To learn about requesting an accident report, click here.

To see a sample accident report, click here.

Your accident report might be confusing to read and understand. Most people aren’t familiar with these documents and find it challenging to determine what all of the information means. Below is an outline of what you might find in your accident report so you can decipher every detail correctly.

Basic Information

Most accident reports have a box at the top of the first page with basic details about the accident, such as:

• Date and time of the collision
• Crash report number
• Name of the investigating officer
• Street, road, intersections, city or town, and state the accident happened
• Vehicle Driver Information

Details about every driver involved in the collision are in the next section. If there’s more than one driver, the report should include information for each one. The details in this section might show:

• Driver’s name, address, and phone number
• Name of the vehicle owner
• Vehicle owner’s address and phone number
• Year, color, make, and model of the car
• License plate number and vehicle identification number
• Motorist’s driver’s license number and the state of issuance
• Auto insurance company, policy number, and policyholder’s name
• Vehicle Occupants and Non-Motorists

Anyone else involved in the accident, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and passengers in the cars, will be in this section. The information provided can include:

• Name of the passengers and where they sat in the vehicle
• Name of bicyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and other non-motorists
• Address and phone number of each person
• Accident Details

Another section provides information regarding the accident, such as:

• Events related to the collision, such as an impact with a pedestrian, another vehicle, or a stationary object, such as a wall or telephone pole
• The directions all involved vehicles were traveling when the crash occurred
• Road conditions
• Weather conditions
• Point of the impact, such as side, front, or rear
• Actions taken by pedestrians involved in the collision
• Whether the crash happened during the day or at night and the light conditions
• Defects each vehicle contains, such as malfunctioning brakes, worn-out tires, or broken tail lights
• Traffic citations issued for the accident
• Cause of the crash
• Additional Information

You might find additional details associated with the accident in other sections of the police report. Common information includes:

• Whether an ambulance arrived at the accident scene and transported anyone to the hospital
• Name of the EMS and hospital
• Type of damage and location on the vehicles
• Road debris, skid marks, and other details about the collision
• Injuries sustained in the crash
• The estimated cost of damage to each car involved

Diagram and Narrative

Most accident reports include a section the officer can use to describe how the accident happened. The information can consist of the events leading up to the crash, such as each driver’s actions and who the officer believes is at fault.

Typically, law enforcement can determine the cause of the crash by speaking to witnesses and the drivers, passengers, and non-motorists involved in the collision. They can reconstruct the accident using a diagram to show each motorist’s direction of travel and other movements made before and after the crash.

Why You Need an Accident Report

Most people are in shock in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. You likely feel scared and confused about what happened. It’s overwhelming when you’re faced with doctor’s appointments, medical bills, and an insurance claim. Handling all of those responsibilities yourself can seem impossible.

You should absolutely consider hiring an attorney after the accident. Your attorney can help gather the evidence you need to prove another driver’s actions caused the crash, irrespective of Michigan’s No-Fault insurance laws.

One vital piece of evidence is the accident report. If law enforcement indicated someone else was at fault, you could use the report to show the insurance company you deserve compensation for your injuries.

For more information on how to obtain, understand, and use an accident report to help prove your case, contact the attorneys at Turner & Turner PC for a free consultation by calling (248) 355-1727.

Before we get into discussions about the legality of brake checking, let’s define it: Brake checking is the act of hitting your brakes suddenly (when someone is driving too close to your bumper, also called tailgating).

Brake checking can involve slamming on your brakes at high speed, or it can be constantly tapping your brakes so the person behind you has to continually slow down or stop. Brake checking, per se, isn’t specifically illegal in Michigan; however, it is considered reckless driving, which is illegal.

Reckless driving is any kind of driving that involves wanton or willful disregard for the safety of other motorists sharing the road with you. Reckless driving can result in traffic citations and fines — even jail time — depending on the situation.

Other forms of reckless driving include speeding, driving too fast for conditions, ignoring traffic signals, driving under the influence, and drag racing. If reckless driving causes an accident, even stiffer penalties may apply, based on the unique aspects of the case.

Therefore, brake checking is actually illegal in Michigan and should be avoided at all costs. As well as fines and jail time, engaging in reckless driving can be considered a surcharge offense (similar to adding points to your driving record) that can result in a suspended license. The practical effect means you will be unable to drive for a certain period of time, making it hard to get to work, school, and other activities.

