Car, truck and motorcycle accidents
Hurt in a car, truck or motorcycle crash?
A crash can turn an ordinary day into weeks of appointments, repair shops and calls from insurance companies. Most people go through this once. The insurance company on the other side handles crashes every day. These guides explain what to do in the first days, how fault and insurance work, and what an injury claim can cover.
The rules differ a lot from state to state. Some states use no-fault insurance, which changes who pays your medical bills first and when you can sue the other driver. You shouldn’t have to become an insurance expert to be treated fairly after a crash. If you are not sure which rules apply to you, a free case review is the quickest way to find out.
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In Michigan? Compare 796 injury firms by the results they report →
What to do first
Your first-week plan: four steps that protect your claim
Get medical care, even if you feel fine
Some injuries show up hours or days later, and a medical record made early helps show what the crash did to you.
Report the crash
Call the police from the scene if you can, and tell your own insurance company promptly. Most policies require it.
Keep everything
Photos, the police report number, medical bills, and a note of every day you miss at work.
Talk to a lawyer before you sign or give a statement
You do not have to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and a release can end your claim for good.
What waiting can cost
- Deadlines. Every state sets a deadline to sue, and insurance benefit claims can have shorter ones.
- Evidence. Video gets recorded over and cars get repaired.
- Statements. What you tell the other driver’s insurer can be used to value or deny your claim.
- Quick offers. An early settlement may not cover treatment you haven’t had yet, and once you sign a release, the claim is usually over.
Getting a lawyer
Car accident lawyers: when you need one and how to choose
Not always. If no one was hurt and the damage is small, you may be able to settle with the insurer yourself. A lawyer is usually worth a conversation once there is an injury that needs ongoing treatment, an argument about fault, a denied or cut-off insurance claim, or a deadline coming up.
Look for a lawyer who handles your kind of crash, read ratings together with their review counts, ask what results the firm reports and where, and get the fee in writing before you sign.
In Michigan, 83 of the 235 firms that handle car accident cases say on their websites that they work on a contingency fee, and the fee in a personal injury or no-fault benefits case can't be more than one-third of the recovery after case costs (MCR 8.121).
Do you need a lawyer? · What a lawyer costs · How to choose one
Michigan directory
- Car Accident Lawyers in Michigan 235 firms
- Truck Accident Lawyers in Michigan 167 firms
- Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Michigan 148 firms
Car accident lawyers by city:
Southfield · Detroit · Grand Rapids · Dearborn · Flint · Troy · Traverse City · Ann Arbor · Farmington Hills · Bloomfield Hills · Lansing · Saginaw
Guides
Every guide in car accidents
- Complete Car Accident Lawsuit Guide
- Michigan Car Accident Claims: How PIP Benefits and a Lawsuit Work Together
- Michigan No-Fault (PIP) Benefits After the 2019 Reform: What Your Policy Pays After a Crash
- No-Fault vs. At-Fault Car Insurance States
- Michigan Mini-Tort Claim: How to Recover Up to $3,000 for Vehicle Damage
- Michigan Seat Belt Law: Who Must Buckle Up, Car Seat Rules and Your Injury Claim
- Michigan's Serious Impairment Threshold: When You Can Sue for Pain and Suffering
- Michigan PIP Claim Denied or Cut Off: Deadlines and Next Steps
- 10 Things To Do After a Car Accident
- What Is a Black Box in a Car? How to Preserve Evidence After an Accident
- Delayed Injury Symptoms After a Car Accident: What to Watch For
- The Average Car Crash Settlement
- Uninsured Motorist Claims: Who Pays After a Crash Without Insurance
- Herniated Disc From a Car Accident: Your Back Injury Claim Explained
- Concussion or Brain Injury After a Car Accident: Proving Your Claim
- Whiplash From a Car Accident: Your Soft-Tissue Injury Claim Explained
- Recovering After a Car Accident
- Car Accident Types
- Difference Between a Car Crash And Car Accident
- Head-On Collision Car Crashes
- Rear-End Car Crash
- Side-Impact Car Crash
- Hit-and-Run Car Crash
- Fault In Pile-up Car Crash
- Parking Lot Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Michigan Motorcycle Accidents: No-Fault Priority, the Helmet Law, and Your Right to Sue
- Bicycle Accident Claims: Proving Fault and Getting Paid
- Truck Accident Claims: Who Is Liable and How Federal Trucking Rules Help Your Case
- Differences Between a Truck Crash vs Car Crash
- 5 Things To Do After a Car Crash for Teens
- 5 Obligations for Every Driver on the Road
- 6 Tips For Defensive Driving
What a good outcome looks like
Your medical care and lost pay are handled while you heal, the fault split matches the evidence, and you make each decision with the facts and deadlines in view.
Common questions
Who pays my medical bills after a car accident?
It depends on your state and your own policy. In a no-fault state, your own insurance usually pays first, up to your coverage limits. In other states the at-fault driver’s insurer pays, often at the end of the claim, while your health insurance or medical-payments coverage may pay in the meantime.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor car accident?
Not always. If no one was hurt and the damage is small, you may be able to settle with the insurer yourself. Once there is an injury, ongoing treatment or an argument about fault, a short conversation with a lawyer is usually worth having, and it costs nothing.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Every state sets its own deadline for injury lawsuits, and insurance benefit claims can have shorter ones. Find out yours early rather than late.
How much does a car accident lawyer cost?
Injury lawyers are often paid on a contingency fee: a percentage of what’s recovered for you, instead of an hourly bill. Ask what happens to case costs if you lose, and get it all in writing. In Michigan, the fee in a personal injury or no-fault benefits case can’t be more than one-third of the recovery after case costs (MCR 8.121).
How do I find a car accident lawyer near me?
Start with lawyers who handle car accident cases where you live, then compare ratings with their review counts, the results they report and their fees. In Michigan, our directory lists the firms in each city that handle car accident cases.
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