Getting hit by a driver who has no insurance turns a bad day into a frightening one. The medical bills arrive, the car needs repair, and the person who caused the crash has no coverage to answer for it.
At Christensen Law, our Detroit uninsured motorist accident lawyers step in to find every source of compensation available to you and to fight the insurance company that would rather pay you nothing. If an uninsured or hit-and-run driver injured you, call us at (248) 900-9000 and let us look at your options.
We handle serious motor-vehicle injury cases and prepare each one as if it will be tried before a jury. When your own insurer is on the other side of an uninsured motorist claim, that trial-ready posture is what keeps the pressure where it belongs.
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Why Christensen Law for Your Uninsured Driver Claim
An uninsured driver case often becomes a fight with your own insurance company, so you want a firm that will not back down. Here is what our clients count on:
- We read your policy line by line to find uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage you may not know you have.
- We treat these as full injury cases, not paperwork, and we prepare them for trial.
- We handle the claim and the deadlines so you can focus on healing.
- We concentrate on serious and catastrophic injuries, from spinal cord damage to traumatic brain injury.
Our team carries cases statewide from our Detroit office, and we treat the people we represent like family. Contact us today to have your policy and your crash reviewed.
What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Michigan?
Uninsured motorist coverage is optional protection you buy that steps in when the at-fault driver has no insurance. It is not required by Michigan law, so whether you have it depends on the policy you purchased.
This coverage is contractual, which means the terms of your own policy control how and when it pays. Michigan’s auto insurance system is built on the No-Fault Act, and uninsured motorist coverage fills a gap the no-fault system leaves open.
There are two related coverages that often appear together on a policy:
- Uninsured motorist, or UM, coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance or cannot be identified, such as in a hit-and-run.
- Underinsured motorist, or UIM, coverage applies when the at-fault driver has insurance, but the limits are too low to cover your full losses.
Both coverages exist to pay for pain, suffering, and excess losses that the other driver should have covered. Because the fine print varies from policy to policy, having a UM/UIM claim lawyer in Detroit read yours can make the difference in what you recover.
Who Pays When the At-Fault Driver Has No Insurance?
When the at-fault driver has no insurance, the money usually comes from your own coverages rather than from the driver. That surprises many people, but it is how Michigan’s system is designed to work. Chasing a personal judgment against an uninsured driver rarely produces a real recovery, because a driver with no insurance often has no assets to collect.
Several sources may still be available to you:
- Personal injury protection, or PIP, benefits from your own no-fault policy, which pay medical bills and wage loss regardless of who caused the crash.
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your policy or a resident family member’s policy.
- The Michigan Assigned Claims Plan, which can provide PIP benefits to certain people who have no available no-fault coverage of their own.
Sorting out which of these applies takes a careful look at your household’s policies. That review is one of the first things we do, and it often uncovers coverage the insurer never mentioned.
Does Michigan No-Fault Still Protect You?
Michigan no-fault protects you even when the other driver breaks the law and drives uninsured. Your PIP benefits pay for reasonable medical care, a portion of lost wages, and attendant care to help with daily tasks, no matter who caused the collision.
What no-fault does not pay for is the human cost of a serious injury. Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life fall outside PIP.
First-party benefits versus a third-party claim
A first-party claim is what you file with your own insurer for PIP and, where it applies, uninsured motorist benefits. A third-party claim is a case for pain and suffering, and it normally runs against the at-fault driver. To pursue non-economic damages, your injury has to meet the serious impairment threshold under MCL 500.3135, meaning it affects your general ability to lead your normal life.
When the at-fault driver is uninsured, an uninsured motorist claim can serve the role a third-party case usually would, paying the non-economic damages the other driver cannot. We pursue both tracks so you recover as fully as your coverage allows.
Finding Every Policy That May Apply
The most valuable work in an uninsured driver case is often finding coverage no one told you about. Uninsured and underinsured motorist benefits can come from more than one policy, and the right to use them can extend across a household.
We look for coverage in places people rarely check on their own:
- Your own auto policy, including uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage you may have added and forgotten.
- A resident relative’s policy, which can sometimes cover family members living in the same home.
- The policy on the vehicle you were riding in, if you were a passenger.
