Whether you have been involved in a car wreck, a truck or an 18-wheeler collision, or a motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation if the accident occurred as the result of negligence by another person. It is important to enlist legal representation after being injured in an accident. In Fort Dodge, Gowrie and surrounding areas of Iowa, the easy choice for representation is Johnson, Mulholland, Cochrane, Cochrane, Yung & Engler, P.L.C.
Our personal injury attorneys represent clients who have been hurt and the families of those killed in motor vehicle accidents. We can help you understand your rights, which may include pursuing compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
For the past 75 years, we have stood up for the rights of clients who have been injured in all types of accidents, including:
Our decades of serving clients in the area has given us a strong institutional memory for accident patterns, dangerous locations, common problems and other information that informs how we approach cases. This is the kind of local knowledge that most firms from larger cities cannot match – even if they also take cases here in Webster County.
Webster County sees significant traffic on its county roads, ranking fourth in daily vehicle miles across the state. This underscores the importance of knowing the most dangerous routes for motorists in the area.
Here are some risky routes:
Our community-oriented lawyers can effectively represent you after a motor vehicle accident on the above challenging roads. We can help you determine if you have a claim and proceed with the legal matters to ensure you get compensated fairly, whether you have suffered a rear-end collision, a multivehicle accident, a crash with a commercial vehicle or a motorcycle wreck.
No two crashes are exactly the same, and even seemingly minor collisions can result in catastrophic injuries. Our firm handles all types of serious injuries that may stem from a car accident, such as:
We also offer compassionate and supportive representation to the family members of those killed in fatal accidents. Our wrongful death attorneys are here to support you during this trying time.
Like all states, Iowa requires car owners to carry insurance. Under state law, insurance policies must provide, at minimum, liability coverage of:
Unlike some neighboring states, Iowa does not follow the no-fault model of insurance coverage. Rather, we are an “at fault” state, meaning that the at-fault driver and their insurance company are responsible for compensating the costs of the crash. If the other driver is primarily at fault but you contributed to the crash or your own injuries in some way, you can still seek compensation so long as your share of fault is less than 51%. However, your compensation will by reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
When you hire our firm, our car accident liability lawyers conduct an in-depth investigation into the crash to determine how it happened and to prove that the other driver was to blame. In order to maximize your compensation, we will also argue aggressively to refute or limit any allegations that you shared fault.
After a car accident in Iowa, you should follow the following steps to file your claim:
At Johnson, Mulholland, Cochrane, Cochrane, Yung & Engler, P.L.C., our Iowa car accident attorneys can help you understand potential hurdles to compensation and provide free legal guidance to maximize your results in either trial or settlement negotiations.
As a law firm with more than seven decades of experience representing clients across Iowa, our lawyers have dealt with numerous car accident cases. Here are some of the questions we hear most from our clients about filing a car accident lawsuit.
If you’re in an accident while driving a company car or during a business trip in Iowa, it’s important to understand the following:
An Iowa car accident lawyer can offer invaluable assistance in understanding your rights and options following the accident.
In Iowa, being an “at-fault” state for car crashes means that the person responsible for causing the accident is also responsible for covering the resulting damages. Essentially, the at-fault driver’s insurance company typically bears the financial responsibility for compensating the other parties involved in the accident for medical expenses, vehicle repairs, lost wages and other losses.
However, Iowa also applies a comparative fault system, which means the claimant must prove that the other party was more than 50% at fault for the accident to recover damages. If the claimant is found to be more than 51% at fault for the accident, they may lose the claim for compensation altogether.
In Iowa, there is no specific statutory requirement for insurance companies to settle or pay a claim within a certain time frame after a car accident. The claimant, however, has to file a claim within two years from the date of the accident to be eligible for compensation under Iowa law.
In Iowa, if the at-fault driver does not have insurance or is underinsured, the injured party may turn to their own insurance policy for coverage, specifically uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This coverage is designed to protect policyholders in situations where the at-fault party either doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the damages.
“No pay, no play” laws prevent uninsured drivers from receiving compensation from the insurance company of an insured driver, even if the insured driver was responsible for the accident.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, it is important that you speak with a lawyer who is experienced at handling these types of cases. Contact a Fort Dodge car wreck attorney at our office today. We represent clients throughout North-Central and Northwest Iowa.
To schedule your free consultation, call our Fort Dodge office at 515-573-2181. You can also submit an online contact form.
