The Law Offices of David W. Holub represents people injured in car accidents in Westville, Indiana. We serve Westville and the rest of LaPorte County from our office in Merrillville. Consultations are free. Call us at (219) 736-9700.
Car Accidents in Westville
Westville sits in LaPorte County, where U.S. Route 421 runs north and south through the middle of town. For a short stretch through Westville, US-421 runs together with U.S. Route 6 and State Road 2, so multiple designated routes share the same pavement downtown before splitting off. North of town, US-421 continues toward Michigan City, and SR-2 branches northeast toward the city of La Porte.
Purdue University Northwest’s Westville campus sits right on US-421, and the entrance is its own traffic light. Students, faculty, and staff commuting from Michigan City, Valparaiso, and surrounding towns add a steady flow of traffic to US-421, especially around the start and end of class periods during the fall and spring semesters. Left turns into and out of the campus entrance, combined with drivers unfamiliar with the area, create a pattern of intersection crashes near the campus that is different from what you would see on a typical stretch of highway.
Where Crashes Happen in Westville
Westville is also home to the Westville Correctional Facility, a state prison that has housed more than 3,000 inmates, on the west side of town. Shift changes there send a wave of employee traffic onto the surrounding roads at set times of day, adding another layer of predictable but heavy traffic beyond the campus and downtown corridors.
Away from the campus and the prison, US-421, US-6, and SR-2 carry a mix of local traffic and drivers passing through on their way to Michigan City, La Porte, or Valparaiso. The result is a town where a fairly small population deals with an outsized amount of through traffic on state highways not built with heavy local turning movements in mind. The crashes we see most often near Westville include intersection collisions near the PNW campus entrance, rear-end crashes on the US-421/US-6/SR-2 corridor downtown, and crashes tied to shift-change traffic near the correctional facility.
Indiana Law That Governs Your Westville Claim
Indiana gives you two years from the date of a car accident to file a lawsuit. That deadline is set by Indiana Code 34-11-2-4, and Indiana courts apply it strictly.
Fault is decided under Indiana’s comparative fault system. You can still recover damages as long as you were not more than half at fault, and your award is reduced by your own share of fault (Indiana Code 34-51-2-6).
A stricter rule applies when a government vehicle is involved. The Comparative Fault Act does not apply to government defendants (Indiana Code 34-51-2-2), so the older contributory negligence rule governs instead, and any fault of your own can bar recovery completely. US-421, US-6, and SR-2 through Westville are state-maintained routes, and the correctional facility is a state institution, so this exception comes up more than usual here.
Claims against a government body also carry short notice deadlines: as short as 180 days for a town, county, or subdivision (Indiana Code 34-13-3-8), and 270 days against the State (Indiana Code 34-13-3-6).
Where Your Westville Case Is Filed
An injury lawsuit from a crash in Westville is filed in the LaPorte County court system. The LaPorte Circuit Court and Superior Court 3 both sit at 813 Lincolnway in La Porte, the county seat, about 12 miles northeast of Westville. The county’s other three courts, Superior Courts 1, 2, and 4, sit about 20 miles away at 300 Washington Street in Michigan City. Case assignment decides which court hears a claim, but La Porte is the closer courthouse for most Westville-area cases. See our page on car accident cases in LaPorte County for more on the county’s claim process.
What To Do After a Crash in Westville
Call 911 and move to a safe spot if you can. A crash on US-421 near the Purdue Northwest campus can happen during a change of classes, when pedestrian and turning traffic both spike, so watch for other vehicles before stepping out. Westville police or LaPorte County officers typically respond and write the report.
Get medical care right away, even if you feel fine at the scene. Franciscan Health Michigan City at La Porte, on State Road 2, is one of the closer hospitals.
Photograph the scene and your injuries, and collect contact information from witnesses, including students or staff if the crash happened near campus. Our Merrillville car accident page explains what typically happens after you file a claim.
About the Law Offices of David W. Holub
Attorney David W. Holub has practiced personal injury law in Northwest Indiana for decades. He and attorney Katelyn Holub are licensed in Indiana and handle car accident claims from LaPorte County. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; each case depends on its facts.
The Law Offices of David W. Holub serves all of Northwest Indiana from our office at 8403 Merrillville Road, Merrillville, IN 46410, about 40 minutes west of Westville via US-30 and State Road 2. We do not have an office in Westville. Your first consultation can happen by phone, with video or in-person meetings in Merrillville when ready.
Westville Car Accident FAQs
What if my crash happened near the Purdue Northwest campus entrance?
Crashes near the campus entrance on US-421 often involve left turns timed around when classes start and end. Witness statements from students or staff, along with the physical evidence at the scene, help establish who had the right of way.
I was hurt in a commuter crash on US-421 in Westville. What should I expect?
US-421 carries a steady flow of commuters heading to Michigan City, La Porte, and Valparaiso, and rear-end and lane-change crashes are common during rush periods. Fault usually comes down to following distance and the evidence from the crash scene.
The other driver was a college student. Does that change anything about my claim?
Not usually. A student driver’s insurance still applies the same way, and Indiana’s fault rules do not change based on age. If the driver was on a graduated license with restrictions, a violation of those restrictions could become part of the fault discussion.
What does a car accident lawyer cost?
Consultations are free. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee, so the fee comes out of any recovery. No recovery means no fee.
Talk With Our Office
If you have questions about your situation, you can contact our office to discuss it. Call (219) 736-9700 or send a message through our contact page.