Personal injury

You do not need to know what kind of case you have. Tell us what happened and we will tell you.

A personal injury case is a claim for money when someone else's carelessness hurt you. In Michigan that covers car, truck, and motorcycle crashes, falls on someone else's property, dog bites, and more. Each kind runs on different rules and a different deadline. Every kind we take is listed below.

A woman with her arm in a sling at her kitchen table on an autumn morning, on the phone, with insurance letters and a cup of coffee in front of her.

Personal injury is the part of the law that makes a careless person or company pay for the harm they caused. In Michigan it covers very different situations, and each one runs on its own rules. Find the one that sounds like yours. If none of them fit, or more than one does, tell us what happened and we will sort it out with you.

The kinds of injury cases we take

Car accidents and no-fault. In Michigan your own insurer pays your medical bills and lost wages first. The claim against the driver who caused the crash is separate. We handle both as one case.

Truck accidents. A truck crash often involves more than one company, each with its own insurance. A letter in the first week asks the trucking company to keep the driver's logs.

Motorcycle accidents. No-fault does not treat a motorcycle as a motor vehicle, so the bike's policy does not carry PIP. MCL 500.3101(3)(i)(i). If a car or truck was part of the crash, its insurer may owe your medical bills and lost wages.

Pedestrian and bicycle. If a car hit you while you were walking or riding a bike, Michigan auto no-fault still covers you. You do not need to own a car to be covered.

Hit-and-run and uninsured drivers. The other driver took off, or carried no insurance. Your own no-fault policy still pays your medical bills and lost wages. Some policies set a notice deadline for a hit-and-run as short as 30 days. DeFrain v State Farm, 491 Mich 359 (2012).

Slip and fall. A fall on someone else's property can be the owner's responsibility, ice included. Who owns the spot where you fell sets the rules and the deadline.

Dog bites. The owner is responsible even if the dog never bit anyone before. MCL 287.351(1). In most cases the owner's homeowners or renters insurance pays the claim.

Work injuries. Workers comp usually pays first. If someone besides your employer caused the injury, or it happened in a car or truck, you may have a second claim.

Catastrophic injury and wrongful death. When an injury is lifelong, or someone you love has died, the case has to account for the years ahead.

Tell us what happened at askazzo.com, or call 844-ASK-AZZO (844-275-2996). The office is at 33687 Woodward Ave in Birmingham.

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Personal injury

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You do not need to know what kind of case it is

A named attorney calls you back, usually the same day

Injury cases run on contingency

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3 years

The usual deadline to file an injury lawsuit in Michigan. MCL 600.5805(2). Some notices come due much sooner.

One year

To put your insurer on written notice or file for no-fault benefits after a crash. MCL 500.3145(1).

More than 50%

If your share of fault is greater than everyone else's combined, you get nothing for pain and suffering. Your other damages, like medical bills and lost pay, are cut by your share. MCL 600.2959.

A man on crutches with a walking boot outside a brick house on a tree-lined street at golden hour, making a phone call.

How this works

How a Michigan injury claim works

Who pays.

Most injury claims are paid by an insurance company, not by a person. After a crash, your own auto insurer pays your medical bills and lost wages first. After a dog bite, it is usually the owner's homeowners or renters insurance. After a fall, it is usually the property owner's insurance. Every policy is different, so we get the actual policy and read it before anything else.

Who was at fault.

Michigan compares everyone's share of the blame. If your share of fault is greater than everyone else's combined, you get nothing for pain and suffering. Your other damages, like medical bills and lost pay, are cut by your share. MCL 600.2959. Being partly at fault does not end a case by itself.

Which clock you are on.

The usual deadline to file an injury lawsuit in Michigan is three years. MCL 600.5805(2). Some notices come due much sooner, and they depend on what kind of case you have. The list is below.

Deadlines

60 days to serve written notice of an injury claim on a transit authority like SMART. MCL 124.419.

120 days to serve written notice after a fall on a defective public road, sidewalk, or street. MCL 691.1404(1).

One year to put your insurer on written notice or file for no-fault benefits after a crash. MCL 500.3145(1).

Three years to file a lawsuit against the person or company that caused the injury. MCL 600.5805(2).

A child hurt before 18 has at least until one year after turning 18 to file a lawsuit. MCL 600.5851(1). Do not wait that long if you can avoid it. Witnesses move away and photos get lost.

Written notice after a fall on a public road or sidewalk

MCL 691.1404(1)

120 days

Written notice or a claim for no-fault benefits after a crash

MCL 500.3145(1)

1 year

Lawsuit against the person or company at fault

MCL 600.5805(2)

100

3 years

Working with us

A named attorney owns the file and calls you back, usually the same day.

You call, or you send it.

We tell you what kind of case it is.

A crash, a fall, and a bite each run on different rules. We tell you which one you have and which deadline comes first.

We find the insurance.

Most injury claims are paid by an insurance policy. We find out which policy applies and get it in writing.

We build the medical record.

The first visit, the follow-ups, and what the injury has cost you at work and at home.

We deal with the insurance company.

The adjuster's calls and letters come to us. You get updates from the attorney on your file.

We file inside the deadline if it does not settle.

Most people have three years from the injury to file a lawsuit. MCL 600.5805(2). Some notices are due much sooner.

Fees

No Fee Unless We Win.

Personal injury cases run on contingency. No attorney fee unless we recover for you. The fee comes out of the recovery at a percentage set in a written agreement you sign before we start. Case costs are itemized separately. The consultation costs nothing, and if the case is not worth pursuing we say so instead of signing you up.

The order it runs in

Recovery
Case costs
Attorney fee
Medical liens
What reaches you

Questions

Questions people ask

This page explains Michigan law. It is not legal advice about your situation, and the statutes and figures on it change. Reading this page, calling the firm, or sending us information does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship starts only when you and the firm sign a written agreement.

For the firm's full terms, see our disclaimer.

The Azzo Law storefront office on a Birmingham main street at dusk, warm light in the windows.

Lauren Sitto Azzo leads Azzo Law from 33687 Woodward Ave in Birmingham. Most people who call us are not sure what kind of case they have, or whether they have one at all. That is a fine place to start.

Call 844-ASK-AZZO or tell us what happened. We tell you what kind of case it is, which deadline comes first, and what we would do next.

Tell us what happened Call 844-ASK-AZZO (844-275-2996)

Personal injury

The kinds of injury cases we take

How a Michigan injury claim works

Who pays.

Who was at fault.

Which clock you are on.

Deadlines

Working with us

You call, or you send it.

We tell you what kind of case it is.

We find the insurance.

We build the medical record.

We deal with the insurance company.

We file inside the deadline if it does not settle.

Fees

The order it runs in

Questions people ask

Explore other services

Car accidents and no-fault

Criminal defense

Truck accidents

DUI and OWI defense

Tell us what happened

Personal injury

The kinds of injury cases we take

How a Michigan injury claim works

Who pays.

Who was at fault.

Which clock you are on.

Deadlines

Working with us

You call, or you send it.

We tell you what kind of case it is.

We find the insurance.

We build the medical record.

We deal with the insurance company.

We file inside the deadline if it does not settle.

Fees

The order it runs in

Questions people ask

Where to go next

Explore other services

Car accidents and no-fault

Criminal defense

Truck accidents

DUI and OWI defense

Tell us what happened