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We have the privilege of helping our clients pursue justice. Our team is committed and compassionate. If you would like to learn more about what it is like to work with our firm, please read what our clients have to say.With over 20 years of experience, our team has a proven track record of success in Social Security cases tried in Federal Court. We are proud to partner with Social Security firms throughout the Midwest to ensure our clients receive the best possible outcomes. “Keller Cares” means we give back to our community. We’re dedicated to not only talking about this mission, but rolling up our sleeves and getting it done. We take our commitment to providing help to our neighbors in meaningful, tangible ways seriously. Keller & Keller has a track record of success. With over $1+ billion won for our clients, we have the confidence to go up against the big insurance companies. Our victories speak to our abilities.At Keller & Keller, we go above and beyond to serve our clients. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service with full and open communication. We provide each client with personalized, first-class service because we understand the importance of providing them with guidance during their most difficult time.Due to our powerful network, reputation of success and multi-state presence, Keller & Keller often works in conjunction with other firms who have cases that require a collective effort. We are happy to offer assistance for a variety of injury cases.

At Keller & Keller, you pay us nothing until a recovery is made on your behalf. We stand by our Zero Fee Guarantee. No matter the size of your case or your circumstance, everyone has the chance to hire our award winning firm at zero cost.

b. Watercourse vessel accident reports made by persons involved in the accidents, except that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources may disclose the identity of a person involved in an accident when such identity is not otherwise known or when such person denies being present at such accident. Ala. Code § 33-5-25(c). Open to public. K.S.A. 45-217(b). Motor vehicle accident reports are official public records and shall be open for public inspection. Kan. Att’y Gen. Op. 1979-17. The Federal Court for the Northern District of Indiana declared that federal law prohibiting disclosure of personal information held by the Department of Motor Vehicles (the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, 19 U.S.C. §2721, et. seq.) does not reach police reports of vehicular accidents Whitaker v. Apriss, 266 F. Supp. 3d 1103, 1110 (N.D. Ind. 2017).In Calibey v. State Police, Do. #FIC 86-310 (Jan. 28, 1987), the FOIC held that a report of a fatal motor vehicle accident was not exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

Witness statements made to a peace officer during the investigation of a motor vehicle accident may not be privileged where they were not made in official confidence to the officer. Shannon by Shannon v. Hansen, 469 N.W.2d 412, 414 (Iowa 1991). But see Curry v. Jones, 138 N.W.2d 101 (Iowa 1965) (holding information given to a law enforcement officer for purpose of making a written report of the accident cannot be used to prejudice the informant in a civil action). The Iowa Supreme Court applied a three-part test to determine whether witness statements were protected from disclosure to private litigants in a civil action surrounding a car accident. Id. The test requires: “(1) a public officer is being examined, (2) the communications made to the officer were in official confidence, and (3) the public interests would suffer by disclosure.” Id. (citing State ex rel. Shanahan v. Iowa Dist. Ct. for Iowa Cty., 356 N.W.2d 253, 257 (Iowa 1984)). In Iowa, a report filed by a law enforcement officer with the Iowa Department of Transportation regarding a motor vehicle accident “is available to any party to the accident and to certain others” under Iowa Code § 321.271. Id. at 415. Further, statements made by witnesses to law enforcement investigating a motor vehicle accident are not made in official confidence and thus their disclosure is authorized under Iowa Code § 321.371. Id. The court here recognized a distinction between criminal and accident investigations and between ongoing and completed investigations. See id.

Public offices must provide access to accident reports. See State ex rel. Wadd v. City of Cleveland, 81 Ohio St.3d 50, 689 N.E.2d 25, 1998-Ohio-444 (holding that the city and police department must provide motor vehicle accident reports).The news-gathering organization shall not use or distribute the report, or knowingly allow its use or distribution, for a commercial purpose other than the news-gathering organization’s publication or broadcasting of the information in the report. A newspaper, periodical, or radio or television station shall not be held to have used or knowingly allowed the use of the report for a commercial purpose merely because of its publication or broadcast. The commission shall prepare and supply to police departments and other suitable agencies, forms for accident reports calling for sufficiently detailed information with reference to a motor vehicle accident, including the cause, the conditions then existing, the persons and vehicles involved, the compliance with P.L.1984, c. 179 (C.39:3-76.2e et seq.) by the operators and passengers of the vehicles involved in the accident, whether the operator of the vehicle was using a cellular telephone when the accident occurred, and such other information as the chief administrator may require. As a general rule, accident reports are subject to Public Records Law. However, police accident records often encompass exempt information, such as confessions or investigatory data, discussed at 4. below, thus the portions of reports containing such information will be exempt from disclosure.Accident reports are available in response to separate written requests for each report sought, and information may not be used for commercial solicitation. S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1275.

