Short answer: If a car or truck hit you on your motorcycle in Lansing or anywhere in Ingham County, your medical bills and lost wages are paid first by the insurer of that car or truck, not your motorcycle policy (MCL 500.3114(5)), because Michigan's No-Fault Act does not treat a motorcycle as a motor vehicle (MCL 500.3101). Pain and suffering comes from a claim against the driver who caused the crash, which must be filed within three years (MCL 600.5805). Koussan Law handles these claims on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing unless we win.
Motorcycle deaths in Ingham County
Ingham County's overall traffic death rate is below the state average: 8.3 deaths a year per 100,000 residents from 2019 through 2024, against 10.7 statewide. Motorcyclists are the exception. They were one in five of the people killed on Ingham County roads, a larger share than statewide.
| Motorcyclists killed | 29 (28 riders, 1 passenger) in 28 crashes |
|---|---|
| Share of all county traffic deaths | 20% (statewide 15.7%) |
| Crashes that involved a car or truck | 20 of 28 |
| In those, the other driver was turning left | 13 of 20, 65% (statewide 40%) |
| At or near an intersection | 15 of 28 (statewide 41%) |
| In July and August | 14 of 28 |
| Inside the City of Lansing | 20 of 28 |
| Riders killed who were wearing a helmet | 17 of 29 (9 were not, 3 unknown) |
| Motorcyclists killed by year, 2019 to 2024 | 4, 3, 9, 7, 5, 1 |
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 | 8,235 |
|---|---|
| Crashes with injuries | 1,534 |
| People injured | 2,126 |
| Fatal crashes | 16 |
| People killed | 21 |
Michigan State Police 2024 county crash statistics, from our Michigan traffic crash data by county report.
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (M-99) had the most fatal motorcycle crashes in the county (6), followed by Cedar Street (5), both major north-south routes through Lansing. Most of the riders killed in Ingham County were wearing a helmet, 17 of 29. Helmets matter, but the main risk in these numbers is a driver turning across a rider at an intersection.
Who pays when a car hits a motorcycle in Lansing
Michigan's No-Fault Act leaves motorcycles out of its definition of "motor vehicle" (MCL 500.3101), and that one definition changes the whole claim. When a motor vehicle is involved, MCL 500.3114(5) sends the rider's PIP claim to the car's side first: the insurer of the car or truck's owner or registrant, then the insurer of its driver, then the auto insurer of the motorcycle's operator, then the auto insurer of the motorcycle's owner. Only when none of those exists does the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan step in (MCL 500.3172).
So the first question in a Lansing motorcycle case is who owned and insured the car. The UD-10 crash report from the agency that responded (Lansing or East Lansing police, the Ingham County Sheriff's Office or the Michigan State Police) lists the vehicles, their owners and their insurers.
Proving the turning driver was at fault
In 13 of the 20 Ingham County crashes that killed a rider and involved a car or truck, the other driver was turning left, well above the statewide share of 40 percent. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic within the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard, and at a signal must let oncoming through traffic clear before turning (MCL 257.650). Expect the driver's insurer to argue speed and visibility. Intersection camera footage, the car's event data recorder, witness statements and a reconstruction of the sight lines answer that, and video in particular can be overwritten quickly.
For pain and suffering you must also show death, serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement (MCL 500.3135(1)). Your damages are reduced by any fault assigned to you, and pain and suffering is barred only above 50 percent (MCL 500.3135(2)(b)).
When a government vehicle or the road is involved
Lansing is the capital, so state cars, City of Lansing vehicles and CATA buses are part of the traffic riders share. A government agency can be held liable when its employee negligently drives a vehicle it owns (MCL 691.1405), but claims against government defendants come with notice rules far shorter than three years. For a crash caused by a pothole or broken pavement, written notice to the road agency is due within 120 days (MCL 691.1404). Eight of Ingham County's 28 fatal motorcycle crashes from 2019 to 2024 involved no car or truck at all; when a rider goes down alone, the road surface is one of the first things to check. The injury deadline calculator gives the dates that apply, and our Lansing page covers claims against government defendants in more detail.
Helmets and the $20,000 rule
Anyone under 21 on a motorcycle in Michigan must wear a helmet. Riders 21 and older may go without one only with at least $20,000 of first-party medical coverage for motorcycle accidents in effect, and an operator must also have held a motorcycle endorsement for two years or passed a motorcycle safety course (MCL 257.658). Whether you wore a helmet does not decide who caused the crash, though insurers may argue it affected the injuries. See Michigan motorcycle helmet laws.
Talk to a lawyer about a Lansing motorcycle crash
Koussan Law represents riders hurt in Lansing and across Ingham 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.
Lansing motorcycle accident questions
Does my motorcycle insurance pay my medical bills after a Lansing crash?
Usually not first. When a car or truck is involved, MCL 500.3114(5) puts the insurers of that car or truck first, then the auto insurers of the motorcycle's operator and owner. Your motorcycle policy matters for any medical payments or property coverage you bought.
What if no car or truck hit me?
A crash with no motor vehicle involved generally falls outside no-fault, so medical bills go to health insurance and any medical payments coverage. If a pothole or broken pavement caused the crash, notice to the road agency is due within 120 days.
What if a state, city or CATA vehicle hit me?
A government agency can be liable for its employee's negligent driving of a vehicle it owns (MCL 691.1405), but notice requirements against government defendants are much shorter than the usual three years. Act quickly and check the deadline that applies to your case.
How long do I have after an Ingham County motorcycle crash?
One year to give your insurer written notice of a PIP claim, three years to sue the at-fault driver, and shorter notice periods for claims against a government agency or a road defect.
More for Lansing riders
- Lansing personal injury lawyer: the 30th Circuit Court, government claims and every case type
- Michigan motorcycle accident lawyer
- Flint motorcycle accident lawyer
- Michigan motorcycle accident settlements
- Michigan traffic crash data by county
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. Ingham County figures computed by Koussan Law from the crash, vehicle and person files.
- Michigan State Police, 2024 county crash statistics, as compiled in our Michigan traffic crash data by county report.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county population estimates (used for the per-100,000 rates).
- Michigan Compiled Laws, legislature.mi.gov: MCL 500.3101, 500.3114, 500.3135, 500.3172, 257.650, 257.658, 691.1404, 691.1405, 600.5805.
Updated October 9, 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.
