Key takeaways
- Michigan law requires you to stop, exchange names, addresses and registration information, show your license, and help anyone who’s hurt get medical aid.
- Report the crash to police right away if anyone is hurt or killed, or if property damage looks like $1,000 or more.
- Your no-fault PIP coverage pays for injuries regardless of fault, but repairs to your own car come from your collision coverage in most cases.
- Photograph everything, get the police report number, and notify your insurer promptly.
- You choose the body shop. Michigan insurers can’t unreasonably restrict where your car is repaired.
A crash scrambles your thinking, even a minor one. This checklist covers what Michigan law requires at the scene, what to do in the days after, and how the repair side works.
At the scene
1. Stop and make the scene safe
If you know or have reason to believe you’ve been in an accident, Michigan law requires you to stop immediately at the scene and stay until you’ve exchanged the required information (MCL 257.617 to 257.619). The law also says to stop without obstructing traffic more than necessary. If the cars can be driven and nobody is hurt, pulling onto the shoulder or into a nearby lot is usually safer than stopping in a lane on a busy road like Woodward. Turn on your hazards. If a car can’t be moved, call 911.
2. Check for injuries and get help
Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Michigan drivers involved in a crash must give reasonable assistance to anyone injured in getting medical aid, including arranging or providing transportation (MCL 257.619). Unless someone is in immediate danger, leave a seriously injured person where they are until help arrives.
3. Report the crash to police
Under MCL 257.622, a driver must immediately report a crash that injures or kills anyone, or that damages property to an apparent extent totaling $1,000 or more, to the nearest or most convenient police station or officer. With modern bumpers, sensors and paint, even a low-speed hit can pass $1,000, so if you’re unsure, call. The Michigan State Police note that when a crash isn’t reported right away, whether a report gets filed is up to the police agency.
For a crash without injuries inside Birmingham city limits, the City of Birmingham lists its police non-emergency number as (248) 530-1870. Call 911 for injuries, a blocked road, or a driver who leaves the scene. If you’re outside Birmingham, contact the police agency for that community. Before you leave, ask the officer for the report or incident number. You’ll need it later.
4. Exchange information
Michigan law requires each driver to give their name and address, the registration number of the vehicle, and the owner’s name and address, and to show their driver’s license (MCL 257.619). Police can also ask you for proof of insurance, and an electronic copy on your phone is acceptable (MCL 257.328). It’s also smart to collect:
- The other driver’s insurance company and policy number
- The make, model, color and plate of every vehicle involved
- Names and phone numbers of passengers and witnesses
- The responding officer’s name and department
Hit a parked car, sign or pole?
If you hit an unattended vehicle, you must stop, find the owner or operator and give them your name and address and the name and address of the vehicle’s owner. If you can’t find them, report it to the nearest police officer (MCL 257.620). Damage to fixtures such as signs, poles or guardrails must also be reported to the property owner or, if you can’t find them, to police (MCL 257.621).
5. Document everything
Photograph every vehicle from several angles, the damage up close, license plates, signals and signs, road conditions and debris. Note the time, location, weather and each car’s direction of travel. Stick to the facts with the other driver and with police. Fault gets decided later, and in Michigan it matters: it can decide whether your collision deductible is waived and whether you can recover money from the other driver.
In the first few days
6. Get checked out if you’re hurt
Some injuries don’t show up until the next day. Under Michigan’s no-fault law, personal injury protection (PIP) benefits are paid without regard to fault (MCL 500.3105), usually through your own auto policy and up to the PIP medical limit you chose. There’s also a deadline. Unless you give your insurer written notice of the injury within one year of the accident, or the insurer has already paid PIP benefits for it, a lawsuit for those benefits generally can’t be filed more than one year after the accident (MCL 500.3145). If you were hurt, notify your insurer in writing promptly.
7. Notify your insurance company
Call your insurer or agent as soon as you can. Most policies require prompt notice, so check yours for the exact terms. Have your policy number, the police department and report number, the other driver’s information and your photos ready. Then ask:
- Which coverage applies (collision or comprehensive), and what’s my deductible?