All reports that include the date, time, location, name of the victim and the immediate facts and circumstances surrounding the initial report of a crime or incident are open records. Mo.Rev.Stat. § 610.100.2(1).Accident blotters are not specifically addressed. However, there are series of pending cases challenging the release of driver information in accident reports under the Drivers Privacy Protection Act. At present, the defendants are largely law firms who use the data for direct marketing for legal services. The information identified by G.S. § 132-1.4(c) is public, regardless of where it is kept.

Idaho Code § 74-124(2) provides that when any person involved in a motor vehicle accident which is investigated by a law enforcement agency, that person, that person’s authorized legal representative and the insurer shall have a right to a complete, unaltered copy of the impact report, or its successors, and the final report prepared by the agency.

any copy, reproduction or facsimile of any photograph, negative or print, including instant photographs and videotapes of the body, or any portion of the body, of a deceased person, taken by or for the medical examiner at the scene of death or in the course of a post mortem examination or autopsy made by or caused to be made by the medical examiner except:Police accident reports, including the standard accident report form, police department narrative reports, and witness statements, and are public records but portions may be withheld under Exemption (D). Opinion of Attorney General PR-04-05 (Mar. 19, 2004), 2004 WL 5328452. The accident reports that drivers are required to file with the R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-26-6 are confidential. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-26-13.

All records relating to internal investigations of police misconduct are confidential. Nevertheless, the State Police Advisory Commission can, at its discretion, report confidential information to the public if such a disclosure furthers the Commission’s obligation to ensure proper action is taken in each case. 20 V.S.A. §§ 1923(d)(1)(4).

Such written reports required to be forwarded by law enforcement officers and the information contained therein shall not be privileged or held confidential. Every citizen of this State shall have the right, during regular business hours and under supervision, to inspect and copy such reports and shall also have the right in person to purchase copies of the reports at the same fee established by section 6 of P.L.2001, c. 404 (C.47:1A-5). If copies of reports are requested other than in person, an additional fee of up to $5.00 may be added to cover the administrative costs of the report. Upon request, a police department shall send an accident report to a person through the mail or via fax as defined in section 2 of P.L.1976, c. 23 (C.19:59-2). The police department may require the person requesting the report to provide a completed request form and the appropriate fee prior to faxing or mailing the report. The police department shall provide the person requesting the report with the option of submitting the form and providing the appropriate fee either in person, through the mail, or via fax as defined in section 2 of P.L.1976, c. 23 (C.19:59-2).Local police are required to report, to the state registrar of motor vehicles, every motor vehicle accident involving fatality or serious injury. G.L. c. 90, § 29. They must make monthly reports to the State Commissioner of Public Safety disclosing how many persons of each gender were arrested during the prior month. G.L. c. 124, § 9. They must report any injury or death resulting from the use of a firearm or other weapon to the law enforcement division of the state division of fisheries and game. G.L. c. 131, § 85A. Any accident involving gas or electricity must be reported to the state department of telecommunications and energy. G.L. c. 164, § 95. Lord v. Registrar of Motor Vehicles. 347 Mass. 608, 612 (1964) (holding that Registry must disclose accident reports upon request).

Accident reports are not specifically addressed under the Access to Public Records Act, but they are addressed under other statutory sections. Vehicle accident reports filed by a law enforcement officer are not confidential. Ind. Code § 9-26-2-3. However, other accident reports may only be used for state agencies, with exceptions. Id. § 9-26-2-4; see Madison v. Hawkins, 644 N.E.2d 184, 187 (Ind. Ct. App. 1994) (holding that the statute protected the accident report from discovery).

Incident reports are public records. § 25-61-12(2)(c). They are defined as narrative descriptions of an alleged offense including the name and identification of the person charged, the time, date and location of the offense and the property involved, if known. § 25-61-3(e). Contact information does not have to be given. Att’y Gen. No. 2009-534, Oct. 5, 2009 to Bruni. A law enforcement agency must include a narrative description on the incident report, and the agency’s failure to include a narrative description in what it discloses fails to comply with the Act. Miss. Ethics Commission Op. R-10-020 (February 11, 2011).

