$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.
Detroit Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Southfield office · Serving Detroit and Wayne County
Hit while walking? Get help with medical bills, missed work, and questions about the driver or available insurance. Start with a free review of what happened in Detroit.
- $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 pedestrian accident case
Call about a Detroit matter when a driver hit a person in a crosswalk, roadway, parking lot, driveway, bus stop, school area, or hit-and-run and medical care or disputed fault followed. The first Detroit review identifies the correct PIP priority or assigned-claims path, driver and vehicle-owner responsibility, hit-and-run and UM/UIM coverage, traffic-control proof, comparative fault, and serious-impairment evidence. The Michigan pedestrian accident guide explains the statewide law and how it may apply to your situation.
Crosswalk and signal timing, business and vehicle video, lighting, sight lines, parked cars, braking, phone use, route data, witness locations, and the vehicle’s condition can change quickly.
Read the legal detailsIt costs nothing to learn where you stand. Call (248) 886-8650 or start a free case review.
Michigan Legal Center
Our results
The cases. The work.
The difference it made.
$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.
$220K
Surgery after a rear-end collision
The crash left Eva with neck and back injuries that worsened over time, required surgery and disrupted her ability to work. We secured a $220,000 settlement.
Evidence to preserve
What evidence should I keep?
Police and road agencies, platforms, drivers, passengers, vehicle owners, private camera holders, transit or parking systems, insurers, and medical providers may each hold a different part of the record.
Detroit crossing and signal proof
I-75, I-94, I-96, M-10, M-39, Woodward Avenue, Gratiot Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, and Detroit neighborhood streets. Signals and timing, markings, stop lines, lighting, sight lines, parked vehicles, bus stops, school conditions, road surface, weather, measurements, and camera locations can test the driver's and pedestrian's opportunities to see and react.
Driver, vehicle, and identity record
We identify DPD, MSP, Detroit Fire and EMS, Wayne County, business-camera, vehicle, employer, medical, court, and insurance records that fit the actual incident instead of relying on one report or one agency account. Speed, braking, phone use, impairment, distraction, work or app status, event data, damage, ownership, insurance, witness identification, and hit-and-run investigation records may come from different holders.
Trauma and functional proof
Records from Detroit Medical Center hospitals, Henry Ford Hospital, Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital, rehabilitation providers, and the Wayne County Medical Examiner, rehabilitation, employers, family, and later providers should document diagnosis, surgery, brain or orthopedic injury, scarring, function, work loss, care, and future needs.
Local evidence and records map
Who may hold the records?
Detroit Police precinct and records systems, Michigan State Police when applicable, 911, dispatch, crash photographs, witnesses, and the agency that actually investigated. Signal, road, transit, construction, and property evidence may instead be controlled by City of Detroit transportation or public-works records, MDOT, Wayne County, DDOT, QLINE, parking operators, utilities, or project contractors. A report request does not reach every public or private custodian.
Possible Detroit pedestrian accident evidence holders
| Evidence | Possible holder | Why it may matter |
|---|---|---|
| Crash or incident report, 911, dispatch, scene photographs, witnesses, citations, and hit-and-run investigation | Detroit Police precinct and records systems, Michigan State Police when applicable, 911, dispatch, crash photographs, witnesses, and the agency that actually investigated | Provides the first official record and vehicle-identification leads, but it may not include every signal, video, witness, or private record. |
| Signal timing, markings, stop lines, lighting, bus-stop, construction, maintenance, and road-control material | City of Detroit transportation or public-works records, MDOT, Wayne County, DDOT, QLINE, parking operators, utilities, or project contractors | Can test which controls applied and what a driver or pedestrian could see without assuming the road agency is liable. |
| Business, residence, transit, campus, parking, event, dashcam, delivery, rideshare, doorbell, or phone video | DDOT or QLINE vehicles and stops, downtown and neighborhood businesses, parking systems, stadium and event districts, hospitals, residences, dashcams, and doorbell cameras | May preserve the signal cycle, approach paths, visibility, impact, vehicle identity, witnesses, and post-crash conduct. |
| EMS, hospital, surgery, rehabilitation, work, school, function, scarring, brain-injury, and future-care records | Detroit Receiving, DMC, Henry Ford Health, EMS, rehabilitation, specialists, employers, and family observations can document different parts of serious injury and recovery. | Connects the event to diagnosis, treatment, restrictions, wage loss, daily-life change, and future needs. |
Why location matters
What matters in Detroit?
The exact scene helps identify where to look for reports, video, witnesses, and other records.
