What to Do After a Car Accident in Michigan: A Step-by-Step Guide
The minutes and days after a crash shape your entire claim. Follow these steps to protect your health, your No-Fault benefits, and your right to compensation.
At the Scene
Check for injuries and call 911. Even in a minor collision, a police report creates an official record that insurers rely on. Move to safety if you can, but do not leave the scene.
Photograph everything: vehicle positions, damage, license plates, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Collect names and contact information for drivers and witnesses.
Get Medical Care Immediately
Some serious injuries — concussions, internal trauma, soft-tissue damage — are not obvious right away. Prompt medical care protects your health and ties your injuries to the crash, which matters for your claim.
It also matters for benefits. Michigan's No-Fault system requires your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage to pay medical bills and a portion of lost wages after a crash, regardless of who was at fault. Gaps in treatment give insurers an excuse to deny or reduce payments.
Notify Your Insurer Carefully
Report the crash to your own insurer promptly, since PIP benefits come from your policy. But be careful: avoid speculating about fault, and do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer before speaking with an attorney.
Protect Your Claim
Keep every bill, receipt, and record of missed work. The one-year-back rule under MCL 500.3145 limits how far back you can claim unpaid No-Fault benefits, so prompt action protects your recovery. The sooner you act, the more of your claim you preserve.
To sue an at-fault driver for pain and suffering in Michigan, your injury must meet the serious-impairment-of-body-function threshold. An attorney can evaluate whether your injuries qualify you to pursue pain-and-suffering damages.
How Injury Claim Team Can Help
Injury Claim Team is a free service — not a law firm — that connects injured people across Michigan with experienced, vetted personal injury attorneys. There is never a fee to use our service, and the attorneys we connect you with work on contingency, so you pay no attorney fee unless they recover compensation for you.
If you have questions about a Michigan car accident, a specialist is available 24 hours a day to review your situation and connect you with the right Michigan attorney — usually within the hour. Call 973-566-5599 for your free, confidential case review.
This article is general information about Michigan law, not legal advice for your specific situation. For guidance on your case, talk to a qualified attorney. Injury Claim Team can connect you with one at no cost — call 973-566-5599.