The Law Offices of David W. Holub represents people hurt in car accidents in Gary, Indiana. Attorneys David W. Holub and Katelyn Holub have served Northwest Indiana drivers for decades from the firm’s office in nearby Merrillville. Consultations are free. If you were injured in a crash in Gary, you can call (219) 736-9700 to talk about what happened.
Car Accidents in Gary
Gary sits at one of the busiest crossroads in the Midwest. Several major highways pass through the city, and each one pushes heavy traffic through neighborhoods where people live and work.
The Borman Expressway carries Interstate 80 and Interstate 94 across Gary’s north side. INDOT has described the Borman as the busiest interstate corridor in Indiana, carrying an average of more than 200,000 vehicles a day. A large share of that traffic is semi trucks moving freight between Chicago and points east. When traffic backs up near the Grant Street or Broadway interchanges, rear-end and chain-reaction crashes follow. Crashes involving commercial trucks on this road tend to cause serious injuries because of the size and weight of the vehicles.
Interstate 65 reaches its northern end in Gary, where it meets U.S. 12 and U.S. 20. Drivers coming off the interstate merge into local traffic in the central part of the city. The Indiana Toll Road, Interstate 90, crosses Gary as well, adding its own stream of trucks and out-of-state drivers.
Where Crashes Happen in Gary
Surface streets carry their own risks. Broadway, which is also State Road 53, is the city’s main north-south route. It runs from downtown Gary south toward Merrillville and passes through dozens of signalized intersections along the way. Grant Street is another busy north-south corridor with direct ramps to the Borman. U.S. 12 and U.S. 20 cross the north side of the city near the steel mills and the Miller area, where plant traffic, commuters, and visitors headed to the Indiana Dunes share the road.
Weather makes things worse. Lake-effect snow and ice are a regular part of winter here, and low visibility on the expressways can turn one crash into several. Congestion, constant truck traffic, and hard lake-effect winters all raise the risk of a serious collision on Gary streets and highways.
Indiana Law That Governs Your Gary Claim
Indiana gives you two years to file a lawsuit after a crash. The rule is Indiana Code 34-11-2-4. Two years sounds like plenty of time, but evidence fades fast. Skid marks disappear, camera footage gets erased, and witnesses move away. Starting early protects your claim.
For most car accident cases, Indiana uses a comparative fault system. You can recover as long as you were not more than half at fault for the crash. Your award is then reduced by your share of the fault. The rule is Indiana Code 34-51-2-6. For example, if a jury finds you 20 percent at fault, your recovery is reduced by 20 percent.
Those rules change when the government is involved. Indiana’s comparative fault law does not apply to claims against government defendants. That comes from Indiana Code 34-51-2-2. Instead, the older rule of contributory negligence controls, and under that rule even a small share of fault on your part can block your claim entirely. Different, stricter fault rules apply when a government vehicle is involved, and the deadlines are shorter. It helps to talk to a lawyer quickly in these cases.
Those government deadlines are strict. For a claim against a city or county, written notice can be due as soon as 180 days after the crash. The rule is Indiana Code 34-13-3-8. For a claim against the state, which can include crashes tied to INDOT-maintained roads like the Borman, notice is due within 270 days. That rule is Indiana Code 34-13-3-6. If the notice deadline passes, the claim is barred no matter how strong it is.
Where Your Gary Case Is Filed
Injury lawsuits from Gary crashes are filed in the Lake County court system. The Lake Superior Court Civil Division handles most of them, and two of its civil courtrooms, Room 3 and Room 4, sit in Gary itself. Other civil rooms are located in Hammond and East Chicago, and the Lake Circuit Court sits in Crown Point.
Gary has its own city court, but it hears traffic infractions and ordinance matters only. An injury lawsuit cannot be filed there. If the responding officer issued a ticket after your crash, that ticket may go through Gary City Court while your injury claim proceeds separately in Superior or Circuit Court.
What To Do After a Gary Crash
Call 911 and wait for police if you can. Crashes on the Borman are often worked by the Indiana State Police, while city streets like Broadway are covered by the Gary Police Department. Either way, a crash report is created, and it matters later.
Get medical care right away, even if you feel mostly fine. Some injuries take days to show up. Many Gary crash victims are treated at the Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus or at hospitals in nearby communities.
If you are able, photograph the vehicles, the roadway, and your injuries, and collect contact information from witnesses. Be careful with insurance adjusters. They may call quickly and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one before speaking with a lawyer. Our Merrillville car accident guides cover these steps in more detail.
About the Law Offices of David W. Holub
David W. Holub and Katelyn Holub are Indiana attorneys who focus on personal injury cases. The firm has represented injured people across Northwest Indiana for decades, including many clients from Gary. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; each case depends on its facts.
We do not have an office in Gary. Our office is located at 8403 Merrillville Road, Merrillville, IN 46410, about a 20 minute drive from downtown Gary straight down Broadway or by way of I-65. If your injuries make travel hard, we can arrange another way to talk. We also handle other injury cases in the city. You can learn more on our Gary injury page or our Gary construction accident page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if a semi truck hit me on the Borman Expressway in Gary?
Truck crashes work differently than ordinary car crashes. Trucking companies often send investigators to the scene within hours, and key evidence like driver logs and onboard data can be lost quickly. Our Gary truck accident page explains these cases. Talking with a lawyer early helps preserve evidence.
What if my Gary crash involved a city vehicle or a public bus?
Stricter rules apply. Indiana’s comparative fault law does not cover claims against government defendants, so any fault on your part can bar recovery completely. Written notice can also be due as soon as 180 days after the crash. These cases move on a faster clock, so it helps to get advice quickly.
What happens if the driver who hit me in Gary has no insurance?
It happens more than people think. Studies from the Insurance Research Council estimate that roughly one in seven Indiana drivers carries no insurance. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply, and a lawyer can review your policy to see what protection you have.
How much does it cost to talk to your office?
Nothing. Consultations are free, and injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. Attorney fees come out of any recovery at the end, not out of your pocket up front.
Talk With Our Office
If you have questions about your situation, you can contact our office to discuss it. You can call (219) 736-9700 or use the contact form on this page. The Law Offices of David W. Holub, 8403 Merrillville Road, Merrillville, IN 46410, serves Gary and all of Northwest Indiana.