Most injury claims are worked out with the insurance company and never go to court. Some don't settle, though, and it helps to know what happens if yours is one of them.
Where injury cases are filed
Most injury lawsuits in Indianapolis are filed in the Marion Superior Court, Civil Division, which handles general civil cases. Marion County's court proceedings are held at the Community Justice Campus, 675 Justice Way, Indianapolis, IN 46203, unless the court tells you otherwise. That's on the east side, not in the old downtown City-County Building.
Small claims
Marion County also has township small claims courts. Under Indiana law, they hear tort claims (like a crash claim) where the damages claimed are $10,000 or less, not counting interest or attorney fees. There's no jury in small claims court.
If you file in small claims, you give up any amount over the limit and can't sue for it later. A small property damage claim may fit there. A claim for a serious injury usually doesn't.
What a lawsuit looks like
- Complaint. The case is filed and the other side is served.
- Discovery. Both sides exchange records, answer written questions and take depositions.
- Mediation. Under Indiana's rules for alternative dispute resolution, a judge can send a civil case to mediation on the court's own motion or a party's request. A neutral mediator helps both sides look for a settlement. Nobody is forced to agree, and the case stays on the trial calendar.
- Trial. If the case doesn't settle, a judge or jury decides it.
How long this takes depends on the court's calendar and the case itself. We can't predict how long a case will take or how it will end.
Looking up a case
Indiana's public case search, MyCase, lets anyone look up many court cases by name or case number at mycase.in.gov.
Deadlines still apply
- Two years. Indiana generally requires a lawsuit for personal injury to be filed within two years after the injury (IC 34-11-2-4). That's the deadline to file in court, not just to call the insurance company.
- Government claims come sooner. If a city, county or other local government unit may be at fault, a written tort claim notice is generally due within 180 days (IC 34-13-3-8). For the State of Indiana, it's 270 days (IC 34-13-3-6).
Related: Marion County · Downtown Indianapolis · FAQ · Wrongful death · Insurance adjusters · Indy guides · Fees
Call (317) 780-8000.
Sources
- Marion Superior and Circuit Court listing effective Jan. 1, 2026 (675 Justice Way): mscslates.indy.gov/Document/Get?DocName=Marion+Superior+Court+-+Contact+email+and+phone+and+slates+listing
- indy.gov, Marion County Courts Civil Filing Division: www.indy.gov/activity/marion-county-courts-civil-filing-division
- IC 33-34-3 (Marion County small claims: $10,000 limit, no jury): iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_33/Article_34/Chapter_3.pdf
- Indiana Small Claims Rule 2 (waiver of the excess): rules.incourts.gov/Content/small-claims/rule2/current.htm
- Indiana ADR Rule 2.2 (court referral to mediation): rules.incourts.gov/Content/adr/rule2-2/current.htm
- Indiana ADR Rule 2.1 (purpose of mediation): rules.incourts.gov/pdf/PDF%20-%20ADR/adr.pdf
- Indiana MyCase public case search: mycase.in.gov/
- IC 34-11-2-4 (two-year deadline): iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_34/Article_11/Chapter_2.pdf
- IC 34-13-3-6 and 34-13-3-8 (tort claim notice): iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_34/Article_13/Chapter_3.pdf