INDOT stands for the Indiana Department of Transportation. It is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that our roads and intersections are safe and well maintained all year round. As a result, this government entity is often seen out in our Indiana highways and roads, carrying out construction and management projects, as well as fixing any traffic signage that may have broken down.
INDOT vehicle accidents can happen due to a number of reasons:
- Careless drivers speeding in order to get to their destinations fast.
- Lack of proper marking that demarcates INDOT’s work zone from the rest of the road
- Illegal or improper parking
- Lack of arrows on site that prompt drivers to slow down or turn left or right.
INDOT Accidents – What The Law Says
According to Indiana personal injury law, INDOT is legally held responsible when it comes to maintaining highways in a reasonably safe manner for drivers like you and me as well as operate their trucks and cars responsibly. Should they act in a negligent manner via the reasons named above, you may be able to file an Indiana tort claim to recover money damages for your accident.
How To File an INDOT Car Accident Claim
When it comes to filing a suit against a government agency such as INDOT, there are certain rules you must follow in a strict fashion. For starters, you must file a notice of claim detailing your accident within 270 days of it happening, which is usually done in compliance with Indiana Code 34-13-3. After the filing, you’ll wait for the Indiana Office of the Attorney General to get in touch with you within a 90-day period to know if your claim has been approved. If you don’t receive any communication from the AG’s office, know that your claim was denied.
When it comes to the limitations with regard to who’s to blame for your accident, you can’t hold the government employee directly liable for your Indiana car crash, but can hold INDOT responsible instead. In addition, there are financial caps you must adhere to with regard to damages, which is $700,000 for the death or injury of one individual, and $5 million for multiple victims, regardless of their number.
Need Help? We’re Only One Phone Call Away!
There’s a complexity to these kinds of cases that requires the assistance of a good, experienced Indiana personal injury lawyer. Don’t just pick any Indiana accident attorney – call us and we’ll put our two decades’ worth of experience to work on your case. We work on a contingency fee basis, so we won’t charge you anything until we win your case for you.