Michigan Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents, Injuries, & Legal Claims For No-Fault Benefits

Pedestrians and bikers who are injured in Michigan car accidents have legal rights even if the car that struck them was not insured. There are two potential claims arising out of the automobile accident.

The first claim you have is for no-fault benefits, which will cover your damages for loss wages, medical expenses and household chores. Every pedestrian injured in a Michigan car accident is entitled to these benefits. Even if the other driver did not have insurance, but you owned your own automobile which had car insurance, or you were living with a relative had car insurance, you are able to make a claim for no-fault benefits through your automobile insurance company or your relative's automobile insurance company. Even if you did not have automobile insurance or you were not living with a relative who did not have automobile insurance, you are able to make a claim for no-fault benefits through the Michigan Assigned Claims Facility.

In addition to making a claim for no-fault benefits, if you had your own automobile insurance which had uninsured motorist coverage or were living with a relative who had automobile insurance which had uninsured motorist coverage, you may be able to make a claim against the insurance company for uninsured motorist coverage, which will cover all of your non-economic damages, including damages for pain and suffering and disfigurement. Additionally, you may make a claim for any excess economic damages over and above which you are entitled to receive in no-fault benefits.

Catastrophic injuries are frequent outcomes of pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Wrongful death is frequent in these accidents. Other common injuries include:

- Closed head/traumatic brain injury

- Spinal cord injuries, including quadraplegia and paraplegia

- Broken bones and Fractures

- Back injuries

- Neck injures

- Shoulder injuries

- Knee injuries

- Scarring and disfigurement

- Burn injuries

- Amputation injury

In fact according to the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center in cooperation with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals says that in 1999, there were 750 bicycling fatalities and 51,000 bicycling injuries resulting from traffic crashes in the United States. While these numbers continue to decrease from year to year, bicyclist fatalities still account for 2 percent of all traffic fatalities as well as 2 percent of all traffic injuries.

There are very strict time limitations in pursuing these types of claims. Therefore, if you are involved in a Michigan pedestrian injury accident, it is imperative that you contact an experienced pedestrian accident attorney immediately.


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Lawrence J. Buckfire is a Michigan pedestrian/bicycle accident lawyer. If you or a family member were a pedestrian or biker injured in a Michigan car accident, you should contact our office immediately to learn about your legal rights. Call us now at (800) 606-1717. You should also request our FREE BOOK, "The Ultimate Guide toInjury Cases in Michigan," which includes the biggest mistakes you can make that can ruin your injury case.