What an Out-of-State Notre Dame Student Should Do After a Car Accident in South Bend

July 2, 2026

• Notre Dame is an exciting place to go to school, but driving in the area can be dangerous. Between campus drivers, gameday tourists, downtown traffic, and the Toll Road, the chances of getting in an accident are significant.
• If you’re an out-of-state Notre Dame student, this can mean dealing with insurance companies, Indiana law, the multiple jurisdictions around campus, and more. Getting what you deserve can take time, and take away from your college experience.
• Working with a legal team that understands South Bend and Indiana law can ease your stress and help you get the compensation you need to make the most out of your time at Notre Dame.

Going to college at Notre Dame is exciting. You’re at a world-famous university. Your school is on national TV almost every week. You’re away from home, maybe for the first time. You have the freedom to go where you want when you want. That could mean being on the road around South Bend a lot. And that could increase your chances of getting in a car accident.

If you’re in a crash in or around South Bend, what comes next could be unlike anything you experience at home. With multiple jurisdictions, a car accident for an out-of-state Notre Dame student can be confusing. Getting the compensation you deserve for your accident could require a lot of complex legal work.

Luckily, there is a system in place, and the right team can help you navigate your way through it. An experienced South Bend car accident lawyer can get you what you need to get back to school – no luck necessary.

Why Driving Around Notre Dame Can Be Dangerous

The area surrounding your campus is pretty unique. South Bend is one of the largest cities in Indiana, but the campus technically isn’t in South Bend – it is its own city.

When you’re in South Bend, you’re in a busy city filled with trucks, buses, and retail and commuter drivers. When you’re on campus, there are student drivers everywhere, with people rushing to and from classes.

Notre Dame is also filled with tourists year round and thousands more on gameday. These drivers are looking for parking, eager to get to the game, and sometimes not in great shape to be behind the wheel afterwards, whether from drinking or just exhaustion.

In addition, the north side of campus runs near the Indiana Toll Road, the major east-west expressway in the state. It is constantly filled with trucks coming in and out of Chicago and to and from Ohio and parts beyond.

So, yeah: there’s a lot of traffic around Notre Dame, and it could lead to more car accidents.

FAQs: What Happens When You Are in an Accident in South Bend?

South Bend residents tend to have a lot of questions after a car accident. As an out-of-state college student, you probably have more. Here are the answers to a few.

Am I under Indiana law or my home state laws?

If an accident happens in Indiana, you will be dealing with the Indiana legal system. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New York, or anywhere else. Your insurance company will be subject to Indiana laws, and any cases will be in Indiana courts.

What if the other driver is also from another state?

This is pretty common, given the number of other college students and out-of-state drivers. But ultimately, it doesn’t matter. The accident happened in Indiana, so Indiana laws apply.

What police department will handle my case?

This is an important question. The police department on the scene creates the accident report, which is used as a kind of “source of truth” for your claim. They will write about citations issued, try to create an approximation of what happened, and maybe take pictures. This goes a long way towards helping insurance companies (or courts) determine who is at fault and to what degree. You will need to obtain a copy of your accident report.

But it can be complicated around Notre Dame. There are four potential police departments in the South Bend area you could call depending on where your accident happened.

• On Campus: In the parking lots, on campus roads, on the Toll Road interchange, and around the perimeter of campus, you’ll be dealing with the Notre Dame Police Department. While we recommend avoiding 31st and Douglas on game days, if you are in an accident near there, it’ll be campus police.
• In South Bend: Within South Bend city limits, the South Bend Police Department will handle all accidents.
• On the Toll Road: When driving back to campus from a break, the area nearest to the school is probably the most dangerous. If you are in an accident on I-80/90, you’ll be working with the Indiana State Police.
• Unincorporated Areas: These areas, either in South Bend, Notre Dame, or any of the surrounding smaller towns like Mishawaka or Granger, are unincorporated St. Joseph County. The SJPD will handle these accidents.

Do I really need a South Bend lawyer, or should I just use someone from back home?

With no disrespect to car accident lawyers in your home state, it is usually advisable to work with lawyers who understand local laws and local courts. Things can get very complicated when you are in a car accident near Notre Dame. There are overlapping jurisdictions, and it could be up to you to discover who is responsible and to what degree. If that isn’t handled carefully, you could be out thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

You might need that money to pay your medical bills. You might not be able to work, if you are working, and suffer lost wages. You could be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering. Having a South Bend car accident lawyer who knows the system could be the best way to get what you need.

So it is important to have a good lawyer?

You don’t need to go to the bluntly-named The Law School at Notre Dame to know that the answer is “yes.”

You have a lot going on. You have your classes. Your friendships. Your extracurricular activities. Your desire to not spend every waking moment dealing with insurance companies and a complicated and often trudgingly slow legal system.

A skilled legal team can make the system move faster and work for you so that you can enjoy everything that Notre Dame has to offer.

Reach Out to Our Experienced South Bend Car Accident Attorneys

The lawyers who will stand up for you after a Notre Dame car accident are at Hensley Legal Group, PC, a dedicated Indiana personal injury law firm whose experienced attorneys have been fighting on behalf of the wrongfully injured since 1998.

Simply call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form now for a free consultation with a knowledgeable South Bend car accident attorney.