Johnston Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Lawyer Johnston, IA

If you’ve been in a car accident in Johnston, the days and weeks that follow bring a wave of problems that most people aren’t prepared for. Medical treatment takes priority, but the bills keep coming whether or not you’ve been cleared to go back to work. And the insurance adjuster on the other end of the phone is not there to help you, they’re there to protect the insurance company’s money.

Our Johnston, IA car accident lawyer at Law Group of Iowa has represented auto accident victims across the state for more than 20 years. Every consultation is free, and we work on a contingency basis so you owe us nothing unless we win.

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

Two Founding Partners, One Goal of Full Compensation

Christopher Johnston has practiced since 2001 and has tried car accident cases, motorcycle claims, semi-truck collisions, pedestrian injuries, wrongful death matters, and civil rights cases across Iowa. He is admitted in Iowa, Minnesota, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, and Federal Court in Minnesota. Chris was named Up and Coming Attorney of The Year in 2007 and received a Rising Star designation from Minnesota Law and Politics in 2011. He belongs to the American Association for Justice and the Iowa Bar Association.

Christopher Martineau has practiced since 2003 and handles auto accidents, construction site injuries, premises liability, and wrongful death litigation. Chris Martineau earned membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which only admits attorneys who have obtained at least one verdict or settlement above one million dollars.

Our founding partners have helped Iowa clients recover millions of dollars across personal injury cases. That history tells the insurance company on the other side of your claim that we are prepared to take the case to trial if their offer doesn’t reflect the true value of your injuries.

We Don’t Accept Low Offers

Insurance adjusters are trained to close claims cheaply. They’ll question whether you really need the treatment your doctor prescribed. They’ll point to a pre-existing condition and claim your current symptoms are unrelated to the crash. They’ll pressure you to accept a fast settlement before you’ve finished medical care. We’ve spent years pushing back on adjusters and know how to build a case that withstands their tactics. As a personal injury attorney in Johnston, IA, we document your injuries completely, calculate the full value of your claim, and refuse to settle for less than it’s worth.

Contingency Fee With No Risk to You

We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs, no retainer, and no hourly bills. If we don’t recover for you, you pay nothing.

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“After being in a car accident several years ago (no fault of our own), my wife and I had long ago wrote off getting any kind of fair settlement. 6 years later and a surprise call from Chris Johnston, he took over our case and got things handled very fairly. I highly recommend Chris.” — Trevor E

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Johnston

Car accidents take many forms, and the facts of each crash determine how liability is established and what compensation may be available. Here are the auto accident cases our firm handles for clients in Johnston, IA.

• Rear-end collisions. The most common type of car crash in Iowa. Even low-speed rear-end impacts can produce whiplash, herniated discs, and soft tissue injuries that sometimes take days or weeks to become symptomatic.
• Head-on collisions. Because both vehicles are typically in motion toward each other, head-on crashes generate extreme force and often cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. We pursue every available avenue of compensation in these cases.
• T-bone collisions. Side-impact crashes at Johnston intersections are particularly dangerous because the side of a vehicle offers minimal structural protection. Broken bones, internal organ damage, and brain injuries are common results.
• Distracted driving crashes. Texting behind the wheel remains one of the leading causes of car crashes in Iowa, and according to NHTSA data, 3,208 people died in distraction-related crashes nationally in 2024. Proving distraction requires phone records, witness testimony, and sometimes accident reconstruction.
• DUI accidents. A drunk or impaired driver who causes a collision may be subject to punitive damages in addition to standard compensation, which can significantly increase the total recovery.
• Multi-vehicle pileups. Crashes involving three or more vehicles create difficult questions about shared fault. Sorting out liability across multiple drivers and multiple insurance policies is something we have handled throughout our practice.

Iowa Legal Requirements for Car Accident Cases

A few Iowa statutes come up in almost every car accident case, and the way they apply can significantly affect your recovery.

Iowa is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who caused the crash bears financial responsibility for the resulting injuries and property damage. You can file a claim with that driver’s liability insurer, file a lawsuit in court, or pursue both at the same time.

The state’s modified comparative fault system under Iowa Code Chapter 668 controls what happens when both drivers share some of the blame. Your compensation is reduced by whatever percentage of fault a jury assigns to you. On a $100,000 claim where you’re found 15% at fault, you recover $85,000. But if your fault reaches 51% or more, the law prevents you from collecting anything. Adjusters are well aware of this threshold and will look for every possible basis to push your percentage higher. A car accident attorney in Johnston, IA who knows how to respond to those arguments with evidence can protect your recovery.

You have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under Iowa Code § 614.1(2). Property damage claims carry a five-year deadline. But two years passes quickly when you are still in medical treatment, and missing the deadline means the court will dismiss your case regardless of how clear the other driver’s fault may be.

Iowa requires every driver to maintain minimum liability insurance under Iowa Code § 321A.1, $20,000 per person for bodily injury, $40,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Those limits rarely cover the costs of a serious accident. We evaluate underinsured motorist coverage and every other potential source of recovery on each case. The Iowa DOT publishes crash data annually, and the statistics consistently reflect that negligent driving remains a leading cause of serious injuries throughout the state.

What Damages Are Recoverable in Johnston Car Accident Cases?

The value of a car accident case depends on your injuries, how the crash has affected your income, and what your daily life looks like now compared to before the collision.

Economic damages include the financial losses you can document. Medical expenses are usually the biggest component like emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medication, and projected future treatment. Lost wages from missed work and diminished earning capacity are also included when injuries prevent you from returning to the same type of work or the same schedule. Vehicle repair or replacement costs, rental car expenses, and mileage to medical appointments are recoverable too. Several factors influence the value of your settlement, and we evaluate each one carefully.

Non-economic damages compensate for harm that goes beyond what the bills reflect. Physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety about driving, sleep problems, and the loss of hobbies and activities you enjoyed before the crash are all part of this calculation. Iowa does not cap non-economic damages in most personal injury cases, and the emotional toll of a crash often surprises people with how persistent it can be.

Punitive damages are available when the at-fault driver acted with willful and wanton disregard for safety such as drunk driving, street racing, or fleeing from law enforcement. Iowa requires clear and convincing evidence, but the potential awards can be significant.

If a car accident in Johnston results in the death of a family member, surviving relatives can pursue a wrongful death claim. Funeral costs, projected future earnings, loss of companionship, and the grief of surviving family are all recoverable. The same two-year statute of limitations applies, calculated from the date of death.

Contact Law Group of Iowa

If you were injured in a car accident in Johnston, IA, our attorneys are ready to evaluate your case at no cost. We handle auto accident claims on a contingency basis, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

We are available by phone or can arrange a meeting at a time that fits your schedule.

Contact us to speak with a car accident attorney in Johnston about your claim.