No-Fault / PIP benefits
From the correct priority source, regardless of fault.
Michigan Car Accident Lawyers
We Stand In Front Of You
If you were injured, billed, blamed, or put out of work by a crash, talk to Michigan Legal Center before the insurance company takes over.
- $300M+ Recovered for Michigan clients
- 400+ 5-star ratings across review platforms
- $0 Upfront. No fee unless we recover
- 1989 Serving Michigan since
- 10 Offices across Michigan
- 24/7 Free case review, any time
What You Need to Know First
Your crash created two claims. Most people only know about one.
A Michigan car accident claim usually runs on two tracks.
A claim against the at-fault driver
For threshold-dependent noneconomic loss and other damages Michigan law allows.
Michigan Legal Center’s first review answers the questions that decide both: who pays the medical bills, what evidence is at risk, whether insurance is pushing a statement or release, and which deadlines apply. That first review protects evidence, keeps notices on track, and keeps you from signing away a claim before the injuries and coverage are known.
It costs nothing to find out where you stand.
Since 1989
Why Michigan crash victims choose Michigan Legal Center.
Since 1989, the difference is what happens before settlement talks ever begin: we take over the parts that cost people money, starting the day you call.
Medical bills and No-Fault
We identify the correct PIP insurer, submit notice, and push for medical bills, wage loss, attendant care, replacement services, and mileage. Learn about replacement services.
Adjusters and statements
We take over the calls, control what gets provided, and keep incomplete answers from becoming the insurance company’s version of the crash.
Evidence before it disappears
Reports, video, witnesses, vehicle damage, event data, scene proof, medical records, and policy documents are preserved early, before negotiation ever starts.
Case value and trial pressure
We build the claim around fault, medical proof, future care, lost income, and daily-life impact. Insurers know which firms can file, prove, and try a case, and they value settlements accordingly.
The process
What happens when you call.
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You call, day or night
A real person listens. No forms, no runaround, and no pressure. Tell us what happened in your own words.
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We review what matters
The crash, the coverage, the deadlines, and the evidence at risk. We look at both No-Fault benefits and any claim against the at-fault driver.
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You get straight answers
We explain your options at no cost. If we do not think you need a lawyer, we tell you that directly.
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We take it from there
If we take the case, the insurers, the paperwork, and the pressure become our problem, and your job is getting better.
Case results
The work shows up in the results.
Selected recoveries for Michigan crash victims.
$5,200,000 Wayne County jury verdict for a Michigan teacher rear-ended by a Detroit city vehicle. Open case story $5,000,000 Wrongful death in a semi-truck accident. $2,000,000 Auto accident recovery. $1,300,000 Auto accident recovery. $1,250,000 Wrongful death after a rear-end crash, including UIM limits. $1,200,000 Commercial truck crash: back, neck, and head injuries. $1,000,000+ Child hit while riding a bicycle; case reopened for lifetime benefits. $1,000,000+ Hit-and-run client receiving lifetime uninsured motorist benefits.
Client reviews
5-star car accident reviews from Michigan clients.
Actual Google reviews from people who mention car accidents, auto accidents, or being hit by a vehicle.
I’m so glad that I called Christopher trainer associates to handle my major car accident where I was T boned. All the stress and anxiety completely left me because they went above and beyond by getting me a Case Manager named Deena, who was a godsend. I’ll forever be grateful to this Lawfirm and I trust him wholeheartedly.
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!!
My Nephew Chris recommended Christopher Trainor & Associates to me after my car accident and I am extremely happy that I was a client of his law firm because his entire team helped me through the whole process from start to finish and I would highly recommend his law firm. Thank you Mr. Trainor
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.
Excellent lawyers who take the time for listen and help their clients! I highly recommend them to anyone who has had a car accident!
You focus on healing.
We handle everything else.
The calls, the bills, and the pressure start before you have recovered. From day one, that is our job, not yours.
30-second case check
Do I have a Michigan car accident case?
A quick check for the issues that matter first: injuries, insurance pressure, deadlines, fault, and evidence. No sign-up, no dollar estimate, and your answers stay on this page. The result is general information, not legal advice.
