Indianapolis Car Accidents
Battle-Tested Representation for Car Accident Injuries in Indianapolis, Indiana
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Indianapolis car accidents send tens of thousands of people to hospitals, repair shops, and courtrooms every year. When a crash turns your life upside down, the road ahead can feel impossible. Keller & Keller has been standing up for injured Hoosiers since 1936.
Our commitment to Indiana goes well beyond the cases we take. Through Keller Cares, we show up for this community in ways that matter. We founded the Samantha’s House Foundation directly out of a case that changed how we saw our role in Indiana, and more than 15 years later, we’re still providing accessible homes and wheelchair-equipped vans for families facing life-changing medical challenges. Each Thanksgiving, our Indianapolis team hands 500 families a full holiday meal through our annual Turkey Giveaway, now two years running. And when a 2024 fire displaced more than 48 veterans overnight, we were at HVAF of Indiana’s door with financial support and essential supplies.
That same commitment carries directly into how we handle cases. We’ve recovered over a billion dollars for clients across Indiana, Michigan, and New Mexico, and our Zero Fee Guarantee means you pay us nothing unless we win
Indianapolis’s Car Accident Problem, By the Numbers
Indianapolis sits at the center of Indiana’s most dangerous county for driving. In 2023, 30,017 collisions occurred within Indianapolis city limits, including 2,082 speed-related crashes, 246 alcohol-impaired crashes, and 304 motorcycle collisions. Marion County as a whole recorded 36,662 total collisions and 135 fatalities countywide that same year.
The trend behind those numbers is even more alarming. Between 2017 and 2022, traffic deaths in Marion County surged 42 percent, from 102 to 145. Speeding-related fatalities jumped 155 percent over that same period. Drunk driving fatalities climbed 77 percent. These are not random tragedies. They are the result of preventable choices, and the families left dealing with the consequences deserve accountability.
Statewide, Indiana recorded 928 traffic deaths in 2023, with 47,552 non-fatal injuries. Serious, incapacitating injuries reached a five-year high of 3,923 in 2022 before declining to 3,468 in 2023. Marion County consistently accounts for the largest share of those numbers. In 2022, it recorded more total collisions than any other Indiana county at 36,489, involving 65,616 individuals.
30,017
Total car crashes in Indianapolis in 2023
135
Fatalities in Marion County in 2023
42%
Surge in Marion County traffic deaths from 2017 to 2022
Understanding Car Accidents in Indianapolis, Indiana
The True Cost of a Car Accident in Indianapolis
The injuries, risks, and lasting effects that follow a serious crash.
Common Injuries That Change Everything
Not all injuries show up right away. That’s one of the most dangerous facts about car accident injuries and one of the most important reasons to seek medical attention immediately, even when you feel okay.
Nationally, whiplash and neck injuries account for roughly 841,000 emergency room visits per year from car crashes. Despite their reputation as minor, roughly 25 percent of whiplash patients experience long-term pain or disability. Motor vehicle crashes cause approximately 24.5 percent of all TBI-related hospitalizations and are the leading cause of TBI death for people ages 5 to 24.
Spinal cord injuries, fractures, internal injuries, and burns are also common outcomes in serious crashes. Motor vehicle collisions remain the number one cause of spinal cord injury nationally.
Severity classifications in Indiana run from fatal (K) through incapacitating injury (A), non-incapacitating injury (B), possible injury (C), and property damage only (O). In 2022, there were roughly 3,923 incapacitating injuries statewide, a five-year high.
Marion County’s numbers are consistently the worst in the state across every severity category. In 2022, it recorded 140 fatal crashes resulting in 145 deaths, along with the highest total of individuals involved in collisions of any Indiana county.
Pedestrians and Cyclists Are at Serious Risk
Indianapolis has a serious pedestrian safety problem. Marion County’s 2020 pedestrian fatality rate was 3.89 per 100,000 residents, nearly three times the Indiana average and 70 percent higher than the national average. In 2021, 259 pedestrian crashes occurred in the county, and 61 percent resulted in fatal or incapacitating injuries. Eighty-four percent of pedestrian fatalities happened in dark conditions, and 71 percent occurred mid-block rather than at intersections.
In 2023 alone, IMPD responded to 274 pedestrian crashes (up 13 percent from the prior year), 76 hit-and-runs, and 28 fatal pedestrian incidents, along with 84 cyclist crashes resulting in 5 deaths. Pedestrians make up 14 percent of crash incidents in the metro but 30 percent of traffic deaths. If you were struck as a pedestrian or cyclist, you have every right to pursue the full compensation available to any accident victim.