“The disclosure of accident reports merely for the identification of potentially injured individuals is an unwarranted invasion of privacy, so government entities are not required to make reports public.” Mich. Rehab. Clinic v. City of Detroit, No. 263837, 2006 WL 51367, at *4 (Jan. 10, 2006).b. Motor Vehicle Division records are public, unless the division determines that the record is protected based upon a written request by the record’s subject. Id. § 41-1a-116(1). Certified copies of records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, other than those declared by law to be confidential for the department’s use, are available upon request and payment of search and copying fees. Id.

Every law enforcement officer who investigates a vehicle accident of which report must be made as required in this Title, or who otherwise prepares a written report as a result of an accident or thereafter by interviewing the participants or witnesses, shall forward a written report of such accident to the commission, on forms furnished by it, within five days after his investigation of the accident.

In 1999, the General Assembly limited access to individual Uniform Motor Vehicle Accident reports to those parties named in the report or those that otherwise have a “need” for the report as defined by statute. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72(a)(5). Among the parties with a “need” for accident reports are those “gathering information as a representative of a news media organization.” § 50-18-72(a)(5)(I).Generally open with limitations on how that information might be used. T.C.A. § 55-10-108(f). The Office of Open Records Counsel has opined that if the information on the report was obtained from the state Department of Safety then it would be protected from disclosure under the federal Drivers Privacy Protection Act and the state counterpart, the Uniform Motor Vehicle Records Disclosure Act. T.C.A. § 55-25-101; Office of Open Records Opinions of March 6, 2009 and May 10, 2010.

State law requires police to submit accident reports to the Department of Public Safety, but these accident reports are expressly not public records. 21 Del. C. §§ 313(b), 4203(d); see Jacobs v. City of Wilmington, 2002 WL 27817 (Del. Ch. Jan. 3, 2002) (holding nonmandatory traffic accident reports were not public records).

Accident reports are available for review for a non-commercial purpose. However, a law enforcement agency “[s]hall not allow a person to examine the [motor vehicle] accident report or any related investigation report or a reproduction of the accident report or a related investigation report if the request is for a commercial solicitation purpose.” A.R.S. § 28-667(C)(1) (emphasis added).While not specifically addressed in the Open Records Act, Oklahoma statutes provide that accident reports shall be kept confidential for a period of 60 days after the collision but are to “be made available as soon as practicable upon request” to newspapers, broadcasters, and other parties with interest in the collision report. 47 O.S. § 40.102(A)(2)(j)–(k).The provisions of any other law or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, reports obtained pursuant to this act shall not be subject to confidentiality requirements except as provided by section 28 of P.L.1960, c. 52 (C.2A:84A-28).

Reports filled out by those involved in the accident are normally not available as public records. RCW 46.52.080; Guillen v. Pierce Cnty., 144 Wn.2d 696, 31 P.3d 628 (2001). Accident reports filled out by police officers are public records and are generally subject to disclosure, at least once the investigation is complete.

a. Automobile and watercraft accident reports prepared by operators of vehicles involved in an accident, by witnesses to an accident, or by police officers investigating an accident, may be disclosed to the following: (1) a person involved in the accident or that person’s agent, parent, or legal guardian; (2) a person suffering loss in the accident or that person’s agent, parent, or legal guardian; (3) a member of the press or broadcast news media; (4) government agencies that will use the record for official government, investigative, or accident prevention purposes; (5) law enforcement personnel; and (6) licensed private investigators. Utah Code §§ 41-6a-404(3)(a), 73-18-13(3). Information provided to a member of the press or broadcast news media, however, may include only the name, age, sex, and city of residence of each person involved in the accident, the make and model year of each vehicle involved in the accident, whether each person involved in the accident had insurance coverage, the location of the accident, and a description of the accident. Id. § 41-6a-404(3)(d).Accident reports must be disclosed to requestors unless otherwise exempted. Tex. Dep’t. of Pub. Safety, 310 S.W.3d at 675-76. The legislature amended the Transportation Code in 2015, making accident reports compiled by the Texas Department of Public Safety privileged and confidential. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.065(b). Requestors, aside from government agencies, may only obtain complete copies of accident reports if they are “directly concerned in the accident or having a proper interest therein.” Id. at (c)(4). Notably, this includes “a radio or television station that holds a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission,” and free newspapers of general circulation that are published at least once a week, and available and of interest to the general public “in connection with the dissemination of news.” Id. at (c)(4)(J)–(K).

