No fee unless I win your case

Connect with me for a free, confidential case evaluation. No fee until we win your case.

Aggressive Representation

I will be as tough a lawyer as I need to be in resolving your case while remaining compassionate your situation.

Experience you can trust

I only practice personal injury law with experience helping thousands of victims. I am aggressive in pursuing clients' rights.

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No fee unless I win your case

Connect with me for a free, confidential case evaluation. No fee until we win your case.

Aggressive Representation

I will be as tough a lawyer as I need to be in resolving your case while remaining compassionate your situation.

Experience you can trust

I only practice personal injury law with experience helping thousands of victims. I am aggressive in pursuing clients' rights.

Indianapolis Car Accident Attorney

An injury can change your life forever. If you or a loved one were seriously injured in Indiana due to the negligence of another person, experienced Indianapolis car accident lawyer Merry Fountain can help you seek justice and full compensation.

At the Fountain Law Firm, P.C., we are dedicated to representing clients who have been injured due to the negligence or carelessness of another. We are personally invested in your accident injury case, ensuring that you receive the support you deserve in this time of need. Contact our car accident lawyer today to see how we can help you and your family.

Accident Law in Indianapolis:

Meet Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyer Merry Fountain

As a survivor of a serious car accident, attorney Merry Fountain understands the stress of dealing with the pain of serious injuries and the critical need for professional legal representation during a car accident claim. She is a tough advocate for your needs, fighting for your fight to fair compensation after a devastating injury. Additionally, she understands the financial burdens a serious accident can cause, so you won’t pay anything until you receive your settlement.

We urge you to call our car accident law firm today if you or a loved one has been seriously injured – our dedicated auto accident attorneys are dedicated, sincere, and experienced in representing accident victims. Call our office at (317) 917-7873 to schedule your free consultation, we are available 24/7.

Why Choose Fountain Law Firm, P.C.?

Our experienced accident lawyers believe that maintaining close communication and responsiveness is vital in the attorney/client relationship. Our law office returns calls and emails promptly and will never put your case on the back burner, a common problem in many large law firms where you may not even get the chance to speak with your lead car accident lawyer.

Merry Fountain operates differently – she takes on only a select number and types of cases so she can dedicate all of her time to achieve justice for the people she serves. We will help you get back what you spent on medical bills, medical treatment, and recover other non-economic losses.

When Is It Time to Call an Accident Law Firm?

If you were injured in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. In fact, many people are inclined to get the thing over with as quickly as possible by simply allowing the insurance company to take charge. Every car accident is unique, but before you decide to forego legal guidance, take a moment to consider what’s best for you and for your case. If you were injured, you probably need a local car accident attorney.

The Insurance Company’s Settlement Offer is Low

When you’re facing mounting medical expenses and uncertainty that are part and parcel of car accidents, it might seem like the best and easiest answer is to follow the insurance company’s lead. Insurance companies—though they must adhere to industry standards—are, however, in the business of turning a profit, which means paying out as little on claims like yours as they can get away with. It’s rarely a good idea to go with an insurance company’s initial settlement offer.

Your Injuries are Serious

If the injuries you’ve suffered are serious, permanent, or ongoing, the financial damages you’ll incur over time will be difficult to determine. Such damages can include long-term medical expenses, lost pay, decreased earnings potential, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium (or familial relationships). If the injury you suffered is significant, it’s always in your best interest to contact a skilled car accident lawyer.

You Need Help Filing a Claim

Car accident injury claims are complicated. While some claims are more complex than others, any car accident claim beyond the most clear-cut is worthy of a call to a reputable car accident lawyer. Your rights matter—don’t leave them to chance.

Retaining an Accident Attorney

If you’ve incurred a significant injury in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you need a skilled car accident injury lawyer. Without professional guidance, you’ll have difficulty calculating what your final damages will amount to and will have little leverage when it comes to advocating for just compensation with the insurance company determining your Indianapolis car accident settlement.

Just dealing with the insurance company is a serious endeavor that can involve seemingly endless and exacting paperwork and effort. The trauma and injury of a car accident are difficult enough. Allow your experienced personal injury attorney to guide your claim toward its most favorable resolution while you apply yourself to the important task of regaining your health.

Types of Injury and Accident Claims We Handle

At Fountain Law Firm, we take on serious injury cases and are fully dedicated to pursuing full financial compensation. Our areas of practice include:

Child Accident Injuries

At our firm, we understand the profound impact of accidents involving children. Our dedicated team specializes in cases where a child is injured in accidents, offering compassionate legal support while fighting relentlessly for the justice your family deserves. Trust us to prioritize your child’s well-being and secure the compensation they need.

Brain Injuries

Brain injuries can be life-altering, affecting not just the injured but their families too. Our trusted brain injury attorneys are well-versed in the complexities of brain injury cases, ensuring that victims receive the care and compensation they deserve. Let us be your advocate in these challenging times, championing your rights and your future.

