Centerville Car Accident Lawyer

Have you recently gotten into a car accident and aren’t sure what to do next? Maybe the other driver’s insurance company is giving you the run-around about settling your claim, or worse, maybe they’re trying to blame you for the wreck. When you need help getting treated fairly after a collision, call Law Group of Iowa. We represent injured people like you, helping you get fair compensation from the at-fault driver to cover your losses from the wreck. Call our Centerville, IA car accident lawyer today for a consultation.

Car Accident Lawyer Centerville, IA

A serious car accident can turn your entire life upside down. Your finances take a hit, especially if your injuries keep you from working. If you’re hurt and need multiple procedures, your finances suffer more, as the medical bills start piling up. Your vehicle could be totaled, leaving you without reliable transportation. Or, you may have thousands of dollars in car repairs, if your vehicle isn’t a total loss. If you feel like it’s unfair that you should have to pay all these costs for an accident you didn’t cause, you’re right.

In Iowa, if you contributed less than 50% of the blame for the wreck, you have the right to demand compensation from the driver who did. But if you’re seriously injured, are missing weeks of work, and have a totaled vehicle, there’s a lot on the line. Insurers balk at paying our large claims. You need help.

In most cases, pursuing compensation means filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, negotiating for a fair settlement, and, if necessary, taking the case to court. Our Centerville car accident lawyer can take care of this on your behalf, from investigating the accident and proving that the other driver caused it to totaling up your losses so you get the full value of your claim. Our firm understands how to handle complex liability cases and what evidence it takes to clear your name and protect your right to recover damages. We stand up for your rights, carefully calculate the true value of your losses, and fight for every dollar you’re entitled to receive.

Why Our Experience Matters In Car Accident Cases

Car accident claims are often hotly contested, with both sides trying to avoid paying a large settlement. Our Centerville car accident lawyer cuts through the contention to help you get treated fairly and awarded the compensation you deserve. We build a strong case to bring the other party to the negotiating table and seek full compensation for your losses.

• Firm co-founder Christopher Johnson is a Certified Civil Trial Specialist – Minnesota State Bar Association
• Our attorneys contribute more than 60 years of combined legal experience, serving clients throughout Iowa across diverse legal matters
• Proud members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, honoring personal injury attorneys who have secured $1 million or more verdicts for their clients
• Mr. Johnson remains in good standing with both the Iowa and Minnesota Bar Associations and is a Certified Civil Trial Specialist through the Minnesota State Bar Association
• Three Best Rated Estate Planning Lawyers in Des Moines

Have you been injured in a car crash and need legal advice? Call Law Group of Iowa today for a personalized consultation.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Centerville, you may be managing medical treatment, dealing with vehicle damage, and trying to figure out how to cover expenses while you’re unable to work. At the same time, the other driver’s insurance company may already be contacting you for a recorded statement and pushing you toward a settlement that doesn’t reflect the full value of your claim.

Our Centerville, IA car accident lawyer at Law Group of Iowa has handled auto accident cases across the state for more than two decades. We offer free consultations. Contact our firm today..

Why Choose Law Group of Iowa for Car Accident Cases in Centerville, IA?

Trial Lawyers With Real Iowa Courtroom Experience

Christopher Johnston cofounded Law Group of Iowa and has practiced since 2001. Over that time he has taken on car accidents, semi-truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, wrongful death matters, civil rights claims, and pharmaceutical injury cases throughout Iowa. He is admitted in Iowa, Minnesota, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, and Federal Court in Minnesota. In 2007 he was named Up and Coming Attorney of The Year, and Minnesota Law and Politics recognized him as a Rising Star in 2011. Chris belongs to the American Association for Justice, the Iowa Bar Association, and the Minnesota Association for Justice.

Christopher Martineau is the firm’s other founding partner. He has practiced since 2003, concentrating on automobile accidents, construction site injuries, slip and fall claims, and wrongful death litigation. Chris Martineau earned membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is restricted to attorneys who have secured verdicts or settlements exceeding one million dollars. He is also a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Our attorneys have helped Iowa clients recover millions of dollars through personal injury cases over the years. That record matters here because insurance companies pay attention to the law firm on the other side of the claim, and a history of going to trial and winning changes the way adjusters negotiate.

We Understand How Adjusters Work

The insurance adjuster assigned to your case is not trying to help you. That adjuster works for the insurance company and gets evaluated on keeping payouts low. We’ve spent years pushing back on those tactics, and we know when an offer is reasonable and when it falls short. Our approach is straightforward: we collect the evidence, document your injuries completely, and prepare the case as if it is going to trial. That preparation is what creates leverage, whether the case ultimately settles or goes before a jury. As a personal injury attorney familiar with Iowa courts, we are comfortable in either setting.

No Upfront Costs

We take car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing to hire us, and we collect no attorney fees unless we win your case. That structure exists so that people who are already stretched thin financially can still get strong legal representation without worrying about hourly bills.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Chris Johnston, is an amazing lawyer. He worked so hard for us. I strongly recommend him. He won our case and got us the best possible outcome. He is the attorney that will get you the rights that you deserve.” — Tarek Aly

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Centerville

Not every car accident looks the same, and the legal strategy for each type of collision depends heavily on what happened and why. These are the kinds of auto accident cases we regularly handle for clients in Centerville, IA.