Why is Brake Checking Considered Reckless Driving?

Because it can force the person behind you to crash into your vehicle or veer into traffic to avoid hitting you. Other motorists or pedestrians could be injured or killed, and there could be widespread damage done to multiple vehicles or personal property.

Checking motorists with brakes has also been known to spark incidents of road rage. This also puts everyone in the vicinity in harm’s way.

Why Do People Brake Check?

So, what’s the motivation behind brake checking anyway? There are basically two reasons why drivers brake check other motorists. One is usually out of anger or frustration, and the second involves insurance fraud.

To be clear, there are times when any driver might need to apply their brakes suddenly, regardless of who is behind them. (For example: if a pet or child runs into the road, for instance. This is not considered brake checking.)

The reasons why people brake check provides clues as to how to avoid the phenomenon. If someone is driving too close to the rear end of your vehicle, the answer isn’t to keep pumping the brakes. Instead, use your directional signal, pull over at a safe place, and let the other party pass you.

If I Caused an Accident from Brake Checking Someone, Am I Liable?

If you’ve been hit from behind or caused another accident by brake checking someone, you may be wondering if you can be found at fault. The answer is yes, you can be liable, depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident. Not all rear-end crashes, for example, are the fault of the driver in the rear.

Despite Michigan being a no-fault state, accidents involving death or serious injuries often leads to one party being found liable. Examples of injuries that result in lawsuits include, but are not limited to:

• Broken bones
• Permanent scarring
• Disfigurement
• Disability

Normally, after an accident, each party’s own insurance covers their vehicle damage and any medical expenses. But accidents involving wrongful death or serious injury are another story.

This is why it’s essential to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer after a crash where brake checking may have occurred. This is a good time to review what to do if you’re in an accident, regardless of whether brake checking was the cause or not. Follow these steps to stay safe, protect your rights, and keep calm at the scene of a motor vehicle crash.

1. Do not leave the scene. Fleeing the scene of an accident is a crime. Always stay to speak to first responders and exchange details with other people involved, as outlined below.
2. See if anyone needs medical assistance. You or other parties may be injured. Scratches, bruising, swelling, and bleeding can be indicative of more serious injuries, as can loss of consciousness, confusion, difficulty breathing, signs of shock, and other serious symptoms.
3. Call for help. Dial 911 and report the crash, giving your name, phone number, location, and brief pertinent details. Let the 911 operator know if you need an ambulance for anyone who is injured.
4. Move out of busy traffic, if possible. Sometimes, you may not be able to move, or your vehicle isn’t drivable. But if you can, pull out of traffic to prevent further accidents, and park in a lot or side street.
5. Exchange information with other parties. You should all get each other’s names, contact information, and insurance data. Write down the make, model, and license plate number of any other vehicles in the crash.
6. Answer questions for law enforcement but do not admit liability. You may be asked what happened, so try to respond without saying too much. Never say you were at fault even if you believe you were, as there may be other factors you don’t know about.
7. Produce insurance documents, as requested. You may be asked for proof of auto insurance by law enforcement.
8. Document the scene of the accident. Take photos or video with a mobile device to show vehicles after the crash, weather, road conditions, and the like. It is your right to do this, even if police officers do so, too.
9. Seek medical treatment if needed. You may need to go to the emergency room or see your healthcare provider the next day. Be aware that you can have delayed pain or other symptoms days or even weeks after a car accident.
10. Follow up with your insurance company. You may need to file a claim. Do not admit liability with your insurance agent.

Call Turner & Turner at (248) 355-1727 if you need assistance. You may need help getting insurance compensation or seeking damages if another party was at fault.

Calls for tweaks to the reforms, which were put into motion in 2019 after Gov. Gretchen Witmer approved legislation making substantive changes to what had previously been the nation’s most generous coverage benefits for victims of auto accidents, continues.

While the original reform legislation was crafted to lower the cost of insurance coverage to drivers, the real-world consequences included a reduction of payments to those agencies that care for car crash survivors — by nearly half. Many agencies are now reporting they are going broke, which is leaving their former clients scrambling for care.

According to a report by Michigan Public Radio, an independent study found that more than 1,500 car crash survivors with severe injuries have lost care when their agencies closed. Several care recipients have reportedly died after being transferred from their homes to inadequately staffed nursing homes.