Spinal Injuries

Suffering a spinal injury can be devastating, leading to long-term physical and financial challenges. Our dedicated team is committed to representing spinal injury victims, ensuring they receive the best medical care and maximum compensation. Trust in our expertise to navigate the legal landscape and secure your future.

DUI Accidents

DUI accidents can have catastrophic consequences. Our firm stands firmly against drunk driving and is committed to representing victims of DUI accidents. With our expertise, we ensure that those responsible are held accountable, and victims receive the compensation they deserve. Let us fight for your justice and your future.

Distracted Driving Accidents

In today’s digital age, distracted driving accidents are on the rise. Our firm is dedicated to representing victims of such negligence. We believe in holding distracted drivers accountable and ensuring that victims are adequately compensated for their losses. Trust in our expertise to champion your rights and secure your future.

Rideshare Accidents

As ridesharing becomes more prevalent, so do rideshare accidents. Our firm understands the unique challenges these cases present. We’re committed to ensuring that rideshare companies and their drivers are held accountable, and victims receive the compensation they deserve. Let us be your voice in these complex cases.

Truck Accidents

Truck accidents often result in severe injuries due to the sheer size and weight of these vehicles. Our firm specializes in representing truck accident victims, ensuring they receive the care and compensation they deserve. Trust in our expertise to navigate the complexities of trucking regulations and secure your rights.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents can be particularly devastating, given the vulnerability of those on foot. Our firm is dedicated to representing pedestrian accident victims, ensuring they receive the justice and compensation they deserve. Let us stand by your side, advocating for your rights and your future in these challenging times.

Wrongful Death

The pain of losing a loved one in an accident is unimaginable. Our firm is experienced in wrongful death cases, offering compassionate legal support while fighting for the justice your family deserves. Trust us to handle your case with the utmost care, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable and your family’s future is secured.

We have a comprehensive understating of how insurance companies operate how they employ strategies to limit the value of settlements, and how these actions can impact personal injury claims.

What is The Statute of Limitations in Indiana?

You have limited time in which to file an injury lawsuit in the state of Indiana under the statute of limitations. The clock starts running on the day of the accident, and the case must be filed within two years, or you lose your right to file. Some of the most important legal actions must occur in the early days following the accident, as this is the period in which all supporting evidence for your case must be gathered and preserved before it is lost or destroyed, or witness memories fade. We urge you to contact us immediately if you or a loved one has been seriously injured.

What Must Be Proven in a Car Accident Case?

To be successful in recovering damages in a personal injury case, four elements must be proven to exist:

  • Duty of care: This is the legal concept that the responsible party had a moral or legal obligation to act in a reasonably responsible manner to protect the rights of others.
  • Breach of duty of care: The party who committed the act of negligence, in so doing, breached the duty of care to the injured party by failing to act in a manner that a reasonable person would have, or through violating a law or statute.
  • Causation: It must be proven with supporting evidence that the actions of the responsible party caused the serious injuries to the victim.
  • Damages: The victim must prove that damages (or losses) exist as a direct result of the act of negligence. These damages will include medical costs, lost income from employment, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering, among others.

What Is the Car Accident Lawsuit Process?

The car accident lawsuit process is usually unfamiliar to people who suffer serious injuries caused by negligence. Taking legal action may seem intimidating if you don’t fully understand the process, but an experienced auto accident lawyer can provide all the legal guidance you need to pursue your claim. Here is an overview of the car accident lawsuit process in Indiana.

Hiring an Accident Attorney

The injury claims process is complex, so you should strongly consider hiring an experienced car accident lawyer to help you through the process. During this initial consultation, the attorney should ask you many questions about your case to determine if you have a valid claim. If you decide to move forward and file a claim, we will handle each step of the personal injury claim process on your behalf.

We offer free consultations at Fountain Law Firm, so our Indianapolis accident lawyer can help you understand your legal options at no cost. We also work on a contingency fee basis, so you only owe attorneys’ fees when you receive a settlement for your injuries.

Case Investigation

At this stage, your attorney will begin in-depth research into your case. They will work to understand what caused your injuries, the severity of these injuries and the damages you have suffered.

Next, they will contact the negligent party’s insurance provider and notify them of your injuries and their representation. Your lawyer’s job is to handle the legal aspects of the case on your behalf, which allows you to focus on recovering from your injuries and getting back on your feet.

Your Medical Treatment

It is very important that you obtain medical treatment until you are either back to your pre-collision condition or as good as you are going to get (called “medical quiescence”.)

Once you are done treating, your attorney will obtain documentation from all the medical providers that you have treated with. When everything has been obtained, Merry Fountain will review all of your medical records and assess the valuation of your case.

They will discuss this treatment with you and the valuation of your case. A detailed demand letter is prepared for the insurance company outlying your medical treatment and damages and making a demand for settlement. This letter is sent to the insurance adjuster along with a brochure containing photographs and your medical records and bills.