Each policy comes with its own limits and its own conditions, so reading all of them matters. Finding one more source of coverage can be the difference between a recovery that falls short and one that covers your losses.
How We Handle a Claim Against Your Own Insurer
An uninsured motorist claim puts you across the table from your own insurance company, and that relationship can change quickly once money is at stake. The insurer that took your premiums may suddenly question your injuries or your account of the crash. We take that shift seriously and prepare accordingly.
Our approach is straightforward. We document your injuries thoroughly, comply with every notice and consent requirement in your policy, and present a demand backed by evidence. If the insurer refuses to deal fairly, we are prepared to take the claim to arbitration or court, depending on what your policy requires.
Handling the claim this way keeps the pressure on the insurer rather than on you. It also frees you to concentrate on your treatment while we manage the fight over coverage.
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What to Watch for in a Hit-and-Run Case
A hit-and-run driver who is never found is treated much like an uninsured driver, and your uninsured motorist coverage often becomes your primary source of recovery. Reporting the crash promptly to the police and to your insurer is important, because delays can give the insurer a reason to question the claim.
Two practical steps help protect a hit-and-run claim:
- Report the crash to the police right away and get the report number, which supports your account of what happened.
- Notify your own insurer quickly and avoid giving a recorded statement before you have spoken with a lawyer.
Large commercial vehicles are sometimes involved in these crashes, and identifying the company behind a fleeing truck can open additional coverage, which is one reason the common causes of serious truck crashes in Michigan are worth understanding. We move fast to track down every party and every policy that might apply.
Deadlines and the Fine Print That Can Cost You
Uninsured motorist claims carry deadlines in two places: state law and your own insurance contract. Both can end a claim if you miss them, so early action matters.
Keep these in mind:
- The one-year rule for PIP benefits under MCL 500.3145 limits how far back you can claim no-fault losses.
- The three-year limit for injury lawsuits under MCL 600.5805 runs from the date of the crash.
- Your policy may set its own, shorter deadline to notify the insurer of an uninsured motorist claim, along with a consent requirement before you settle with anyone else.
Because a policy term can be even stricter than the statute, the safest step is to have a lawyer review your coverage soon after the crash. That review protects both your statutory rights and your contractual ones.
FAQs Answered by Our Detroit Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyers
These are questions people frequently ask us after a crash with an uninsured or underinsured driver in the Detroit area.
It depends on your policy, since Michigan does not require this coverage. Many drivers carry it without realizing, and some have it through a resident family member’s policy. We read your coverage in full, and you can also review your policy details through the state’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services.
Using coverage you paid for after a crash that was not your fault should not be treated as an at-fault claim. Every insurer handles this differently, so it is worth asking. We can help you understand how your policy and your insurer approach the question before you file.
You can still recover in most cases. Michigan uses a modified comparative negligence rule, so shared fault reduces your recovery rather than ending it, unless you are found more than half responsible. We work to place the fault accurately and protect your share.
Yes. As an injured passenger, you may have access to PIP benefits and to uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on more than one policy, including the vehicle you were riding in. We identify each policy that may cover you so nothing is left on the table.
An underinsured motorist claim pays the difference between the at-fault driver’s low limits and the full value of your losses, up to your own policy limits. It matters most in serious injury cases, where the other driver’s minimum coverage runs out quickly. We calculate the true value of your claim so we know when underinsured coverage should come into play.
It is wise to speak with a lawyer first, especially before giving a recorded statement. Insurers may use early statements to limit what they pay, even on your own uninsured motorist coverage. A short conversation with us can keep an innocent comment from being used against you later.
Riding in Michigan without enough policy protection? Learn why protecting yourself on two wheels requires understanding uninsured motorist coverage for Detroit motorcycle accidents before a hit-and-run happens.
Speak With a Detroit Uninsured Driver Accident Attorney
A crash with an uninsured driver leaves you facing bills that are not your fault, but you do not have to face the insurance company alone. Christensen Law will review your policy, pursue every available source of recovery, and prepare your case for trial if that is what it takes. We handle car accident cases throughout Michigan, and our Detroit team is ready to help.
Call Christensen Law today at (248) 900-9000 to speak with a Detroit uninsured motorist accident lawyer about your crash.
