Business & Insurance Litigation Newsletter for Indiana
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Call Before You Dig The Indiana "Call Before You Dig" law, I.C. §8-1-26-1 et seq. requires anyone demolishing a structure once served by underground utility lines or digging with power equipment, to notify all utility operators of the planned demolition or excavation at least two days before undertaking such activity. Notification of all necessary utility operators can be accomplished with one phone call to the Indiana Underground Plant Protection Service Inc., at 1-800-382-5544. After receiving notice, all affected utility companies will mark the approximate location of their buried utility lines. Once marked, you must maintain a two-foot clearance on either side of the utility markings. If you must dig within the two-foot clearance of the marking, you must use hand tools, air cutting, or vacuum excavation. The use of power excavating, digging, or cutting equipment less than two-feet from utility markings is absolutely prohibited. A person who violates this law and damages a buried utility line is subject to reimburse the utility company for actual damages, costs of legal action, attorney's fees, and potentially punitive damages of three times the actual damages. |
