Why Hire Us for Your Car Accident Claim in Detroit?

When you’ve been injured in a car accident, you’re going to deal with aggressive insurers, complicated no-fault laws, and medical expenses that pile up fast. That’s why you need a personal injury attorney who knows how to get results. Here’s why LegalGenius is the right choice for your car accident case.  

• Decades of Experience in Car Accident Law: Attorney Jeffrey Perlman has spent decades advocating for clients across Michigan. While his career began in criminal law, his skill in high-stakes cases has made him a force in personal injury law as well. His legal team delivers the aggressive representation you deserve.  
• We Take on Insurance Companies and Win: Insurance adjusters are trained to undervalue claims and pressure accident victims into low settlements. Without the right lawyer, you could lose out on thousands of dollars in compensation. Our firm knows how insurers operate, and we fight back against bad-faith tactics to maximize your payout. 
• Maximum Compensation for Your Losses: Our firm fights for every dollar you’re entitled to, including medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and compensation for pain and suffering. If an insurance company tries to lowball your claim, we push back until you receive full and fair compensation.  
• No Upfront Costs:  At LegalGenius, we take a client-first approach. You pay nothing upfront: we only get paid when you win. That means our success is tied directly to yours, and we fight every case with the urgency it deserves.  
• A Reputation Built on Justice and Advocacy: Jeffrey Perlman has spent his career advocating for those who need it most. His commitment to justice, fairness, and strong legal representation drives everything we do. When you hire LegalGenius, you’re choosing a firm that stands for integrity and results.  

If you were injured in a car accident in Detroit or Metro Detroit, don’t leave your future in the hands of insurance companies. LegalGenius is ready to fight for you. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us secure the compensation you need to move forward.

Common Types of Car Accidents

With heavy traffic, unpredictable weather, and reckless drivers, accidents happen in every part of the city. Some crashes cause minor damage, while others leave victims with life-changing injuries, medical bills, and lost wages. No matter how it happens, knowing the type of accident you were involved in can help determine who is at fault and what compensation you may be entitled to.

Rear-End Collisions

Detroit’s stop-and-go traffic makes rear-end crashes one of the most common types of accidents. These incidents often occur at red lights, stop signs, and freeway exits, especially when a distracted or speeding driver fails to stop in time. While many rear-end accidents result in whiplash and soft tissue injuries, high-speed impacts can lead to spinal damage, concussions, and broken bones.

T-Bone Accidents

Intersections across Detroit – especially on major roads like Gratiot, Woodward, and Grand River – are prime spots for dangerous T-bone crashes (where one vehicle slams into the side of another). These collisions happen when drivers run red lights, fail to yield, or speed through stop signs. The impact often leaves victims with severe injuries, including head trauma, fractures, and internal bleeding, since the sides of vehicles provide less protection than the front or rear.

Head-On Collisions

Few accidents are as deadly as a head-on collision, which can happen when a driver crosses the centerline, enters a freeway in the wrong direction, or loses control in bad weather. These crashes often occur on two-lane roads outside of downtown Detroit or when impaired or distracted drivers veer into oncoming traffic. The force of impact can cause catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord damage, and fatalities.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

Detroit has a higher-than-average rate of hit-and-run crashes, which leaves many victims struggling to recover damages. These accidents often happen at night, in parking lots, or on less-patrolled streets, where reckless drivers think they can flee the scene unnoticed. Michigan law requires drivers to stay at the scene of an accident, but that doesn’t stop negligent motorists from running after causing serious injuries or property damage. 

Multi-Vehicle Pileups

Major freeways like I-75, I-696, and I-275 are hotspots for multi-car accidents, especially in icy conditions, heavy rain, or fog. A single mistake can set off a chain reaction, leaving multiple vehicles involved. Pileups make it difficult to determine fault, with insurance companies often shifting blame to avoid large payouts. If you were injured in a Detroit freeway pileup, having an experienced attorney to sort through liability and fight for your claim is critical.

Sideswipe Accidents

Aggressive driving and improper lane changes on Detroit’s highways and busy streets often lead to sideswipe collisions. These accidents happen when one vehicle drifts into another lane or fails to check blind spots before merging. At low speeds, sideswipes cause minor damage, but at freeway speeds, they can force vehicles off the road or into other cars, leading to rollovers and severe injuries.

What to Do if You’ve Been in a Car Accident

A car crash can leave you shaken and even injured, but taking the right steps after an accident is critical: not just for your safety, but also for protecting your legal right to compensation. If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Detroit or Metro Detroit, here’s what you need to do.

