Woman hospitalized after Holland Township garage crash
A 62-year-old woman was hospitalized after crashing into the garage of an occupied home, causing significant structural damage.
Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office responded shortly after 8 a.m. to the home on Riley Street west of 136th Avenue in Holland Township.
She needed help getting out of the vehicle and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. A 9-year-old boy riding with her got out on his own and had no apparent injuries. No one inside the home was hurt.
The Ottawa County Technical Rescue team was called to stabilize the structure. The Holland Township Fire Department and AMR ambulance crews also responded.
The crash remains under investigation.
Who pays when a car damages a Michigan home?
Michigan's property protection insurance can pay for accidental damage a motor vehicle causes to someone else's home in Michigan. Fault is not taken into consideration as long as statutory requirements are met, so a homeowner doesn't necessarily have to prove the driver was negligent.
Under MCL 500.3121, covered property losses include physical damage and loss of use. Benefits consist of the lesser of reasonable repair costs or replacement costs less depreciation, plus the value of applicable loss of use. Payments under one policy for all property damaged in one accident cannot exceed $1 million.
The $3,000 vehicle-damage limit discussed in Michigan Legal Center's Michigan mini-tort claims guide doesn't cap property protection benefits for damage to a house.
Damage to property owned by a named insured, that person's spouse or a relative of either living in the same household can be excluded when one of those people owned, registered or operated a vehicle involved in the crash. Property protection claims go first to insurers of vehicle owners or registrants, then to insurers of vehicle operators.
Get help from Michigan Legal Center
Michigan Legal Center: the Law Offices of Christopher J. Trainor & Associates handles car accident injury and no-fault insurance claims.
If a vehicle crash left you with injuries or an insurance dispute, contact Michigan Legal Center to ask whether your matter falls within Michigan Legal Center's practice areas.
There is no attorney fee unless money is recovered for you. Case costs and fee terms are governed by the written fee agreement.