Lansing Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections. When motorists fail to stop, run red lights, or turn without looking, pedestrians suffer catastrophic injuries. Michigan law provides strong protections for pedestrians using crosswalks legally, and our attorneys hold negligent drivers accountable for violating pedestrian safety rules.

Pedestrians walking through parking lots face dangers from drivers backing out, turning corners without looking, or speeding through parking aisles. These pedestrian injuries often occur at shopping centers, hospitals, and business complexes throughout the Lansing area. Property owners may also share liability if poor lighting, blocked sightlines, or inadequate pedestrian pathways contributed to the crash.

When drivers lose control and jump curbs, pedestrians on sidewalks become victims. Similarly, pedestrians walking along roads without sidewalks face constant danger from inattentive drivers. These cases may involve multiple defendants, including the driver and potentially municipalities responsible for roadway design and maintenance.

Leaving the scene after striking a pedestrian is a serious crime in Michigan, but it happens frequently. Our car accident attorneys work with law enforcement to identify hit-and-run drivers and pursue compensation through your own uninsured motorist coverage when the driver cannot be found.

Texting, phone calls, eating, and other distractions cause thousands of pedestrian crashes annually. Michigan prohibits handheld phone use while driving, and we obtain cell phone records to prove when drivers were distracted at the moment of impact.

Alcohol-impaired drivers have slower reaction times and impaired judgment, making them especially dangerous to pedestrians. When a drunk driver hits a pedestrian in Lansing, our attorneys pursue maximum compensation and, where appropriate, punitive damages to punish the reckless behavior.

Complex intersections create confusion for both drivers and pedestrians. Accidents happen when drivers run red lights, fail to yield on right turns, or don’t see pedestrians crossing with the signal. We reconstruct these crashes to prove the driver’s violation of traffic laws.

Children walking to school or playing in neighborhoods deserve special protection. Michigan imposes reduced speed limits in school zones, and drivers who violate these rules and injure young pedestrians face serious legal consequences. Our personal injury lawyers have handled numerous cases involving injured children.

While technically pedestrians are on foot, accidents involving pedestrians near bike lanes or on shared-use paths involve similar legal principles. Drivers who drift into bike lanes or fail to yield when crossing paths cause preventable injuries.

Michigan’s no-fault system provides Personal Injury Protection coverage for reasonable and necessary medical expenses, wage loss benefits (up to 85% of lost income for three years), replacement services for tasks you can no longer perform, and attendant care for catastrophic injuries. If you have your own auto insurance policy or can access coverage through a household family member, PIP benefits come from that policy. If you do not have your own auto insurance, you must file through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan (MACP) rather than directly with the striking driver’s insurer for PIP benefits.

When a pedestrian suffers serious injuries meeting Michigan’s threshold requirements, they can also pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for non-economic damages including pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disfigurement or disability. Economic damages beyond PIP coverage may also be recoverable, including future medical expenses, future lost earning capacity, and out-of-pocket expenses.

When a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash, surviving family members can pursue wrongful death damages including funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, loss of companionship and guidance, and the victim’s pain and suffering before death. The wrongful death attorneys at Monument Legal handle these sensitive cases with compassion while fighting for full compensation.

Multiple factors influence pedestrian accident settlement amounts: severity and permanence of injuries, amount of medical bills, length of treatment and recovery, extent of wage loss, degree of pain and suffering, impact on daily life and relationships, scarring and disfigurement, future medical needs, and strength of liability evidence. Cases involving catastrophic injuries like paralysis or brain damage typically result in larger settlements because damages are more extensive.

Michigan Vehicle Code Section 257.649 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians within marked crosswalks and at intersections, whether marked or unmarked. Pedestrians must yield to vehicles when crossing outside designated crosswalks. However, even when a pedestrian crosses illegally, drivers still have a duty to avoid hitting them when possible.

Michigan follows a modified comparative negligence rule under MCL 600.2959. If you’re found partially at fault for the accident, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re more than 50% at fault, you are barred from recovering non-economic damages (pain and suffering) from the other party. However, you may still recover economic damages (medical bills, lost wages), which are reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies often argue that pedestrians share fault, but our attorneys fight back with evidence proving driver negligence.

You have three years from the date of the pedestrian accident to file a lawsuit in Michigan courts. Missing this deadline typically means losing your right to compensation forever. Some exceptions apply, including cases involving minors or government entities, which have shorter notice requirements. Don’t wait, contact Monument Legal immediately to protect your rights.

While the lawsuit deadline is three years, no-fault insurance claims have tighter deadlines. You must provide notice to the insurance company within one year of the accident to preserve your PIP benefits. Medical providers must submit bills within specific timeframes. Under Michigan’s “One-Year Back Rule” (MCL 500.3145), you cannot recover PIP benefits for expenses incurred more than one year before a lawsuit was filed. This strict timeline applies even for minors, while the lawsuit deadline may be extended for minors, the one-year back rule for recovering medical expenses remains in effect.

