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Indiana car accident laws
Is Indiana a no-fault state? No. Indiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Indiana gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)).
The legal minimum liability coverage in Indiana is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your fault is greater than the fault of everyone else who contributed to your damages (more than 50%).
Quoted from Indiana statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Indiana | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Two years after the cause of action accrues | Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Two years after the cause of action accrues (injury to personal property) | Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Two years; the statute does not say from what date, and Indiana courts run it from the date of death (not quoted) | Ind. Code § 34-23-1-1 |
| Claims against a government body | A claim against a city, county or other political subdivision is barred unless written notice is filed with its governing body (and the risk management commission, if applicable) within 180 days after the loss; claims against the State have a separate 270-day notice rule (not fetched). | Ind. Code § 34-13-3-8(a) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance |
| If you were partly at fault | modified comparative (51% bar). If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your fault is greater than the fault of everyone else who contributed to your damages (more than 50%). | Ind. Code § 34-51-2-6(a) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $25,000 property | Ind. Code § 9-25-4-5 |
| Dog bites | mixed. Strict liability applies only when a dog bites, without provocation, someone acting peaceably who is where they must be to discharge a legal duty (such as a mail carrier or officer); for other victims the common-law one-bite/negligence rules apply. | Ind. Code § 15-20-1-3 |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Indiana can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after an Indiana crash
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Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Indiana?
Two years for an injury claim (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)) and two years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Indiana a no-fault state?
No. Indiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Indiana?
Indiana follows modified comparative (51% bar). If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your fault is greater than the fault of everyone else who contributed to your damages (more than 50%).
What is the minimum car insurance in Indiana?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Indiana is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-34/article-11/chapter-2/section-34-11-2-4/
Sec. 4. (a) An action for: (1) injury to person or character; (2) injury to personal property; or (3) a forfeiture of penalty given by statute; must be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrues.
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-34/article-11/chapter-2/section-34-11-2-4/
Sec. 4. (a) An action for: (1) injury to person or character; (2) injury to personal property; or (3) a forfeiture of penalty given by statute; must be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrues.
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Ind. Code § 34-23-1-1): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-34/article-23/chapter-1/section-34-23-1-1/
When the death of one is caused by the wrongful act or omission of another, the action shall be commenced by the personal representative of the decedent within two (2) years
- Claims against a government body (Ind. Code § 34-13-3-8(a)): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-34/article-13/chapter-3/section-34-13-3-8/
Sec. 8. (a) Except as provided in section 9 of this chapter and subsection (b), a claim against a political subdivision is barred unless notice is filed with: (1) the governing body of that political subdivision; and (2) unless IC 27-1-29 has expired under IC 27-1-29-29 , the Indiana political subdivision risk management commission created under IC 27-1-29 ; within one hundred eighty (180) days after the loss occurs.
- Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.
- If you were partly at fault (Ind. Code § 34-51-2-6(a)): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-34/article-51/chapter-2/section-34-51-2-6/
Sec. 6. (a) In an action based on fault that is brought against: (1) one (1) defendant; or (2) two (2) or more defendants who may be treated as a single party; the claimant is barred from recovery if the claimant's contributory fault is greater than the fault of all persons whose fault proximately contributed to the claimant's damages.
- Minimum liability coverage (Ind. Code § 9-25-4-5): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-9/article-25/chapter-4/section-9-25-4-5/
Sec. 5. Except as provided in section 6 of this chapter, the minimum amounts of financial responsibility are as follows: (1) Subject to the limit set forth in subdivision (2), twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for bodily injury to or the death of one (1) individual. (2) Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for bodily injury to or the death of two (2) or more individuals in any one (1) accident. (3) Before July 1, 2018, ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for damage to or the destruction of property in one (1) accident. Beginning July 1, 2018, twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for damage to or…
- Dog bites (Ind. Code § 15-20-1-3): law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-15/article-20/chapter-1/section-15-20-1-3/
Sec. 3. (a) If a dog, without provocation, bites a person: (1) who is acting peaceably; and (2) who is in a location where the person may be required to be in order to discharge a duty imposed upon the person by: (A) the laws of Indiana; (B) the laws of the United States; or (C) the postal regulations of the United States; the owner of the dog is liable for all damages suffered by the person bitten. (b) The owner of a dog described in subsection (a) is liable for damages even if: (1) the dog has not previously behaved in a vicious manner; or (2) the owner has no knowledge of prior vicious beha…
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.