$1.435M
Motorcyclist hit by a drunk driver; brain and spine injuries
The collision caused a traumatic brain injury and fractures in the lumbar spine.
Ann Arbor Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Ann Arbor office · Serving Washtenaw County
Hurt by an impaired driver? Get help with your injuries and insurance questions while the criminal case follows its own course. Start with a free review of what happened in Ann Arbor.
- $300M+ Recovered for Michigan clients
- 400+ 5-star ratings across review platforms
- Free Case review with no obligation
Start here
What should I do next?
Start with what you know: when and where it happened, how you were affected, and any reports or messages you have. You do not need a complete file before contacting us. We can explain what else may matter, which records to look for, and whether we can help.
A closer lookHow we review your drunk driving accident case
Call if an alcohol- or drug-impaired driver caused medical care, missed work, a serious injury, death, or an insurance dispute. Michigan Legal Center can separate the OWI and civil cases, preserve local and private evidence, review No-Fault personal protection insurance (PIP) and UM/UIM coverage, and investigate a licensed seller only when the facts support it. For the statewide civil framework, see our Michigan drunk driving accident page and lawyer-reviewed guide to claims against impaired drivers and licensed alcohol sellers.
Private video, receipts, payment data, staff or patron witnesses, vehicle information, social or ride records, and public recordings may be controlled by different holders and can become unavailable while the criminal case is still pending.
Read the legal detailsIt costs nothing to learn where you stand. Call (734) 882-2646 or start a free case review.
Michigan Legal Center
Our results
The cases. The work.
The difference it made.
$5.2M
Teacher rear-ended by a city work van
A teacher suffered brain and spinal injuries when a Detroit city van hit his stopped car. The City offered $25,000 before trial; a Wayne County jury awarded $5.2 million.
$1.25M
Fatal rear-end crash
A speeding driver struck the vehicle from behind. The wrongful-death recovery included the available underinsured motorist policy limits.
Evidence to preserve
What evidence should I keep?
Police, prosecutors, courts, licensed sellers, private properties, witnesses, vehicles, insurers, and medical providers may each hold a different part of the record.
Ann Arbor crash and OWI evidence
The UD-10, incident and arrest records, 911 and dispatch, body or dash camera, officer observations, chemical-test information, witnesses, scene evidence, vehicle data, tow records, and criminal docket may document different parts of the event. The correct agency and availability must be verified.
Possible alcohol-service evidence
If the facts identify a licensed seller, relevant evidence may include legal licensee identity, receipts, tabs, payment records, surveillance, staff and patron witnesses, social or ride records, and observations of the driver’s behavior when alcohol was furnished. No source or unlawful service should be assumed.
Ann Arbor insurance and injury proof
PIP priority, liability limits, UM/UIM terms, releases, medical care through University of Michigan Health, Trinity Health Ann Arbor, and regional rehabilitation providers, later treatment, work loss, household needs, function, prognosis, and wrongful-death proof should be developed independently of the criminal prosecution.
Local evidence routes
Who may hold the records?
Michigan Traffic Crash Facts recorded 63 alcohol-involved traffic crashes in Ann Arbor in 2024, including 24 injury crashes and 30 people injured. The official measure is not limited to university incidents, student drivers, OWI convictions, or dram-shop claims.
Agency and jurisdiction
Ann Arbor Police and the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security use separate records systems. The exact street, campus or institutional property, responding agency, report number, and event boundary should be confirmed before directing a request.
Criminal and civil roles
Washtenaw County victim/witness functions relate to crime-victim rights and the criminal proceeding. The civil investigation separately addresses PIP, the driver and vehicle, private event or property evidence, possible alcohol service, injuries, damages, and insurance.
How to read the local crash data
The 2024 figure gives useful context for Ann Arbor, but every claim turns on its own evidence. Police findings, witness accounts, testing, the driver’s actions, insurance records, and any evidence involving an alcohol seller must be evaluated for the individual crash.
Possible Ann Arbor evidence holders and request routes
| Possible holder | Possible material | How to request or preserve it |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor Police or City of Ann Arbor | City crash, incident, dispatch, recording, traffic-control, or other qualifying records | The city’s report or FOIA process for the identified agency and record |
| University of Michigan DPSS | Campus or institutional police reports and qualifying university-held records | U-M DPSS reports and records process |
| Event, garage, residence, business, or licensed seller | Conditional video, access or parking data, receipts, staff or patron witnesses, and service records | Fact-specific preservation and lawful civil process |
| Washtenaw County prosecutor, victim/witness, and court systems | Criminal proceeding information, public court records, and crime-victim support | The correct county division or court for the pending matter |
Why location matters
What matters in Ann Arbor?