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Free case review
Tell us what happened.
Send the basics. We will check the crash, coverage, deadlines, evidence, and whether hiring us makes sense. No obligation.
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- 400+ 5-star ratings. Across Google and leading review platforms.
Response within 24 hours
Legal details
Michigan car accident law, deadlines, and evidence.
Get medical care first. Before you give a recorded statement or accept the insurer’s version of the crash, let us check coverage, deadlines, evidence, and the two claim tracks that may control what gets paid.
Open the full breakdown Michigan No-Fault, deadlines, damages, and evidence
How Do Michigan Car Accident Claims Work?
A serious Michigan crash can produce two separate claims that run at the same time: a No-Fault PIP claim through the correct priority insurer for immediate losses, and a third-party liability claim against the at-fault driver when the law allows it. They follow different rules and deadlines, and how each one affects the other can change what you ultimately recover.
Your Michigan crash
Up to two claims can run at the same time
No-Fault / PIP, from the correct priority source
- Reasonably necessary medical care, up to your policy level
- A portion of lost wages
- Replacement services and attendant care
- Medical mileage
Pays whether or not the crash was your fault. Written notice generally must reach the correct insurer within one year unless it already paid benefits (MCL 500.3145).
Third-party claim, against the at-fault driver
- Noneconomic loss, including pain and suffering, when the statutory threshold is met
- Economic loss only to the extent Michigan law allows it beyond applicable PIP or statutory limits
- Permanent serious disfigurement and loss of consortium, when the facts and law support them
Pain-and-suffering and other noneconomic loss require serious-impairment, death, or permanent-serious-disfigurement review. Excess allowable expenses and work loss follow separate statutory limits (MCL 500.3135; McCormick v. Carrier).
Michigan No-Fault Reform, Serious Impairment, And Coverage Issues
Michigan car accident cases are not just injury claims. They require a coverage review, a No-Fault benefits review, and a serious-impairment review at the same time. The 2019 No-Fault reform changed medical PIP coverage choices for policies issued or renewed on or after July 2, 2020, and those choices can affect medical-bill exposure, attendant-care issues, and how the third-party case must be built.
PIP medical coverage tier
We check whether the applicable policy has unlimited, $500,000, $250,000, limited Medicaid, or Medicare opt-out treatment. The selected tier can affect what PIP pays and whether any separate economic-loss issue needs review.
Attendant care and fee schedule pressure
Post-reform claims can involve family-provided attendant-care limits and provider reimbursement disputes. DIFS guidance, including the No-Fault FAQ and fee-schedule bulletins, helps frame the issue without replacing a claim-specific review.
Serious impairment proof
A pain-and-suffering claim usually depends on the threshold in MCL 500.3135. We connect diagnoses, restrictions, imaging, treatment, and daily-life limits to the McCormick serious-impairment framework.
UM/UIM and collectability
If the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little insurance, UM/UIM coverage may be the most important policy in the case. We review that before any release is signed.
Government notice traps
Public vehicles, road defects, and state defendants can trigger short notice rules, including MCL 691.1404 and MCL 600.6431, long before a normal injury lawsuit deadline.
Insurer file building
Recorded statements, medical releases, IME notices, early offers, and preexisting-injury arguments can narrow the claim before recovery is known. Our job is to slow that process down and build the evidence first.
The table below maps the issues that most often decide a Michigan car accident claim. The linked guides go deeper on each one.