Effect of Injury on Your Life

Your attorney will advise you to keep a list of all the ways that your injuries have and continue to affect your life. Limitations on your activities and quality of life are part of your damages for pain and suffering in addition to your physical pain.

Settlement Negotiations

Personal injury and accident claims are often resolved through settlements and without going to trial. Insurance companies often make settlement offers to avoid a lengthy and expensive court process.

It is normally 5-8 weeks after your documentation is forwarded to the insurance company before an initial settlement offer is made. The initial settlement offer is never the top offer and usually, they will eventually significantly increase it. Your attorney knows the best arguments to make on your behalf to force them to continue negotiating. Additional negotiations can take another month or two before the insurance company makes their highest pre-suit offer. At this time your Fountain Law Firm lawyer will discuss the offer with you and how much you would receive out of it.

Your lawyer will give you their professional opinion of the settlement offer and discuss the pros and cons of accepting it compared with the next option, filing a lawsuit.

If you decide to accept the offer, you will usually receive your settlement within a month.

Pretrial Phases of a Lawsuit

If the insurance company refuses to make a fair settlement offer, you may choose to reject it. At this stage, your attorney will officially file a personal injury lawsuit in court. The court process is time-consuming but may be worthwhile in order to recover the full financial compensation you deserve. Personal injury lawsuits typically go through the following stages.

Complaint and Answer

The details of your injuries, allegations of negligence, and damages suffered are all compiled in a legal document called the complaint. Your lawyer will file your complaint in the county where the injury happened or the county where the negligent party lives.

After the complaint is filed, it is served to the defendant in person, and they are required to provide an “answer” to the complaint within a certain time frame – 20 days in the state of Indiana. The answer is also a legal document, and the defendant has the option to either admit to or deny the allegations of the complaint.

Discovery

During the discovery phase, the attorneys of both the defendant and plaintiff gather evidence, documents, testimony, and other information related to the case from each other and from third parties. Discovery allows both parties to know what witnesses and evidence the other side will present when the case goes to trial.

Depositions are often used during the discovery process. During a deposition for a personal injury or accident case, witnesses will answer oral questions during a recorded interview session. Both the plaintiff and defendant may be questioned, along with other witnesses and experts on matters related to the case.

Mediation

Mediation provides an alternate path to resolving a case pre-trial if settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, and it may be requested at any stage of the claims process.

During mediation, both parties will meet with a neutral third-party mediator, whose job is to help both parties come to an agreement without going to trial. Both sides will have the opportunity to argue their case and negotiate a settlement amount with help from the mediator. Mediation is non-binding, so each party has the right to accept or reject a settlement offer.

Trial

If the case goes to trial, your accident attorney will argue their case in front of a judge or jury, and the defendant and their attorney will have the chance to argue their defense to the allegations of negligence. The court will make a decision on whether the defendant was negligent and the amount of damages that the defendant must pay if they were negligent.

Personal injury trials generally go through the following process:

  • Jury selection
  • Opening statements
  • Witness testimony and cross-examinations
  • Closing arguments
  • Jury instruction
  • Jury deliberation and verdict

If you or a loved one has recently suffered injuries due to the negligence of another party, you have legal rights. You could receive financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages by filing a personal injury claim against this negligent party. You can learn more about filing a personal injury lawsuit by contacting the experienced Indianapolis personal injury lawyers of the Fountain Law Firm.

Free Consultation & Car Accident Case Evaluation

We have a comprehensive understanding of how to handle injury claims and will develop a legal strategy to fight for the best possible outcome in your case. We invest the necessary time and effort to prove liability and to understand what to expect in the defense strategies, and how to best prove causation and damages.

You can expect an extraordinary level of personal service – her dedication to you and your case will make a significant difference in the final outcome. You will never be treated like “just another client” when you are represented by Merry Fountain, who is widely regarded as being among the finest car wreck attorneys in Indianapolis.

Contact an Indianapolis Car Accident Attorney Today

At Fountain Law Firm, P.C., you will be represented by an accident lawyer who is focused on you, your case, and achieving the maximum in financial compensation possible. Indianapolis accident lawyer Merry Fountain is unrelenting in the pursuit of justice, and in demanding her clients are treated fairly by insurance companies and large corporations. She will work with you directly, person to person, and will not turn your case over to an associate or member of her staff.

For over a decade, our firm has been located in the Castleton area helping people in our surrounding Nora, Allisonville, Meridian Hills, Fishers, Carmel, and Broad Ripple neighborhoods.

Under the care of attorney Merry Fountain, your case will be in the hands of a true legal professional with an uncommon level of dedication to the people she serves. Call today for a free case evaluation.

Quotation Mark

I was in a car accident and couldn’t really make decisions on my own the first weeks but somehow my family found Merry Fountain. She knew all the ins and outs. She kept me informed every step of the way. She visited me in the hospital and in the rehab center and then in my home 30 miles outside of town. I don’t know what else to say except that she is everything you could ask for in a personal injury lawyer. You won’t be sorry!

Kristy B.