The exact scene helps identify where to look for reports, video, witnesses, and other records.
Understanding the local recordLocal evidence and investigation details
In Ann Arbor, the first step is distinguishing an AAPD investigation from a U-M DPSS matter. Public police records may tell only part of the story; event, parking, payment, business, residential, and witness evidence may be held elsewhere.
- Alcohol-involved Ann Arbor traffic crashes in 2024
- 63
Determine city or university jurisdiction first
The postal city, a nearby campus building, or a student connection does not identify the police custodian. The actual property, street, responding unit, and report should guide whether AAPD, U-M DPSS, MSP, the sheriff, or another agency is contacted.
Event and parking records may be separate from police evidence
If the facts point to an event, garage, lot, venue, residence, or business, ticketing, access, video, payment, employee, or witness information may be privately or institutionally held. No particular system, record, or retention period should be promised.
Campus context cannot substitute for dram-shop proof
A driver’s age, student status, or proximity to a university does not establish where alcohol came from or whether a licensed seller acted unlawfully. License identity, service, visible behavior, timing, and causation require evidence from the actual pre-crash sequence.
Claims and benefits
Which claims or benefits may apply?
No-Fault PIP, the civil claim against a responsible driver or owner, UM/UIM, and a possible licensed-seller claim use different proof and timing. None is automatic from an OWI allegation.
No-Fault PIP benefits
PIP can address allowable medical expenses and certain economic losses without deciding who caused the crash. The proper benefit source and timing depend on the injured person, household coverage, vehicle status, and assigned-claims facts.
Driver, owner, and insurance claim
A separate motor-vehicle claim requires proof of fault, causation, Michigan’s injury threshold where applicable, comparative fault, damages, and insurance. An OWI charge or conviction can be evidence but does not automatically establish every civil element.
Conditional dram-shop or other third-party path
A licensed seller may be a defendant only when the evidence and Michigan’s Dram Shop Act support the claim. Service to a minor or visibly intoxicated person, causation, required parties, notice, and filing rules need prompt attorney review; a license, BAC result, or place visited is not enough.
30-second case check
Do I have an Ann Arbor drunk driving accident case?
Answer five short questions about the OWI investigation, timing, injuries, possible civil paths, insurance, and evidence. There is no sign-up and no dollar estimate. Your answers are included only if you submit the free case review below. The result is general information, not legal advice.
Question 1 of 5
Michigan law
The law and deadlines
A criminal result can be evidence, but the civil case still requires claim-specific proof. Licensed-seller liability additionally requires the elements, parties, notice, and timing in Michigan’s Dram Shop Act.
The full breakdownLegal rules that may apply
The OWI case and civil claim are separate
MCL 257.625 governs Michigan impaired-driving offenses. An investigation, arrest, plea, or conviction can be important evidence, but the civil case still requires proof of responsibility, causation, injury, damages, insurance, and any additional defendant.
Dram-shop liability requires actual statutory proof
MCL 436.1801 distinguishes unlawful service to a minor from service to a visibly intoxicated person. A claim based on visible intoxication requires evidence of outward signs at the time of service; a BAC estimate alone does not establish those signs. A claim based on unlawful service to a minor does not require proof of visible intoxication. Causation, eligible parties, defenses, notice, and filing rules still require claim-specific attorney review.
PIP, UM/UIM, and injury timing remain separate
PIP priority and timing, the motor-vehicle injury threshold, comparative fault, liability insurance, UM/UIM policy conditions, and general injury timing should be reviewed on their own tracks. A criminal case does not pause every civil or insurance requirement.
Case work
How we help with your case
From the first conversation onwardHow we gather evidence and build your case
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Separate the Ann Arbor criminal and civil files
Identify the crash report, investigating agency, prosecutor and court matter, while independently opening the PIP, liability, UM/UIM, medical, wage-loss, and private-evidence tracks.
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Reconstruct the driver’s pre-crash timeline
Use supported police observations, testing, witnesses, transactions, communications, ride or location information, and any lawful service evidence to determine what can actually be proved without guessing where alcohol came from.
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Preserve evidence holder by holder
Direct public-record requests, private preservation steps, insurance notices, medical authorizations, and civil discovery to the entities that control each item. FOIA, a police report request, a preservation demand, and a lawsuit are different tools.
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Prove benefits, responsibility, and loss
Coordinate PIP, driver and owner liability, serious-injury evidence, policy limits, UM/UIM, any legally supported seller claim, liens, medical needs, work loss, family impact, and claim-specific deadlines before resolution.
Client reviews
What our clients say
In their own words. Read what clients and families say about working with our team.