- Do I have rental reimbursement or towing coverage?
- Do you have agreements with any repair shops?
That last question matters. Michigan law requires your insurer to disclose, before or when you file a claim, whether it has an agreement with any repair facility, and to tell you that you’re under no obligation to use a particular one (MCL 500.2110b).
8. Get a copy of the crash report
Michigan Traffic Crash Reports (form UD-10) are sold online only, through the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Purchasing System at michigan.gov/tcps. MSP lists a $15 fee and says reports typically take 3 to 30 days to become available, depending on the agency. You’ll need the incident number from the police department that took the report.
Who pays for what in Michigan
Here’s how Michigan’s no-fault coverages divide up after a crash:
| Coverage | What it pays for |
|---|---|
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Your medical care, wage loss and replacement services, regardless of fault, up to the limits you chose |
| Property protection (PPI) | Up to $1 million for damage your car does in Michigan to other people’s property, like buildings and fences, and to properly parked vehicles. It doesn’t pay for any other damage to cars. |
| Collision (optional) | Repairs to your own car after a crash, depending on the type you bought and your share of fault |
| Comprehensive (optional) | Theft, fire, flood, vandalism, falling objects and hitting an animal |
| Mini-tort | Up to $3,000 of your vehicle damage that insurance didn’t cover, recovered from the at-fault driver |
The key point is that the other driver’s insurance usually doesn’t fix your car in Michigan. Unless your car was properly parked when it was hit, repairs come from your own collision coverage, plus whatever you can recover under mini-tort. Our guide to Michigan mini-tort and collision coverage walks through worked examples.
Getting your car repaired
9. If the car isn’t drivable
If you can, tell the tow operator where you want the car to go. If it ends up at a tow yard, a body shop can help arrange to move it, and it’s worth doing quickly because storage fees may apply. Cole Street Collision offers towing and rental car assistance.
10. Choose your shop and get a written estimate
You decide where your car is repaired. Michigan insurers can’t unreasonably restrict that choice, though they’re only required to pay a reasonable amount for repairs (more in do you have to use your insurer’s body shop?). Before work starts, Michigan’s Department of State says a repair facility must give you a written estimate when the job will cost $50 or more. In an insurance-paid repair, you are the customer, not the insurer. Repairs need your authorization, and you’re entitled to a detailed final bill and the return of your replaced parts.
11. Expect a supplement
The first estimate is based on what can be seen from the outside. Once damaged parts come off, technicians often find more, such as bent brackets, cracked mounts or damaged sensors. The shop documents it and sends a supplement to your insurer for approval. That’s normal and doesn’t mean the first estimate was wrong. Our insurance claims team handles that back-and-forth with your adjuster.
12. Inspect the car at pickup
Look the car over in daylight. Check that the paint color and texture match from several angles, the panel gaps are even, the lights work, and no warning lights are on. Ask for the itemized final bill and the warranty in writing. At Cole Street Collision, all of our work, from collision repair to paint, comes with a lifetime warranty.
Sources
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.617, Accident; stopping required
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.618, Accidents; damage to vehicles; stopping required
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.619, Accidents; duties of driver
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.620, Accidents; attended or unattended vehicle; stopping; report
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.621, Accidents; fixtures on or adjacent to highway
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.622, Report of accidents resulting in death, personal injury, or property damage
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 257.328, Producing evidence of motor vehicle insurance
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 500.3105, Personal protection benefits without regard to fault
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 500.3145, Limitation of actions for personal or property protection benefits
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 500.2110b, Automobile repair; unreasonable restriction prohibited; disclosure
- Michigan State Police — Traffic Crash Reporting Unit FAQs
- Michigan DIFS — Auto Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
- Michigan DIFS — Brief Explanation of Michigan No-Fault Insurance (FIS-PUB 0202A)
- Michigan Department of State — Repair Facilities FAQs
- City of Birmingham — Contact Us
This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Coverage depends on your policy — check with your insurer or Michigan’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services for your situation.