After a car accident you should definitely talk with an attorney right away. Michigan has a no-fault insurance system, so it works a differently from other states that simply follow the tort system exclusively. An attorney can help you figure out what the steps should be in your situation.
Without a doubt, the first thing you should do is take care of your safety and medical needs. As soon as you are safe from harm’s way, you should consider whether you need to see a doctor. Even if you have what you think is a small injury, don’t brush it off. It is better to be too careful than not careful enough.
Even if you think you have a minor injury, like bruising and soreness, or like headaches, don’t take the risk of diagnosing yourself. Too many people avoid seeing the doctor only to find out that the soreness and bruising was fractured bones or that the headaches were due to concussion. When we are in high stress situations, our bodies react to get us through it, and that can mask the injury the body truly sustained. In addition, some injuries only become obvious after time passes because they are late-appearing injuries such as traumatic brain injury or soft tissue damage. The more consistent documentation you have of your medical condition, the better when it comes to making sure that your expenses are covered.
In Michigan, 100% of your medical bills will be covered by the PIP portion of no-fault insurance. So the more documentation you have connecting the dots to the vehicle collision, the better. In addition, if the injury was significant enough to cause serious injury, deformity, or even death, then a tort action could be possible to recover damages. If a tort claim can be litigated in court, then medical documentation will be absolutely essential to determining how much you or your family could recover. You should be providing documentation to your attorney so that they can either counsel the best path forward or build a strong case for you.
An insurance company has an interest in mitigating its losses. If they see that an insurance claim could lead to substantial payouts, it might offer a settlement in order to get you to sign off on all medical expenses. You might think you are lucky. Not so fast; do not take the settlement without consulting an attorney first. Remember that injuries are not always what they seem: they can have delayed onset or they may seem minimal at first. Or, you yourself might not be aware of how much medical expenses and other remedial expenses, such as rehabilitative care or household service replacement, could cost. An insurance company has a great deal of motivation to get out of potentially very expensive situations for only a portion of the loss, all at the expense of your health and best interest.
That is why you need an attorney to be on your side. An insurance company could also be cooperative at first, only to become uncooperative once more and more invoices for reimbursement come in. An attorney can help you with:
In most cases, the answer is no. Standard no-fault insurance does not include coverage for damage to vehicles. However, insurance providers may offer the option of buying additional coverage for vehicle damage. This collision coverage will come in limited, standard, or broad levels of coverage. The levels of coverage will differ in amount of damage covered; how much, if any, deductible must be paid; and how much, if any, fault matters in covering your damage.
You can also purchase comprehensive coverage that will pay for vehicle theft, vehicle damage due to a falling object, car damage from hitting an animal, vandalism, or fire and flood damage.
Experienced and trusted Sachs Waldman attorneys represent personal injury victims in Detroit and across the State of Michigan. For more information about finding an attorney after a car accident and information that can help, check out other Sachs Waldman resources:
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