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What is Stewart and Stewart Attorneys?
Stewart & Stewart Attorneys is an Indianapolis personal injury law firm that represents individuals and families after accidents and other injuries. Its practice centers on claims such as auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall, dog bites, workers' compensation, and medical malpractice, including birth-injury and wrongful-death cases. The firm presents itself as preparing every case as if it would go to trial, and it advertises a "No Fee Unless You Win" arrangement with a free initial consultation and 24/7 contact.
Who it is for
- Someone injured in an Indiana crash or fall who is dealing with an insurer and wants a lawyer to handle the claim.
- A family pursuing a wrongful-death or medical-malpractice claim, where the legal and expert work is more complex.
- A worker weighing a workers' compensation dispute against other options.
What to weigh
The contingency-fee promise matters most if upfront cost is your main barrier. A firm that prepares for trial can be an advantage when an insurer undervalues a claim, but it can also mean a longer process than a quick settlement. If your injury is minor or liability is clear, compare a few firms before deciding.
A practical next step: gather police reports, medical records, photos, and any insurer correspondence, then use a free consultation to ask how similar Indiana cases are handled and who would work on yours. The official site is Stewart and Stewart Attorneys.
How does the No Fee Unless You Win policy work for personal injury cases?
A "No Fee Unless You Win" policy is a contingency-fee arrangement: you pay the law firm nothing up front, and the firm is paid only if it obtains a settlement or a court award. Stewart & Stewart Attorneys describes its version this way — no payment up front or out of pocket, no fees unless the case is won or settled, and a free initial consultation with 24/7 contact available. The firm also states it prepares each case as if it would go to trial.
How the money typically flows
- Up front: $0 to the firm for representation. You may still owe for independent costs like medical records, expert reports or filing fees, depending on the agreement.
- If the case settles or wins: the firm takes an agreed percentage of the recovery, and case costs are usually reimbursed out of the recovery before your share is paid.
- If the case loses: under this structure, the firm does not collect its fee. Read the contract to see whether costs are also waived or whether you could still owe them.
- Your net: recovery minus costs minus the firm's percentage. Ask for a written example using realistic numbers.
A concrete scenario
Suppose you are hit by a truck, miss three months of work and face $40,000 in medical bills. You call the firm, get a free consultation and sign a contingency agreement. Because you paid nothing to start, your financial risk is limited to the possibility of owing case costs if the claim fails. That is the real trade-off: lower up-front risk in exchange for a share of whatever you recover.
What to confirm before signing
- The exact fee percentage — and whether it rises if the case goes to trial.
- Who advances costs, and whether you repay them from the recovery.
- Whether you owe anything if the case is lost.
- Who pays for experts, depositions and medical records.
- How the firm communicates and how quickly it moves your claim.
Where the policy fits best
Contingency fees suit injury claimants who cannot pay hourly rates and whose cases have clear liability and meaningful damages. They fit less well when liability is disputed, damages are small, or the claim is mainly about property damage.
For context on how other firms structure the same promise, see FindLaw's Injury Law section and LawHelp.org for legal aid options if a private firm declines your case.
What should I do immediately after a car accident in Indiana to protect my claim?
In Indiana, the hours and days right after a crash often decide how strong your claim becomes. The priority is your safety first, then evidence, then careful communication with insurers.
Immediate steps at the scene
- Call 911 and get medical attention. Even if you feel fine, adrenaline can mask injuries. A medical record created soon after the crash links your injuries to the event.
- Move to safety if the vehicles are drivable and it is safe to do so, then wait for police.
- Ask the responding officer how to get the crash report. Indiana drivers are generally required to report crashes involving injury, death, or significant property damage. The report becomes a key document for your claim.
- Exchange information with the other driver: name, contact details, insurance company, policy number, license plate, and vehicle description.
- Photograph everything — vehicle damage from multiple angles, road conditions, traffic signals, skid marks, and visible injuries.
