Michigan Truck Accident Lawyer

Why are Michigan trucks so heavy, and why does it matter?

Michigan permits unusually heavy truck configurations that spread weight over many axles. A loaded gravel train or steel hauler can weigh far more than a typical semi elsewhere, and that extra mass means longer stopping distances and more severe crashes.

Heavy loads also mean more wear on brakes, tires and suspension. When a multi-axle truck loses braking power on a downgrade or a lift axle is not set correctly, the results can be catastrophic. Our investigations look at:

• maintenance and inspection records for brakes and axles,
• weight tickets and permits for oversized or overweight loads,
• whether seasonal weight restrictions applied to the road that day,
• load securement, especially for steel coils, logs and aggregates.

Which Michigan freight routes see the most truck crashes?

The busiest crossings and corridors carry the most risk. The Ambassador Bridge and the tunnel in Detroit and the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron link Michigan to Canada, and trucks fan out from there onto I-75, I-94 and I-69.

I-94 between Detroit and Chicago, I-75 through Flint and Saginaw, I-96 toward Grand Rapids and US-127 through the middle of the state carry steady auto-parts, food and manufacturing freight. Just-in-time delivery schedules for auto plants put pressure on drivers to keep moving. In the north, log trucks and gravel haulers share two-lane roads with tourists. Winter adds whiteouts, black ice and jackknifed trailers.

Who is responsible besides the truck driver?

Usually the company behind the truck, and often others. Michigan's owner liability rule can make the owner of a vehicle responsible when someone drives it with permission, and the motor carrier is generally responsible for its drivers on the job.

Other possible defendants include the freight broker that chose the carrier, the shipper that loaded the trailer, a repair shop and the maker of a defective part. Each may carry its own insurance. Federal hours-of-service rules limit driving and on-duty time, and electronic logging devices track compliance. When logs show a driver pushed past those limits, the carrier's dispatch practices become part of the case. Our truck accident practice sends preservation demands early so that logging data, dash camera video and engine data are not lost.

How do no-fault benefits work when a truck hits you?

Your own no-fault coverage usually pays first for medical care and wage loss, up to the PIP limit on your policy. The claim against the trucking company then covers what PIP does not.

That includes allowable medical expenses beyond your PIP limit, wage loss above PIP's monthly cap or after its 3-year period, and pain and suffering if your injuries meet the serious-impairment threshold. In a serious truck crash, these excess damages can be very large, so finding every layer of the carrier's insurance matters. If you were driving for work, workers' compensation generally pays before no-fault, and the truck claim proceeds separately. See our workplace injury page for that overlap.

How does shared fault affect a truck claim in Michigan?

Each party's fault is assigned a percentage. Your damages are reduced by your share, and above 50 percent you lose pain and suffering while keeping reduced economic losses.

Suppose a car merges in front of a semi on I-94, and the semi, traveling too fast for a snowy road, cannot stop. A jury values the car driver's losses at $400,000 in pain and suffering and $150,000 in excess medical and wage loss, and it assigns 25 percent fault to the car driver. The car driver recovers $300,000 plus $112,500. Had the jury placed the car driver at 60 percent, only $60,000 in economic losses would remain. Carriers know this, so they often focus on the other driver's lane change or speed.

What should you do after a Michigan truck crash?

1. Get medical care, even for symptoms that seem minor.
2. Photograph the truck, trailer numbers and company markings.
3. Get the police report, which lists the carrier and its identification number.
4. Notify your no-fault insurer in writing well within 1 year.
5. Talk with a lawyer before giving a statement to the carrier's insurer, which often investigates within hours.

If a truck crash caused a death, our Michigan wrongful death page explains how the estate's claim works, and our Michigan injury overview covers other state rules. We offer a free case review, and you pay no fee unless we win.