medical bills, permanent impairment ratings, expert opinions on fault and on medical prognosis, and lost income information.

Although many clients believe they are immediately in a personal injury lawsuit once they have hired an attorney for their case, this is typically not true, nor is it usually advantageous for the client! However, there certainly are times when filing a lawsuit for accident victims is necessary.
Most people believe that if they are injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault they will be able to collect all their damages from the guilty party’s insurance carrier. Although there is truth in that statement, it is not completely true all the time.

Indiana law only requires passenger vehicle insurance limits of $25,000. Indiana law does not require YOU to have uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Nor does it require you to have underinsured motorist coverage (UIM). Let’s break down those laws and what it means to you as an injured client.

The guilty driver that injured you may only have insurance coverage for your injuries for $25,000. If you had to have surgery and/or a lengthy stay in the hospital, all that money would go to pay your medical bills, even if you have medical insurance for those medical bills.
The answer is no.

Why? Generally, an Indianapolis personal injury law firm cannot get you enough money for your property as it would cost to represent you to do so.

Economically, hiring a lawyer for the property damage does not make sense. Our law office can make a huge difference in your personal injury claim value but not your property damage claim.

The property is worth what it is worth in a value book. We want you to be happy with the total result.

That means you are processing your property damage claim on your own. We can give you some helpful advice from our accident lawyers.
We are required to hold for at least five business days in the trust account.
Indiana has a comparative fault statute so sometimes you can still recover if you have some of the fault for causing the accident. If you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover.

Learn more about how comparative fault works in Indiana.
Bring as much information about how the accident happened and what the injuries were to your first meeting.

However, don’t sweat over information that is not presently available – there is usually time to hunt down information later. Here is a simple checklist if it helps you to prepare.
Your case cannot be properly valued until you have completed all treatment for your injuries.

Any Indianapolis personal injury attorney telling you what your case is worth before treatment is completed is just giving you a sales pitch.
We estimate that our clients recover more than they would have gotten on their own over 95% of the time.

Dealing with insurance companies can be complicated.

At Garrison Law Firm, we handle many types of personal injury cases across Indiana.

Our personal injury attorneys have represented clients in cases involving the following situations and more for over 40 years. Not sure if your case fits into any of these categories? Not a problem! Call us, and we can help you with whatever situation you find yourself in.

Not all animal attack injuries are the result of a dog bite. Animal attack injuries can be the result of both domestic and wild animals. Indiana laws are different with regard to each. Call our Personal Injury Team today and we will guide you through what you need to know.
Learn more about Dog Bites and Animal Attacks..
Anytime you are involved in a car accident, you should remember, first and foremost, not to panic! There are several things that you can do right away to help your potential personal injury claim:

Collect contact information from all witnesses at the scene immediately, as they may leave before the police arrive.

Call the police to make a police accident report. Police accident reports are not definitive evidence but can provide helpful information. For example, you can find the contact and insurance information of the other driver in these reports.

Take photographs of everything (i.e., the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries).

Seek Medical attention if necessary

Contact our auto accident lawyers today!
Learn more about our car accident lawyers here.
Unfortunately, many construction accidents result in serious, life-changing, and sometimes life-ending injuries! These accidents can lead to medical expenses and lost time from work.

They can also cause job losses and careers and may impose hardship on the worker, spouse, and family.

Future medical expenses and lost opportunities for future employment can increase the value of the worker’s damages.
Learn More about Construction Accidents.
Did you know that electric shock injuries can lead to things such as deteriorating memory and behavioral personality changes? If you were shocked by electricity because someone else was careless, contact our team of personal injury lawyers now.
Learn more about Electric Shock Injuries.
Learn more about Electric Shock Injuries.
Motorcycle Accident Cases present unique problems for bikers. This is why you need an experienced motorcycle accident attorney. Both the public and insurance companies have unfounded prejudices against bikers. Often, bikers are viewed as risk-taking thrill-seekers. Some feel bikers are partly at fault for their injuries because of the increased risk of riding a motorcycle. There is also prejudice associated with head injuries to bikers not wearing helmets. Many people and insurance companies believe that bikers speed and weave between cars. This belief makes it difficult for bikers to receive fair compensation for accidents.
Learn more about Motorcycle Accident Injuries.
There are many examples of defective products. Some of the more common examples include:

a defective vehicle airbag that fails to deploy in an accident when it should;

a defective tool, machine, or other product that breaks despite being used properly

or a product that fails to provide an adequate warning or instruction label.

