Michigan Car Accident Settlement Calculator

Michigan uses a 51% fault threshold for car accident claims. You can recover compensation as long as you are no more than 50% at fault — even in a perfectly even 50/50 split, you still receive half your damages. This is more permissive than states using a 50% bar, where equal fault results in zero recovery.

The statute of limitations for this type of claim in Michigan is 3 years — in line with the national average of 2.7 years. This is a standard timeframe, but acting sooner preserves evidence and strengthens your position. Importantly, Michigan recognizes a discovery rule, which can extend the filing window in cases where the harm was not immediately apparent.

As a no-fault auto insurance state, Michigan requires you to file a claim with your own insurance company first under your personal injury protection (PIP) policy, regardless of who caused the accident. A claim against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering is limited by Michigan's no-fault law. A person remains liable in tort for noneconomic loss only if the injured person has suffered death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement (MCL 500.3135). As a result, many minor car accident claims in Michigan are resolved through PIP, while an injury that meets the statutory test can be pursued against the at-fault driver.

Michigan’s minimum liability limits are $50K per person / $100K per accident in bodily injury coverage and $10K in property damage coverage (commonly written as 50/100/10). These minimums are above the national average, providing somewhat better baseline protection for accident victims. Michigan does not require uninsured motorist coverage, leaving you potentially unprotected if the at-fault driver has no insurance. Purchasing UM/UIM coverage is strongly recommended. Michigan drivers choose a PIP medical coverage level when a policy is issued or renewed: unlimited, $500,000 or $250,000 per person, or $50,000 for a driver enrolled in Medicaid whose household is otherwise covered. A driver with Medicare Parts A and B may opt out of PIP medical coverage if the rest of the household has qualifying coverage (MCL 500.3107c, 500.3107d). The $50,000 and $100,000 bodily injury limits are a floor, not the default: a Michigan policy carries $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident unless the driver signs a form choosing lower limits (MCL 500.3009).

Claims against government entities in Michigan — such as accidents involving government vehicles, city buses, or dangerous road conditions maintained by a municipality — require a formal notice of claim within 120 days. This compressed timeline catches many accident victims off guard. If a government entity may be at fault, consulting an attorney immediately is critical to preserving your right to compensation.

No Michigan statute, high court decision or insurance regulator statement settles whether diminished value, the resale value a properly repaired car loses because of its accident history, can be added to the cost of repairs in a claim against the at-fault driver. Whether your own collision coverage owes it has no clear Michigan rule. Michigan's no-fault act abolishes most tort liability for vehicle damage and leaves only a small capped 'mini tort' claim against the at-fault driver, and no Michigan authority says whether diminished value can be recovered inside that cap. The diminished value guide in the related reading below carries the rule for every state and how to document the loss.