Classify the case
Crash, property, product, work injury, death, civil rights, malpractice, and government cases all have different proof and timing issues.
Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer
Understand Your Options After An Injury
Tell us how you were hurt and what is worrying you now. We can explain which kind of claim may apply, what information to save, and whether we can help.
- $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
What counts as a personal injury claim in Michigan?
A personal injury claim may allow you to seek compensation when someone’s legally wrongful conduct caused your injury. Car crashes, unsafe property, defective products, and other incidents have different rules. We start with how you were hurt, who may be responsible, and what losses the law allows you to claim.
Preserve evidence
Video, vehicle data, incident reports, product parts, jobsite records, body camera footage, and witness names can disappear quickly.
A car crash, jail injury, unsafe-store fall, worksite injury, defective product, and fatal case may all involve injury damages, but they do not use the same claim path.
It costs nothing to find out where you stand.
Since 1989
We Route The Claim Before The Other Side Defines It.
We get the case categorized, documented, and protected before an insurer, company, agency, or defense lawyer turns uncertainty against you.
Claim type
Crash, unsafe property, civil rights, work injury, product, death, malpractice, employment, or another legal track.
Evidence
Reports, photos, video, witnesses, products, vehicles, body camera, jobsite records, policies, and medical documentation.
Deadlines and notice
Limitations, No-Fault notice, government notice, probate authority, malpractice notice, policy terms, and record retention.
Recovery sources
We check the available insurance and benefits, whether a responsible party can pay a judgment, and any repayment claims that could affect your recovery.
The process
What happens when you call.
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You tell us what happened
We listen for the event type, location, involved parties, injuries, records, statements, and immediate evidence risks.
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We map the claim track
We sort No-Fault, premises, product, civil-rights, work injury, wrongful-death, government, and insurance issues.
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We screen dates and proof
We look for notice rules, policy conditions, government deadlines, probate authority, video retention, and medical proof.
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You get a direct answer
If legal help is likely to change the result, we explain the plan. If not, we tell you that plainly.
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.
$5M
For a family after a fatal semi-truck crash
We represented the estate of a husband and father killed in a semi-truck crash. Nearly two years of investigation and litigation led to a $5 million judgment.
$6.2M
Police excessive force; $4.91M verdict plus fees, costs and interest
An officer punched our client unconscious during a traffic stop. The final judgment includes the jury’s award, attorney fees, costs and interest.
Client reviews
What our clients say
In their own words. Read what clients and families say about working with our team.
★★★★★
We have not gone to trial yet, but for the past 2 years I wouldn't choose anyone else to stand behind me and my child. If you want injury lawyers and team members who actually care, CHOOSE Christopher Trainor.
★★★★★
Dealing with insurance companies and medical billing is always a pain in the but and didn’t want anyone taking advantage of me and my situation. This team is number 1 in my book.
★★★★★
I recently had the pleasure of working with Chris Trainor, Amy DeRouin and their dedicated team regarding two personal claims. I cannot recommend them highly enough! From our very first consultation, it was clear that I was in capable and caring hands. I would trust them with any personal legal matter.
Focus On Your Recovery. Get Help With Your Claim.
Treatment, bills, and insurance questions can arrive at once. We can review your situation and explain how legal help may fit into your recovery.
30-second case check
Should I Talk To A Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer?
Use this as a practical screen before statements, releases, or deadline assumptions start narrowing the case. 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
We Review The Parts That Decide The Next Move.
Tell us what happened, where it happened, who contacted you, what medical care you need, and what records exist. We will identify the likely claim track, evidence priorities, deadline issues, and whether hiring us makes sense.
- No fee unless we recover. No retainer or hourly bill.
- 400+ 5-star ratings. Across Google and leading review platforms.
Tell Us What Happened
We couldn’t send your request. You can also call (248) 886-8650.
Response within 24 hours
Legal details
Michigan Personal Injury Law and Deadlines
These rules can help you understand your options. Ask for advice about your specific claim before calculating a deadline or signing a release.
The full breakdown Michigan law, deadlines, evidence, and recovery issues
Choose The Track That Matches What Happened.
Start broad here, then use the focused page once the facts point to the right legal lane.
Vehicle crash
No-Fault, serious impairment, UM/UIM, PIP priority, and crash evidence. Start with car accident, motorcycle, pedestrian, or bicycle.
Commercial truck or delivery crash
Carrier records, driver logs, maintenance, cargo, route data, and fast preservation. Start with truck accident or delivery truck.
Unsafe property or security
Falls, negligent security, landlord duties, public property, notice, and control. Start with premises liability, slip and fall, or negligent security.
Police, jail, or civil-rights injury
Body camera, jail video, medical neglect, excessive force, unlawful detention, immunity, and federal civil-rights issues may need immediate review. Start with civil rights, police misconduct, or jail injury.
Work, construction, or product injury
Workers’ compensation, third-party defendants, defective products, equipment, contractors, and product preservation may overlap. Start with workers’ compensation, construction accident, or product liability.
Fatal injury
Wrongful-death cases require estate authority, claimant review, insurance, survivor benefits, and exact-date deadline screening. Start with the wrongful death page.
