Michigan’s insurance system is unlike most states, and if you have been involved in a semi truck accident in Lansing MI or anywhere in Michigan, understanding how it works can make a significant difference in what you are able to recover. Here is what our truck accident attorneys in Lansing want you to know.
Michigan requires all drivers to carry what is known as no-fault auto insurance. The term no-fault means exactly what it sounds like: regardless of who caused the accident, your own insurance company pays your immediate medical bills and a portion of your lost wages through something called Personal Injury Protection, or PIP benefits.
According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3101, all registered vehicle owners in Michigan must carry Personal Injury Protection insurance as part of their auto policy. This coverage kicks in right away after an accident without any need to prove who was at fault first. That is designed to get money to injured people quickly rather than waiting for fault to be determined through litigation.
According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3145, PIP benefits cover reasonable and necessary medical expenses, up to 85 percent of your lost wages for up to three years, and replacement services for tasks you can no longer perform due to your injuries.
To step outside the no-fault system, your injuries must meet what Michigan law refers to as the serious injury threshold. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3135, qualifying injuries include death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of body function, meaning an injury that affects your ability to lead your normal life in a meaningful way.
Here is why that matters for East Lansing truck accident attorneys handling these cases. Truck accidents almost always produce injuries that meet this threshold. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a fully loaded commercial semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. The force involved in a collision of that scale routinely produces traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, and internal injuries that clearly and significantly affect a person’s daily life.
In practical terms, if you have been seriously hurt in a truck accident in Michigan, there is a strong likelihood that your injuries qualify you to pursue the at-fault trucking company directly for full compensation beyond your PIP benefits.
One of the most important things Lansing semi truck accident lawyers want clients to understand is that trucking companies are required by federal law to carry substantially higher insurance coverage than regular passenger vehicle drivers.
According to 49 CFR 387.9, commercial motor carriers transporting general freight in interstate commerce must carry a minimum of $750,000 in public liability coverage. Many large trucking companies carry policies well above these federal minimums.
This matters for your case in two ways. First, it means there is significantly more insurance coverage available to compensate you for a serious injury than in a typical car accident. Second, it means the trucking company’s insurers have much more at stake and will fight aggressively to minimize what they pay out. Having experienced truck accident attorneys in Lansing on your side levels that playing field.
Navigating Michigan’s no-fault system comes with two separate deadlines that run at the same time and are easy to confuse.
According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3145, you must notify your insurance company about your medical treatment within one year of the accident to preserve your PIP benefits. This is not the same as filing a lawsuit. It is a separate notice requirement that many people miss because they are focused on recovery and assume they have more time.
For the lawsuit itself, according to Michigan Legislature MCL 600.5805, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault trucking company. Missing either deadline can seriously affect your ability to recover compensation so acting early is always the right move.
Michigan’s no-fault system is genuinely complex, and truck accident claims add another layer of federal regulations, multiple liable parties, and high-stakes insurance negotiations on top of it. Our truck accident attorneys in Lansing handle every part of this process so you do not have to figure it out on your own.
We identify whether your injuries meet the serious injury threshold and build the strongest possible case against the at-fault trucking company for every dollar of compensation you are owed beyond those benefits.
Michigan no-fault insurance means your own insurance pays your immediate medical bills and lost wages through PIP benefits regardless of who caused the accident. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3101, all Michigan drivers are required to carry this coverage, and it applies to truck accident claims the same way it applies to any other motor vehicle accident. However PIP benefits alone rarely cover the full extent of losses in a serious truck accident which is why the ability to step outside the no-fault system matters so much.
PIP benefits cover reasonable and necessary medical expenses, up to 85 percent of your lost wages for up to three years, and replacement services for tasks you can no longer perform. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3145, you must notify your insurer about your medical treatment within one year of the accident to preserve these benefits. PIP does not cover pain and suffering or the full value of your lost earning capacity if your injuries are permanent.
Yes, if your injuries meet Michigan’s serious injury threshold. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3135, you can pursue a claim directly against the at-fault driver and trucking company for pain and suffering, future medical costs, and full lost wages if your injuries resulted in death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of body function. Most truck accident injuries meet this threshold given the severity of crashes involving commercial vehicles.
Trucking companies are required to carry significantly more insurance than regular drivers. According to 49 CFR 387.9, commercial motor carriers transporting general freight in interstate commerce must carry a minimum of $750,000 in public liability coverage, with higher minimums required for trucks carrying hazardous materials. Many large carriers carry coverage well above these federal minimums.
There are two separate deadlines to be aware of. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 500.3145, you must notify your insurer about medical treatment within one year of the accident to preserve your PIP benefits. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 600.5805, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault trucking company. Both deadlines run simultaneously and missing either one can affect your ability to recover compensation.
You may still be able to recover compensation. According to Michigan Legislature MCL 600.2959, Michigan follows a modified comparative negligence rule which means you can recover damages as long as you are not more than 50 percent at fault, though your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies routinely argue that injured people share fault to reduce what they owe, which is exactly why having experienced East Lansing truck accident attorneys on your side is so important.