★★★★★
I had a rear end collision with a driver in a Ford F-150 pick up truck and I had multiple surgeries and quite a few medical bills that Ryan Ford worked with multiple providers to ensure the medical bills were paid for.
★★★★★
I loved everything about my experience!!! From start to finish I was always in communication with staff & any concerns or questions I had were handled adequately! Thank you so much for everything. Car accidents are scary but you all made this process so easy & fought hard for me to get paid
★★★★★
Christopher Trainor & Associates represented my mother in an extremely tragic car accident. The insurance company was resistant on paying out her law suit, and the team won our case! Thank you so much for your representation!!
Free case review
Tell us what happened.
Send the basics. We will check the facts, coverage, deadlines, evidence, and whether hiring us makes sense. No obligation.
- Contingency-fee cases. No attorney fee unless there is a recovery; the written agreement controls fees and case expenses.
- 400+ 5-star ratings. Across Google and leading review platforms.
- Meet how you want. Phone or video, with in-person meetings arranged when appropriate. Call before visiting the Ann Arbor office.
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Response within 24 hours
Local office
The Ann Arbor office
Serving Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Plymouth, Canton, Monroe, Milan, and Dexter.
- Address
- 2723 S State St UNIT 150, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
- Hours
- 24/7 phone intake · Call before visiting
- Phone
- (734) 882-2646
Call before visiting so the team can confirm the right meeting location and time.
Common Questions
Ann Arbor Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer FAQs
Should I request an Ann Arbor police report or a U-M DPSS report?
Use the exact crash location, property boundary, responding unit, and report number. AAPD and U-M DPSS are separate record holders, and another agency may be involved on a boundary or state-controlled road.
Who may hold video from an Ann Arbor campus-area crash?
Possible holders include the investigating agency, university, garage, event operator, business, residence, transit system, vehicle, or witness. The actual scene and camera must be identified; a campus-area description does not establish coverage.
Does an Ann Arbor OWI charge decide the civil injury case?
No. The charge can be relevant evidence, but the civil case still requires proof of crash fault, causation, injuries, damages, PIP priority, liability coverage, UM/UIM, and any separate alcohol-provider claim.
Can Washtenaw County victim services represent me in the civil case?
No. It can support eligible victims in the criminal process. A private civil claim and insurance benefits require separate representation, evidence preservation, and timing analysis.
How long do I have after an Ann Arbor drunk-driving crash?
Do not use one deadline for every path. MCL 436.1801 includes a two-year period for a dram-shop action, written notice generally within 120 days after the attorney-client relationship begins for that claim, and a required-party rule. PIP timing under MCL 500.3145, the driver claim, UM/UIM conditions, wrongful death, and other defendants require separate review.
Do I have to visit the Ann Arbor office?
No. Phone and video consultations are available, and an in-person meeting can be arranged when appropriate. Call (734) 882-2646 before visiting 2723 S State St UNIT 150, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
How are fees handled for an Ann Arbor drunk-driving accident case?
The consultation is free. If Michigan Legal Center accepts the case on a contingency fee, the attorney fee and responsibility for case expenses will be explained in the written engagement agreement.
Our Team Approach
Every case at Christopher Trainor & Associates is a team effort. Our attorneys collaborate on strategy, discovery, and litigation so you get the full strength of the firm behind you—not just a single lawyer. We have built our practice on this collaborative model since 1989.
Meet Our AttorneysRelated resources
Ann Arbor Office 2723 S State St UNIT 150, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Local phone (734) 882-2646. Learn More Ann Arbor Car Accident Lawyer Car Accident guidance, local evidence, and source links for Washtenaw County. Learn More Ann Arbor Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Motorcycle Accident guidance, local evidence, and source links for Washtenaw County. Learn More Ann Arbor Snowmobile Accident Lawyer Snowmobile Accident guidance, local evidence, and source links for Washtenaw County. Learn More Ann Arbor Bicycle Accident Lawyer Bicycle Accident guidance, local evidence, and source links for Washtenaw County. Learn More Michigan Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Statewide Michigan drunk driving accident law, evidence, claims, and case guidance. Learn More
In-depth guide Can You Sue A Bar Or Drunk Driver? Lawyer-reviewed guide to the driver claim, PIP benefits, visible intoxication, licensed sellers, social hosts, evidence, and timing. Read guide In-depth guide What Is OWI In Michigan? Michigan OWI terminology, criminal evidence, the separate civil claim, PIP, and preservation. Read guide In-depth guide Who Pays Michigan Car Accident Medical Bills? PIP priority for occupants, pedestrians, cyclists, and assigned-claims situations. Read guide In-depth guide Michigan UM/UIM Coverage Policy issues when an impaired driver has no insurance or insufficient limits. Read guide