Elizabethtown Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injuries can arise from a variety of events, and the damage can range from mild to catastrophic, with life-changing effects. When you’re dealing with such an injury, navigating laws and regulations, managing medical expenses, dealing with insurance companies, and understanding your rights can be incredibly challenging. A personal injury lawyer can make the process easier. At Louisville Injury Firm, our team of attorneys is versed in local laws and ordinances and has experience with a range of personal injury cases. We’ll help you make the right decisions and pursue the compensation you deserve.

 

Is Elizabethtown, KY Safe?

 

Elizabethtown is generally regarded as a safe city with a low crime rate. However, the potential to be involved in a car, motorcycle, or other accident is always a risk. Between 2014-2018, there were 5,417 crashes reported on roadways in Elizabethtown, some involving pedestrians (29) and some resulting in fatalities (12). During that period, the average crash rate was about 38 per 1,000 people.

 

Keeping the roadways of Elizabethtown safe is a priority, but still, many of the streets and intersections within city limits are problematic. North Dixie Avenue, which divides the east and west sides of the city, is heavily traveled and known for producing accidents. The intersection of North Dixie Avenue and Ring Road, along with sections of Mulberry Street have both been problematic for car crashes, many of which have had fatalities.

 

Crash statistics are alarming on their own, but there are other ways people become injured in Elizabethtown.

 

What are the Most Common Cases Elizabethtown Injury Attorneys Handle?

 

An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to handle any case that involves an injury to you that occurs on someone else’s property, or due to the negligence of someone else. Vehicular accidents remain one the most common types of personal injury claims sought, but others include motorcycle accidents and dog bites.

 

Car Accidents

 

There are numerous types of car accidents. Each accident can result in injuries, and the speed, road conditions, and whether or not passengers are wearing safety belts can play a role in the severity of those injuries. Common types of car accidents include:

 

• Rear-end collisions
• Left-turn collisions
• Sideswipe collisions
• Head-on collisions
• T-bone and side-impact collisions
• Hit-and-run crashes
• Rollovers
• Intersection accidents
• Multiple vehicle accidents

 

Car crash injuries can include whiplash, broken bones, cuts and lacerations, back and spinal cord injuries, facial injuries, scarring, loss of limbs, and soft tissue damage. When injuries are severe, a victim may even need to be airlifted from the scene. In some cases, a crash can even result in fatalities.

 

When a car accident victim’s injuries are catastrophic, a qualified attorney can help fight for their rights when insurance companies attempt to delay a claim, or worse, deny it.

 

Motorcycle Accidents

 

Motorcycle riders are less protected compared to others on the road, making injuries sustained in an accident more likely to be severe. Even if a rider is wearing a helmet, collisions with another vehicle can catapult a rider off of their bike, such as in the case of an open-door accident. In addition, motorcycle riders can be more difficult for drivers to see compared to a full-sized vehicle, which puts them at higher risk for certain types of accidents, like those involving lane switching. Motorcycles can also be involved in many of the same accident types as drivers, such as left-turn, rear-end, and head-on collisions.

 

Motorcycle riders can suffer from similar injuries to car accident victims, including fractures, cuts, head and spinal cord injuries, and loss of limbs. They may also experience road rash if they are thrown from their bike and slide across asphalt, concrete, or other rough surfaces.

 

Much like in car accident cases, a personal injury attorney can be crucial to ensuring a motorcycle accident victim is fairly compensated by their insurer.

 

Dog Bites

 

Another common area of personal injury law involves dog bites. Dog bites and attacks can lead to injuries that may include punctures and cuts, infections, and potentially even broken bones. In severe cases, they can cause long-term damage that affects a victim’s nerves, scarring or disfigurement, and emotional distress. While children tend to be the most common victims of dog bites, there is a much broader demographic of people who can fall prey to aggressive pets. Adults with occupations that require them to visit someone’s property (like pest control, lawn service, and house cleaning personnel) are at higher risk of receiving a dog bite. Postal workers alone were the victims of 113 dog attacks in Kentucky in 2023.

 

Having an attorney on your side is beneficial in these cases because dog bites can result in lasting or permanent injuries for which you may be able to receive compensation.

 

Other Types of Accidents

 

Additional types of personal injuries may arise from the following accidents.