What a Car Accident Really Costs You in Indianapolis
Car accidents don’t just cause physical harm. They cause financial devastation to individuals, families, and the broader community.
A property-damage-only crash costs an average of $4,700. A single fatality carries an economic cost of $1.6 million, and a comprehensive cost (including quality-of-life losses) of $11.3 million. Nationally, accident victims bear roughly 23 percent of crash costs out of pocket. ER visits for car accident injuries range from $3,000 to $150,000 or more depending on severity.
The behavioral factors that cause crashes carry their own price tags: alcohol-involved crashes cost an estimated $68.9 billion nationally, distracted driving crashes $98.2 billion, and speed-related crashes $46 billion. These costs land on victims, families, and taxpayers alike. Indiana’s 2022 crashes alone caused an estimated $47 billion in total societal harm.
Without insurance, individuals face full out-of-pocket exposure. And under Indiana’s No Pay, No Play law, uninsured drivers with prior violations cannot recover pain and suffering damages regardless of fault.
Uninsured Drivers in Indiana
What It Means for Your Claim When You’re Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Indianapolis
Roughly one in seven Indiana drivers carries no insurance. The combined national rate of uninsured and underinsured drivers has climbed to 33.4 percent, meaning one in three drivers may lack adequate coverage. Indiana requires minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The state mandates that insurers include uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage in every new policy unless you reject it in writing. If the at-fault driver has no insurance, that UM/UIM coverage is often your primary path to compensation.
If you’re hit by an uninsured driver, your path to recovery is not blocked. But it requires knowing how to pursue it, and that is where the right legal representation makes all the difference.
Free Case EvaluationIndiana Laws That Govern Car Accident Claims
Comparative Fault in Indiana
Indiana follows modified comparative fault with a 51 percent bar (IC 34-51-2). Your damages are reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing if your fault exceeds 50 percent. Insurance companies know this and exploit it aggressively.
Insurance Requirements and Liability Coverage
Indiana mandates minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. State law also requires insurers to include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in every new policy unless the policyholder rejects it in writing (IC 27-7-5-2).
Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Claims
Time limits matter. Personal injury and property damage claims must be filed within two years of the accident date (IC 34-11-2-4), and wrongful death claims carry the same two-year window running from the date of death (IC 34-23-1-1). Claims against a city or county government have a much shorter deadline of 180 days, and claims against the state allow 270 days. Missing any of these deadlines typically means losing your right to compensation entirely.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Indianapolis
The steps you take following an accident can significantly affect your case. Here’s what you need to do:
See What Your Case Is WorthLeaving the scene of a crash involving injury or death is a felony in Indiana.
as directed by law enforcement or medical personnel.
Indiana law (IC 9-26-1-1.1) requires immediate reporting of crashes involving injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,000.
with all involved parties: name, address, vehicle registration, and insurance details.
Within city limits, that’s IMPD. Outside city limits, contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office or Indiana State Police.
with the Indiana BMV within 10 days of any crash involving injury, death, or property damage over $1,000. That form is confidential by law and cannot be used as trial evidence.
even if you feel fine. Whiplash and head injuries can take days to surface.
Photos, witness contacts, medical records, and repair estimates all matter.
but do not give a recorded statement to anyone before speaking with an Indianapolis personal injury attorney.
Evidence disappears fast. The sooner we start, the stronger your case.
From Crash to Resolution
What We Handle For You
When you hire Keller & Keller, we get to work immediately.
Indianapolis Hospitals and Trauma Resources
After a serious crash, knowing where to go can save your life. Indianapolis has three Level I adult trauma centers, the highest designation available, each providing 24-hour specialist coverage for the most critical injuries.
ACS-verified and treats more than 3,600 trauma patients per year. It offers 24/7 trauma, neurology, orthopedic, and cardiothoracic surgery, with IU Health LifeLine helicopter and ground transport.
Indiana’s first adult Level I center. It operates five shock rooms and a dedicated 24/7 trauma operating room, and it houses the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center, the only ABA-verified adult burn center in Indiana.
The only Level I center on Indianapolis’s north side, supported by the OrthoIndy Trauma team and StatFlight helicopter transport.
Indiana’s longest-standing pediatric Level I trauma designation, held continuously since 1993, with an in-house 24/7 trauma team.
A Level I pediatric trauma center serving Indianapolis’s youngest and most critically injured patients.