There is no statutory or case law specifically addressing this issue. The Attorney General has addressed disclosure of accident reports from the Department of Transportation and the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). See Attorney General’s Manual.Accident reports made by state police officers “shall be furnished to any person upon written application accompanied by a fee as set by the secretary of the New Mexico state police board.” See NMSA 1978 § 29-2-25; see also NMSA 1978 § 29-10-7(A)(5) (stating that accident reports are available for public inspection).

Accident reports are exempt. Cal. Veh. Code § 20012. Abstracts of accident reports required to be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Sacramento, except abstracts of accidents which in the opinion of the reporting officer were the fault of another individual, are open to the public for inspection at the DMV during office hours. Cal. Veh. Code § 1808.Presumably open, but in the Nevada Op. Aty General 2009-05 (2009), it held that accident reports submitted by a driver involved in a traffic accident are confidential.

To obtain a report of a motor vehicle accident, an insurance practitioner must not obtain the information to solicit business within 21 days of the incident, pursuant to D.C. Code Ann. § 22-3225.14. In addition, if one does seek information within 21 days of an accident, they must produce a photo ID and provide a signed statement identifying the requested report, the name of the requester, and state that they are not prohibited from obtaining the information.

Accident reports, like other documents in the custody or control of law enforcement or other public officials, should be disclosable pursuant to the state Public Records Act, but as a practical matter will most likely be withheld or redacted at least initially, under one or more of the provisions of AS 40.25.120(a)(6), especially (a)(6)(A), regarding withholding of records that could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings, or perhaps (6)(C), that permits withholding when disclosure could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of a suspect, defendant, victim, or witness.

Under Iowa Code § 321.266(3), every law enforcement officer who investigates a vehicle accident must create and forward a written report of the accident within 24 hours to the Iowa Department of Transportation. (2018). This report is for the confidential use of the department but shall be produced by request to “any person involved in the accident, the person’s insurance company or its agent, or the attorney for such person.” Iowa Code § 321.271 (2018); Grocers Wholesale Cooperative, Inc. v. Nussberger Trucking Co., 192 N.W.2d 753, 755 (Iowa 1971). The written report shall also be made available to the federal motor carrier safety administration or the attorney general, upon written request. Iowa Code § 321.271. The Department of Transportation is required to disclose the identity and addresses of persons involved and may also disclose the name of the insurance companies with whom the other persons have liability insurance. Id. If a law enforcement requests a copy of their report from the department, it shall be granted. Id. The written report is not admissible as evidence in any criminal or civil case “arising out of the facts on which the report is based.” Id. The date, time, specific location, and immediate facts and circumstances surrounding the incident are not confidential. Id.

The vehicle was traveling southbound on Old State Road 25 when it went off the road leading to the crash. Several occupants were ejected from the vehicle according to police. The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team is currently investigating the crash to determine the cause of the accident.Tippecanoe County law enforcement were notified of a personal injury crash in the 6400 block of Old State Road around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office.

When first responders arrived at the scene of the accident, they discovered a single vehicle had rolled over and ended up resting on its side, according to the sheriff’s office.

The 7-year-old who died was a backseat passenger, along with two other injured juveniles who were ultimately transported to Indianapolis hospitals for further treatment, the sheriff’s office stated.

Crews from the Buck Creek Fire Department, Battle Ground Fire Department, Lafayette Fire Department and Tippecanoe Emergency Ambulance Service arrived on scene with deputies. The Indiana State Police and Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office assisted with the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. AMERICUS, Ind. — Rene Goforth, of Darlington, Ind., was driving the 2001 Ford Expedition that crashed Wednesday afternoon, according to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office. At the time of reporting, the sheriff’s office had not released the name and ages of the occupants of the accident, as they were still investigating the crash.