 

• Truck & Semi Accidents. Truck accidents can be complex because they may involve multiple parties. There may be a separate owner and operator of the semi, a subcontracted driver, and a company that was responsible for loading the truck. Determining negligence may be a complicated process.
• Bicycle Accidents. Accidents involving cyclists can be complicated when there is not a dedicated bicycling lane on the roadway where the accident occurred, or if the driver who struck the cyclist did not see the cyclist’s hand turn signals.
• ATV Accidents. ATV accidents may involve multiple parties, including drivers who do not own the vehicles, adding an additional layer of complexity to a case.
• Pedestrian Accidents. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents may be catastrophic due to the sheer force of a vehicle colliding with a person on the street or sidewalk. These cases may take more time due to the nature of the injuries.
• Bus Accidents. Buses that are operated by public transportation or schools may be carrying numerous people who can become injured in an accident. Each person may need individual representation, and it is important your attorney ensures your case and claim is heard.
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims. If you are involved in an accident with an underinsured or uninsured motorist, there may still be resources available for compensation. An attorney can help you determine how to get the compensation you need to cover your expenses.
• Hit-and-Run Accidents. Most hit-and-run accidents require the victim to attempt to collect from their insurance policy. An attorney can help you with these claims but can also help you collect evidence of your hit-and-run, which could help establish negligence against a named party.
• Hit by a company car. If you’re hit by a person driving a company car, you may have a claim against both the driver and the owner of the car. An attorney can help you address the possible claims and ensure you file your claim accurately.

 

Working with an attorney is the easiest way to take the stress and headache out of the entire claims process. Your attorney represents your interests, helps establish fault, and fights for compensation of your claim while you recover from injuries or care for an injured loved one.

 

What Personal Injury Damages Can I Seek?

 

There are two types of damages that a victim of a personal injury can seek: economic and non-economic damages.

 

• Economic damages. Economic damages are quantifiable losses for medical bills, property damages, missed pay, and loss of ability to work.
• Non-economic damages. A personal injury involves damages that are abstract and must be determined in a settlement. These can include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disfigurement.

 

An attorney can help determine amounts for both economic and non-economic damages for your claim and make sure that you don’t accept a low-ball offer from an insurance company that doesn’t cover all of your damages.

 

What is the Kentucky Personal Injury Statute of Limitations?

 

Every accident has a time limit for filing claims. The clock starts on the date of your accident. For personal injuries, you have one year from the date of your accident to file a claim against a negligent party. There are a few caveats to this rule.

 

• Choice no fault. Kentucky is a no-fault state, which usually means that each person involved in an accident files a claim with their own insurance carrier for damages and cannot take legal action against each other. However, you may be able to recover damages from another driver if your injuries are so severe they meet the no-fault threshold. You also have the choice of opting out of the no-fault system when purchasing an insurance policy, which preserves your right to take legal action. If you opted out, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a claim against another party. If you did not, you have two years from the date of your last personal injury protection payment.
• Suits against Kentucky. If you are filing suit against the Commonwealth of Kentucky, you have one year from the date you discover your injury or the date you should have discovered your injury if you were under proper care to file suit.
• Suits against local governments. If you file suit against a municipality or county within Kentucky, you will generally have 90 days from the date of your accident to file suit.

 

There may be additional caveats that affect your particular case, and a knowledgeable attorney can help make certain you file your claim with the appropriate party before the deadline to file passes.

 

What is the Kentucky Negligence Law?

 

Establishing negligence in a case can determine whether or not you can pursue a compensation claim. Kentucky has a pure negligence rule, which means that plaintiffs in a lawsuit are eligible to collect compensation as long as they are not found to be 100% at fault for their injuries.

 

Establishing negligence can be difficult even if it seems like a case is “cut and dry.” It takes the expertise of an experienced attorney to determine the elements of negligence, like:

 

• Duty
• Breach of duty
• Cause in fact
• Proximate cause
• Damages

 

There are many nuances to establishing negligence and most people simply do not have the knowledge of these laws or how to interpret them to fight a claim.

 

Is Kentucky a No-Fault State?

 

In terms of car insurance and injury claims, Kentucky is a choice no-fault state. This means that drivers have the option to purchase two different types of insurance policies and to pursue claims in two different ways.

 

• No fault car insurance. If you purchase no-fault car insurance and are involved in an accident, your insurance company is responsible for your damages and medical bills regardless of who was at fault in the accident.
• Opting out (full tort insurance). A person may opt out of the no-fault system and purchase full tort insurance. This allows them to pursue a claim against an at-fault party for expenses and damages that exceed those of their policy in an accident.

 

If you do not opt out of the no-fault system, you won’t be able to bring suit against another driver unless your injuries reach a certain threshold, and you’ll forfeit your right to pursue a claim for property damage. It may be in your best interest to pay a slightly higher premium for a policy that allows you to pursue at-fault drivers for compensation.

 

Discuss Your Case With Our Personal Injury Attorney

 

At Louisville Injury Firm, we are dedicated to putting our efforts and resources toward helping you seek the justice you deserve. Our office is conveniently located, and our experienced attorney is ready to meet with you to discuss your case. We offer free consultations and operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we only receive compensation if you do. Contact us today to schedule a visit.

 

How to Reach Our Office From Elizabethtown

 

Traveling to our office from Elizabethtown is easy. Simply take Interstate I65 North and exit onto I-264 East, where you’ll be able to reach our location in St. Matthews at 717 Executive Park, Louisville KY 40207.