Personal injury cases in Washtenaw County can involve car crashes, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, premises liability, defective products, and other forms of negligence. A crash near downtown Ann Arbor may involve very different evidence from an accident on a rural road in Dexter or Manchester. A pedestrian struck near the University of Michigan or Eastern Michigan University may have nearby cameras and witnesses who saw the collision. A fall at a store, apartment complex, or other property may instead require maintenance records, photographs, incident reports, and witness statements.
The legal theory may differ from case to case, but the starting point remains the same: determining what happened and who may be legally responsible. That’s where our Washtenaw County personal injury attorneys at Schefman & Associates come in.
Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Bring Heavy Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic
Washtenaw County includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Chelsea, Dexter, Saline, Milan, and numerous townships and villages. That local setting creates injury cases involving more than drivers and passengers. Consider a pedestrian crossing a busy Ann Arbor street when a driver turns without yielding. Or a cyclist traveling through Ypsilanti who is struck when a driver fails to check for approaching traffic.
In either situation, the evidence gathered after the collision may provide information about how the crash occurred. Our personal injury lawyers in Washtenaw County may look for traffic camera footage, nearby business or campus video, photographs, witness accounts, vehicle damage, police reports, and medical records.
No-Fault Benefits May Be Part of an Auto Injury Claim
If your injury resulted from a motor vehicle accident, Michigan’s no-fault system may provide personal protection insurance (PIP) benefits even when another driver’s negligence is also at issue. MCL 500.3114 establishes PIP priority rules for certain insured people, including vehicle occupants, while MCL 500.3115 addresses PIP claims involving people injured while not occupying a motor vehicle, such as pedestrians.
No-fault benefits generally come first from your own auto policy or a policy covering a spouse or resident relative. If no policy in your household applies, the claim may be assigned to an insurer through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan. Depending on the coverage level selected on the policy, PIP may pay for medical care, attendant care, household replacement services, and up to three years of wage loss.
For instance, if you were injured as a passenger in a crash in Ann Arbor, you may have questions about which policy should pay medical expenses and other available benefits. A pedestrian injured by a vehicle may face different insurance questions.
Our Washtenaw County personal injury attorneys can review the applicable policies, determine which PIP priority rule applies, and assess whether a separate liability claim may be available.
The Evidence May Show How The Injury Happened
Insurance companies often want a clear account of an accident, but the first version of events is not always complete. Evidence can include:
- Police and crash reports
- Traffic or surveillance video
- Dashcam footage
- Photographs of vehicles, injuries, and the accident location
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Employment and wage records
- Cellphone or other electronic records when relevant
For a collision near Washtenaw Avenue, Plymouth Road, or another busy Ann Arbor area, nearby businesses or other motorists may have captured information that helps establish what occurred.
An Injury Can Affect Your Work and Everyday Life in Washtenaw County
The value of your personal injury claim isn’t limited to the initial medical expenses. A serious injury may require continuing treatment, physical therapy, medication, or future medical care. It may also keep you from working, reduce your ability to earn income, or make ordinary activities more difficult. A person injured in a bicycle crash, for example, may recover from the initial fractures but still have months of rehabilitation and difficulty returning to work. Those longer-term effects should be documented as part of the claim.
Michigan treats these losses in two categories:
- Economic losses such as medical bills and lost wages are generally paid first through no-fault benefits.
- Non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and the loss of activities you once enjoyed come from a separate claim against the at-fault driver, and that claim requires an injury that meets the serious impairment of body function threshold under MCL 500.3135.
For wage loss beyond the no-fault statutory maximum, the threshold does not apply.
There’s a Time Limit for Filing Personal Injury Lawsuits
Michigan generally gives an injured person three years to bring an action for damages for personal injury. However, exceptions and different limitation periods apply to certain claims. That deadline doesn’t mean every injury claim has exactly the same filing period. Claims involving particular defendants or legal theories may have different requirements, so identifying the type of claim early is important.
No-fault benefit claims follow a separate, shorter schedule. The insurer must be placed on notice within one year of the crash, and a lawsuit for unpaid benefits must be filed within one year from the date the expense was incurred.
When Your Injury Changes Everyday Life in Washtenaw County, Schefman & Associates Are Here For You
A serious injury can affect your health, income, transportation, work, and family responsibilities long after the accident scene is cleared. Our personal injury attorneys in Washtenaw County can investigate what happened, address the insurance issues, and build a claim based on the evidence and the losses you actually experienced.
With more than 60 years of combined experience, Schefman & Associates prepares every case for trial, and you owe no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Request your complimentary consultation by calling 248-594-2600 or emailing us.