| Claim issue | Michigan law | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| PIP medical bills and wage loss | MCL 500.3145; Michigan DIFS PIP FAQ | Written notice of injury generally must reach the proper insurer within one year unless PIP was already paid. DIFS explains that PIP may cover reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to the selected policy level, plus wage loss and replacement services for up to three years. See our PIP priority guide. |
| Pain and suffering claim | MCL 500.3135 | The injury must meet the serious-impairment, death, or permanent serious disfigurement threshold before noneconomic damages are available from the at-fault driver. McCormick v. Carrier (2010) sets the current test. |
| General injury lawsuit | MCL 600.5805 | Most Michigan injury claims have a three-year filing period, but claim type, defendant type, and earlier notice rules can shorten the practical deadline. |
| Shared fault | MCL 600.2959 | Fault assigned to you reduces your damages. If your fault is greater than everyone else’s combined, economic damages are still reduced by your percentage, but noneconomic damages are not awarded. |
| Government road or vehicle | MCL 691.1404, MCL 600.6431 | Highway defects, government-owned vehicles, and state defendants can trigger short notice requirements, sometimes as brief as 120 days, long before the ordinary lawsuit deadline. |
| No-Fault reimbursement schedule | DIFS fee schedule | DIFS issued the current July 2, 2026 through July 1, 2027 fee schedule CPI adjustment in Bulletin 2026-09-INS. These are provider reimbursement rules, not a decision about whether a particular medical bill is owed or whether care should continue. If your care is being delayed, denied, or cut off, contact Michigan Legal Center for claim review. |
What Should I Do After A Car Accident In Michigan?
Get medical care the same day, document the scene, say nothing recorded to an insurer, and call a lawyer. The decisions you make in the first hours have a direct effect on the strength of your claim. Here is what to do, in order.
- Stop, check for injuries, and make the scene safe
Exchange the required information and report the crash when Michigan law requires it, including crashes involving injury, death, or apparent total property damage of $1,000 or more. If the vehicle can be moved safely and no one appears seriously hurt or killed, move it out of the traveled roadway when required. Do not leave without meeting your information and aid duties.
- Get medical attention the same day
Brain injuries, internal bleeding, and soft-tissue damage often do not present immediate symptoms. Gaps between the crash and your first visit are a primary tool adjusters use to minimize what they owe.
- Document what you can safely photograph
Both vehicles, the damage, your visible injuries, road conditions, and traffic signals. Note nearby businesses, because exterior camera footage is often overwritten within 7 to 14 days.
- Collect driver and witness information
Name, address, phone, license number, insurer, and policy number for the other driver, plus a name and number for each witness. Do not rely on the police report alone.
- Do not give a recorded statement before speaking with us
This includes your own insurer. Michigan No-Fault does require cooperation with your PIP insurer, but the timing, format, and scope of that cooperation are governed by rules an attorney can help you navigate.
- Stay off social media about the crash
Photos, check-ins, and comments about your condition or activity are regularly used by defense investigators to challenge the severity of injuries.
- Call Michigan Legal Center at (248) 886-8650
We are available 24/7. For PIP benefits, written notice of injury generally must reach the proper insurer within one year unless that insurer has already paid benefits (MCL 500.3145). We begin working the same day you call.
What Can I Recover After A Michigan Crash?
We do not put a number on your case before we review the evidence. What we can tell you is what Michigan law allows an injured person to recover.
No-Fault PIP Benefits
Available regardless of fault: reasonably necessary medical care up to your policy level, a portion of lost wages, replacement services, attendant care, and medical mileage. This is the floor, not the full value of a serious claim.
Third-Party Liability Damages
Pain and suffering, permanent serious disfigurement, and loss of consortium require the applicable serious-injury threshold. Economic losses, including allowable expenses or work loss that PIP does not pay, require separate review under Michigan’s statutory limits.
UM / UIM Coverage
When the at-fault driver is uninsured or carries limits too low to cover your losses, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may be the source of recovery. Read our UM/UIM guide.
Mini-Tort (Vehicle Damage)
Michigan’s mini-tort provision lets you recover vehicle damage up to $3,000 from the at-fault driver in limited situations. Our mini-tort guide explains when it applies.
Wrongful Death
If a crash takes a family member, the estate’s personal representative can bring a wrongful death claim under MCL 600.2922 for medical and funeral costs, lost support, and loss of companionship. Our wrongful death deadline guide explains timing issues that can change by claim type.
Delayed Or Denied Benefits
When a No-Fault insurer delays or denies payment or cuts off benefits after an insurer medical exam, we challenge it and push the correct carrier to pay.
