Personal Injury Lawyers in Michigan

Michigan doesn’t run injury claims the way most states do. Instead of suing the other driver right away, an injured Michigander typically files first with their own insurer under the state’s no-fault system — and only gets to sue for pain and suffering if the injury clears a specific legal bar. That two-layer structure, paired with a fault rule that can wipe out a claim entirely, makes understanding the state’s rules a genuine head start.

No-Fault Insurance Comes First

Michigan is one of a small number of true no-fault auto insurance states. After a crash, an injured driver turns first to their own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, which pays medical bills and a portion of lost wages regardless of who caused the accident. The 2020 no-fault reform replaced the old unlimited-lifetime-benefits requirement with a menu of PIP tiers, so the amount of medical coverage available depends heavily on which option a driver selected when they bought the policy — a detail that’s easy to overlook until a serious injury runs up six-figure medical bills.

Minimum bodily injury liability coverage is $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident, but policies default to a much higher $250,000/$500,000 unless the driver specifically signs a form choosing a lower limit. Michigan also requires $10,000 in Property Protection Insurance, which covers up to $1,000,000 in damage a driver’s vehicle causes to property other than another car — fences, buildings, utility poles.

The Threshold for Suing the Other Driver

Because PIP covers medical bills regardless of fault, Michigan limits when an injured driver can sue the at-fault driver directly for pain and suffering. Under MCL 500.3135, that lawsuit is only available if the injury caused death, permanent serious disfigurement, or a “serious impairment of body function” — a standard that turns on objective medical evidence of how the injury affects the person’s ability to live their normal life. Consistent treatment and complete medical records aren’t just good for recovery; they’re often the deciding factor in whether a claim clears this threshold at all.

Modified Comparative Fault: The 51% Rule

Outside the no-fault threshold, Michigan applies modified comparative fault under MCL 600.2959. A claimant found 50% or less at fault has their damages reduced by that percentage — someone 30% at fault for a $100,000 loss recovers $70,000. But a claimant found 51% or more at fault is barred from recovering anything. That single percentage point, from 50% to 51%, is often the most contested number in a Michigan injury case, since it determines whether a claim pays out at all rather than just how much.

What Michigan Does and Does Not Cap

Standard personal injury cases — car accidents that clear the tort threshold, slip and falls, dog bites, product injuries — carry no cap on economic or non-economic damages. Medical malpractice claims are capped, with non-economic damages limited to $538,000 in most cases and $1,065,000 for catastrophic injuries such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, or permanent cognitive impairment, figures that adjust for inflation each year under MCL 600.1483.

How a Michigan Injury Claim Typically Unfolds

The early stage usually runs on two tracks at once: filing a PIP claim with your own insurer for medical bills and lost wages, and documenting the injury thoroughly enough to support a future tort claim if it turns out to be serious. Request the police report, photograph the scene, and get contact information for witnesses.

Most Michigan personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation and work on contingency, meaning there’s no fee unless the case results in a recovery. An attorney typically manages the PIP claim, evaluates whether the injury meets the serious impairment threshold, and — if it does — pursues a separate claim against the at-fault driver, all within the three-year filing window.

Finding the Right Lawyer for Your Case

The Lawyer Atlas is a directory, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice about your specific situation. Because Michigan’s no-fault system and serious impairment threshold add real complexity, look for an attorney with specific experience in Michigan auto claims, not just general personal injury work. Ask how they evaluate whether an injury meets the tort threshold and how they’ve handled disputes over PIP benefits.

Browse the Michigan city pages above to reach attorneys serving Lansing and the surrounding communities.