Wednesday evening, Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello released the age of the deceased but was waiting to inform the next of kin before releasing the name of the boy. An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

Thought this app would be nice to have. I already use Waze. I typed in my destination and it wouldn’t give me the directions unless I signed up for their program. 3 day free trial made me laugh. I’m not paying $6 a week for navigation that I already have in my phone and car for free. I’d possibly pay $6 for a one time purchase, but $6 a week is a little much considering that again, everyone has navigation in their phones or in their cars for free. The developer, Appie s.r.o, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy. If you are a government agency needing an Indiana vehicle crash report for official business, please see the “Public Records Request” section of our “Contact ISP” page to request a copy of a report.The federal government is considering requiring auto makers to include AM radios in their vehicles, but auto makers want to eliminate them. Should AM radios still be in every vehicle for emergency broadcasting purposes?

Make sure you get all the compensation you deserve for your injuries You’re hurt in a car accident. It wasn’t your fault, and the insurance company soon admits liability and offers a settlement.Indiana car accident lawyers explain how broken glass injuries happen.During a car accident, your vehicle can sustain a lot of damage. For example, the hood can be dented, the doors smashed in, and

When a car accident happens in Indiana, the at-fault party – usually, but not always, one of the drivers involved – is responsible for paying for the injuries sustained. This is why, even in scenarios where it seems like fault is obvious, it can be hotly contested. The insurance companies have every incentive to interpret the facts in a way that limits their costs – and thus, the injured person’s compensation.

Some of the most dangerous driving behaviors associated with car accidents increased dramatically in 2021, according to a recent traffic safety study conducted by the AAA Foundation for TrafficIn situations like this, Indiana uses the principle of modified comparative negligence with the 51% fault rule. That means if you are partially at fault, you can still recover if your percentage of fault is less than 51%. For instance, if you are 30% at fault, you can still recover, but your recovery would be reduced by 30%. However, if you are found 60% at fault, you cannot recover compensation at all.Remember, you only have a limited amount of time to take legal action after a car crash in Indiana, and it’s in your interest to act quickly. Don’t let an insurance company lowball your compensation or try to blame the accident on you. Instead, reach out to Vaughan & Vaughan for a free, confidential consultation with a car accident lawyer.It’s also important to note that you only need to prove that the other driver caused the accident, not why they caused the accident. For instance, in a drunk driving accident, it’s not strictly necessary to prove that the at-fault driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Instead, it’s sufficient to prove that they were careless and caused the crash. This is one of the reasons why it’s possible to win your civil case against a drunk driver even if the drunk driver is acquitted in criminal court.Second, remember that fault for the accident is only one piece of your case. Even if an insurance company doesn’t dispute liability for the accident, they may downplay the severity of your injuries to reduce the amount of compensation they have to pay you. That’s why you need a lawyer to advocate for the full compensation you deserve while you focus on getting better. Depending on the situation, determining fault can be tricky. For example, in a T-bone or other intersection accident, witnesses may disagree on what color the light was or which vehicle had the right of way. The same is true of accidents while backing out of a parking space, especially in a crowded parking lot where witnesses may have had an obstructed view. Sorting out what happened and who was responsible requires a detailed investigation. If you were injured, the answer is absolutely “yes.” First, remember that fault for the accident may be disputed, even if you think it was obvious. Your attorney can investigate, find the evidence that proves the other driver or another party was at fault, and hold them accountable for the damages you suffered.

First, remember that the determination of fault isn’t always clear-cut. So, even if you don’t think the accident will be blamed on you, you need to be careful. Call the police, wait for them to arrive, and get the investigating officer’s name and badge number to ensure you can later get a copy of the official accident report. Take pictures of the scene. Get names and contact information for any witnesses. Get medical attention, and then get legal advice.Broadly speaking, Indiana law says the driver whose negligence caused the accident is at fault. That means if someone was speeding, texting, drunk, or simply not paying attention, and their careless behavior caused the crash, then they are at fault. There are no hard and fast rules determining who is at fault for an intersection accident, T-bone crash, left turn or right turn accident, or any other crash. It all depends on the circumstances. That’s one of the reasons you need to know your rights. It’s also why you need experienced legal advice. An attorney can investigate your accident and determine what happened – and who was responsible. It’s also important not to discuss fault for the accident with anyone other than your lawyer. To the extent you have to talk to anyone about the accident – the investigating officer at the scene, for instance, and the initial call to your insurance company – stick to the facts of what happened. Don’t talk about fault, and don’t apologize. Even saying “I’m sorry” could be construed as an admission of fault.There are some scenarios where more than one party can be responsible for a car accident in Indiana. This is most common in chain reactions and other multi-vehicle accidents with three or more cars. Even in a two-vehicle accident, however, other parties can be responsible in some circumstances, such as the manufacturer of a defective vehicle or the company responsible for maintaining the road surface. And even if only two vehicles are involved, the drivers of those vehicles might each be partially to blame.There are certain scenarios where one driver is presumed to be at fault. For instance, in a rear-end accident, the driver of the rear vehicle is presumed to be at fault. Likewise, a driver who hits a parked car is presumed to be at fault. But even in those scenarios, that presumption can be overcome. For example, perhaps the vehicle that was rear-ended had lights that weren’t working. Maybe the car was illegally parked and could not be seen until it was too late to avoid a collision. After an accident, you will want to secure a fair financial award. The only way to do this, though, is to prove the other party mostly caused the accident. This will require proving negligence. There are four elements you must prove: Call Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. to talk about how our firm operates. We can tell you about our ‘“no win, no fee” payment policy during this call, and you can inform us how your accident has affected you and your family.

