Rear-ended in Indianapolis? Who to call (IMPD, ISP, insurance)

Getting hit from behind is one of the most common crashes in Indianapolis traffic, and one of the most confusing afterward. Which police number do you call? Who writes the report, and where do you get it? Why did the BMV send you a letter? This page walks through each call in order.

Who should I call after I’m rear-ended in Indianapolis?

Call 911 if anyone is hurt, a car is stuck in traffic, or the other driver seems impaired or drives off. For a minor, no-injury crash on Indianapolis streets, call IMPD’s non-emergency line, 317-327-3811; dispatch may text you a Driver Exchange link. On interstates, Indiana State Police often handle crashes. Then call your insurer.

911 or the IMPD non-emergency line?

Call 911 if anyone is hurt, someone is trapped, a vehicle is disabled in a traffic lane, there is fire or leaking fuel, the other driver seems impaired, or the other driver leaves the scene. Indiana law requires a driver in a crash that injures or kills someone to give notice right away to the local police, the sheriff or nearest state police post, or a 911 operator (IC 9-26-1-1.1).

Call IMPD’s non-emergency line, 317-327-3811, for a minor crash in Indianapolis where no one is hurt and the damage is property only. IMPD uses a Driver Exchange tool for these calls: dispatch may text each driver a secure link, and the drivers exchange information on their phones instead of waiting for an officer. The exchange can later be downloaded free at CrashDocs.org.

317-327-3155 is not a reporting line. It is the phone number for the IMPD crash-report counter at 50 N. Alabama St., where you can buy a copy of a report after it is written.

What Indiana law requires at the scene

Under IC 9-26-1-1.1, a driver involved in a crash must:

• Stop at the scene or as close to it as possible, in a way that blocks traffic no more than necessary.
• Give their name, address, and the vehicle’s registration number to anyone involved, and show their driver’s license.
• If anyone is injured, provide reasonable help as directed by police, medical personnel, or a 911 operator, and make sure police or 911 is notified as soon as possible.

Knowingly leaving the scene without doing these things is a crime in Indiana. If the driver who hit you takes off, call 911 and write down whatever you can: plate, make, model, color, and direction of travel.

When will an officer investigate?

Indiana law requires a police officer to investigate a crash that causes an injury or death, or apparent total property damage of at least $2,500 (IC 9-26-2-1). The officer forwards the written report to the Indiana State Police within 24 hours of finishing the investigation (IC 9-26-2-2). For smaller, no-injury crashes, the Driver Exchange record may be the only documentation, so take your own photos of both cars, the scene, and the other driver’s license, plate, and insurance card.

Rear-ended on I-465, I-65, I-69, I-70, or I-74?

The Indiana State Police Indianapolis District (District 52) patrols the interstates around Indianapolis, and troopers often investigate crashes there. You do not need to figure out which agency has jurisdiction: call 911, and dispatch will send the right one. If you need to follow up later on a crash that troopers handled, the district office is at 8620 E. 21st St., Indianapolis, 317-899-8577.

Can I file an IMPD police report online?

Not for a crash. IMPD’s online reporting system is limited to non-emergency incidents such as lost property, theft, vandalism, shoplifting, failure to pay, and harassment (see indy.gov: IMPD Community Online Reporting). For a minor crash, use the non-emergency line and the Driver Exchange instead.

How to get the crash report

• An IMPD officer wrote the report: buy it online at BuyCrash, or in person at 50 N. Alabama St., Room E100, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The in-person copy costs $12; bring the date, time, and location of the crash and, if you have it, the officer’s name. Phone: 317-327-3155. Details: indy.gov: Request a Crash Report.
• Driver Exchange: if the officer gave you a Driver Exchange link at the scene, the exchanged driver and insurance info is at CrashDocs.org.
• Indiana State Police handled it: ISP keeps the statewide repository of crash reports and sells electronic copies through BuyCrash (see ISP: Crash Reports).

The BMV letter: proof of insurance after a crash

When the BMV receives a crash report, it mails each driver a request to verify insurance. The insurance details you gave the officer are not passed on to the BMV, and the officer will not hand you a form. Your insurance company must file a Certificate of Compliance electronically with the BMV, and the BMV must receive and process it within 90 days of mailing the request, or your driving privileges will be suspended. Call your insurance agent as soon as the letter arrives. Source: Indiana BMV: Proof of Financial Responsibility.

Dealing with the insurance companies

Indiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, and that driver’s insurer, are generally responsible for the harm. Indiana law says a driver may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, considering speed, spacing, and road conditions (IC 9-21-8-14). A rear driver who could not stop in time may be found to have followed too closely, but fault is not automatic. The other insurer may argue you stopped suddenly or changed lanes in front of the other driver. Under Indiana’s comparative fault law, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault and is barred only if your fault is greater than everyone else’s combined (IC 34-51-2-6).

• Your own insurer: report the crash promptly, as your policy requires.
• The other driver’s insurer: you are not required to give them a recorded statement. Be careful about signing a broad medical authorization or accepting a quick offer before you know how badly you are hurt.
• Medical payments coverage on your own policy, if you have it, may help with early bills regardless of fault.

If the other driver has little or no insurance: UM/UIM

Indiana’s minimum liability coverage is $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. A serious neck, back, or head injury can cost more than that. Indiana insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage with each auto policy, in limits at least equal to your bodily injury liability limits, unless the named insured rejected it in writing. Underinsured coverage cannot be sold in an amount under $50,000 (IC 27-7-5-2). If the driver who hit you was uninsured, underinsured, or drove off, your own UM/UIM coverage may apply, depending on your policy’s terms. Read the declarations page or ask your agent what you carry.

When to call a lawyer

Many fender-benders never need a lawyer. It makes sense to get advice if:

• You needed treatment beyond a quick check-up, or your pain is not going away
• You are missing work
• The other insurer is disputing fault or says you stopped short
• The other driver was uninsured, underinsured, or drove off
• A semi, delivery van, rideshare, or government vehicle hit you
• An adjuster wants a recorded statement, a broad medical release, or a quick signature

Deadlines matter. Most Indiana injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash (IC 34-11-2-4). If a city, county, or state vehicle hit you, written notice is required much sooner: 180 days for local governments (IC 34-13-3-8) and 270 days for the State (IC 34-13-3-6).

Phone numbers to save

• Emergency: 911
• IMPD non-emergency (minor crash, no injuries): 317-327-3811
• IMPD crash-report counter (copies only): 317-327-3155
• Indiana State Police, Indianapolis District: 317-899-8577
• Poynter & Bucheri, free case review: (317) 780-8000 or toll-free 1-800-265-9881

Hurt in a rear-end crash in Indianapolis? Call (317) 780-8000 or 1-800-265-9881, or send the free case review form. See also our Indiana car accident lawyer page and how injury lawyer fees work in Indiana.

General information only—not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different; deadlines can be shorter in some situations. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.