Auto Accident Statistics and Checklist

Auto Statistics
Automobile accidents are very dangerous and may cause serious injury. Although some insurance industry publications try to minimize the impact, the truth about automobile accidents is disturbing:

• According to the National Safety Council, there are approximately 12 million automobile accidents every year.
• Approximately 2 million non-fatal, but disabling, injuries occur from automobile accidents every year.
• Approximately 10% of all automobile accident victims become disabled.
• Collisions occurring at speeds as low as 5 miles an hour can lead to significant cervical or neck injury. This is true even though there is little to no damage to the motor vehicles in a low speed collision.
• Even if an accident causes no broken bones, a victim may suffer "soft-tissue" injuries that last for months, or sometimes years. A study reported in the European Spine Journal indicated that 10% of accident victims experienced degenerative bone conditions during the first year after the auto accident.
  

Michigan Auto Accident Checklist
If you were involved in a Michigan auto accident, do you know what to do? The following "checklist" can help you take the necessary steps to protect your legal rights in case of a Michigan auto accident.

Stay Calm after the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Protect your passengers and car.
  
• If necessary, call an ambulance for any injured party.
• Set out flares, if you carry them.
• Do not leave the scene of the Michigan car accident.
  

Exchange Documents after the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Exchange only your license, registration and motor vehicle identification card with the other drivers.
• Do not discuss the Michigan car accident with anyone other than the police.
• Do not blame yourself or anyone else.
  

Get Ownership Facts After the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Write down the name, address, and insurance company of the owner of the other car involved in the Michigan car accident.
• Do not assume that the other driver owned his or her car.
  

Get Information About Witnesses to the Michigan Auto Accident:

• Be sure to write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any people who saw the Michigan car accident, but were not involved in it.

Draw a Diagram of the Michigan Auto Accident Scene:

• Write the date and time of the Michigan auto accident on the diagram.
• In addition, write down information about the location of the auto accident, including the intersection, street names, any stop lights or traffic control signs, or other landmarks.
  

Protect Your Legal Rights After the Michigan Auto Accident:

• If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a Michigan auto accident, talk with an experienced Michigan auto accident lawyer.

Car - Motorcycle Accidents

Most Michigan motorcyclists use every possible safety precaution. But a motorcyclist hit by a car may not stand a chance. In these collisions, the motorcyclist is at grave risk of severe injury, permanent disability, or even death.

Over 4,000 motorcyclists died in motor vehicle crashes in 2004, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. Another 76,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic accidents in that year alone.

Motorcyclists who survive automobile crashes often suffer serious injuries that require hospitalization, surgery, and long-term medical treatment. Some victims never regain their ability to work or resume normal family life.

Even if a car accident victim makes a relatively good recovery, the crash takes its toll. The individual may lose time and income from work, need help with household chores, and have to live with lingering pain from car accident injuries. In short, an auto accident can significantly change a motorcyclist’s life -- temporarily or even permanently.

Special Legal Issues in Motorcycle-Car Accident Cases
A motorcyclist injured in a Michigan car accident has a special need for help from a highly-qualified car accident attorney. In important ways, the legal claims of a motorcyclist are different -- and more complicated -- than the claims of an automobile driver, because Michigan law does not consider a motorcycle to be a “motor vehicle.”

Therefore, the most important legal claim available to a motorcyclist who is seriously injured in a Michigan car accident may be a Third-Party lawsuit against the negligent driver and the owner of the automobile involved in the collision. Under Michigan law, the injured motorcyclist may be able to recover damages for non-economic losses, including pain and suffering.

The Michigan car accident victim also may have a First-Party claim for No-Fault benefits, which cover economic damages, including medical costs, wage loss, attendant care, and replacement services. These No-Fault First-Party benefits may be crucial to the economic survival of a motorcyclist injured in a Michigan car accident. The accident victim must claim these benefits within one year.

However, an individual who held legal title to the motorcycle on which he or she was injured, and did not carry the basic liability insurance required by Michigan law, cannot get First-Party Benefits.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Michigan car accident, contact an experienced car accident lawyer immediately.

Protect Yourself after A Car Accident

Step-by-step instructions on how to protect yourself if you are in a car accident.

Auto accidents are a significant cause of disabling injuries and deaths throughout the nation.

The facts about car accidents are alarming:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicles accidents killed 43,443 Americans in 2005.
• Another 2,494,000 people were injured in car crashes in that year alone.
• Of those who died in highway accidents, three out of four were occupants of motor vehicles.
• About 4,550 of the deceased victims were motorcyclists.
• Another 5,665 of the people killed in car accidents were bicyclists or pedestrians.
• Almost 17,000 of the fatal motor vehicle accidents were related to alcohol use.

A car accident can be a very upsetting experience. But it is very important not to panic after a car accident. Instead, keep a clear head.

First, and most important, Stay Calm
Focus first on acting to protect yourself and help other car accident victims. Do not discuss the car accident with anyone other than the police. Do not blame anyone, including yourself. Never argue with the other driver -- even if you are sure that person caused the car accident.

Second, Get Help
Do not leave the site of the car accident. Call 9-1-1 from the car accident scene, to tell police about the collision. If anyone was injured, ask the 9-1-1 operator to send emergency medical personnel to the car accident site immediately.

Set flares, if you carry them, to warn other drivers to slow down and avoid the people and vehicles involved in the car accident.

Obtain the Drivers Facts
Write down the name, address, phone number, driver's license number and state, license plate number, registration, and auto insurance information, including the insurance policy number.

Ownership Facts
If the driver of the other vehicle was not the owner, write down the name, address, insurance company, and auto insurance policy number of the owner of that vehicle.

Injured Parties
Ask the police about all injured parties, including the passengers in the automobiles. If possible, take down their names, addresses, dates of birth, gender, and extent of injuries.

Witnesses
Look around for anyone who may have seen the car accident, including bystanders and occupants of other vehicles. Be sure to write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all these witnesses.

Damages
Write down the make, body type, year, and license number of all the motor vehicles involved in the car accident. Also, note the damage to each of the vehicles.

Car Accident Scene
Draw a diagram of the car accident site. Mark down the street names, and the location of any stop lights, traffic control signs, or other landmarks. Note the path of each motor vehicle just before the place where they collided.

Protect Your Health
After an automobile accident, get medical attention. Sometimes, car accident victims are too stunned right after a bad collision to know whether or not they were hurt. Therefore, it is wise to see your personal physician as soon as possible. Tell your doctor about the motor vehicle collision, so that he or she can check for internal injuries that may result from a traumatic accident.

Report the Car Accident
If police did not come to the car accident scene, call the police to file a report, as soon as you are able to make a telephone call. If the driver of the other vehicle fled the crash scene, you still must report the car accident to the police. Get a copy of the police report whenever it is available.

File an Auto Insurance Claim
Tell your auto insurance company about the car accident immediately and get an insurance claim number. Ask the auto insurance representative to open a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) file, to preserve all of your rights under your policy.

Be sure to let your insurance company know if you were in a hit-and-run car accident. Some insurance policies require notice of a claim involving an unidentified driver within 30 days of the car accident.

Tell your own auto insurance company that you claim your right to any uninsured or under insured motorist coverage, in case the car or truck that hit you was not covered by motor vehicle insurance. Insurance companies often require prompt notice of these claims and may deny these benefits to anyone who does not follow the strict requirements in their policies.