Your medical bills
Your auto policy or a qualifying household policy may come first. The Assigned Claims Plan may apply if no higher-priority coverage is available and you meet its requirements.
Michigan Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
We Stand In Front Of You
Hit while walking? Get help with medical bills, lost pay, and an insurer that questions what happened.
- $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
Who Pays Medical Bills After A Pedestrian Is Hit In Michigan?
The driver’s auto insurer is not automatically responsible for your medical bills. Michigan PIP priority may point to your own, spouse’s, or resident-relative’s auto policy; if that coverage does not apply, the Assigned Claims Plan may be the route, subject to eligibility. A separate liability claim addresses the driver’s fault and recoverable damages.
A claim against the driver
Fault and injury damages are separate from No-Fault benefits. Crossing location, signals, visibility, and the driver’s conduct all need review.
The first days matter because video, witnesses, signal evidence, clothing, damaged property, and insurance notices can disappear or lock the case into the driver’s version before the injured pedestrian has a fair record.
It costs nothing to find out where you stand.
Since 1989
Why pedestrian crashes need fast legal review.
A pedestrian case can turn on evidence the injured person does not control. We review PIP, fault, video, coverage, and blame defenses together from the first call.
Pedestrian PIP priority
We identify the correct No-Fault path for medical bills, wage loss, replacement services, attendant care, mileage, and assigned-claims issues. The striking driver is not always the PIP insurer.
Video and scene proof
We move quickly on business video, doorbell cameras, bus cameras, dashcams, signal timing, lighting, sight lines, witnesses, vehicle damage, clothing, shoes, and damaged property.
Pedestrian-blame arguments
Crosswalk, signal, darkness, clothing, phone use, sudden-entry, intoxication, and visibility defenses are tested against evidence instead of accepted from the crash report.
Coverage and serious injury value
We review driver, owner, employer, delivery, rideshare, UM/UIM, wrongful death, road-defect, and government-notice issues before any statement, release, or settlement decision.
The process
What happens when you call.
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You call before the story hardens
Tell us where you were hit, what the driver did, what hurts, whether the driver fled, and who has contacted you.
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We separate PIP from fault
The medical-bill path and the liability claim follow different rules. We check both before an insurer frames the case around pedestrian blame.
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We preserve what disappears
Camera footage, witness memory, signal data, vehicle proof, clothing, shoes, and damaged property can change the claim if they are protected early.
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You get direct next steps
If legal help can change the outcome, we explain the plan. If hiring us does not make sense, we say that directly.
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.
$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.
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!!
Focus on your recovery.
Get help with your claim.
Video overwrites, witnesses move on, and insurance pressure starts early. From day one, our job is to protect the evidence and the claim path.
30-second case check
Do I have a Michigan pedestrian accident case?
A quick check for the issues that matter first: injuries, PIP, hit-and-run, blame, coverage, deadlines, and evidence. No sign-up and no dollar estimate. Your answers are only included if you submit the free case review below. The result is general information, not legal advice.
Question 1 of 5
Free case review
Tell us what happened.
Send the basics. We will check PIP priority, fault evidence, coverage, deadlines, and video preservation, then tell you whether hiring us makes sense. No obligation.
- No fee unless we recover. No retainer or hourly bill.
- 400+ 5-star ratings. Across Google and leading review platforms.
We couldn’t send your request. You can also call (248) 886-8650.
Response within 24 hours
Legal details
Michigan pedestrian accident law, deadlines, and evidence.
Get medical care first. Before you accept an insurer’s version, let us check PIP priority, fault, coverage, scene evidence, and the deadlines that may control recovery.
The full breakdown Michigan pedestrian PIP priority, fault, crosswalk evidence, deadlines, and damages
How Do Michigan Pedestrian Accident Claims Work?
A pedestrian hit by a motor vehicle may have two legal tracks: a No-Fault/PIP benefits claim and a separate third-party injury claim. PIP can address allowable medical expenses, work loss, replacement services, attendant care, mileage, and related benefits. The third-party claim looks at fault, serious injury, damages, and available coverage.
