Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Indiana?
Every rule below is quoted from Indiana law or a state agency, with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
We can't tell you whether you need a lawyer. We can show you the Indiana rules that usually decide it: how fault is split, how long you have, and how injury lawyers are allowed to charge. Many people with only car damage settle directly with the insurer. People with injuries, disputed fault or a claim near a deadline often talk to a lawyer first.
How fault changes your claim
If you were partly at fault
Indiana uses modified comparative fault with a 51 percent bar. You can collect money only if your share of fault is 50 percent or less. If your fault is more than the fault of everyone you are suing combined, you cannot collect anything.
“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”
How long you have
- 2 years
- to sue for injuriesIndiana Code 34-11-2-4
- 2 years
- to sue for car or property damageIndiana Code 34-11-2-4
- 2 years
- for a family to sue after a deathIndiana Code 34-23-1-1
- 180 days (local); 270 days (state)
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involvedIndiana Code 34-13-3-6 (state); 34-13-3-8 (political subdivision, 180 days)
Deadline to sue for injuries
You have 2 years from the crash to sue for your injuries.
“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.”
If a government vehicle or road was involved
If a city, county or other local government vehicle or road is involved, you must file a notice of claim within 180 days of the crash. If a state government vehicle or state road is involved, you must file notice with the Attorney General or the state agency within 270 days of the crash.
“a claim against the state is barred unless notice is filed with the attorney general or the state agency involved within two hundred seventy (270) days after the loss occurs”
How injury lawyers charge in Indiana
Contingency fee rules
Indiana has no statute or rule capping the percentage a lawyer can charge in a personal injury contingency fee. The lawyer conduct rule only requires the fee to be reasonable and in a signed written agreement, and it bans contingent fees only in certain family law matters and criminal defense.
“A fee may be contingent on the outcome of the matter for which the service is rendered, except in a matter in which a contingent fee is prohibited by paragraph (d)”
Questions to ask any lawyer before you sign
- What percentage do you charge, and does it change if the case goes to trial?
- Who pays case costs like records and expert fees if we lose?
- Will you handle my case yourself, or pass it to someone else?
- How long do cases like mine usually take here?
- What is the deadline for my claim, and when will you file?
If the insurer is the problem
File a complaint with the state
You can file a complaint against an insurance company with the Indiana Department of Insurance through its online Consumer Complaint Portal, or by mailing or faxing a written complaint form.
“You may file a complaint using our Online Consumer Complaint Portal.”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.