- Collect witness names and phone numbers. Witnesses scatter quickly, and their accounts can matter if the other driver later changes their story.
- Avoid apologizing or speculating about fault or speed. A casual "I'm sorry" can be used against you later.
In the days that follow
- Follow your treatment plan and keep every appointment. Gaps in care are one of the most common ways insurers argue that injuries were minor or unrelated.
- Document your recovery: keep a simple log of pain, missed work, and daily limitations. This supports claims for lost wages and pain and suffering.
- Notify your own insurer as your policy requires, but stick to the facts of the crash.
- Be cautious with the other driver's insurer. Adjusters may call quickly, sound friendly, and ask for a recorded statement. You are not obligated to give one, and early statements can undercut your claim before you know the full extent of your injuries.
- Save everything: the crash report, medical bills, repair estimates, pay stubs showing missed work, and any correspondence from insurers.
- Consider talking to an Indiana personal injury attorney before giving statements or signing anything. Firms like Stewart and Stewart Attorneys handle Indiana crash claims, and their page describes preparing each case as if it would go to trial and working on a no-fee-unless-you-win basis, with a free initial consultation. That structure matters most in disputed-fault or serious-injury cases; for a minor fender-bender with clear fault and no injuries, handling it through your own insurer may be simpler.
What to weigh when deciding whether to hire a lawyer
| Situation | Often manageable on your own | Usually worth legal help |
|---|---|---|
| Injury level | Minor, resolved quickly | Serious, ongoing, or disputed |
| Fault | Clear and accepted | Denied or shared |
| Insurance response | Prompt and fair | Delays, low offers, recorded-statement pressure |
| Case type | Simple property damage | Truck crashes, uninsured driver, wrongful death |
A practical next step: request the official crash report, gather your medical records, and write down your recollection of the crash while it is fresh. If the insurer disputes fault or your injuries are more than minor, get a free case review before speaking further with the other side.
How do I choose between hiring a lawyer and negotiating directly with an insurance company after an injury?
Start by deciding what the claim actually requires, not by comparing costs alone. Negotiating directly makes sense for small, well-documented, fault-admitting claims where you mainly need bills paid. A lawyer makes more sense when injuries are serious, fault is disputed, or the insurer's first offer looks far below your losses.
When direct negotiation is usually workable
- Minor injury, short treatment, and a clear police or incident report
- The other driver's insurer has already accepted liability
- You can document lost wages, medical bills and out-of-pocket costs yourself
- You are comfortable handling recorded statements, deadlines and a possible lowball offer
The trade-off is speed and no fee versus limited leverage. Insurers handle these negotiations daily; you may not. A single recorded statement or a premature medical release can reduce what you recover.
When hiring a lawyer is the better call
- Ongoing or permanent injury, surgery, or a fatality in the family
- Disputed liability, hit-and-run, uninsured motorist, or a commercial truck
- Multiple policies, workers' compensation overlap, or a government entity involved
- The insurer denies the claim or stalls past the statute of limitations
Contingency-fee firms shift the financial risk away from you. Stewart & Stewart describes its approach this way: "No Fee Unless You Win," with no up-front or out-of-pocket cost and no fee unless the case settles or is won, plus a free initial consultation and 24/7 staff contact. The firm also states it prepares every case as if it will be tried in court — a useful signal, because insurers tend to raise offers when they believe a case is genuinely litigation-ready rather than one that will fold.
A practical comparison
| Factor | Negotiate directly | Hire a lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | None | None under a contingency arrangement |
| Fee | You keep the full settlement | Agreed percentage of the recovery |
| Time burden | You gather records and negotiate | Firm handles records, adjusters and deadlines |
| Leverage | Limited; adjusters know you are unrepresented | Filing and trial readiness often raise offers |
| Best fit | Small, clear, fully documented claims | Serious injury, disputed fault, denied claims |
A decision rule
Get one free consultation before you sign anything from the insurer or give a recorded statement. Ask two questions: does the firm handle cases like yours, and what would it cost if the case settles versus goes to trial? Then compare the net figure — settlement minus fee — against what the adjuster has actually put in writing. If the gap is small and your treatment is finished, negotiating yourself is reasonable. If the gap is large, treatment is ongoing, or the insurer is already disputing fault, the lawyer's share is often outweighed by the difference in the offer.