Your Michigan pedestrian crash
Two tracks may run at the same time
No-Fault / PIP review
- Medical care, wage loss, replacement services, attendant care, and mileage
- Own policy, spouse, resident-relative, and assigned-claims review
- Notice and one-year-back timing under MCL 500.3145
- Medical authorizations, denials, bills, and benefit paperwork
PIP priority is not the same as proving who caused the crash.
Driver, owner, company, or other liability
- Driver speed, lookout, signal phase, turning movement, and crosswalk facts
- Comparative-fault defenses under MCL 600.2959
- Serious impairment, death, or disfigurement under MCL 500.3135
- UM/UIM, delivery, rideshare, company-vehicle, road-defect, or wrongful death issues
A strong liability claim is built from scene proof and medical proof, not the crash report alone.
Michigan Pedestrian Accident Claim Map
| Issue | Why it matters | What we review |
|---|---|---|
| PIP benefits | Medical bills, wage loss, replacement services, attendant care, and mileage may depend on No-Fault priority. | Household policies, spouse and resident-relative policies, involved vehicles, assigned-claims eligibility, written notice, and insurer correspondence. |
| Third-party claim | Fault and the motor-vehicle tort threshold affect pain-and-suffering and other noneconomic damages. | Driver conduct, crash reconstruction, medical proof, work limits, scarring, future care, and daily-life changes. |
| Comparative fault | An insurer may argue the pedestrian crossed improperly, was hard to see, entered suddenly, or acted unsafely. Its percentage is a claim position, not a court judgment. | Signal phase, lighting, speed, sight lines, clothing, phone evidence, witness statements, video, road geometry, and the paired issues in the Michigan comparative-fault guide. |
| Hit-and-run or uninsured driver | The claim may depend on PIP priority, UM/UIM policy language, or identifying the vehicle. | Police investigation, debris, camera footage, license-plate leads, policy notice, exclusions, and coverage deadlines. |
| Company or app vehicle | Delivery, commercial, or rideshare use can add defendants, policies, and records. | Route data, app status, dispatch, scanner records, vehicle owner, employer, contractor, and platform evidence. |
No-Fault PIP For Pedestrians
Pedestrian crashes can be confusing because the injured person was not inside a vehicle. For a person injured while not occupying a motor vehicle, MCL 500.3115 points the claim toward the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan unless coverage is available under MCL 500.3114(1). If no applicable higher-priority coverage exists or can be identified, MCL 500.3172 may become part of the analysis.
That is why broad statements like “the driver’s insurance pays the pedestrian’s medical bills” can be wrong. The striking vehicle is central to liability, but PIP priority is its own legal review.
Driver Duties, Crosswalks, And Signal Evidence
Michigan traffic rules give us facts to test. MCL 257.612 addresses traffic signals and adjacent-crosswalk duties. MCL 257.627 requires careful and prudent speed under existing conditions. MCL 257.655 may matter when sidewalks are unavailable or a person is walking along a roadway.
Those rules do not create an automatic outcome. Crosswalk cases can turn on signal cycle, countdown timing, turn movement, pedestrian location, lane configuration, glare, blocked sight lines, parked vehicles, weather, darkness, roadway lighting, speed, and distraction.
Evidence That Can Change A Pedestrian Claim
- Crash report, EMS report, ER records, imaging, and follow-up care notes.
- Photos of injuries, shoes, clothing, bags, phones, personal items, road markings, stop lines, lighting, signs, and vehicle damage.
- Business surveillance, dashcam, doorbell-camera, parking-lot, bus, school, and traffic-camera locations.
- Signal timing, pedestrian countdown data, sight lines, lane layout, weather, lighting, and road geometry.
- Witness names, 911 calls, dispatch logs, vehicle data, driver phone records, or app records where facts support them.
- Work records, missed shifts, household help, family observations, activity restrictions, and future care needs.
What To Do After Being Hit As A Pedestrian In Michigan
- Get medical care and report the crash
Call 911, ask for EMS when needed, and make sure a police report exists.
- Save clothing and damaged property
Do not wash, repair, discard, or release damaged shoes, clothing, bags, phone, bike, stroller, or other items until reviewed.
