Accident Settlement Calculator

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Indiana Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In Indiana, you generally have 2 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing if more than 50% at fault, and drivers must carry at least $25,000/$50,000 in injury liability. Enter your numbers below to see what a Indiana claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

Indiana rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are more than 50% at fault
Details & exceptions

Indiana uses modified comparative fault: an injured person can recover as long as their fault is not greater than the combined fault of all persons whose fault contributed to the damages (so 50 percent or less), and damages are reduced by their percentage of fault. At 51 percent or more, they recover nothing. The Comparative Fault Act does not apply to claims against governmental entities or public employees (IC 34-51-2-2), where the common-law contributory negligence rule still applies.

Compare fault rules in all states →
Deadline to file a lawsuit2 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

IC 34-11-2-4(a): an action for injury to person or injury to personal property must be commenced within 2 years after the cause of action accrues. Wrongful death: the personal representative must sue within 2 years (IC 34-23-1-1). Claims against government: a tort claim against the State is barred unless written notice is filed with the Attorney General or the state agency involved within 270 days after the loss (IC 34-13-3-6); a claim against a political subdivision (city, county, etc.) is barred unless notice is filed with its governing body and the Indiana political subdivision risk management commission within 180 days after the loss (IC 34-13-3-8). Combined liability of all governmental entities and public employees is capped at $700,000 per person (causes of action accruing on or after 2008-01-01) and $5,000,000 per occurrence, with no punitive damages (IC 34-13-3-4). Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2026-01-01).

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Other driver's minimum insurance$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. IC 9-25-4-5: $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons in one accident, and property damage of $10,000 before July 1, 2018 and $25,000 beginning July 1, 2018. The 2018-07-01 date is for the property damage increase; the 25/50 bodily injury amounts predate it. Higher minimums apply to recovery vehicles (IC 9-25-4-6). No change to these amounts was found for 2023-2026. 2026 HEA 1260 (various insurance matters, P.L. 86-2026) reportedly changed auto nonrenewal notice rules but not the minimum limits (secondary reporting only).

Compare minimums in all states →
Who pays your medical billsThe at-fault driver's insuranceSee all no-fault states →
Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No general statutory cap on noneconomic damages in auto injury cases against private defendants. Caps that exist do not apply to ordinary car-accident claims: (1) the Medical Malpractice Act caps total recovery at $1,800,000 for malpractice after June 30, 2019 (IC 34-18-14-3); (2) claims against governmental entities and public employees are capped at $700,000 per person and $5,000,000 per occurrence (IC 34-13-3-4); (3) in wrongful death of an unmarried adult with no dependents (or a married adult with no dependents killed by their spouse), damages for loss of love and companionship are capped at $300,000 (IC 34-23-1-2). Related 2024 change: under HEA 1090 (2024), for causes of action accruing after June 30, 2024, evidence that a plaintiff aged 15 or older failed to wear a seat belt may be admitted in any civil action for mitigation of damages; the defendant must prove noncompliance and that compliance would have reduced the injuries. It is still not 'fault' under the comparative fault statute (IC 9-19-10-7).

Uninsured motorist coverageOptional
Details & exceptions

IC 27-7-5-2(a): insurers must provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in every auto liability policy issued or delivered in Indiana for a vehicle registered or principally garaged there, in limits at least equal to the bodily injury liability limits, unless rejected in writing. UIM must be made available in limits of at least $50,000. Under (b)-(c), a named insured may reject UM, UIM or both in writing, the rejection binds all insureds, and the insurer need not re-offer at renewal unless asked in writing. UM property damage coverage requires UM bodily injury coverage. So the coverage is included by default but is not mandatory.

Worked example: a typical Indiana car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in Indiana: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  3. Total claim value$40,000 – $60,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  4. After your share of fault$32,000 – $48,000Indiana uses modified comparative negligence (51% bar): you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  5. Limited by available insurance$32,000 – $48,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  6. Estimated take-home$20,440 – $31,160Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $25,800 ($20,440 – $31,160), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in Indiana

The 2-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road180 days (local) / 270 days (state)

Written tort claim notice is required: for a city, county or other local body, within 180 days of the loss, to its governing body and the political subdivision risk management commission; for the State, within 270 days, to the Attorney General or the state agency involved.

