Why Motorcycle Accidents Produce More Severe Injuries
Motorcyclists have no steel frame, airbags, or crumple zones protecting them. When a car or truck hits a motorcycle, the rider absorbs the full force of the collision. This is why motorcycle accidents produce disproportionately catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, road rash requiring skin grafts, and amputations. The severity of these injuries drives substantially higher settlement values than typical car accident cases.
Michigan Motorcycle Settlement Ranges
Minor injuries (soft tissue, simple fractures) with full recovery typically settle between $25,000 and $100,000. Moderate injuries requiring surgery, hardware, or extended rehabilitation settle between $100,000 and $500,000. Severe injuries (TBI, spinal cord, amputation, permanent disfigurement) can result in settlements or verdicts of $500,000 to several million dollars. Wrongful death motorcycle cases often exceed $1 million given the devastating nature of these crashes.
Michigan's Helmet Law and Your Case
Michigan's reformed helmet law under MCL § 257.658 allows riders over 21 to ride without a helmet if they carry at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits and have held their license for at least two years. However, not wearing a helmet can significantly impact your case. Under Michigan's comparative fault rules, the defense will argue that your head injuries would have been less severe with a helmet. Koussan Law handles this argument aggressively — helmet use does not eliminate the other driver's liability for causing the crash.
No-Fault Insurance for Motorcyclists
Michigan motorcyclists are in a unique insurance position. Motorcycles are not covered under Michigan's no-fault auto insurance system for PIP benefits. However, if you are hit by a car, you can claim PIP benefits through the car's insurance policy, your own auto insurance policy (if you have one for a car), or the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan. This creates a complex priority system that requires an attorney who understands motorcycle-specific insurance rules.
Common Causes of Michigan Motorcycle Accidents
The motorcycle accidents Koussan Law handles most frequently involve left-turn collisions where a car turns into an oncoming motorcycle, lane-change blind spots where drivers fail to check mirrors, rear-end impacts at intersections, door openings into bike lanes in urban areas, and road hazard accidents caused by potholes, gravel, and uneven pavement that Michigan is notorious for. In multi-vehicle cases, multiple insurance policies may be available for recovery.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Michigan, call Koussan Law at (313) 800-0000. We understand the unique legal and insurance challenges motorcycle riders face.