Michigan law requires insurers to offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, though policyholders can reject it in writing. This coverage protects you when hit by uninsured drivers or in hit-and-run accidents. We examine all available insurance policies to identify every potential source of compensation.

Michigan’s dram shop law allows pedestrian accident victims to sue bars, restaurants, or social hosts who served alcohol to visibly intoxicated drivers who then caused crashes. These cases require proving the establishment knew or should have known the driver was intoxicated.

Texting, phone calls, GPS programming, eating, and passenger interactions take drivers’ eyes off pedestrians. Michigan prohibits handheld device use while driving, making violations strong evidence of negligence.

Many drivers simply don’t stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, either because they’re in a hurry, don’t see the pedestrian, or don’t understand right-of-way rules.

Higher vehicle speeds reduce driver reaction time and increase impact force. Speed-related pedestrian crashes result in more severe injuries and higher fatality rates.

Alcohol and drugs impair judgment, slow reaction time, and reduce coordination. Drunk drivers are significantly more likely to strike pedestrians.

Many pedestrian crashes occur at night or in poorly lit areas where drivers cannot see people on foot. Both driver negligence and municipal liability may apply.

Rain, snow, ice, and fog reduce visibility and vehicle control. While weather is a factor, drivers still must maintain safe speeds and watch for pedestrians.

Poorly designed intersections, missing sidewalks, inadequate crossing signals, and blocked sightlines contribute to pedestrian crashes. Municipalities can be held liable for dangerous conditions.

Drivers turning left often focus on oncoming traffic and fail to see pedestrians crossing the street they’re turning onto.

Young pedestrians have immature judgment and limited understanding of traffic dangers. Drivers must exercise extra caution near schools, playgrounds, and residential areas. When children suffer pedestrian injuries, cases often involve higher damages due to lifetime impacts. While Michigan law extends the statute of limitations until the child turns 19 for filing third-party liability lawsuits, the one-year back rule for recovering PIP medical expenses (MCL 500.3145) still applies strictly, even for minors.

Older adults have slower reflexes and may have difficulty judging vehicle speed and distance. They also suffer more severe injuries from pedestrian crashes due to fragile bones and slower healing. Compensation must account for complicated recoveries and pre-existing conditions that accidents aggravate.

People with mobility impairments, vision or hearing loss, or cognitive disabilities deserve special protection. When drivers fail to account for these pedestrians’ needs, or when infrastructure lacks appropriate accommodations, liability may extend beyond just the driver.

Construction workers, crossing guards, parking attendants, and others who work near traffic face daily risks. When struck by vehicles while working, they may have both workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims against at-fault drivers.

While you should contact an attorney quickly, you don’t need to accept any settlement offers right away. Focus on your medical recovery first. A rushed settlement almost always favors the insurance company.

Michigan’s no-fault system requires auto insurance to cover pedestrian accident medical bills, not health insurance. Understanding which insurance applies prevents surprise bills and out-of-pocket expenses.

Even your own insurance company is a business trying to minimize what they pay. Adjusters seem friendly but are trained to find reasons to reduce or deny claims.

Michigan’s comparative negligence law allows recovery even if you share some fault. Don’t assume you have no claim without talking to an attorney first.

Online settlement calculators and generic ranges don’t account for your unique circumstances. Every pedestrian accident case is different, and experienced attorneys evaluate numerous factors to determine fair value.

Monument Legal handles pedestrian accident cases on contingency, meaning you pay nothing upfront.

Our legal fees come only from your settlement or verdict, if we don’t win, you don’t pay attorney fees. We also advance all case costs including expert witnesses, court filing fees, and investigation expenses. This arrangement allows injured pedestrians to afford excellent legal representation regardless of financial circumstances.

When we recover compensation, our fee is a percentage of that recovery, so our interests align with yours, the more we recover for you, the more we earn.

Michigan law gives you three years from the accident date to file a lawsuit. However, you must notify the insurance company of your no-fault claim within one year to preserve medical benefits.

Government entities require notice within six months for potential claims against municipalities. While three years seems like plenty of time, evidence disappears quickly. Witnesses forget details, surveillance footage is deleted, and accident scene conditions change. Contact Monument Legal immediately to preserve your rights and protect your claim.

Case value depends on injury severity, medical expenses, wage loss, pain and suffering, permanent disabilities, and fault circumstances. Minor injuries with full recovery might settle for thousands, while catastrophic injuries causing permanent disability can exceed hundreds of thousands or even millions. Factors that increase value include permanent scarring or disfigurement, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord damage, multiple surgeries or lengthy treatment, significant wage loss and reduced future earning capacity, and clear driver fault with strong liability evidence. We evaluate your unique circumstances during a free consultation and provide realistic expectations about potential compensation ranges.

