Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

September 16, 2015

Principal and Student Killed by “Erratic Driver” On the Way to School

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Earlier this month in Wayne Township, an elementary school principal and one of his students were killed when their vehicle was struck by an SUV. According to one news source, there were four other students in the car, each of whom was also injured in the morning rush-hour accident.

Evidently, the principal would pick up children on his way to school who needed a ride. Two of the injured children in the vehicle were his own, and three were students to whom he was giving a ride. According to the report, the accident occurred when the principal’s SUV was struck by a car that authorities claim was speeding and “driving erratically.” The driver of the SUV was injured as a result of the accident and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. It is not clear if charges have yet been filed, but a police investigation is underway.

Aggressive Driving on Indiana Roads

While the exact cause of this accident is still subject to a pending investigation, it seems as though the driver’s speeding and erratic driving were the cause of the fatal accident. This kind of aggressive driving puts everyone on the road at risk, and it is especially negligent during rush hour or other times when roads are heavily populated.

September 9, 2015

Prosecutor Waits for Toxicology Results in September Accident Claiming Two Lives; Civil Suit Filed in Advance of Results

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Back on September 22 of this year, two passengers in a van were killed when the van’s tire blew out, causing the vehicle to crash. According to one local Indiana news source, police took the blood of the man who was driving the van and are awaiting the results of those tests to see if criminal charges are appropriate. However, two civil cases have already been filed against the driver by two people who were injured in the accident. Other civil suits may be filed in the near future.

What Caused the Accident?

The van involved in the accident was designed to hold 16 passengers, but authorities reported that there were 24 people inside at the time of the crash. While prosecutors believe that there was some undetermined substance in the driver’s blood, that has not yet been determined at this point.

What is known is that the tire on the van blew out, causing the van to crash. Some of the surviving victims told reporters and police that the driver was drag racing at the time of the accident, and this may have contributed to the accident. There also may be an issue as to the condition of the tire because it was noted that the van was in poor condition generally, with a long wooden board attached to the rear of the vehicle to act as a bumper.

May 5, 2015

PAUL KRUSE INCLUDED IN 2015 INDIANA SUPER LAWYERS LIST

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Attorney Paul Kruse has been honored in the March issue of Super Lawyers for his outstanding personal injury advocacy as a partner at Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP.

Super Lawyers is an independent legal organization which provides evaluations of attorneys for each state in its annual listing of what it determines to be the elite lawyers in every state. Attorneys are eventually selected by means of a long and thorough process which begins with an attorney’s nomination by a member of their firm or an outside lawyer.

Those nominated are vetted by Super Lawyers and assessed on the basis of numerous factors including their experience, awards, special certifications, pro bono work, education, and other metrics
before the blue ribbon review evaluation according to practice area.

May 2, 2015

TONY PATTERSON NAMED ONE OF THE TOP 50 OVERALL INDIANA ATTORNEY FOR 4TH TIME

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Super Lawyers, the premier independent attorney-rating service, has recently named Tony Patterson one of the Top 50 overall attorneys in Indiana for the fourth straight year. This is one of the highest honors Super Lawyer can bestow on an attorney and a significant achievement for Attorney Patterson.

Super Lawyers identifies the best lawyers in every state by means of a highly-selective process, beginning with an attorney’s nomination by a peer in the same firm or elsewhere in the legal community, followed by an extensive investigation of the attorney’s credentials. These credentials include the attorney’s years of experience, pro bono work, verdicts and settlements, special licenses, education, and other factors.

Following this, attorneys are compared apples to apples with other attorneys practicing the same type of law—criminal defense, business, family, personal injury, etc. A blue ribbon panel then evaluates each lawyer before they are chosen for membership. Those selected in the end represent less than five percent of lawyers in the state. These attorneys are also featured in publications of Super Lawyers Magazines and on SuperLawyers.com.

April 30, 2015

CAR ACCIDENTS IN LEASED VEHICLES

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Regardless of the type of accident you were in, if you were driving a leased vehicle, you should take steps to protect yourself.

First off, at the scene of the accident you should inquire into the well-being of any other drivers after ensuring you have not sustained any major injuries. Afterwards, you should contact the police to come respond to the accident to speak with any witnesses and file an official report. You should speak with the officer and obtain a copy of any report they make.

