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It depends on where the crash happened, not where you live. Grand Rapids Police Department handles crashes within the city limits. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office handles crashes in the townships and unincorporated areas of the county. Cities like Kentwood,...
In most cases, yes. Michigan law requires reporting a crash to police if anyone is injured or killed, or if property damage appears to total $1,000 or more. Below that threshold it isn’t legally required, but it’s still strongly recommended...
If your crash happened at or near a jurisdiction boundary, you don’t need to determine which agency covers it yourself. Dispatch routes based on the exact location of your call, not your address, and not your best guess. What matters...
Photograph the position of every vehicle before anything moves, damage from multiple angles, license plates and insurance cards directly, the road and any signage, and your own visible injuries. Do this before a tow truck shows up, because once a...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that road design, lack of traffic signage, vision obstruction, and slick roads resulting from poor weather conditions contribute to thousands of accidents across the country every year. In Michigan, road hazards...
A personal injury case usually is not worth pursuing when the injury fully resolved, the filing deadline has already passed, or there is no way to actually collect from the at-fault party. Those three things matter more than most of...
Most people picture a paralegal managing paperwork in the background of a law firm. At the Buchanan Firm in Ada, Michigan, that picture does not hold up for ten minutes. Leslie Caliguri has been a litigation paralegal at Buchanan Firm...
Most serious injury cases do not start with a full explanation. They start with a gap. A hospital says the outcome was unavoidable. A corporation says the driver was an independent contractor. An insurance company says the coverage does not...
Most people assume that once a medical bill is paid out of a personal injury settlement, it’s over. The case is closed, the check is signed, the file is done. In some cases in Michigan, that assumption costs real money....
Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft have taken the transportation industry by storm. Rideshare market value was over $150 billion globally in 2023, and by 2029, it’s anticipated to be more than $210 billion. If you haven’t tried rideshare, it’s...
Federal trucking violations can play a central role in a Michigan truck accident claim by helping explain how the crash happened, who is responsible, and whether the situation could have been prevented. A truck accident rarely comes down to a...
By the time a personal injury case settles, most people are ready for it to be over. The focus shifts to closing the case, resolving any remaining bills, and finally receiving what is left of the settlement. That process usually...
If you were hit on your motorcycle in Michigan, your first priorities are safety, medical evaluation, and protecting evidence. Even if you feel fine or aren’t sure who was at fault, what you do in the first 24 to 72...
In Michigan car accidents, it is common to feel “fine” at the scene and worse hours or even days later. Delayed symptoms do not mean the injury is minor. They often mean the body is only starting to show you...
In Michigan, liability after a rental boat or jet ski accident depends on who was negligent. The responsible party could be the operator, the rental company, the boat owner, another boater, or even a manufacturer if equipment failed. Even if...
Michigan boating law establishes clear rules for who may operate a vessel, how boats must be equipped, and how they must be operated around others. These rules exist to reduce collisions, protect passengers and swimmers, and create predictable behavior on...
Technology has changed our lives significantly. Years ago, we would bundle up and head to the Woodland Mall or the Fulton Street Market to find gifts or bargains. Now, we’re just as likely to sit on the couch at home...
No. You are not required to speak with the at-fault driver’s insurance company after a crash in Michigan. Their adjuster is not calling to help you — they are calling to protect the company’s money. Anything you say can be...