How Much Is A Michigan Car Accident Case Worth?
Honestly, no one can give you a real dollar figure before reviewing the evidence, and any lawyer who does is guessing to win your business. What we can tell you is what actually moves the value of a Michigan claim. These are the factors we build, document, and defend.
Severity And Permanency
A lasting or permanent injury is valued very differently from one that fully heals. Whether your injuries meet the serious-impairment threshold often decides whether a pain-and-suffering claim exists at all.
The Medical Record
Consistent treatment, clear diagnoses, and documented causation carry a claim. Gaps in care and missing records are the first thing the defense uses to discount it.
Liability Clarity
The cleaner the proof that the other driver caused the crash, the stronger the claim. A traffic violation does not decide the case by itself, but it can be strong evidence of negligence.
Available Insurance
A claim is only as collectible as the coverage behind it. Policy limits, commercial coverage, and your own UM/UIM coverage all affect what can actually be recovered.
Impact On Your Life
Lost income, lost earning capacity, and the real ways the crash changed your daily life, work, and family role are damages. They have to be proven, not just stated.
Comparative Fault
Any share of fault assigned to you reduces your recovery under MCL 600.2959. Adjusters routinely overstate your share, so the evidence matters.
We do not inflate a number to sign you, and we will tell you if we do not think you have a viable claim. We document the losses, then build the demand the evidence supports. The results and client rating on this page reflect cases built that way.
The First Week Can Decide The Case
Legal deadlines matter, but evidence usually disappears first. Insurer questions can be addressed after key proof is protected. Video, vehicle data, witness memory, scene conditions, and medical records need to be preserved while they still exist.
Video And Witnesses
Traffic, business, doorbell, dashcam, and parking-lot video may overwrite quickly. Witnesses also become harder to locate and less specific as time passes.
Vehicles And Event Data
Repairs, total-loss handling, salvage, and storage decisions can erase proof of speed, impact angle, braking, lights, and restraint use.
Insurance Paper Trail
Recorded statements, medical releases, benefit applications, denial letters, IME notices, and policy-limit offers can create rights or defenses before you realize it.
Medical Proof
Diagnosis timing, restrictions, follow-up care, imaging, specialist referrals, and work notes connect the crash to the injury and help prove serious impairment.
Coverage Sources
UM/UIM, commercial policies, household policies, employer coverage, rideshare layers, and government-vehicle issues should be identified before anyone signs a release.
Government Notice
Road-defect, public-vehicle, and state-defendant cases can have special notice rules that run much earlier than the ordinary injury lawsuit deadline.
Michigan State Police reported 288,880 traffic crashes, 71,316 injuries, and 1,099 traffic deaths in 2024. The number is not why you hire a lawyer. You hire a lawyer because one crash can put your health, income, transportation, and benefits in the hands of people who do not work for you.
10 offices statewide
Serving car accident victims across Michigan.
Meet by phone, video, or at any of our 10 Michigan offices.
Common Questions
Questions? Answers.
Do I need a lawyer after a Michigan car accident?
You should talk to a lawyer if you were hurt, missed work, need follow-up care, were blamed for the crash, the other driver was uninsured, an insurer wants a recorded statement, benefits are delayed, or the crash involved a truck, rideshare, government vehicle, or death. You may not need a lawyer for a clean property-damage-only crash with no injury. The consultation is free, and we will tell you directly if hiring us does not make sense.
What should I do immediately after a car accident in Michigan?
Call 911, get medical attention the same day, photograph the vehicles and injuries, collect witness information, and do not give a recorded insurance statement before getting advice. Then call Michigan Legal Center at (248) 886-8650. We can start reviewing the claim the same day.
What happens when I call Michigan Legal Center?
We ask what happened, who was involved, what hurts, what treatment you have had, what insurance is saying, and whether any evidence or deadline is urgent. If we can help, we explain the plan and fee agreement. If you do not need us, we say that too.
How does Michigan No-Fault insurance work after a car accident?