Indiana is not a no-fault state. It is a fault state where you file a claim against the negligent driver’s policy. So, if you caused the accident, the other driver would file a claim with your insurer.

Because Indiana is a fault state, you do not have to immediately take on the burden of your accident-related injuries. The responsible party is the one that the law insists should pay.

If the at-fault driver does not have insurance, you could file a claim with your own insurer (if you purchased uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage). You only need to buy certain coverage under the law, and this is not one of them.After your accident, you probably don’t want to devote your precious time to fielding calls from insurance adjusters and scrambling to find evidence that supports your case. Let a lawyer do this for you. You deserve to recover from your injuries and spend time with your loved ones.

After an accident, make sure you, your passengers, and those in other involved vehicles are okay. Then, take pictures of the damage to the cars (if it is safe to do so). Move your car out of the flow of traffic, if you can. Make sure you exchange information with the other driver(s). If possible, do not go straight home after an accident. Instead, seek out medical attention. You want to ensure that you and your family are well, and if you did get injured, you should obtain treatment. You might have an injury that does not present symptoms immediately at the accident scene. IC §34-11-2-4 imposes a deadline on personal injury lawsuits. This means that once your accident occurs (or you realize you are injured), you generally have two years to take legal action. The insurance company has its own rules about claims, but if you find that the claims process is not beneficial for you, you can always file a lawsuit.

A doctor or nurse could diagnose your injuries and provide you with information that could support your claim later. The sooner you get treatment, the easier it will be to connect your injuries to the accident. Your lawyer can prove the cause of your injuries by using time-stamped receipts from your medical care, among other documents you receive. Also, focusing fully on your health means that you won’t let your case distract you from achieving maximum medical improvement (MMI). Your health and safety are of the utmost importance during this time. At that point, you should call emergency services to assist you. The police could make a report detailing the accident, and paramedics could give any necessary medical treatment.

Studies show that about one billion years ago, the crust under the central United States was pulled apart (fig. 3). This rift did not completely separate the crust into individual plates, but it did create zones of faulting in the Mississippi River Valley region.Indiana earthquakes that occurred during the last 200 years are the result of movement along faults that are more than 6 miles below the surface. Because these faults are so deep, combined with the nature of rock layers at depth, it is difficult for seismologists to successfully map earthquake-generating faults using remote-sensing techniques. Unfortunately, the best method available for mapping these faults is to wait patiently for the next large earthquake, then determine the precise location of the aftershocks using sensitive portable seismometers. Much more research is needed before scientists understand the full extent of faulting beneath Indiana and the potential for movement along those faults.

Indiana has dozens of faults, but unlike California’s famous San Andreas Fault, nearly all of them are buried or difficult to see at the surface. Researchers have mapped some faults in Indiana using evidence found in oil and gas wells and in outcrops, but they also employed a method called seismic reflection profiling, which creates images of the rock layers below the Earth’s surface. Many of the mapped faults in Indiana are in the southwestern corner of the state. These faults extend into Illinois and northern Kentucky and are collectively known as the Wabash Valley Fault System. Because the crust is weak in this area, the faults are likely candidates for future movement. Figure 1. Map of the Earth showing approximate margins (bold black lines) of the major plates. Arrows indicate the general direction of plate movement. Most earthquakes are triggered when plates grind past each other laterally, as they do in California, or vertically, as in Alaska or South America. Earthquakes felt in Indiana are the result of stresses transmitted inward from the boundaries and, perhaps, the base of the North American plate. Many earthquakes have occurred and continue to occur in the New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic Zones, from northeastern Arkansas through southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana (fig. 4).The outer layer of the Earth is divided into huge plates, like a cracked eggshell (fig. 1). Driven by convection that permits heat to escape from the Earth’s interiorThe outer layer of the Earth is divided into huge plates, like a cracked eggshell (fig. 1). Driven by convection that permits heat to escape from the Earth’s interior, the plates move at a rate of about 0.5 to 4 inches per year, displacing continental land masses and ocean floor alike.

