What To Do After a Car Accident in Detroit
A crash on I-94, the Lodge, or a neighborhood street in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb County can leave you shaken and unsure what to do next. If you are wondering what to do after a car accident in Detroit, start by stopping at the scene, checking for injuries, moving vehicles to safety if possible, calling 911, exchanging information, documenting the crash, getting medical care, notifying your insurer, and being careful about what you say or sign.
For drivers in Detroit and the broader Metro Detroit area, the steps you take in the first minutes, days, and weeks afterward can protect your health, your finances, and your legal rights under Michigan’s no-fault system. This guide walks through the key parts of the process, including safety and legal requirements, police reporting, evidence gathering, medical treatment, insurance communications, possible claims, recordkeeping, and when it may make sense to speak with a lawyer.
Step 1: Stop, Stay Calm, and Check for Injuries
Michigan law requires you to stop at the scene of any accident involving injury or property damage. Leaving the scene can result in criminal charges, even for a minor fender-bender, so immediately after a car accident, check yourself and your passengers for injuries first before checking on others if it is safe. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries first, then check on the occupants of other vehicles if it’s safe to do so, and let emergency responders handle urgent medical needs when serious injuries are suspected.
Step 2: Move to Safety and Call 911
If the vehicles are drivable and blocking traffic — especially on high-speed roads like I-696, I-75, or M-10 — move them to the shoulder or a nearby parking lot. Turn on your hazard lights. When possible, the drivers involved should move to a safe location to reduce a traffic hazard before calling 911. Then call 911.
In Michigan, you must report an accident to police if anyone was injured or killed, or if property damage appears to exceed $1,000. In practice, that’s nearly every accident. A police report also creates an official record that your insurance company (and the other driver’s insurer) will rely on later. Police officers at the accident scene help document what happened for the accident report. In Detroit and many Metro Detroit suburbs, officers may not respond in person to minor crashes with no injuries; if that happens, you can file a report at the local precinct or police department, and in some jurisdictions online. Write down the responding officer’s name and badge number.
Step 3: Exchange Information
Michigan law requires drivers involved in a crash to exchange identifying and insurance information after an accident. Get the following from the other driver:
- Full name and contact information
- Driver’s license number
- License plate number
- Insurance company and policy number
- Vehicle make, model, and year
Stay polite, but don’t apologize or admit fault. Even a casual “I’m sorry” can be twisted later, and fault determinations are more complicated than they appear at the scene.
Step 4: Document the Scene
Your phone is your best tool. Photograph damage from multiple angles, the positions of the vehicles involved, skid marks, debris, traffic signs and signals, nearby road signs that may support your case, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Get names and phone numbers of witnesses before they leave. If the crash happened near a business, note it — security camera footage can disappear quickly, and your attorney may be able to request it.
Step 5: Get Medical Attention — Even If You Feel Fine
Adrenaline masks pain. Injuries like whiplash, concussions, soft-tissue damage, and internal injuries often don’t show symptoms for hours or days. See a doctor promptly, whether at an ER, urgent care, or your primary care physician, and tell them the visit is related to a car accident so it’s in your medical records.
This matters for two reasons. First, your health. Second, under Michigan’s no-fault system, your medical treatment record after a motor vehicle accident becomes the backbone of your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claim — and of any injury lawsuit if your injuries turn out to be serious. Gaps in treatment are one of the most common reasons insurers dispute claims.
Step 6: Notify Your Own Insurance Company
Michigan is a no-fault state, which means your own insurer pays your medical expenses, and pip coverage can also include a portion of lost income, along with certain other benefits regardless of who caused the crash. Report the accident to your insurance company immediately, ideally within 24 to 48 hours, to help support your insurance claim and keep the claims process moving.
Critically, you must file a written application for no-fault PIP benefits with the responsible insurer up to one year after the accident. Miss that deadline, and you can lose your benefits entirely. Don’t assume a phone call is enough — confirm that a formal application has been filed.
Step 7: Be Careful What You Say (and Sign)
The other driver’s insurance company may call you quickly, and those callers are often insurance adjusters sounding friendly and asking for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one, and it’s usually not in your interest because what you say can affect your ability to pursue compensation or recover compensation later. Don’t sign medical releases or accept an early settlement offer before you understand the full extent of your injuries and your rights.
Step 8: Keep Records of Everything
Start a file: the police report number, medical bills and records, repair estimates, receipts for out-of-pocket expenses, mileage to medical appointments, and notes on missed work. Michigan no-fault benefits can cover many of these costs, but only if you can document them.
Step 9: Understand Your Three Potential Claims
After a Michigan auto accident, including a Detroit car accident, you may have up to three separate claims:
- A first-party PIP claim against your own insurer for medical bills, wage loss, and replacement services.
- A mini tort claim against the at-fault driver for up to $3,000 in vehicle damage not covered by your own policy (such as your collision deductible).
- A third-party injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering and excess economic losses — but only if your injuries meet Michigan’s “serious impairment of body function” threshold. When that standard is met, injured parties may bring personal injury claims to seek compensation beyond no-fault benefits.
Each claim has its own rules and deadlines, including the one-year PIP application deadline and a three-year statute of limitations for injury lawsuits. Fair compensation may also include excess losses beyond PIP coverage.
More than 300,000 car accidents occurred in Michigan in 2018.
Step 10: Talk to a Lawyer Before Deadlines Pass
Not every accident requires an attorney, but if you were injured, if the insurance company is disputing benefits, or if fault is contested, a car accident lawyer or auto accident lawyer can help review your car accident case before deadlines pass. Legal representation can simplify the legal process, especially when benefits are disputed or your injuries exceed insurance limits. Most Michigan car accident attorneys offer a free consultation to discuss your options after a Detroit car crash and work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless they recover money for you.
The Bottom Line
After a Metro Detroit or Detroit car crash: stop, call 911, document everything, get medical care right away, notify your insurer, and file your PIP application within one year. Taking these steps early helps protect any future claim for compensation and puts you in the strongest possible position, whether your claim resolves in weeks or turns into a longer fight.