Crashes on I-69 around Fort Wayne

Car Accident Lawyer Fort Wayne is a free referral service, not a law firm. The steps below are general information from Indiana law and state agencies.

Interstate speed changes the first minutes

On a city street, stepping out to look at the damage is usually safe. On an interstate it often is not. Traffic does not slow down just because you did. Indiana law fits this situation:

• If the car stopped in a traveled lane, no one is hurt, killed or trapped, and no hazardous materials are involved, move it off the traveled part of the road as soon as it is safe, close to the crash (Indiana Code 9-26-1-1.2).
• If anyone is hurt, killed or trapped, or hazardous materials are involved, that duty to move does not apply: call 911 and follow the directions of the operator, police or medics.
• Stay with the vehicles and give the others involved your name, address and registration number, and show your driver’s license (Indiana Code 9-26-1-1.1).

If you must wait in the car, keep the hazard lights on and your seat belt fastened until help arrives. If it is safer to wait off the road, behind the guardrail, do that.

Who answers a crash on I-69

Indiana law tells a driver where to report an injury crash: local police inside a city or town; the county sheriff or nearest state police post outside a city or town; or a 911 operator anywhere (Indiana Code 9-26-1-1.1). Whether a given spot is inside or outside city limits decides which agency is the right one, and on a long road that can change from one stretch to the next. The Indiana State Police has a District 22 post for Fort Wayne (Indiana State Police).

You do not need to work this out at the scene. Call 911, give the nearest exit or mile marker and the direction you were traveling, and the dispatcher can send whoever covers that spot. Before you leave, write down which agency came and the officer’s name.

The crash report

An officer must investigate a crash that causes injury or death, or apparent property damage of at least $2,500 (Indiana Code 9-26-2-1). The officer sends the report to the Indiana State Police within 24 hours of finishing the investigation, and the State Police keeps the central collection of crash reports for Indiana. Reports are public records, and you can usually buy a copy online through BuyCrash, the service the Indiana State Police uses (Indiana State Police crash reports). The Fort Wayne accident report guide covers each step.

Crashes with trucks on I-69

Semis share I-69 with everyone else. A crash with a commercial truck can involve the driver’s employer and more than one insurer, and evidence held by the trucking company may need attention early. The truck and semi crashes guide explains what to note and which questions to ask an attorney.

Indiana rules after an I-69 crash

The interstate does not change the basic rules. Indiana generally handles crash injury claims on a fault basis, starting with the at-fault driver’s liability insurance. Indiana’s general rule is modified comparative fault: at 51 percent or more at fault you generally cannot recover, and at 50 percent or less any amount is generally reduced by your share (Indiana Code 34-51-2). Indiana law generally gives two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Indiana Code 34-11-2-4), though the deadline can be shorter or different in some cases, such as when a government vehicle was involved.

Travelers passing through

Not everyone in an I-69 crash near Fort Wayne lives here. If you were driving through, the Indiana duties at the scene still apply to you, and the report still goes to the Indiana State Police. An attorney can explain which rules apply when the drivers come from different states. Get the crash report number before you leave town, keep every receipt for towing, a rental car and lodging, and tell your own insurer as soon as you can.

Talking with an attorney

The free referral line on this page connects callers with a participating independent attorney’s office. Or choose a firm yourself from the Fort Wayne car accident law firms directory; those firms are listed free from public sources and are not the attorneys on the referral line. For a crash on the east side, see I-469, US 30 and New Haven.

Questions people ask