Figure 3. Generalized representations of rift development in the Midwest. Opposing forces pull the plate in different directions (top). Rifting ceases and the resulting fractures are buried by sediments that accumulated in a shallow inland sea covering much of what is now North America (center). At present, the North American Plate is pressing against the Pacific Plate, causing compressional forces to bear down on the central United States, occasionally causing earthquakes as the squeezed rocks periodically break apart (bottom).An earthquake is caused by the sudden release of energy that results when rock in the Earth’s crust is under so much stress that it suddenly breaks. The split masses of rock then grind past one another as they are pushed by the forces that caused the stress. The area of contact between the grinding masses is called a fault. The direction of motion of each of the rock masses may be horizontal, vertical, or a combination of these motions. The force that causes the stress within the rock is a result of the movement of giant plates that make up the Earth’s outer layer). The forces that move the plates create stresses within the Earth’s crust and can cause the crust to suddenly fracture. The area of contact between two fractured crustal masses is called a fault. Earthquakes result from sudden movements along faults, creating a release of energy. Movement along a fault can be horizontal, vertical, or both (fig. 2). The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.

Call us now or send us a message to arrange your free, no-obligation initial legal consultation. You and your loved ones do not have to go up against big insurance companies alone. Our attorneys will do everything in their power to protect you.If your loved one was injured in a major car accident in Las Vegas, there are steps that you can take to help protect their health, safety, overall well-being, and legal rights. Among other things, you should do the following:

1. The Traditional Method: The old school recommendation is relatively simple: Keep your emergency contact with you whenever you are in a car. Your emergency contact should be fully updated. It should clarify who needs to be contacted (and how) should a serious accident occur. As a general rule, your ‘in-case-of-emergency’ card should be located in the same place as your driver’s license. It might be in your wallet or in your purse. In the aftermath of a very serious car accident, emergency first responders tend to look for a person’s driver’s license to determine their identity.2. A Tech-Savvy Approach: In recent years, more and more technology companies are rolling out new applications for car accidents. There are a number of different smartphone apps available that are designed to help handle an emergency situation after an accident. Some of the most popular examples are SOSmart and iWrecked. Some of these apps are built to make sure that police and first responders have access to your emergency contact information. Other smartphone applications are more advanced. They detect when an accident occurred and send an immediate message to the authorities and an emergency contact.

This raises an important question: How can you find out if someone you know was injured in a car accident? The short answer is that there are three basic ways to track down this information: 1) the hospital, 2) the police, and 3) personal contacts. Here, our Las Vegas car accident attorneys provide a more in-depth explanation of how you can find out if someone was hurt in a crash.The aftermath of a serious crash can be chaotic. Not just at the accident scene itself, but also at the hospital and the police station. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult for family members, friends, and other loved ones to get access to the information that they need. There are some proactive steps that you and your family members can take ahead of time to help ensure that information is shared after a serious accident. Here are two strategies:

3. Friends, Family, and Other Personal Contacts: Finally, you may also be able to get information by reaching out to your friends, family, and other personal contacts. They can sometimes have better information than the authorities—especially if the hospital and the police cannot seem to track down any information at all. It may be that your loved one is dealing with the aftermath of a relatively modest accident on their own. Alternatively, there may not have been a crash.If law enforcement officials do not respond to the accident scene, you can file a crash report directly with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

We can evaluate your case during a free consultation and discuss your options. If we see a path forward, we will offer to represent you and pursue your claim on a contingency fee basis.The BuyCrash website requires you to locate the report you need through a search engine available on the site’s home page. Then you must set up a username and password to establish an account, which allows you to acquire the report through a shopping cart page and checkout. BuyCrash accepts Mastercard, Visa, and American Express credit cards only.We can help you obtain a copy of your accident report if you do not already have it and investigate to gather evidence to hold the parties responsible for your accident accountable.