For survivors requiring long-term rehabilitation, the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana is one of only 16 NIH-funded TBI Model Systems Centers in the country, and Hook Rehabilitation Center at Community Hospital East offers an 84-bed facility with a dedicated 12-bed brain injury unit.
What Law Enforcement Does at the Scene: And Why It Matters for Your Case
Everything that happens in the first hours after a crash creates a permanent record that insurance companies access immediately.
Local Law Enforcement in Marion County
Two agencies share primary jurisdiction over crashes in and around Indianapolis. Knowing which one responded to your accident matters when it is time to request your crash report.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD)
Primary jurisdiction within Indianapolis city limits. IMPD handles the vast majority of Indianapolis car accident responses. In 2023, the department responded to 274 pedestrian crashes, 84 cyclist crashes, and launched a dedicated reckless driving enforcement initiative targeting 31 identified problem locations. In November 2025, IMPD launched an online transparency portal at impdtransparency.indy.gov with daily-updated, searchable maps for incidents, crashes, stops, and citations.
Indiana State Police: Indianapolis District
Statewide jurisdiction, including all interstates running through Marion County. ISP handled 91,251 traffic stops and 14,104 crashes in the Indianapolis District in 2024, resulting in 50 fatalities and 2,265 injury crashes. In June 2025, ISP Lt. Josh Watson formed a special enforcement squad to analyze crash data and target high-crash locations directly. That same month, ISP and IMPD launched a permanent joint traffic enforcement campaign targeting reckless drivers on highways and city streets.
Why Local Legal Representation Matters in Indianapolis
Indiana’s legal framework has specific features that generalist or out-of-state attorneys can easily miss. Comparative fault laws mean fault percentage battles are fought hard in every case. Government entity claim deadlines of 180 days, far shorter than the standard two-year window, can eliminate a claim entirely if missed.
Indianapolis’s specific crash geography matters too. The I-465 corridor, the South Split, and surface arteries like 38th Street and Keystone Ave all have distinct traffic patterns and physical evidence considerations. Evidence at these locations must be preserved quickly before conditions change and footage is deleted.
Keller & Keller has been part of Indiana’s legal community since 1936. Our Indianapolis attorneys have spent decades in Marion County courtrooms. We know the roads, the insurers, and the tactics used against our clients. We’ll come to you at your home, in the hospital, or wherever is most convenient, because your focus should be on recovery, not logistics. And with our Zero Fee Guarantee, you pay us nothing unless we win.
The Traps Insurance Companies Set After an Accident
Insurance companies are not on your side. Their adjusters are trained professionals, and most accident victims are not. Knowing what to watch for is the first step toward making sure you don’t inadvertently hand them the ammunition they need to undercut your claim.
Indiana courts have held that insurers who make unfounded refusals or use unfair pressure to push a settlement may be liable for bad faith (Freidline v. Shelby Ins. Co., 774 N.E.2d 37, Ind. 2002).
How Keller & Keller Investigates Indiana Car Accident Cases
Our meticulous approach to evidence gathering builds the strongest possible foundation for your claim.
- Sending spoliation letters to prevent destruction of evidence
- Obtaining dashcam or security camera footage before it’s deleted
- Documenting vehicle damage before repairs
- Preserving electronic data from vehicles, especially in commercial truck cases
Setting the Indiana Standard
Cutting-Edge Investigation Technology
In Indiana’s varied driving conditions, from downtown Indianapolis interstates to rural Marion County roads, traditional investigation methods often fall short. That’s why Keller & Keller has invested heavily in advanced technology that gives us a decisive edge in building your car accident case.
Professional drone documentation
Capture accident scenes from angles impossible with traditional methods, revealing critical evidence like skid patterns, road defects, and sight line obstructions.
Advanced voice-over-IP networks
Enable real-time collaboration between our legal team, investigators, and expert witnesses, recording every detail.
Forensic data extraction
Retrieve critical pre-crash data that reveals precise speed, braking patterns, and steering inputs that often prove negligence.
Cloud-based case management
Provide real-time access to case developments, medical records, and insurance communications, 24/7.
Rapid-response investigation
Local experts mobilize to capture and preserve time-sensitive evidence throughout the scene of the accident.
Compensation that Might be Available to You
If someone else’s negligence put you in this position, Indiana law gives you the right to pursue full compensation for everything that crash has cost you.
