Can You File a Personal Injury Claim Without a Police Report in Michigan?
Yes — a police report is not legally required to file a personal injury claim in Michigan. But its absence makes your case harder. The police report is a key piece of evidence that insurance companies rely on when evaluating claims. Without one, you need to build your evidence case through other means.
Why the Police Report Matters
A police report provides an independent, contemporaneous record of the accident. It documents the date, time, location, parties involved, witness information, the officer's observations about fault, citations issued, and road/weather conditions. Insurance adjusters treat the police report as a starting point for liability assessment. Without it, the adjuster relies more heavily on the parties' competing accounts — which gives the insurer more room to dispute your version of events.
Building Your Case Without a Police Report
If no police report exists, Koussan Law builds the evidence foundation through other sources: photographs of the accident scene and vehicle damage, witness statements and contact information, medical records documenting injuries and their timing, surveillance or dashcam footage from nearby businesses or vehicles, cell phone records (to prove distracted driving), and your own written account of what happened, recorded as soon as possible after the accident.
When Police Reports Don't Exist
Common scenarios where police reports may not exist include parking lot accidents (private property, so police often don't respond), slip and fall injuries on commercial property, restaurant and retail injuries, and situations where the parties exchanged information but didn't call police. In each case, alternative documentation becomes critical. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better — evidence degrades quickly.
No police report? Don't worry. Call Koussan Law at (313) 800-0000 or use our case calculator.
