Louisville Bridge Accident Lawyer: Crashes on the Ohio River Bridges

• Little room to escape. Narrow lanes, no shoulder or a very small one, and concrete barriers leave nowhere to go when traffic stops suddenly.
• Sudden backups. Rush hour, lane closures and earlier crashes cause chain-reaction rear-end wrecks. See multi-vehicle pileups.
• Merging at both ends. The approaches feed into Spaghetti Junction downtown and busy interchanges in Indiana. See lane change and merging crashes.
• Heavy trucks. I-65 and I-64 carry a large share of freight between the Midwest and the South. See our truck wreck lawyer page.
• Work zones. Bridge maintenance closes lanes and shifts traffic. See work zone accidents.

Kentucky’s northern boundary is generally the low-water mark on the Indiana side of the Ohio River, as it was when Kentucky became a state. In practice, that means much of the river crossing on each bridge is in Kentucky. Crashes near the Indiana end, on the approaches or on the Indiana side of the riverbank may be in Indiana.

The exact location matters. It can decide which police agency writes the report, which state’s traffic laws apply, which court hears the case and which fault rules a jury uses. We pin down the location with the crash report, photos, toll records and camera footage before anything else.

• Fault: Kentucky uses pure comparative fault: your share of fault reduces your recovery but doesn’t bar it (KRS 411.182). Indiana uses modified comparative fault: you recover nothing if your fault is greater than everyone else’s combined (Ind. Code 34-51-2-6).
• Insurance: Kentucky is a choice no-fault state with PIP. Indiana is an at-fault state, so the at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays.
• Deadlines: Most Kentucky motor vehicle injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash or the last PIP payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). Indiana generally allows two years for injury claims (Ind. Code 34-11-2-4).
• Pain and suffering threshold: To recover pain and suffering from an at-fault driver, Kentucky’s no-fault law generally requires more than $1,000 in medical expenses, or an injury such as a fracture, permanent injury, permanent disfigurement or permanent loss of bodily function (KRS 304.39-060).

Which state’s law a court applies depends on the facts, including where the crash happened and where the people involved live. Our out-of-state driver guide and Jeffersonville injury page explain more.

• Unless you rejected it in writing, your own PIP (personal injury protection) coverage pays up to $10,000 of medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. See how Kentucky PIP works. Kentucky PIP on your own policy generally applies even if the crash happened on the Indiana side; check your declarations page.
• The at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays for losses beyond PIP.
• Your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can help if the other driver had little or no insurance or fled. See uninsured motorist claims and hit-and-run accidents.
• A trucking company or employer may be responsible if a commercial vehicle caused the crash. See company vehicle accidents.

• The crash report. Depending on the location, it may come from LMPD, Kentucky State Police or an Indiana agency. See how to get a Louisville accident report.
• RiverLink toll records. The Lincoln, Kennedy and Lewis and Clark bridges are tolled electronically, and toll data can show when a vehicle crossed (RiverLink).
• Traffic cameras. TRIMARC and Indiana traffic cameras watch the approaches. TRIMARC says it doesn't record its camera feeds, but it may have incident records. See TRIMARC camera footage.
• Dashcams and truck data. Commercial trucks often have cameras and engine data. See truck black box evidence.
• Witnesses. Other drivers stuck in the backup often saw what happened.

1. If you can, turn on your hazard lights and stay buckled in your car. Walking on a bridge deck with no shoulder is dangerous.
2. Call 911 and tell the dispatcher which bridge, which direction and which end you’re closest to.
3. Get medical care the same day, even if you feel okay.
4. Photograph the vehicles, the lane and any signs or mile markers if you can do so safely.
5. Write down the agency that responded and the report number.
6. Talk with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer. See recorded statements.

We figure out where the crash happened and which rules apply, request the report and camera footage quickly, send preservation letters for toll and truck data, and handle the insurers on both sides of the river. Larry Forman has tried 50+ jury trials and won 95% of them, and we prepare every case as if it may go to trial.