Product liability cases in Indiana are governed by the Indiana Product Liability Act (IPLA). They can be brought under several different legal theories, including, but not limited to, strict liability and negligence.

In Indiana, there are strict deadlines for product liability cases, known as statute of limitations and statute of repose.

It’s important to contact our law firm right away if you think a faulty product caused your injury
Learn More about Product Liability

Have you ever experienced a slip and fall or trip and fall? Were you injured on someone else’s property, such as a store or restaurant? We know that people frequent many places. It would be hard to imagine anyone being able to avoid these common incidents completely.

If you have avoided these incidents, consider yourself lucky completely!

We hope you were not injured if you have experienced a slip and fall or trip and fall. However, you might not have known the best way to handle the situation if you were. This is where Garrison Law Firm can help you.
Learn more about slip and fall accident cases.
A traumatic brain injury can impact the rest of your life. You deserve to be compensated accordingly. We’ve helped people with cases just like yours for over three decades. We can help you, too.
Learn more about Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Truck accidents involving commercial carriers such as semi-trucks are more complicated than auto accidents. Important steps must be taken immediately to preserve evidence at the scene. Secure the truck’s data recording device or “black box.”

Truck accidents can cause significant financial losses and serious injuries. Trucks may not have enough insurance to cover all the costs of accidents and injuries they cause.

It is important to determine the carrier’s liability limits under its policy.

Fortunately, many commercial carriers have million—or multi-million dollar policy limits. The carrier can often pay damages over these limits, but this is not always true.

Commercial carriers need at least $300,000 in insurance if their vehicle weighs under 10,000 lbs. You might find that surprising, given that the minimum is only $750,000 for vehicles weighing over 10,000 lbs.
Learn more about Truck Accident Injuries.
We don’t handle workers’ comp claims. We can recommend local attorneys who can help you with your case. These attorneys can provide you with reliable legal representation.
People’s reactions can differ when someone loses a loved one because of someone else’s actions. That response is almost always tied to the emotion of grief. People grieve differently. Grief can affect some or all aspects of a person’s life. Loss of sleep, eating habits, and productivity can be affected. It can affect our emotional well-being through anger, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and fear, among others. Many people immediately think about making a wrongful death claim. Others either fear or dread facing that process. Often, the sudden trauma of the loss, shock, and need to make funeral arrangements take the focus. This causes many not to realize how important it is to collect and protect crucial evidence. The experienced lawyers at Garrison Law Firm can relieve much of that stress on loved ones’ shoulders. You need to get us involved early in the process. There are many types of personal injury cases, but none need immediate investigation, like a wrongful death case.
Learn More about Wrongful Death Cases.
Garrison Law Firm doesn’t handle medical malpractice cases, but we can refer you to a good medmal attorney nearby.

It’s time to get paid, get well, and get back to your life.

You’ve been injured in an accident. All you want to do is get paid so you can heal and return to your life. The problem is the insurance companies are giving you the run-around and undervaluing your injuries. You need a skilled and experienced Indiana personal injury attorney to maximize your compensation. Unfortunately, there are too many options to make sense of, and you just want to focus on healing. It’s overwhelming.

Our Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers Help You Get Paid, Get Well, And Get Back To Your Life. Call Today For A Free Consultation.

Don’t get lost in the filing cabinets of a huge law firm. Our team can give you great legal help and personal attention because we are big enough but also small enough. Call now for a free case review or fill out the contact form to receive a prompt call back. Our team will walk you through every step of the legal process and set your mind at ease. Often, that means securing an injury settlement and avoiding a lawsuit altogether. You don’t want to add insult to injury by getting lost in a large law firm. Hire our injury team and get personal attention and someone who will return your call promptly every time. Get your free consultation today. Virtual consultation options are available.