For a broader look at how these cases are handled in Indiana, see Stewart and Stewart Attorneys.
What types of personal injury cases does Stewart and Stewart handle?
Stewart and Stewart handles a range of Indiana personal injury matters, with the case types named on its site spanning vehicle collisions, premises injuries, animal bites, workplace injuries, and medical negligence.
Case types listed by the firm
- Auto accidents — the site frames these as cases where a strong case can be built to recover damages.
- Truck accidents — described as warranting dedicated care and attention, with language elsewhere on the page about large trucks not owning the road.
- Motorcycle accidents — the firm presents itself as dedicated to fighting for injured riders.
- Slip and fall — premises liability claims aimed at recovering compensation for falls.
- Dog bites — claims for compensation to cover treatment and healing.
- Workers' compensation — help for injured workers rather than waiting on benefits.
- Medical malpractice — the page notes that malpractice kills thousands and includes a related article on whether you can sue for Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
- Wrongful death — reflected in the firm's reported victories, including a wrongful death motorcycle settlement and an infant death settlement.
How to tell whether your situation fits
The clearest signal is whether someone else's negligence caused your injury and whether you have costs such as medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering. If your injury happened in a crash, on someone's property, at work, or during medical care, it likely falls within the areas above.
What the firm emphasizes about taking a case
The page states that cases are prepared as if they will be tried in court, and that the firm offers a no-fee-unless-you-win arrangement with a free initial consultation and 24/7 contact. Treat those as the firm's stated approach rather than a guarantee about your outcome.
If you are unsure which category your claim belongs to, describe what happened and where it happened when you request the free case review; the intake staff can route it to the right practice area.
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Indiana?
Indiana's general personal injury filing deadline is two years from the date of injury. Miss it and the courthouse door usually closes, no matter how strong the claim. A few situations shift that clock, so the practical answer is: assume two years, then confirm your specific facts before relying on it.
Why the two-year rule is only a starting point
The deadline (called the statute of limitations) can start later or run shorter depending on who was hurt and who caused the harm.
- Minor children: the clock typically does not start running until the child turns 18, though injury claims involving government defendants can still carry shorter notice rules.
- Government defendants: claims against a city, state agency or public employee often require a formal notice within a much shorter window, sometimes 180 days, with the lawsuit deadline also compressed.
- Discovery of hidden harm: in some medical malpractice and latent-injury cases, the clock may run from when the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been, but Indiana caps how long you can wait overall.
- Death claims: wrongful death actions follow their own deadline, generally two years from the date of death.
What this looks like in practice
A reader scenario: you are rear-ended on I-465 in March, treat for whiplash, and assume you have plenty of time. By the following winter, the insurer has stopped returning calls and you have not spoken to a lawyer. You still have roughly a year, but evidence has already degraded — repair records, dashcam footage, and witness memories. The deadline is not the only clock that matters; proof gets harder to assemble every month.
Stewart & Stewart's own site emphasizes that the firm prepares each case as if it will be tried in court, and advertises no fee unless you win plus a free initial consultation. That structure matters for timing: there is no cost to finding out where you stand, so the deadline question can be answered concretely rather than guessed at.
How to decide what to do next
- Write down the exact date of the injury and any government involvement.
- Call the firm's 24/7 line at (800) 33-33-LAW or use the free case review on Stewart and Stewart Attorneys to get a deadline calculation for your facts.
- If a public entity is involved, treat the notice period as urgent — days and weeks, not years.
For a broader look at how these deadlines vary by state, American Bar Association publishes general guidance on statutes of limitations.
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