Auto accidents happen every day in Michigan. In 2021, there were 282,640 accidents, resulting in 1,131 fatalities and 71,246 injuries in the Great Lakes State. Knowing when and what to report is essential if you are involved in a car collision.
Michigan requires reporting vehicle accidents under certain circumstances, like if the collision causes an injury or death. If you fail to report your accident, you may face legal penalties. Failing to report can also cause you to miss out on compensation if you plan to file an accident insurance claim.
Learn when to report a car accident to the police or your car insurance company and how a Michigan car accident lawyer with Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. can help you recover compensation if you were injured in a car crash.
Michigan law requires you to report an accident to police in three instances. You must contact the police after a car accident if:
Section 257.622 of the Michigan Vehicle Code states that if someone is injured or killed in a car accident, you must contact the police. If there’s any question as to whether someone is injured, call 911. The state mandates that an investigating officer will visit the accident scene and make a report, which will be publicly available for at least three years after the incident.
Accidents that cause a minimum of $1,000 in property damage need to be reported to the police, per the state’s vehicle code. You can call 911, flag down a police officer, or find the nearest police station. If you aren’t sure how much damage the accident caused, it’s safer to make a report immediately after the accident so the police can assess it.
If you hit and damage a parked car or private or public property, Michigan Vehicle Code §257.620 mandates that you attempt to find the owner and exchange information with them. If you can’t find the owner of the car, you must report to the nearest police officer or police station. Leaving a note at the scene does not fulfill your obligation to report this incident.
In the event of minor accidents where you are not legally required to call the police, it is still worth filing a police report. If you plan to make a no-fault insurance claim for PIP benefits or against the other driver, you will likely be required to provide a police report to corroborate your claim.
Even if your insurance doesn’t require a report to file, they may still deny the claim under the assumption that the damage was not significant enough to warrant a police report; therefore, compensation is unnecessary.
If your auto crash caused minor damage and emergency services weren’t required to attend to injuries, it’s unnecessary to report an accident to the police. However, you are legally obligated to exchange first and last names, addresses, and car registration numbers with the other party involved in the accident.
Failure to do so may result in criminal charges as it is considered a hit-and-run. For minor accidents that only involve property damage, you could be charged with a misdemeanor with penalties of up to $100 and up to 90 days in jail.
If you fail to report an accident where somebody was injured or killed, the penalties increase substantially: you could be charged with a felony, fined up to $10,000, and spend five to 15 years in jail.
Any time you file a police report for an accident, even if you are not at fault, you must report the accident to your insurance. However, many insurance companies require you to report all collisions, no matter how minor and may cancel your insurance coverage if any accidents are not reported.
Insurance companies should be notified as soon as possible after an accident, although you will want to check your insurance policy for specific deadlines.
While the specific consequences depend on your insurer and policy details, failing to report the crash could result in denied claims for your accident and potential loss of future coverage.
If you don’t report your accident, the company will likely refuse to cover any damages you incurred from the collision. That means you’ll be responsible for paying all expenses related to the crash, like medical bills, car repairs, or the cost of a rental car.
Michigan is a no-fault state, meaning every driver must carry PIP insurance to cover medical expenses after a collision. PIP insurance pays for medical bills, wage losses, and funeral expenses after an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
You must report the accident to your PIP insurer to get no-fault benefits. If you fail to report your accident, you will lose out on this compensation, which can cover anywhere from the state-mandated minimum of $50,000 to unlimited coverage, depending on your policy.
If you suffer severe injuries in an accident, you can work with an attorney to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company in a tort liability claim. This typically happens when your injuries exceed the state’s serious injury threshold, including significant bodily impairment, disfigurement, or death.
Although it’s unlikely that you would not report an accident of this severity, failing to do so would result in your inability to win compensation from the other driver’s insurance. It would also prevent you from recovering non-economic damages for pain and suffering or psychological damage in a personal injury lawsuit.
Most insurance companies allow you to easily file a claim online or over the phone. However, you may choose to work with a knowledgeable attorney from Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. to assist you in reporting the accident, gathering the necessary documents, and filing your claim.
You will need the following information to report your car accident to your insurer:
To file the claim, your insurance company will need your information and any other driver involved in the accident. Necessary information includes:
Most victims of hit-and-run accidents won’t have the other driver’s information. If you couldn’t get the other driver’s information, let your insurance company know and work with your attorney to get police reports for the incident.
Your insurance company will need to know the basic details of the collision. Report where the crash occurred, what day it happened, and the approximate time of the event. Tell the insurance company how the cars collided and where they made contact. For example, the other car hit your driver’s side door.
Keep your information factual without assigning blame or embellishing details. Saying “It was my fault” can work against you: if the other driver has grounds to file a lawsuit against you, your insurance company will have you on record, admitting that you were at fault.
Don’t provide unverified information, such as the amount of damage done to your vehicle or the diagnosis of your injuries. For instance, don’t claim that you broke your arm if you haven’t yet had a doctor verify your X-rays. Just state that you were injured and that you are receiving medical care. Similarly, don’t say that your car was totaled if a mechanic has not seen the vehicle yet. Say it was damaged in the crash.
Even if your insurance company doesn’t require police reports to file a claim, it is helpful in the claims process. The police report contains all relevant information about the crash and the drivers involved, which can help your insurance company fill in the blanks.
If you were injured in an accident and received or are receiving medical care, your PIP coverage can reimburse or cover any medical expenses related to the accident. Get copies of your records to validate your treatment and the treatment costs. You can usually obtain copies from your doctor or the medical facility that treated you.
Car accidents can cause injuries severe enough to keep you out of work. If the accident prevented you from working, gather copies of your pay stubs, W-2 form, or tax returns to verify the amount of income you lost after the accident. Your employer can also provide your insurance company with a letter to verify the lost wages.
After a car accident in Michigan, your best course of action is to report the incident to your insurance company and the police. Reporting your accident ensures you meet the state’s legal requirements and gives you support when filing a claim for PIP benefits or additional compensation for your injuries.
The car accident attorneys at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. can help you through the aftermath of a car collision. Whether you need assistance filing a claim with insurance or want to pursue a claim against a negligent driver, our lawyers are here to help.
Our legal team handles all types of car accident cases, including trucks, delivery vehicles, and passenger cars. We will work to help you receive the compensation you deserve after an injury crash.
Our contingency fee basis means we only get paid if we win your case, so there is no financial risk to you to get started. Call our law firm today at 1-866-MICH-LAW and schedule your no-obligation, free case evaluation.
Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.
Riley Emerson is a freelance writer whose work focuses on improving legal accessibility and justice. He enjoys relating complex legal issues in a straightforward way, so people can get the legal help they need.