Key Michigan Rules, Deadlines, And Evidence
Before you decide about a settlement or filing deadline, identify the type of claim and who may be responsible. A crash, unsafe property, defective product, workplace injury, death, or civil-rights violation can involve different legal rules, insurance and notice requirements.
Negligence and comparative fault
Liability, causation, damages, and Michigan comparative fault need evidence-based review. Fault arguments can affect damage categories under MCL 600.2959, and an insurer's early percentage is not a court judgment.
Motor vehicle injuries
Michigan crash cases can include PIP benefits, serious impairment under MCL 500.3135, PIP notice and lawsuit timing under MCL 500.3145, UM/UIM policy review, and commercial coverage.
Government and public-property claims
Road defects, public buildings, state defendants, public employees, jail injuries, and police conduct can involve notice, immunity, federal civil-rights claims, Court of Claims timing, and record-preservation issues.
Wrongful death timing
A fatal case is not safely answered by saying it is three years from death. The underlying claim, death date, injury date, personal representative, first letters of authority, MCL 600.5852, government notice, malpractice procedure, No-Fault, and policy conditions all need review.
Product, workplace, and catastrophic injuries
Product preservation, jobsite control, third-party liability, workers’ compensation overlap, medical causation, future care, and life-care proof often decide the value and path.
Settlement and release risk
A release can affect defendants who have not been identified, PIP or UM/UIM claims, liens, estate rights, family claims, and future damages. Do not sign one before the claim map is complete.
The Other Side Starts Sorting The Case Before You Know Which Track You Are On.
Early pressure usually focuses on narrowing the story, controlling records, and pushing the case into the cheapest legal category.
- The wrong insurer receives notice or the correct insurer receives it too late.
- Video, vehicle data, body camera footage, product parts, or jobsite proof disappears.
- A statement, release, or medical authorization gives the defense a narrower version of the case.
- Everyone assumes an ordinary injury rule applies when a shorter notice, probate, malpractice, government, or policy rule is involved.
What Michigan Legal Center Does
- Classify the claim and map the responsible people, companies, insurers, or public actors.
- Send preservation demands and collect the records that decide liability and damages.
- Screen deadlines, notice, probate, No-Fault, comparative fault, immunity, and coverage.
- Tell you directly whether legal help is likely to change the outcome.
10 offices statewide
Serving clients across Michigan.
Meet by phone, video, or at any of our Michigan offices.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions: Michigan Personal Injury Claims
What is a personal injury claim in Michigan?
A Michigan personal injury claim is a civil claim for harm caused by negligence, recklessness, intentional misconduct, unsafe property, a defective product, or a rights violation. The correct claim path depends on what happened, who caused it, and what rules apply to that defendant.
How long do I have to file a Michigan personal injury case?
MCL 600.5805 is often part of the deadline review, but it is not the whole answer. No-Fault, government notice, public property, malpractice, civil-rights, wrongful-death, probate, and policy rules can change the practical timeline. Ask a lawyer to review exact dates before relying on a general rule.
Is wrongful death timing three years from death?
No. Michigan wrongful death timing depends on the underlying claim, the date of injury and death, estate authority, first letters of authority, defendants, notice rules, and whether MCL 600.5852 may apply. Families should not calculate the deadline from a general overview.
What should I do first after a serious injury?
Get medical care, save photos and records, keep witness names, avoid signing releases, and do not give a recorded statement to the other side until you understand the claim type and coverage. If video, vehicle data, property records, product evidence, or government notice may matter, call quickly.
How much does it cost to talk to Michigan Legal Center?
The case review is free. If we take the case, there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.
What if I am not sure which practice area fits?
You do not need to choose the legal category before contacting us. Tell us what happened, and we can identify whether it involves a vehicle crash, unsafe property, civil rights, employment, a work injury, a defective product, wrongful death, or another type of claim.
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 No-Fault PIP, serious impairment, recorded statements, medical bills, UM/UIM, and crash evidence. Learn More Truck Accidents Commercial carriers, driver logs, maintenance records, cargo issues, higher-limit policies, and preservation demands. Learn More Premises Liability Unsafe property, falls, negligent security, landlord duties, public-property issues, and notice questions. Learn More Civil Rights Police, jail, public-actor, wrongful arrest, custody injury, and Section 1983 accountability claims. Learn More Workers’ Compensation Work injury benefits, retaliation review, and third-party claims against companies outside the employer. Learn More Wrongful Death Fatal injury claims involving estate authority, eligible claimants, evidence, insurance, and timing review. Learn More
In-depth guide What Kind Of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle? A plain-English guide to Michigan injury claim types, evidence, deadlines, and when a lawyer may help. Read guide In-depth guide What Does An Injury Lawyer Do In Michigan? How a lawyer investigates liability, preserves evidence, handles insurers, and documents damages. Read guide In-depth guide What To Do After A Michigan Car Accident Immediate steps for medical care, crash evidence, police reports, insurance contact, and deadlines. Read guide In-depth guide What Evidence Should You Save After A Slip And Fall? Photos, video, incident reports, shoes, witness names, weather records, and property evidence. Read guide In-depth guide Traumatic Brain Injury After A Michigan Accident How TBI symptoms, medical records, family observations, and damages proof are documented. Read guide In-depth guide Michigan Wrongful Death Deadlines Probate authority, saving statutes, notice rules, and timing after a fatal injury. Read guide