Injured in a truck accident?

We work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay us no money until we win your case, and there is no charge for the initial consultation. We only get paid when you receive your settlement check. The specific percentage and how case costs are handled are set out in a written fee agreement that you read and sign before we represent you.

You can try, but doing so is a massive financial risk. Commercial trucking companies do not use standard auto insurance adjusters. They employ aggressive corporate risk-management teams and specialized defense lawyers whose sole objective is to pay you as close to zero as possible.

They are also working against a clock you cannot see. Under federal law, a motor carrier only has to keep driver logs and the supporting electronic records for six months.

49 CFR 395.8

Michigan runs two separate deadlines on two different clocks. Missing either one can end that part of your claim for good.

One year for No-Fault benefits. To collect Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits, which cover your medical bills, rehabilitation and 85% of your lost wages, you must file a formal application for benefits with the correct auto insurance company within one year of the date of the crash. If the insurer refuses to pay a specific medical bill, a lawsuit for that unpaid expense must be filed within one year of the date that expense was incurred.

Three years to sue the at-fault parties. If you are suing the driver or the trucking company for pain and suffering, emotional distress and excess economic losses, you have three years from the date of the crash to file.

Waiting is still a bad idea. The records that prove a trucking case start disappearing at six months.

MCL 500.3145 (No-Fault benefits); MCL 600.5805 (third-party lawsuit).

Depending on the circumstances of your accident, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer and a third-party contractor may all be liable. More than one party can be connected to the truck and liable for the collision.

That is the main way a truck case differs from a car case. Finding every liable party, and every policy behind them, is most of the work.

Because semi-truck crashes cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries, the medical expenses and long-term care costs frequently exceed standard insurance limits.

Michigan requires trucks to carry far more coverage than a passenger car: $5 million if they carry hazardous materials, $1 million for oil, $750,000 for general freight and $300,000 for household goods. Interstate carriers must also attach an MCS-90 endorsement to their public liability policy.

Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (MCS-90)

Truck accidents are incredibly dangerous due to the size and weight of the commercial vehicle involved. In these crashes, the cost of medical bills and property damage tend to be higher than in a typical car accident.

Two things make them unique: the size of the truck, and the fact that it is a commercial vehicle. A commercial vehicle brings federal regulations, a corporate defence team and an electronic record of the driver's hours that has to be demanded before it is destroyed.

Truck underride accidents occur when a car or other vehicle crashes into the trailer of a truck and slides underneath it. They are among the most severe crashes on the road because the trailer passes over the car's crumple zone entirely.

Talk to a lawyer first. An early offer often arrives before anyone knows whether your injury is permanent, and accepting it typically requires signing a release that ends your claim for good, including for treatment you have not had yet. There is no cost to having us look at the offer before you sign anything.

Yes. People look for a semi truck accident lawyer, an 18 wheeler accident attorney and a big rig crash lawyer, and they all mean the same thing. Whatever you call it, if a commercial truck hurt you in Michigan the claim works the same way and we handle it.

The firm has thirteen offices across Michigan: Southfield, two in Detroit, Sterling Heights, Flint, Ypsilanti, Wayne, Lake Orion, Waterford, Monroe, Grand Rapids, Marquette and Mount Clemens. Every address is listed on this page. You do not have to come to an office to start, because the first conversation is free and happens by phone, but there is almost certainly one within reach when you want to sit down with someone.