Indiana Code 34-13-3-6, Notice of claim against stateIndiana Code 34-13-3-8, Notice of claim against political subdivision

If the injured person is a child

A child injured before 18 can generally sue within 2 years after turning 18; government notice deadlines may still apply and are only extended for a person who is incapacitated.

Indiana Code 34-11-6-1, Legal disabilitiesIndiana Code 34-13-3-9, Incapacity; notice within 180 days after removal

How fast a Indiana insurer must respond

Indiana sets no specific day counts. Its Unfair Claim Settlement Practices law requires insurers to acknowledge and act 'reasonably promptly' on claim communications and accept or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss.

Indiana Code 27-4-1-4.5, Unfair claim settlement practices

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a Indiana crash

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in Indiana?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault, a Indiana claim against the other driver is worth about $40,000, and the injured person takes home about $25,800 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in Indiana.
Is Indiana an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
Indiana's car insurance system: At-fault (tort).
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in Indiana car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. No general statutory cap on noneconomic damages in auto injury cases against private defendants. Caps that exist do not apply to ordinary car-accident claims: (1) the Medical Malpractice Act caps total recovery at $1,800,000 for malpractice after June 30, 2019 (IC 34-18-14-3); (2) claims against governmental entities and public employees are capped at $700,000 per person and $5,000,000 per occurrence (IC 34-13-3-4); (3) in wrongful death of an unmarried adult with no dependents (or a married adult with no dependents killed by their spouse), damages for loss of love and companionship are capped at $300,000 (IC 34-23-1-2). Related 2024 change: under HEA 1090 (2024), for causes of action accruing after June 30, 2024, evidence that a plaintiff aged 15 or older failed to wear a seat belt may be admitted in any civil action for mitigation of damages; the defendant must prove noncompliance and that compliance would have reduced the injuries. It is still not 'fault' under the comparative fault statute (IC 9-19-10-7).
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in Indiana?
Indiana follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Indiana?
Generally 2 years for personal injury and 2 years for property damage. IC 34-11-2-4(a): an action for injury to person or injury to personal property must be commenced within 2 years after the cause of action accrues. Wrongful death: the personal representative must sue within 2 years (IC 34-23-1-1). Claims against government: a tort claim against the State is barred unless written notice is filed with the Attorney General or the state agency involved within 270 days after the loss (IC 34-13-3-6); a claim against a political subdivision (city, county, etc.) is barred unless notice is filed with its governing body and the Indiana political subdivision risk management commission within 180 days after the loss (IC 34-13-3-8). Combined liability of all governmental entities and public employees is capped at $700,000 per person (causes of action accruing on or after 2008-01-01) and $5,000,000 per occurrence, with no punitive damages (IC 34-13-3-4). Statute text read from FindLaw mirrors (current as of 2026-01-01).
What is the minimum car insurance in Indiana?
$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. IC 9-25-4-5: $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more persons in one accident, and property damage of $10,000 before July 1, 2018 and $25,000 beginning July 1, 2018. The 2018-07-01 date is for the property damage increase; the 25/50 bodily injury amounts predate it. Higher minimums apply to recovery vehicles (IC 9-25-4-6). No change to these amounts was found for 2023-2026. 2026 HEA 1260 (various insurance matters, P.L. 86-2026) reportedly changed auto nonrenewal notice rules but not the minimum limits (secondary reporting only).
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in Indiana?
180 days (local) / 270 days (state). Written tort claim notice is required: for a city, county or other local body, within 180 days of the loss, to its governing body and the political subdivision risk management commission; for the State, within 270 days, to the Attorney General or the state agency involved.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in Indiana?
Indiana sets no specific day counts. Its Unfair Claim Settlement Practices law requires insurers to acknowledge and act 'reasonably promptly' on claim communications and accept or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss.

Related

Official sources