Economic Damages
Cover measurable financial losses, including past, current, and future medical expenses; lost wages and reduced earning capacity; property damage; rehabilitation costs; home modifications; and in-home care
Non-Economic Damages
Compensate for pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of consortium.
Punitive Damages
Available in rare cases involving extreme recklessness or intentional misconduct.
Wrongful Death Damages
Surviving family members may recover compensation for funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. Indiana caps damages for the wrongful death of an unmarried adult without dependents at $300,000 with no recovery for lost earnings.
The value of your claim depends on the specific facts of your case. We pursue every dollar your case deserves.
Results That Speak for Themselves
Keller & Keller has recovered over a billion dollars for clients.
Settlement for a man killed in a head-on collision with a commercial truck
Mediated settlement in a semi-truck accident
Mediated settlement for an auto accident
Settlement for a vehicle passenger injured in a head-on collision
Settlement for a motorcycle rider injured by a tractor-trailer driver’s negligence
Settlement for a driver struck by a tractor-trailer
Disclaimer: Results vary based on the unique facts of each case and should not create expectations for future outcomes.
Real Client Success Stories
We’ve helped millions of injured people pursue compensation, hear how Keller & Keller made a difference in their cases.
View Client Testimonials
Take Action Now
Your Indiana Car Accident Claim Starts Here
Free Consultation
We’ll evaluate your case honestly and explain your options in plain English. We’ll come to you, whether you’re at home, in the hospital, or wherever is convenient.
We Fight
Our experienced team fights to investigate thoroughly, deal with insurance companies, and handle all the legal complexities while you focus on getting better.
You Recover
Focus on healing while we handle the rest. We’ll fight for you like we’d fight for our own family, because that’s exactly how we see you.
Zero Fee Guarantee
We believe everyone deserves quality legal representation, regardless of their financial situation. That’s why we work on a contingency basis. You pay absolutely nothing unless and until we win your case. No upfront costs, no hidden fees, no financial risk to you.
* Clients may owe court costs if they lose
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Questions? We’re here to help.
- ICJI Crash Statistics Hub: https://www.in.gov/cji/research/crash-statistics/
- Indiana Crash Facts 2023: https://www.in.gov/cji/research/files/2023-Crash-Facts-with-Officer-Report.pdf
- Indiana Crash Facts 2022: https://www.in.gov/cji/research/files/2022-TS-Fact-Book-Full-Report-1-22-24-with-crash-form.pdf
- Indiana HSP FY24–26: https://www.in.gov/cji/traffic-safety/files/FY24-INDIANA-HSP.pdf
- NHTSA FARS 2023: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813743
- NHTSA Economic Impact: https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-crashes-cost-america-billions-2019
- NHTSA Rural/Urban: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/813599
- FHWA Indiana Safety: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/reporting/state/safety.cfm?state=Indiana
- FHWA Road Weather: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/roadimpact.htm
- CDC TBI Facts: https://www.cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
- NIH/NICHD SCI: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/spinalinjury/conditioninfo/risk
- Indiana BMV: https://www.in.gov/bmv/licenses-permits-ids/suspension-and-reinstatement/proof-of-financial-responsibility/
- IN DOI Complaint Index: https://www.in.gov/idoi/files/2024-Auto-Index.pdf
- IN Dept of Health Trauma Centers: https://www.in.gov/health/trauma-system/indianas-trauma-system/trauma-centers/
- INDOT Hands-Free: https://www.in.gov/indot/files/fact-sheet-1.pdf
- ISP Crash Reports: https://www.in.gov/isp/crash-reports/
- IMPO Safety: https://www.indympo.org/resources/safety
- Health by Design Pedestrian Report: https://healthbydesignonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Marion-County-Pedestrian-Crash-Data-Report.pdf
- III/IRC Uninsured Motorists: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists
- TRIP Indiana: https://tripnet.org/reports/traffic-safety-indiana-news-release-06-21-2023/
- IU Health Methodist Trauma: https://iuhealth.org/find-medical-services/level-1-trauma-center
- Eskenazi Trauma: https://www.eskenazihealth.edu/health-services/trauma
- Ascension St. Vincent Trauma: https://healthcare.ascension.org/locations/indiana/inasc/indianapolis-ascension-st-vincent-hospital/departments/emergency/trauma-center
- Riley Children’s Trauma: https://www.rileychildrens.org/departments/trauma
- RHI Brain Injury: https://www.rhirehab.com/our-programs/acute-inpatient/brain-injury-program/
- Indiana Code (all statutes): https://iga.in.gov/laws/current/ic/titles/