You are required to exchange your information with any other drivers at the accident scene such as your contact and insurance information. If you can, take photographs of the accident scene and any damage to your vehicle and any bodily harm.

April 28, 2015

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN ONCE AGAIN NAMED TO SUPER LAWYERS RISING STARS

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Once again, John McLaughlin of Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP has been selected to membership in Super Lawyers Rising Stars. He has made the list each year since 2013 thanks to his successes in serving those injured in accidents.

The Rising Stars list is a very exclusive award extended to only 2.5% of lawyers who are under the age of 40 and have been practicing no more than 10 years. The Rising Stars list utilizes the same highly-selective process used for the list of Super Lawyers except that there is an age and time limit for candidates and fewer attorneys can be named to Rising Stars.

Those members of the Rising Stars have their profiles published by Super Lawyers.

In addition to consecutive years of listing to Rising Stars, Attorney McLaughlin was chosen for membership in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers in 2014 for the state of Indiana.

April 27, 2015

CAR ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Most injury suits, especially when it comes to car accidents, are based on negligence. The negligent party is the one which can be held accountable for paying damages after an accident. It can benefit you greatly to understand the legal value of negligence before you are seriously injured.

Negligence is simply careless behavior which was exhibited and was potentially dangerous. Negligence can cause harm to the culprit, leaving only themselves to blame. When negligence harms another party, this is the basis of an injury claim. A driver, for example, who drivers negligently by speeding, being distracted, or being otherwise distracted, can be held legally liable for financial damages in a civil suit.

If you are injured, as the plaintiff, you need to show the other party acted negligently when they caused an accident. You need to establish that there was a duty of reasonable care to be extended to others such as other motorists which was violated or breached by the defendant. You must show that a reasonable person would have acted differently in a similar scenario.

April 22, 2015

PEDALPALOOZA TO FEATURE PARR, RICHEY, OBREMSKEY, FRANDSEN & PATTERSON LLP

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Indianapolis injury firm Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP will be hosting a bike safety event this coming Saturday, April 25 th. “Pedalpalooza,” as it is known, will be part of 5 th annual Community Day held at the Witham YMCA from 9 am to Noon. Our firm is proud to be a part of the event and will be operating a booth to promote bike safety. There will be 200 bike helmets given away for free and four children will have the chance to win a bike of their own!

September 22, 2014

TIRED TRUCKERS: A GRAVE DANGER IN INDIANA

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Recently, the Indiana Gazette posted a story about the dangers of tired truck drivers in order to raise awareness about this very serious issue. This month, a truck and car accident injured the famous Saturday Night Live actor Tracy Morgan and killed another comedian that was in the same limousine. After the terrible accident that made headlines in major newspapers, the authorities in Washington began to pay more attention to the very real threat of tired truckers out on the road.

Many truck drivers want to reach their destination as fast as possible. In order to make that happen, they will forego sleep. As they get tired, they often refuse to pull over and try to push through. In some cases, the truckers’ bodies become overwhelmed, and they may find that they drift off to sleep while still operating their large vehicle. This can lead to devastating collisions resulting in death or serious injury.

The Tracy Morgan Car Accident

Tracy Morgan and several comedian friends were in a limousine when they were struck by a Wal-Mart semi-truck on the New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury Township. The truck driver had not slept in the past 24 hours and plowed into the back of the limousine as a result of his fatigue. The truck driver failed to slow despite the brake lights ahead, and swerved at the last minute to avoid a crash. The big rig smashed into the back of the Mercedes limo bus, causing serious injuries and one death.

September 19, 2014

ATTORNEY PAUL KRUSE LISTED IN THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA

by Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP

Our legal team at Parr Richey Frandsen Patterson Kruse LLP is proud to announce that Attorney Paul Kruse has been listed in The Best Lawyers In America® for his work in personal injury litigation. This honor is designed to recognize quality representation in the legal field.

The Best Lawyers® selection process is determined completely by peer review.

In order to be listed, an attorney must:

Be nominated by someone else
Be reviewed by their peers
Have a positive reputation with the Local Bar Association

Only after meeting these qualifications can a lawyer be listed by Best Lawyers. Because this honor relies on the input of other attorneys, it is widely recognized as an important indicator of a lawyer’s professionalism and standing.