- Identify cameras and witnesses
Nearby businesses, homes, buses, delivery vehicles, dashcams, and traffic systems may have video that overwrites quickly.
- Keep every insurance letter
PIP denials, assignment notices, UM/UIM requests, medical authorizations, and release language can affect more than one claim track.
- Call before statements or releases
We review PIP, liability, coverage, injury proof, and timing before an insurer records your answers or sends settlement papers.
Serving pedestrian 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 being hit as a pedestrian in Michigan?
You should talk to a lawyer if you were hurt, missed work, needed follow-up care, the driver fled, a company or rideshare vehicle was involved, an insurer is blaming you, medical bills are unclear, or anyone wants a recorded statement or release. The review is free, and we will tell you directly if hiring us does not make sense.
Does Michigan No-Fault cover pedestrians hit by a car?
Often, but the driver’s insurer may not be responsible for your PIP benefits. Priority can depend on your own policy, a spouse or resident-relative policy, other available coverage, and assigned-claims rules. We review the PIP path separately from the injury claim against the at-fault driver.
Can I sue the driver after a pedestrian accident?
Possibly. A third-party claim is separate from PIP benefits and depends on fault, causation, available coverage, comparative fault, and Michigan motor-vehicle injury rules. Serious impairment of body function, permanent serious disfigurement, and fatal crashes need early legal review.
Can I still have a case if I was outside a crosswalk?
Yes, being outside a marked crosswalk does not automatically end a case. Signal timing, speed, visibility, driver lookout, lighting, road design, sidewalk availability, witnesses, and video can all matter. Comparative fault should be based on evidence, not assumptions.
What if the driver says I came out of nowhere?
That is a common defense. We test it against sight lines, vehicle speed, braking, signal phase, lighting, road layout, witness timing, driver distraction, video, and whether the driver had time and distance to react.
What if the pedestrian crash was a hit-and-run?
Call quickly. A hit-and-run pedestrian case may involve video preservation, police follow-up, PIP priority, assigned claims, UM/UIM policy review, vehicle debris, witnesses, and camera leads. Coverage deadlines can move faster than the lawsuit deadline.
What evidence should I save after being hit while walking?
Save the police report number, medical records, photos of injuries and clothing, shoes, damaged property, driver and vehicle information, witness names, camera locations, insurer letters, wage records, and any rideshare or delivery-app information.
What does it cost to hire Michigan Legal Center?
Nothing upfront. We handle pedestrian 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. The review is free, available 24/7 at (248) 886-8650, and carries no obligation.
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
Car Accidents Michigan No-Fault, serious impairment, liability, and insurance issues after vehicle crashes. Learn More Hit-And-Run Accidents Evidence preservation, police follow-up, UM/UIM, and assigned-claims review when a driver leaves. Learn More Bicycle Accidents Cyclists and pedestrians both face visibility, bias, PIP, and serious-injury proof issues. Learn More Rideshare Accidents Uber and Lyft pedestrian crashes require app-status, coverage, and platform-evidence review. Learn More Delivery Truck Accidents Backing, curbside, package-route, and company-record cases involving pedestrians. Learn More Drunk Driving Accidents Civil claims that run alongside criminal cases after impaired-driving pedestrian crashes. Learn More Wrongful Death Fatal pedestrian crashes require estate, survivor, insurance, and deadline review. Learn More Detroit Pedestrian Accidents DPD records, Wayne County evidence, crosswalk video, hit-and-run proof, and Detroit No-Fault issues. Learn More
In-depth guide Who Pays Medical Bills After A Michigan Crash? How No-Fault priority works for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and assigned claims. 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-limit crash. Read guide In-depth guide Recorded Statements After A Crash Why adjusters ask for statements and how early answers can be used later. Read guide In-depth guide Traumatic Brain Injury After A Michigan Accident How head injuries are documented when symptoms appear or worsen after a crash. Read guide In-depth guide Michigan Uber And Lyft Accident Claims How app status and platform records can affect a pedestrian hit by a rideshare driver. Read guide