• Rear-end collisions. A rear-end crash is one of the most common types of accidents on Iowa roads. These collisions frequently cause whiplash, herniated discs, and other soft tissue injuries that sometimes take days or even weeks to produce noticeable symptoms, which is why early medical evaluation after any rear-end crash is so important.
• Head-on collisions. Because both vehicles are typically moving toward each other, head-on crashes tend to produce catastrophic or fatal injuries. We pursue maximum compensation in these cases and, where a death has occurred, file wrongful death claims on behalf of the surviving family.
• DUI accidents. A drunk or impaired driver who causes a collision in Centerville may face both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit. On the civil side, victims may be entitled to punitive damages in addition to standard compensation, which can significantly increase the total recovery.
• Distracted driving accidents. NHTSA distracted driving data shows that 3,208 people died in distraction-related crashes nationally in 2024. Proving that the other driver was texting or on a phone call at the time of the collision requires careful work with phone records, witness accounts, and sometimes accident reconstruction analysis.
• Hit-and-run accidents. When the at-fault driver leaves the scene, the situation feels hopeless, but there are still legal options available. We work with law enforcement, review surveillance footage, and help our clients pursue hit-and-run claims through their own uninsured motorist coverage when necessary.
• Multi-vehicle crashes. A pileup involving three or more vehicles creates complicated liability questions because multiple drivers may share fault. Determining how to allocate partial blame among the parties is critical, and we’ve handled these multi-party cases throughout our practice.

Iowa Legal Requirements for Car Accident Cases

A few Iowa laws shape nearly every car accident claim, and knowing how they work gives you a better understanding of what to expect as your case moves forward. The Iowa DOT tracks crash data statewide, and the numbers reflect that negligent driving remains the primary cause of serious collisions across the state year after year.

Iowa is an at-fault state. The driver who caused the crash bears financial responsibility for the resulting injuries and property damage. You can pursue compensation by filing a claim with that driver’s liability insurer, by filing a lawsuit, or by doing both.

The state uses a modified comparative fault system under Iowa Code Chapter 668. Here is what that means in practice: if you are found partially responsible for the accident, your compensation gets reduced by whatever percentage of fault is assigned to you. A driver found 20% at fault on a $100,000 claim, for example, would recover $80,000. But there is a hard cutoff. If your share of fault reaches 51% or higher, Iowa law bars you from recovering anything. Insurance adjusters know this rule well, and they frequently try to push your percentage of fault as high as possible. Having a car accident attorney in Centerville, IA on your side helps prevent that from happening.

You have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under Iowa Code § 614.1(2). Property damage claims get a longer five-year window under Iowa Code § 614.1(4), but the two-year deadline for injury claims is the one that catches most people off guard. Miss it, and the court will dismiss your case regardless of how strong the evidence is.

Iowa also requires every driver to carry minimum liability insurance. Under Iowa Code § 321A.1, those minimums are $20,000 per person for bodily injury, $40,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damage. For any accident involving serious injuries, those limits are almost always insufficient. We evaluate whether underinsured motorist coverage or other sources of recovery may apply to your claim.

What Damages Are Recoverable in Centerville Car Accident Cases?

What you can recover depends on how badly you were hurt, how the accident has affected your income, and what your life looks like now compared to before the crash.

Economic damages are the financial losses you can prove with documentation. Medical bills are usually the largest component, covering everything from emergency room treatment and surgery to physical therapy and prescription medication. If your doctors expect you’ll need future procedures or ongoing care, those projected costs are part of your claim too. Lost wages count, and so does diminished earning capacity if your injuries have permanently changed what kind of work you can do. Vehicle repair or replacement costs, rental cars, mileage to medical appointments, all of it factors in. Knowing what your settlement covers helps you decide whether an insurance company’s offer actually reflects your losses.

Non-economic damages address the harm that is real but harder to quantify. Physical pain is the most obvious category, but emotional distress, sleep disruption, anxiety about driving again, and loss of enjoyment of hobbies or activities you used to love all belong in this calculation. Iowa does not cap non-economic damages in most personal injury cases. The emotional toll of a car accident can linger for months or years after the physical injuries have healed, and juries in Iowa have the discretion to compensate for that.

Punitive damages come into play only when the at-fault driver’s behavior was willful and wanton. An intoxicated driver who ran a stop sign, a person street racing on a county road, or a driver fleeing police who caused a crash, those are the kinds of facts that support a punitive damages claim. The purpose is both punishment and deterrence.

When a car accident in Centerville takes someone’s life, surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim under Iowa law. That claim covers funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of companionship, and the grief and mental suffering of those left behind. The same two-year statute of limitations applies, running from the date of death.

Contact Law Group of Iowa

If you or someone in your family was hurt in a car accident in Centerville, IA, we are ready to sit down with you, review the facts, and tell you where things stand. The consultation is free, and we handle car accident claims on a contingency basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we get a result.

We will explain how Iowa law applies to your situation, give you an honest assessment of your case, and lay out what the process looks like from here. We are available by phone or can meet at a time that works for your schedule.

Contact us today to speak with a car accident attorney in Centerville about your case.