Understanding the local recordLocal evidence and investigation details
Signals, bus stops, school areas, downtown crossings, parking lots, neighborhood arterials, freeway service drives, and curbside activity require a location-specific evidence plan. Michigan Legal Center serves Detroit clients through its Southfield office. The firm has no physical Detroit office. Call before visiting or ask about a phone or video consultation. The Detroit investigation should reconstruct the pedestrian and vehicle paths, signal or right-of-way evidence, lighting, sight lines, video, driver conduct, PIP priority, hit-and-run coverage, and injury record before a fault percentage is accepted.
- Michigan pedestrians injured in motor-vehicle crashes in 2024
- 1,809
Reconstruct the Detroit crossing
I-75, I-94, I-96, M-10, Woodward Avenue, Gratiot Avenue, Grand River Avenue, Michigan Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, Seven Mile Road, and neighborhood corridors. For the Detroit event, document the signal phase, countdown, crosswalk or crossing point, stop line, curb, bus stop, driveway, parking aisle, lighting, weather, sight lines, traffic, parked vehicles, and camera positions.
Preserve driver, vehicle, and identity evidence
In the Detroit file, speed, braking, phone use, impairment, work or app status, vehicle data, damage, ownership, insurance, witnesses, and hit-and-run leads may sit with different holders. DDOT or QLINE vehicles and stops, downtown and neighborhood businesses, parking systems, stadium and event districts, hospitals, residences, dashcams, and doorbell cameras may preserve the clearest view.
Separate Wayne County benefits from fault
For a Detroit pedestrian claim, household PIP, non-occupant priority, assigned claims, UM/UIM, driver and owner liability, comparative fault, and serious impairment are distinct questions. Detroit Receiving, DMC, Henry Ford Health, EMS, rehabilitation, specialists, employers, and family observations can document different parts of serious injury and recovery. The Third Judicial Circuit, 36th District Court, and federal or neighboring-county proceedings can hold different parts of the record.
Claims and benefits
Which claims or benefits may apply?
These are possible legal paths, not automatic claims. The answer depends on the event, defendant, policy, injuries, forum, and current law.
Detroit PIP and assigned-claims path
A pedestrian injured by a motor vehicle may have No-Fault rights, but household coverage, the involved vehicle, and assigned-claims facts should be checked before identifying the benefit source.
Driver, owner, and work use
Traffic duties, fault, vehicle-owner responsibility, employer or platform evidence, serious impairment, comparative fault, and damages form the third-party claim.
Hit-and-run or roadway layer
UM/UIM terms, efforts to identify the vehicle, assigned claims, traffic-control evidence, road-agency duty, and any public notice issue require separate factual and legal support.
30-second case check
Do I have a Detroit pedestrian accident case?
Answer five short questions to organize the timing, harm, possible claims, evidence risk, and current status. 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
The rules below explain how a claim may work. The deadlines, available insurance and responsibility for an injury still depend on the facts of your case.
The full breakdownLegal rules that may apply
Signals and pedestrian roadway duties
Michigan statutes address signal indications and pedestrian roadway conduct. The full intersection, signal, crosswalk, traffic, visibility, and driver-duty record still controls fault.
PIP priority is fact-dependent
Household coverage, non-occupant priority, involved vehicles, and assigned-claims eligibility should be checked before assuming which insurer pays.
Threshold, comparative fault, and road notice
Serious impairment, comparative fault, general injury timing, and a possible defective-highway theory use different legal tests and clocks.
Case work
How we help with your case
From the first conversation onwardHow we gather evidence and build your case
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Fix the Detroit crossing in time
Document signals, timing, markings, lighting, sight lines, traffic, parked vehicles, road surface, weather, camera positions, witnesses, and the pedestrian's and vehicle's paths.
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Identify coverage and the driver
Map household and vehicle policies, assigned-claims eligibility, UM/UIM, ownership, work or platform use, and hit-and-run investigation steps without waiting for fault to be conceded.
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Test every fault allocation
We identify DPD, MSP, Detroit Fire and EMS, Wayne County, business-camera, vehicle, employer, medical, court, and insurance records that fit the actual incident instead of relying on one report or one agency account. Compare physical evidence, video, signals, route data, driver conduct, witnesses, and pedestrian conduct rather than accepting the first report or insurer percentage.
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Build the Detroit and Wayne County injury record
Connect care from Detroit Medical Center hospitals, Henry Ford Hospital, Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital, rehabilitation providers, and the Wayne County Medical Examiner and follow-up providers to trauma, surgery, rehabilitation, function, work, care, scarring, and future treatment before resolution.
