Indianapolis & Indiana

Truck Accident Lawyer Flat 20% Fee

A loaded semi can weigh 20 to 30 times what your car does. The injuries are worse, the insurance is bigger, and the trucking company's investigators are working the scene before you leave the hospital. Kavanagh Injury Law represents truck accident victims in Indianapolis and throughout Indiana at 20% — not the 33–40% most firms charge.

Licensed in Indiana. Out-of-state crashes handled through our nationwide co-counsel network at the same 20% fee.

What to Do After a Truck Accident

Truck crashes move fast and the trucking company responds faster. These steps protect your health and your claim.

1

Call 911

Truck-crash injuries are often serious. Get emergency services on scene — the police report becomes a key official record.

2

Get to safety

Move out of traffic if you safely can. Large-truck wrecks frequently involve multiple vehicles and ongoing hazards.

3

Record the truck's details

Beyond the driver: photograph the company name and the USDOT number on the cab, the trailer, license plates, and any cargo. These identify the carrier and its insurer.

4

Photograph the scene

All vehicles, skid marks, road and weather conditions, debris, and your injuries. Use the KIL app to timestamp and GPS-tag photos at the scene.

5

Get medical care

See a doctor even if you feel okay. Serious injuries can hide behind adrenaline, and gaps in treatment give insurers an excuse to discount your claim.

6

Don't talk to the trucking company

Many carriers dispatch a rapid-response team to the scene to limit their exposure. Be polite, admit nothing, and decline a recorded statement until you have a lawyer.

7

Call a lawyer immediately to preserve evidence

The truck's electronic logging device, engine data, and driver logs can be overwritten within weeks. An attorney can send a spoliation letter right away that legally requires the carrier to preserve them — this is the single biggest reason truck cases need a lawyer early.

Why Truck Cases Are Different

A truck wreck is not just a bigger car wreck. It runs on a body of federal regulation and a different kind of evidence.

Federal Safety Rules (FMCSA)

Interstate trucking is governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Hours-of-service limits cap how long a driver can be behind the wheel; electronic logging devices (ELDs) record that time; and carriers must follow rules on maintenance, inspections, and driver qualification. A violation — a fatigued driver over hours, a skipped inspection — is powerful evidence of negligence.

The Evidence Is Electronic — and Perishable

Modern trucks carry an engine control module ("black box") and ELD that log speed, braking, and driving hours. Combined with driver logs, dispatch records, and maintenance files, this data can prove what happened — but it can be overwritten or lawfully discarded on a schedule. Moving fast to preserve it is often the difference in a case.

Higher Commercial Insurance

Interstate carriers hauling general freight must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage under federal law, and many carry $1 million or more — with even higher federal minimums for carriers hauling hazardous materials. That is far above the state minimums on a passenger car. Bigger policies mean a more aggressive defense, and more at stake in getting the claim right.

Who Can Be Held Responsible

In a truck case, the driver is rarely the only party at fault — and each party may carry separate insurance. Part of the work is identifying all of them.

The driver

For speeding, distraction, fatigue, impairment, or violating hours-of-service rules.

The trucking company

For the driver's conduct on the job, and for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or pushing unrealistic schedules.

The cargo loader or shipper

When improperly loaded, overweight, or unsecured cargo causes or worsens the crash.

A broker, maintenance vendor, or manufacturer

For negligent vehicle maintenance, a defective part (brakes, tires), or negligent selection of an unsafe carrier.

Indiana Truck Accident Law

Two-Year Statute of Limitations

Indiana generally requires you to file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the date of the crash. In truck cases the practical deadline to act is even sooner, because electronic data and logs must be preserved long before suit is filed.

Modified Comparative Fault (the 51% Bar)

Indiana is a modified comparative fault state. You can recover compensation if you are less than 51% at fault, with your award reduced by your share of fault. If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Trucking defendants routinely try to shift blame onto the injured driver, which is why preserving the truck's own data matters so much.

Interstate Crashes & Where the Case Is Filed

Trucking is an interstate business, and the at-fault carrier is often based in another state. A crash that happens in Indiana can generally be pursued in Indiana. If your crash happened outside Indiana, we coordinate with a vetted co-counsel attorney in that state — you still pay only the flat 20%.

Compensation You May Be Entitled To

Truck crashes often cause catastrophic, life-changing injuries. Every case is different, but these are the categories of damages commonly pursued.

Medical expenses

Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and future medical needs.

Lost wages & earning capacity

Income lost during recovery, and reduced ability to work when injuries are severe or permanent.

Pain, suffering & disability

Physical pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life — often significant in catastrophic-injury cases.

Wrongful death

When a truck crash takes a life, Indiana law allows surviving family to pursue specific categories of loss.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. The value of any claim depends on the specific facts, injuries, insurance available, and applicable law.

How Kavanagh Injury Law Handles Your Case

Truck cases reward speed and focus — preserving evidence early and knowing the federal rules cold.

Evidence preserved early

We move quickly to send spoliation letters and demand the ELD data, engine records, driver logs, and maintenance files before they can disappear.

Flat 20% — always

Our contingency fee is 20% whether your case settles pre-suit, goes through trial, or reaches appeal. It never escalates to 33% or 40% like most Indiana firms. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Lien reduction — 100% to you

We negotiate medical liens aggressively. Every dollar we reduce from a lien goes to you — we keep none of the savings and charge no additional fee for lien work.

Out-of-state crashes

If your crash happened outside Indiana, we place your case with a vetted co-counsel attorney in that state. You still pay only 20%. Matt personally reviews every inquiry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Indiana? +

Generally two years from the date of the crash — but act sooner. The truck's electronic data and logs must be preserved long before a lawsuit is filed.

Who can be held responsible in a truck accident? +

Often more than the driver — the trucking company, a freight broker, the cargo loader, a maintenance vendor, or a parts manufacturer may share fault. Each may carry separate insurance.

Why do I need a lawyer quickly after a truck crash? +

The electronic logging device, engine data, and driver logs can be overwritten within weeks. An attorney can send an evidence-preservation (spoliation) letter immediately requiring the carrier to keep them.

How much insurance do commercial trucks carry? +

Interstate carriers hauling general freight must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage under federal law, and many carry $1 million or more — well above passenger-car minimums.

How much does it cost to hire you? +

Nothing upfront. We work on contingency at a flat 20% of any recovery. If we do not win, you owe no attorney fee.

Injured in a Truck Accident?

Get a free case review. No obligation. No upfront cost. The sooner you call, the sooner we can preserve the evidence the trucking company controls.

Download the KIL app to document the scene with timestamped photos and GPS — free, no account required.