Motorcycle Accidents

Motor Vehicle Collision Lawyers Assisting Victims in Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Detroit

Motorcycle accidents often result in catastrophic injuries to the motorcyclist, even when the accident occurred at a slow speed. While drivers of cars and trucks have steel protecting them, a motorcyclist is fully exposed and vulnerable to the force of a collision. As a result, motorcycle accident injuries—as well as the economic and noneconomic costs of an accident—are often substantial.

If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, consulting with an injury attorney at Neumann Law Group is your first step towards obtaining the compensation you need to cover your accident-related expenses. Award-winning motorcycle accident attorney Kelly Neumann handles cases in Detroit, Traverse City, and Grand Rapids, and has regularly secured over $3 million per year in personal injury damages on behalf of her clients.

How Does Motorcycle Insurance Work in Michigan?

Motorcycle insurance laws in Michigan are complicated. Michigan is a no-fault state, which means that drivers of cars are required to turn to their own insurance to recover economic damages first. However, Michigan only requires owners of motor vehicles that are required to be registered in the state to purchase no-fault insurance, and a motorcycle is not considered a “motor vehicle” under this law. Thus, motorcyclists do not need to purchase no-fault insurance.

Instead, they must purchase traditional liability insurance for bodily injury or death. They also have the option of buying other coverage, such as personal injury protection coverage. If they decline to buy traditional liability insurance, they will be disqualified from getting no-fault benefits that may otherwise be available.

Assuming another motor vehicle was involved in the motorcycle accident, your case will be handled like a first-party or third-party auto accident insurance case. A motorcyclist will qualify for no-fault benefits if there is an accident involving a moving (non-parked) vehicle. However, if there is an accident with a parked vehicle, the motorcyclist will not qualify for no-fault benefits, and similarly, a motorcyclist involved in an accident with a pedestrian will not qualify.

The order of priority as to which insurer will pay no-fault benefits for a motorcyclist’s injuries when the motorcyclist qualifies for these benefits is also complicated. An auto insurer of a car’s owner, when a car is involved in the accident, is first in line to pay. Second in line is the insurer of the driver of the car involved in the accident. Third in line is the motorcyclist’s automobile insurer, assuming the motorcyclist has a covered automobile. Fourth is the auto insurer of the motorcycle’s owner. Finally, the State of Michigan Assigned Claims Plan is last in line.

Are Motorcycle Accident Victims Able to Recover Non-Economic Damages?

No-fault benefits cover only economic damages. Only if a motorcyclist suffers serious impairment of bodily function, permanent serious disfigurement, or death, can they bring a lawsuit for noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering. Pursuing these damages can be tricky because the insurer responsible for paying no-fault benefits may also be defending against the claim for noneconomic damages. Given the complexity of Michigan’s motorcycle insurance laws, it is imperative for anyone injured in a motorcycle accident to retain an experienced attorney who can represent them throughout the process.

Our Law Firm Has Specific Experience Handling Motorcycle Accidents in Traverse City, Grand Rapids, and Detroit

Motorcycle accidents involve particularly complicated legal and insurance issues. If you are trying to recover damages after being struck by someone else in Detroit, Grand Rapids, or Traverse City, the motorcycle accident lawyers at Neumann Law Group can help. We proudly represent victims and their families in Petoskey, Warren, Holland, Midland, Muskegon, Saginaw, Wyoming, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, and communities throughout the Upper Peninsula. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation today, give the Traverse City personal injury lawyers at the Neumann Law Group a call at 800-525-6386. You can also connect with us through our online contact form. Calling is free, and we will not bill you for our services unless and until we can connect you with the compensation you deserve.