What to Do After a Car Accident in Indianapolis: A Checklist

Save this page on your phone. Here is what matters, in order.

At the scene

1. Stop, check on everyone and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Indiana law requires a driver in a crash to stop, give their name, address and registration number, and show their license to the others involved. If someone is hurt or killed, the driver must also give reasonable help and make sure police or 911 are notified (IC 9-26-1-1.1).
2. Get out of traffic if you safely can. On I-465 and the other interstates, if you can't get fully off the road, stay buckled in with your flashers on.
3. Trade information: name, phone, insurance company and policy number, plate number.
4. Take photos: every vehicle, the plates, the road, the signals, debris, and your injuries.
5. Get witness names and phone numbers. Witnesses leave fast.
6. Note which police agency came. Around Indy it could be IMPD, the Indiana State Police, a sheriff's office, or a city or town department. It decides where you get the report.

The first 48 hours

• See a doctor, urgent care or the ER. Mention every spot that hurts.
• Tell your own insurer about the crash. Stick to the basic facts.
• Hold off on a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. Read dealing with insurance companies first.

Getting the crash report

IMPD crash reports are available online through BuyCrash, and the Indiana State Police keep the state's central repository of crash reports. Step by step: getting an IMPD crash report.

The weeks after

• Keep a folder: bills, receipts, pay stubs, mileage to appointments.
• Follow your doctor's plan. Insurers point to gaps in treatment.
• Write a few notes each week about pain and what you can't do.
• Stay off social media about the crash.
• Mind the two-year deadline (IC 34-11-2-4) and the much shorter notice deadlines if a government vehicle or road is involved.

Questions? See the FAQ or read about car accident claims.

Call (317) 780-8000. We'll talk it through.