Indianapolis DUI Accident Lawyer

At Pavlack Law, LLC, we hold impaired drivers accountable and pursue full recovery for the people they harm.

If a drunk driver crashed into you, we are here to help. Our firm has represented injured people across central Indiana for decades, and our three attorneys bring 50 years of combined experience to these claims, all handled on contingency. Our Indianapolis, IN DUI accident lawyer from our firm can review what happened and explain your options at no cost.

DUI Accident Lawyer Indianapolis

Our Indianapolis DUI accident lawyer represents people who were hurt by a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In Indiana, that conduct is usually charged as operating while intoxicated, but the driver’s criminal case is separate from your right to be paid for your injuries. Impaired drivers give off warning signs like weaving and erratic speed, and learning to spot an impaired driver can keep you safer, though even careful people get hit.

According to NHTSA data, alcohol-impaired crashes killed nearly 11,900 people across the country in 2024. Behind those numbers are families changed in an instant and survivors who carry the consequences for years. Our role is to prove the driver’s fault, measure the true weight of your losses, and pursue payment from the driver and any insurance that applies.

Types of DUI Accident Cases We Handle in Indianapolis

Impaired driving causes harm in a range of ways, and the facts of each crash shape how we build the claim. Our firm represents people injured by drunk and drugged drivers across Marion County and the communities around it. These are some of the situations our Indianapolis DUI accident attorneys handle the most often:

• Car accidents. An impaired driver can trigger chain-reaction wrecks that injure several people at once. We sort out what happened and who is responsible when more than two vehicles are involved. Insurance questions grow complicated fast in these crashes, and we make sure every applicable policy is found.
• Pedestrian accidents. People on foot have no protection when a driver is drunk or high. These crashes tend to cause severe injuries, and we pursue the full cost of that harm.
• Catastrophic-injuries. High speed and impaired reactions often lead to life-altering injuries. We document long-term needs so that a settlement reflects what recovery will truly require.
• Wrongful death. When a drunk driver takes a life, the family can pursue a claim through the estate. We handle these matters with care while holding the driver accountable.
• Drugged driving crashes. Illegal drugs and even some prescriptions leave a driver impaired in ways that mirror alcohol. Proving this kind of impairment calls for the right records and, at times, toxicology results, which our Indianapolis DUI accident attorney can help with.
• Repeat and wrong-way offenders. Some of the worst crashes involve drivers with prior offenses or those traveling against traffic. These cases often point to conduct a jury would find especially reckless.

Why Choose Pavlack Law, LLC as My DUI Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis, IN?

A Record of Holding Wrongdoers Accountable

Choosing a lawyer often comes down to whether they can deliver. Our attorneys have recovered more than $100 million for injured clients and families, including a $6 million settlement for the family of a person killed by another driver’s negligence. As a member of the American Association for Justice, our founder keeps pace with the strategies that carry serious crash cases. We take these claims on contingency, so you pay no attorney fees unless we recover money for you. When an impaired driver leaves you badly hurt, an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer at our firm can explain what a claim might be worth.

Attorneys Who Know Indiana Courts

Eric Pavlack founded the firm and has tried cases in Indiana since 1999. The Super Lawyers publication has recognized him every year from 2015 through 2025, and he is admitted in the state courts and the federal courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana.

His memberships include the Indiana State Bar Association and the Indianapolis Bar Association. Working alongside him, Colin Flora and Lance Ladendorf add depth in personal injury and complex litigation, and the three together offer 50 years of combined experience.

Understanding DUI Accident Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for DUI Accident Cases

When a drunk driver injures you, the law lets you seek payment for what the crash took from you. Most of that falls into two familiar buckets, economic and non-economic losses. Liability rests on negligence, and there is a real difference between reckless and negligent conduct that can matter to your case. Indiana’s comparative fault approach can trim an award if you are assigned part of the blame, though that is uncommon when the other driver was impaired.

Drunk driving claims carry one possibility that routine crashes usually lack. Because the conduct is so careless, Indiana law may allow added damages meant to punish the driver and warn others away from the same choice. These added damages are not automatic, and our Indianapolis DUI accident attorneys build the evidence needed to ask a jury for them.

• Hospital care, rehabilitation, and treatment still to come
• Wages lost now and any lasting hit to your earning power
• Repair or replacement of your vehicle
• Pain, trauma, and a narrowed quality of life
• Added damages when the conduct was especially reckless

What Are Important Aspects of a DUI Accident Case?

A DUI injury claim has a few features that set it apart from an ordinary crash, and understanding them early tends to help.

• The impaired driver may face criminal charges, but your claim for compensation is a separate civil case that belongs to you
• A conviction or guilty plea can support your civil claim, though you do not need one to recover
• Evidence of impairment, such as the police report or a chemical test, often strengthens the case
• Depending on the facts, more than one party may share responsibility, which our investigation is built to uncover
• Insurers sometimes float a quick, low first offer before the full picture is clear

What Is the DUI Accident Case Timeline?

No two cases run on the same clock, but most cases our Indianapolis DUI accident attorneys handle follow the same timeline:

• We begin with a free review and, if you hire us, an investigation into the crash and the driver
• We collect medical records, the police report, and any proof of impairment
• We send a demand to the insurer and negotiate toward a fair number
• If the offer falls short, we file suit and move into discovery
• Mediation often follows, and trial stays on the table when it is the right call

Cases with a clearly impaired driver sometimes settle sooner, since fault is hard to dispute. Even then, we prepare every claim as though it will be tried.

What Should You Bring to Your DUI Accident Consultation?

A few documents help us give you real answers during the first meeting with our Indianapolis DUI accident lawyer. Bring whatever you can find, including:

• The police or crash report, especially any note about impairment or an arrest
• Photos of the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries
• Medical records and bills connected to the crash
• Insurance details for you and, if you have them, for the other driver

Do not worry if some of this is missing because the meeting is free and confidential, and you will leave with a clear sense of where things stand.

What Are Important Indiana Legal Resources for DUI Accident Cases?

A little background on the rules can help you make sense of your own claim. These official sources are where the details live, and none of them replaces working with our Indianapolis DUI accident attorneys:

• Filing deadline: Indiana generally gives you two years from the crash to sue, a limit set in the state’s civil code.
• Shared fault: your recovery can shrink or disappear based on your portion of the blame under Indiana’s comparative fault law.
• Compensation: the categories of damages and the rules for claims after a death sit in the same body of statutes.
• Court help: for forms and guidance on the process, the Indiana Judicial Branch is a practical reference.

Reach Out to Pavlack Law, LLC to Schedule a Consultation

If a drunk driver injured you in Indianapolis, we are ready to help you take the next step. Your first meeting costs nothing, and you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. We will hear you out, answer your questions, and explain what a claim would look like. When you are ready, contact us today to work with our Indianapolis DUI accident lawyer.