Short answer: After a car or truck hits a motorcycle in Grand Rapids or anywhere in Kent County, the first insurer in line for the rider's medical bills and lost wages is the one covering that car or truck. Michigan's No-Fault Act does not classify a motorcycle as a motor vehicle (MCL 500.3101), so it sends a rider's claim to the vehicle's side first (MCL 500.3114(5)). Pain and suffering is a separate claim against the driver at fault, and the lawsuit is due within three years (MCL 600.5805). Koussan Law handles Grand Rapids motorcycle accident claims on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we win.
Motorcycle deaths in Kent County
49 motorcyclists were killed in Kent County from 2019 through 2024, 13.9 percent of the county's traffic deaths (statewide 15.7 percent). The striking number is how they died: in 39 of the 48 fatal crashes another vehicle was involved, and in 26 of those 39 the other driver was turning left, about two in three against 40 percent statewide.
| Motorcyclists killed | 49 (48 riders, 1 passenger) in 48 crashes |
|---|---|
| Crashes that involved a car or truck | 39 of 48 |
| In those, the other driver was turning left | 26 of 39, 67% (statewide 40%) |
| At or near an intersection | 27 of 48, 56% (statewide 41%) |
| At a driveway | 10 of 48, 21% (statewide 12%) |
| In August, the deadliest month | 13 of 48 |
| Inside the City of Grand Rapids | 17 of 48 |
| Riders killed who were wearing a helmet | 23 of 49 (22 were not, 4 unknown) |
| Motorcyclists killed by year, 2019 to 2024 | 9, 8, 8, 4, 11, 9 |
NHTSA FARS, 2019 to 2024. Statewide comparisons are Michigan as a whole over the same years. Motorcyclists are riders and passengers of motorcycles and other motored cycles.
| Reported crashes | 19,214 |
|---|---|
| Crashes with injuries | 3,676 |
| People injured | 4,942 |
| People killed | 58 |
| Motorcycles in crashes | 214 (156 in injury crashes, 13 in fatal crashes) |
Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, 2025 Kent County profile (Michigan State Police crash data, compiled by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute).
The deaths are spread across the county's main streets rather than concentrated on one road: Division Avenue and Plainfield Avenue had four each, Eastern Avenue and 28th Street three each. Inside the City of Grand Rapids the helmet numbers turn around: 12 of the 18 riders killed there were not wearing one.
Who pays when a car hits a motorcycle in Grand Rapids?
The No-Fault Act leaves motorcycles out of its definition of a motor vehicle (MCL 500.3101), so a rider's PIP claim runs in a special order when a car or truck is involved (MCL 500.3114(5)): first the insurer of the owner or registrant of that car or truck, then the insurer of its driver, then the auto insurer of the motorcycle's operator, then the auto insurer of the motorcycle's owner. When none of them exists, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan pays (MCL 500.3172).
The crash report tells you which insurers are in line. Ask for the UD-10 report from the agency that responded: Grand Rapids police, the Kent County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan State Police, or a department such as Wyoming, Kentwood or Walker.
The left-turn crash, and the driveway crash
A driver turning left has to yield to oncoming traffic that is in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard, and at a signal must let oncoming traffic clear before turning (MCL 257.650). In Kent County the other driver was turning left in two thirds of the fatal crashes between a motorcycle and another vehicle. A second pattern stands out against the state: 10 of the county's 48 fatal motorcycle crashes happened at a driveway, where vehicles enter and leave the road, against 12 percent statewide.
Both kinds of case come down to the same questions: did the driver look, could the rider be seen, and how fast was each moving. The answers are in intersection and business cameras, the car's event data recorder, witness statements and a reconstruction of the sight lines, and video in particular may be recorded over quickly. Expect the insurer to argue speed. The other driver's traffic ticket, if there was one, is not evidence in the civil case (MCL 257.731).
A claim for pain and suffering needs an injury that meets Michigan's threshold: death, serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement (MCL 500.3135(1)). A rider's own share of fault lowers the award, and only a share above 50 percent bars pain and suffering (MCL 500.3135(2)(b)).
Helmets and Michigan's $20,000 rule
Michigan's helmet exemption has three conditions (MCL 257.658): the rider is at least 21, carries at least $20,000 of first-party medical coverage for motorcycle accidents, and, if operating, has either two years with a motorcycle endorsement or a completed safety course. Everyone else must wear one. Riding without a helmet does not make a rider responsible for the crash; an insurer may argue it made the injuries worse, which is a medical question, not a fault question. See Michigan motorcycle helmet laws.
Talk to a lawyer about a Grand Rapids motorcycle crash
Koussan Law represents riders hurt in Grand Rapids and across Kent County on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we win. Our main office is in Detroit at 821 W Milwaukee St. Call (313) 800-0000 or request a free consultation. For a rough sense of value first, the case value calculator takes about a minute.
Grand Rapids motorcycle accident questions
A car pulled out of a driveway in front of me. Is that different from an intersection crash?
The questions are the same: whether the driver looked, whether you could be seen and how fast each of you was moving. Driveway crashes were about one in five of Kent County's fatal motorcycle crashes, nearly double the statewide share, so business and home cameras near the driveway are worth finding quickly.
The driver said they never saw me. Does that matter?
It is the most common defense in a left-turn or driveway crash, and it is not a defense in itself: a turning driver must yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard. The question is whether you could be seen, which video, the event data recorder and the sight lines answer.
I was not wearing a helmet. Can I still recover?
Yes. Helmet use does not decide who caused the crash. If you were 21 or older and carried the required $20,000 of first-party medical coverage, riding without a helmet was legal; either way, the insurer can only argue about whether a helmet would have changed the injuries.
How long do I have after a Kent County motorcycle crash?
Your insurer needs written notice of the PIP claim within a year, and a lawsuit against the driver must be filed within three. A claim against a government vehicle or for a road defect can have a notice deadline of months, not years.
More for Grand Rapids riders
- Grand Rapids personal injury lawyer: Kent County courts, hospitals and every case type
- Michigan motorcycle accident lawyer
- Lansing motorcycle accident lawyer
- Michigan motorcycle accident settlements
- Grand Rapids car accident lawyer
Sources
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), national data files for 2019 to 2024; the 2024 file is the most recent release and may be revised. County and city figures computed by Koussan Law from the crash, vehicle and person files.
- Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, 2025 county profiles and the 2025 Traffic Crash Summary for County/Communities.
- Michigan Compiled Laws, legislature.mi.gov: MCL 500.3101, 500.3114, 500.3135, 500.3172, 257.650, 257.658, 257.731, 600.5805.
Updated October 18, 2026. General information about Michigan law, not legal advice for your situation; the deadlines and coverage rules that apply to you depend on your facts and your policy.
