MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN

According to data provided by the Skilled Motorcyclist Association, motorcycle fatalities in the state of Michigan have steadily increased over the past three decades. Although there are slight declines in some years, the overall upward trend continues. Many motorcycle fatalities are the result of negligent conduct. Injured victims and their loved ones deserve compensation when another party is at fault for causing a motorcycle accident that results in injury or death.

At Detroit Legal Group PLLC, we serve clients not only in Detroit, but also in Dearborn, Southfield, and Warren. Our team of personal injury attorneys represents the rights of injured victims as well as family members of deceased victims. With our law firm’s courtroom experience, we have the advocacy skills you need to pursue compensation and move forward. Contact Detroit Legal Group PLLC today for a free consultation.

Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident

The immediate steps taken following a motorcycle accident are crucial. Steps you should consider taking if you are involved in a motorcycle wreck include, among others, the following:

• Seek medical attention

• Document everything (such as taking photographs of the accident scene and noting any other characteristics about the accident that are important, such as weather conditions and time of day)

• Obtain important documents (such as accident reports, witness statements, and insurance information from other motorists involved in the accident, if any)

• Notify your insurance company

• Retain a personal injury attorney

Although injured motorcyclists are not required to hire an attorney, handling a personal injury claim without the assistance of an attorney can be extremely difficult. Lawyers who routinely communicate with insurance companies are in a better position to help an injured victim receive compensation that is fair and reasonable.

Michigan Motorcycle Laws

Some of the most important laws for motorcyclists in Michigan include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Motorcyclists are not required to wear helmets so long as they are 21 years of age or older, have at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits, and have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least 2 years or have passed an approved motorcycle safety course.

• All motorcyclists and passengers under the age of 21 must wear a helmet.

• Motorcyclists must wear shatterproof goggles, a face shield, or windshield to protect the eyes when traveling at speeds of 35 miles per hour or more (although such protective gear is recommended at any speed).

• Motorcyclists must sit on a regular, permanently attached seat.

• Motorcyclists are entitled to use a full lane just like any other motor vehicle, but are prohibited from traveling on sidewalks, riding in the same lane side-by-side another motorcycle, riding between lanes of traffic (lane splitting), riding on a bicycle path, and riding between traffic and a curb.

• Motorcycles that have an engine size of under 125 cc are not allowed to operate on freeways or limited access highways.

Additional motorcycle laws exist that may be important to a potential personal injury case. As such, speaking with an attorney about whether any motorcycle laws are applicable to an accident case is a good first step to pursuing a potential legal claim.

Determining Fault

Michigan is a no-fault state, which means that every motorcyclist is required to have basic insurance coverage to obtain a license to operate a motorcycle. No-fault insurance pays for injuries and property loss suffered by a motorcyclist regardless of fault. No-fault insurance comprises three parts, which include (1) personal injury protection (PIP), (2) property protection (PPI), and (3) residual liability insurance for bodily injury and property damage that protects the insured person in certain situations.

Filing a Claim for a Loved One

Under Michigan law, a legal representative of an incapacitated or deceased person can bring a lawsuit. If the injury victim is alive but incapacitated, a legal representative would file a personal injury lawsuit on the incapacitated person’s behalf. If the injury victim is deceased, a legal representative would file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the deceased victim.

In either case, legal representatives only have three years to file a lawsuit. In the case of personal injury, the last date to file a lawsuit is three years after the date injuries were sustained. In the case of wrongful death, the last date to file a lawsuit is three years after the victim’s date of death.