Personal Injury
Motor Vehicle Code — Traffic & OWI
2 statutes with plain-language summaries, case relevance, source links, and related Michigan practice areas.
Motor Vehicle Code — Traffic & OWI
2 statutesMichigan generally prohibits holding or using a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle, subject to statutory exceptions. Violations are civil infractions, and the statute separately defines device use for commercial motor vehicles and school buses.Read Full Statute
Michigan law generally prohibits holding or using a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle, subject to statutory exceptions. Violations are civil infractions. Evidence of illegal device use, including records, video, or admissions, can support negligence and comparative-fault arguments in a crash case.
Distracted driving is a common cause of intersection and rear-end collisions. Proving the other driver was on a phone or device can shift fault and strengthen your liability case.
We subpoena phone records, seek dashcam and surveillance video, and depose drivers on device use when distraction is suspected.
"A person, whether licensed or not, shall not operate a vehicle on a highway or other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the parking of vehicles, within this state if the person is operating while intoxicated."Read Full Statute
Michigan prohibits operating a vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. OWI can be proven by blood alcohol level, drugs, or impaired ability to drive. A criminal OWI case is separate from your civil injury claim, but a conviction or police report can be powerful evidence of negligence.
If you were hit by a drunk or drug-impaired driver, the civil case may involve exemplary-damages analysis in limited circumstances and may involve deadline-sensitive dram shop liability if a vendor over-served.
We coordinate with criminal discovery, obtain toxicology and body-cam materials, and pursue all liable parties including bars under the Dramshop Act when the facts support it.