Client reviews
What our clients say
In their own words. Read what clients and families say about working with our team.
★★★★★
When I was hit by a stolen car and reached out to other firms. Christopher Trainor and Associates was the only ones who contacted me immediately. The communications from my attorney was amazing. He made me feel like family and that is why I will ALWAYS recommend this law firm. They actually care about u, not just winning the case.
★★★★★
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 Southfield office.
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Local office
Legal help for Detroit from our Southfield office
Serving Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Dearborn, Redford Township, Grosse Pointe communities, and surrounding Wayne County.
- Address
- 2000 Town Center #1900, Southfield, MI 48075
- Hours
- 24/7 phone intake · Call before visiting
- Phone
- (248) 886-8650
Call before visiting so the team can confirm the right meeting location and time.
Common Questions
Detroit Pedestrian Accident Lawyer FAQs
Where might video exist after a pedestrian crash in Detroit?
DDOT or QLINE vehicles and stops, downtown and neighborhood businesses, parking systems, stadium and event districts, hospitals, residences, dashcams, and doorbell cameras may hold different recordings. Locate the exact crossing, curb, driveway, parking aisle, direction, and time quickly because retention periods differ and a report request does not preserve private footage.
Who pays PIP benefits to a pedestrian injured in Detroit?
The answer depends on household coverage, Michigan non-occupant priority, involved vehicles, exclusions, and possible assigned-claims eligibility. The at-fault driver’s liability insurer is not automatically the PIP payer.
Can a pedestrian still have a claim outside a marked crosswalk?
Possibly. The crossing point matters, but the full analysis can include signal phase, speed, careful lookout, lighting, sight lines, traffic, driver distraction, pedestrian conduct, and comparative fault.
Which local records may matter after a hit-and-run in Detroit?
Police supplements, 911 and dispatch, vehicle debris, witness names, plate-reader leads where lawfully available, DDOT or QLINE vehicles and stops, downtown and neighborhood businesses, parking systems, stadium and event districts, hospitals, residences, dashcams, and doorbell cameras, UM/UIM policy terms, household coverage, and assigned-claims eligibility may each matter.
Do I need a Detroit pedestrian accident lawyer?
A Detroit legal review is worthwhile when a driver hit a person in a crosswalk, roadway, parking lot, driveway, bus stop, school area, or hit-and-run and medical care or disputed fault followed. If the Detroit matter is minor, undisputed, and fully resolved, a lawyer may not change the outcome. The consultation with the Southfield office is free, so the useful question is whether legal help protects evidence, coverage, rights, or recovery in your facts.
What local evidence matters in a Detroit pedestrian accident case?
Crosswalk and signal timing, business and vehicle video, lighting, sight lines, parked cars, braking, phone use, route data, witness locations, and the vehicle’s condition can change quickly. The evidence list for this Detroit claim depends on the facts; no camera, report, database, or expert is automatically available or decisive.
How long do I have to bring a Detroit pedestrian accident claim?
Do not rely on one generic deadline. A third-party injury action is often governed by MCL 600.5805, while PIP notice, suit timing, tolling, and the one-year-back rule are addressed separately in MCL 500.3145. A defective-highway claim can require notice within 120 days under MCL 691.1404, and other defendants or policies can use different rules.
Which courts or agencies may matter in Detroit?
Wayne County Third Circuit Court, Wayne County Probate Court, Detroit district courts, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan may be involved depending on the claim. Venue and forum for a Detroit matter depend on where the event occurred, who the defendants are, the claim, damages, and any state or federal jurisdiction. A court near the Southfield office is not automatically the correct court.
Do medical records from local hospitals matter?
Yes. Records from Detroit Medical Center hospitals, Henry Ford Hospital, Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital, rehabilitation providers, and the Wayne County Medical Examiner and follow-up providers can document diagnosis, causation, treatment, function, prognosis, and damages in a Detroit claim. The Southfield legal team should obtain the complete relevant chain and not rely only on an insurer’s summary.
Do I have to visit the Southfield office?
No. The Southfield office offers phone and video consultations, and in-person meetings can be arranged when appropriate. Call (248) 886-8650 before visiting 2000 Town Center #1900, Southfield, MI 48075. Meeting arrangements for Detroit and Wayne County can be adapted when injury, disability, distance, weather, or custody makes travel difficult.
How are fees handled for a Detroit pedestrian accident case?
The Detroit consultation is free. If the firm accepts the matter on a contingency fee, the attorney fee and responsibility for case expenses are governed by the written engagement agreement. Past results in another Michigan matter do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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
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