No-Fault/PIP benefits may be payable through the correct priority source—often your own, a spouse’s, or a resident relative’s policy, but sometimes another statutory source or Assigned Claims. A separate claim against the at-fault driver may exist for threshold-dependent noneconomic loss and other damages Michigan law allows. We review both tracks in every serious crash call.
Who can be held responsible after a Michigan car accident?
The at-fault driver is not always the only possible source of recovery. Depending on the facts, responsibility may also involve a vehicle owner, employer, commercial carrier, rideshare company, public entity, bar or restaurant in a drunk-driving case, product manufacturer, or your own UM/UIM policy. We identify every coverage source before a release is signed.
What evidence matters most after a Michigan car accident?
The most important evidence usually includes the police report, vehicle photos, scene photos, video, witness information, medical records, work restrictions, insurance letters, vehicle damage, event data, and the full policy stack. Some of that evidence can disappear quickly, so early preservation matters.
How long do I have to act after a Michigan car accident?
The general injury lawsuit deadline is often three years, but No-Fault notice, UM/UIM policy notice, government notice, and evidence-preservation windows can be much shorter. Do not wait for the deadline. Video, vehicle data, and witness memory can disappear within days.
What does it cost to hire Michigan Legal Center?
Nothing upfront. We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee, which is a percentage of your settlement or verdict. If there is no recovery, there is no attorney fee. No hourly billing and no retainer. The consultation is free, available 24/7 at (248) 886-8650, and carries no obligation.
Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?
Do not accept or sign a release until the injuries, coverage, medical bills, wage loss, and future care are reviewed. A quick offer can be far below the real value of the claim, and a signed release can end the case.
Can I still have a case if I was partly at fault?
Yes, you may still have a claim. Michigan comparative-fault rules can reduce recovery by your percentage of fault, and they can affect noneconomic damages, but partial fault does not automatically end a case.
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
Truck Accidents Commercial truck crashes involving FMCSA records, carriers, and high-limit policies. Learn More Motorcycle Accidents Riders face bias and unique injury patterns. We fight back. Learn More Pedestrian Accidents PIP priority, hit-and-run, crosswalk, and serious-injury claims for people hit while walking. Learn More Bicycle Accidents No-Fault benefits and liability claims for cyclists struck by motor vehicles. Learn More Hit-And-Run Accidents Evidence preservation, UM/UIM, and assigned-claims review after a driver flees. Learn More Drunk Driving Accidents Civil claims that run alongside the criminal case after an impaired-driving crash. Learn More Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Claims Recovery from your own policy when the at-fault driver cannot pay. Learn More Wrongful Death Fatal crashes and full accountability under MCL 600.2922. Learn More
In-depth guide Injured By A Road Rage Driver In Michigan Safety, No-Fault benefits, evidence, hit-and-run issues, and claim options after an aggressive-driving crash. Read guide In-depth guide What To Do After A Michigan Car Accident Step-by-step actions for safety, medical care, evidence, police reports, and insurer contact. Read guide In-depth guide Who Pays Medical Bills After A Michigan Car Accident? How PIP priority works and what to do when multiple insurers point at each other. Read guide In-depth guide Recorded Statements After A Michigan Crash Why adjusters ask for statements and how innocent answers can be used against a claim. Read guide In-depth guide No-Fault IME Guide What an insurer medical exam is, why it happens, and what to watch for afterward. Read guide In-depth guide When The Insurer Claims Your Injury Was Preexisting How crash-related aggravation claims are proven with medical records and history. Read guide In-depth guide Michigan UM And UIM Coverage What uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can do after a hit-and-run or low-policy crash. Read guide In-depth guide Michigan Mini-Tort Claims Property-damage basics when you need help with a deductible or vehicle damage. Read guide In-depth guide Replacement Services Under Michigan No-Fault How household replacement services may apply when injuries keep you from normal tasks. Read guide In-depth guide When No-Fault Insurers Delay Medical Bills What delayed or unpaid medical bills can mean and how to respond. Read guide In-depth guide Traumatic Brain Injury After A Michigan Crash Why head injuries are missed early and how TBI claims are documented and valued. Read guide