• Check for Injuries and Call 911: Your health comes first. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Even if you feel fine, adrenaline can mask pain, and some injuries (like concussions or internal bleeding) may not show symptoms right away. Call 911 immediately and request medical assistance. Michigan law requires you to report any accident involving injuries, fatalities, or significant property damage, so having police on the scene is critical.
• Move to a Safe Location: If the accident happened in the middle of a busy road like I-94, Woodward, or Telegraph, staying in traffic can be dangerous. If possible, move your vehicle to a safe location like the shoulder or a nearby parking lot. Turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers. If your car is undrivable or you’re seriously injured, stay put and wait for emergency responders.
• Exchange Information, but Watch What You Say: Swap contact and insurance details with the other driver, including name, phone number, driver’s license number, license plate, and insurance company. If there were witnesses, get their names and contact information as well. Be polite, but never admit fault or apologize, even if you think you may have contributed to the accident. Insurance companies can use your words against you to reduce or deny your claim.
• Take Photos and Gather Evidence: Clear documentation makes your case stronger. Use your phone to take pictures of the accident scene, vehicle damage, license plates, road conditions, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. If there are skid marks, broken glass, or debris, photograph those as well. The more evidence you collect, the harder it is for an insurance company to dispute your claim.
• Seek Medical Attention Immediately: Even if paramedics clear you at the scene, see a doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries, like whiplash, spinal damage, or internal injuries, can take hours or even days to show symptoms. A medical evaluation creates a record of your injuries, which is crucial when filing an insurance claim or lawsuit. If you delay treatment, insurers may argue that your injuries aren’t serious or weren’t caused by the accident.
• Call a Detroit Car Accident Lawyer: Insurance companies are not on your side. They will look for any reason to minimize your payout, delay your claim, or deny it altogether. Before speaking to an adjuster or signing anything, talk to an experienced car accident lawyer. At LegalGenius, we know how to fight back against insurance companies and secure the maximum compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Who Pays Your Compensation in a Detroit Car Accident?

Michigan follows a no-fault insurance system, which means that after a car accident in Detroit or anywhere in the state, your own insurance company is responsible for covering your medical expenses, lost wages, and other benefits, regardless of who caused the crash. However, compensation depends on the severity of your injuries, the insurance coverage available, and whether another party can be held legally responsible.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Under Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, your insurance company will pay for medical bills, rehabilitation, lost income (if you can’t work), and certain replacement services. The amount covered depends on the PIP policy limit you selected when purchasing your insurance. If your expenses exceed your PIP coverage, you may be able to file a third-party lawsuit against the at-fault driver for additional compensation, including pain and suffering.

The At-Fault Driver’s Insurance

If the other driver was at fault and you suffered a serious injury, Michigan law allows you to seek non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life. In these cases, the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability insurance may cover your damages, but only up to their policy limits. If their coverage isn’t enough, you may need to sue them personally or seek compensation through your own underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) if you have it.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

In hit-and-run or uninsured driver cases, your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, if included in your policy, may cover your medical bills and pain and suffering. Without UM coverage, recovering compensation can be more challenging, but an experienced attorney can explore legal options to maximize your claim.

What If You Were Partly Responsible for the Accident?

Being partially at fault for a car accident in Detroit doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t recover compensation, but it does affect how much you receive. Michigan follows a comparative negligence rule, meaning that if you share blame for the crash, your compensation may be reduced based on your percentage of fault.  

Under Michigan law, if you are found to be 50% or less at fault, you can still recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, but the amount awarded for non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering) will be reduced by your percentage of fault. However, if you are found to be more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. You may still be eligible for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits, which cover medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of fault.

Get a Free Consultation From a Detroit Car Accident Lawyer

A car accident can leave you with serious injuries, lost wages, and an uphill battle against insurance companies. Michigan’s no-fault system and comparative negligence laws make it difficult to know who is responsible for paying your compensation and how much you’re entitled to receive. Without the right legal help, you could walk away with far less than you deserve or nothing at all.  

At LegalGenius, we don’t let insurance companies take advantage of accident victims. Our Detroit car accident lawyers fight for maximum compensation, whether through your PIP benefits, a third-party lawsuit, or uninsured motorist coverage. If you’re being unfairly blamed for the crash, we push back to reduce your percentage of fault and protect your claim. To learn more, fill out our Ask the Genius™ form or call 1-800-209-4000 today.