Most pedestrian accident cases in Michigan resolve within 12 to 18 months, though complex cases can take longer.

Timeline factors include injury severity and treatment duration (you should reach maximum medical improvement before settling), insurance company cooperation, whether a lawsuit becomes necessary, and court scheduling if trial is required. Simple cases with clear liability and minor injuries may settle in months, while serious injury cases requiring surgery and extensive treatment take longer.

We never rush your case just to collect a quick fee, we wait until you’ve completed treatment and we understand the full extent of your damages before pursuing settlement.

While not legally required, hiring an experienced pedestrian accident attorney dramatically increases your compensation.

Insurance companies know unrepresented victims lack understanding of Michigan’s complex no-fault system, don’t know fair case values, fear the legal process, and often accept lowball offers. Studies show represented accident victims recover significantly more than unrepresented victims, even after attorney fees. Monument Legal handles the legal complexity while you focus on healing.

We deal with insurance adjusters, investigate the accident, gather evidence, obtain medical records, calculate full damages, negotiate settlement, and try cases when necessary. Most importantly, you pay nothing unless we win, so there’s no financial risk to having experienced representation.

Yes, even if you were crossing outside a crosswalk, you may still recover compensation.

Michigan’s comparative negligence rule under MCL 600.2959 reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault. If you’re more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover non-economic damages (pain and suffering), but you can still recover economic damages (medical bills, lost wages) reduced by your percentage of fault.

More importantly, drivers have a duty to avoid hitting pedestrians even when pedestrians violate traffic laws. If the driver was distracted, speeding, impaired, or otherwise negligent, they share significant fault. We’ve successfully recovered compensation for jaywalking pedestrians by proving driver negligence was the primary cause. Each case depends on specific facts, and Monument Legal provides honest assessments during free consultations.

Uninsured drivers create additional challenges, but you still have recovery options.

Your own auto insurance policy’s uninsured motorist coverage provides compensation for injuries caused by uninsured drivers. If you don’t own a vehicle, you may be covered under a household family member’s policy. Michigan law requires insurers to offer uninsured motorist coverage, though it can be rejected in writing.

We identify all available insurance coverage, pursue the uninsured driver’s personal assets, and maximize recovery from every available source. Hit-and-run cases fall under uninsured motorist coverage when the driver cannot be identified.

Michigan’s no-fault insurance system requires auto insurance to cover pedestrian accident medical expenses, not health insurance.

The at-fault driver’s insurance or your own auto policy provides Personal Injury Protection benefits for reasonable and necessary medical treatment. However, navigating which insurance applies can be complicated, especially for pedestrians who don’t own vehicles. Health insurance companies often pay bills initially but may seek reimbursement when they discover an auto accident occurred.

Monument Legal ensures proper insurance coverage from the start, preventing surprise bills and protecting your interests. We handle insurance coordination so medical providers receive payment and you avoid out-of-pocket expenses.

Yes, Michigan’s wrongful death statute allows certain family members to pursue compensation when a pedestrian is killed.

Surviving spouses, children, parents, siblings, and sometimes other dependents can file wrongful death claims. Recoverable damages include funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support the deceased would have provided, loss of companionship, guidance, and services, and the deceased’s pain and suffering before death.

These cases require sensitivity and compassion, which Monument Legal provides while aggressively pursuing justice. Wrongful death claims are subject to Michigan’s three-year statute of limitations from the date of death. Our wrongful death attorneys guide families through this difficult process with care and dedication.

Politely decline and tell them to contact your attorney at Monument Legal. Insurance companies request recorded statements to lock you into early versions of events before you fully understand your injuries or remember all accident details.

They ask leading questions designed to minimize your injuries or suggest shared fault. Once recorded, these statements become evidence used against you. You’re not legally required to provide recorded statements to the other driver’s insurance company, and even your own insurer can wait until you’ve consulted an attorney.

We handle all insurance communication and provide statements only when legally required and after proper preparation. Never give recorded statements before speaking with an attorney.

Proving fault requires evidence showing the driver violated traffic laws or drove negligently.

We gather police reports documenting officer observations and driver citations, witness statements from people who saw the accident, surveillance footage from nearby businesses or traffic cameras, accident scene photographs showing crosswalk locations, skid marks, and sight distances, driver admissions made at the scene or in police reports, cell phone records proving distraction at the time of impact, and expert accident reconstruction analysis for complex cases. Michigan law presumes drivers are at fault when they hit pedestrians in marked crosswalks, but we still gather comprehensive evidence.