Republican leadership in the state House has so far refused to schedule any hearings to address the concerns, but some state GOP lawmakers are beginning to break ranks, including State Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington), who told Michigan Radio the reforms have created a “monumental crisis.”

Green’s bill has 57 co-sponsors including 14 Republicans and told Michigan Radio he is urging House Speaker Jason Wentworth to make sure it gets a hearing. “He told us three years ago that there would be follow up bills. I believe the Speaker needs to hold to his word, and ‘fix the fix.'”

Unsurprisingly, the Insurance Alliance of Michigan opposes Green’s bill, asserting that changes to the law would jeopardize the $400 checks that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association plans to send every car owner in Michigan this spring. The lobbying group also claims insurance rates — which already went up after the law was passed in 2019 — could go up even more.

The money behind the per-car-owner checks comes from a current surplus held by the catastrophic claims association, which partly grew out of the reforms enacted by the no-fault overhaul; the reforms included discontinuation of a mandate requiring long-term care for survivors with brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Advocates for car crash survivors, including personal injury attorneys, say the $400 checks are a red herring that serves one purpose: distract Michigan citizens from the consequences of the law, as well as the state’s failure to lower insurance rates.

Proponents of the law, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, predicted it would make car insurance in the state affordable. Instead, the state has only dropped from “most expensive in the nation” for car insurance to “second-most expensive.”

Instead of benefitting from the reforms, the state’s drivers have only seen a slight aggregate reduction in costs while victims of catastrophic auto accidents bear the weight of unrealized reforms, and now face a secondary crisis that can be averted.

If you were injured in an auto accident and find yourself, or a loved one, in a position where benefits are being threatened, or need an advocate to discuss available options, call the attorneys at Turner Law — (248) 355-1727 — for a free consultation.

IF YOU’VE BEEN involved in an accident you should absolutely consider hiring a personal injury attorney; naturally, many victims can feel intimidated or nervous about visiting a lawyer’s office for the first time.

However, there is no need to worry. Your attorney is your strongest advocate and best chance at recovering compensation due to your injuries.

Expect the Meeting to be Fairly Short

Your case is important and it’s important to your lawyer, too. Most initial consultations last about one hour. While that may not seem like enough time, an experienced lawyer knows what questions to ask to make that hour efficient and productive.

Expect Questions – Lots of Questions

In your consultation meeting, your attorney will ask you a number of questions; basic “who-, what-, when-type” questions. Specifically, in a personal injury case, a lawyer will also want to know the details of the accident. Other pertinent information needed includes some specifics about your insurance policy, injuries, and financial losses. Not to be forgotten is one of the biggest impacts of an accident: how the injury affected you emotionally. Takeaway: expect questions about your physical, mental, and financial health.

While it may seem unsettling giving personal information to a person you’ve just met, set aside any worry. First, Michigan ethic rules require all attorneys – even those you may not ultimately engage — to maintain the “attorney-client” privilege. The attorney-client privilege, with very specific exceptions, prevents members of the Michigan State Bar from discussing your case or its details with anybody. Takeaway: don’t hold back because the specifics matter; a licensed attorney will keep everything confidential.

Most importantly, your potential attorney will be unable to properly evaluate your case unless you provide a true and complete story. Holding back information, or changing a fact that seems minor, might cause your attorney to provide bad information. A good attorney will give you an honest evaluation, but no attorney can do this without all the facts.

Expect to Be Asked for Documents and Other Proof

Not only will you be asked many questions, but your attorney will likely request any proof you have or can get access to (see list of examples below). Before calling for an attorney consultation, or visiting the office, make sure you have these items at the ready.

Examples Some things that lawyers often ask for include:

• Communications from insurance companies
• A list of witnesses
• Messages from witnesses
• Pictures of the accident scene
• Pictures showing injuries to you or others
• Pictures showing property damage
• Medical records
• Medical bills
• Police reports
• Records of missed work
• Records of lost wages
• Records of normal wages (e.g. paystubs, W2, receipts)

While not a complete list, it gives you a rough idea of items you’ll need to gather in order to support your claim.

“Loose Lips Sink Ships” (Expect to Be Asked Who You’ve Spoken To)

While the statements you make to your attorney are confidential, things you may have said to others are not. You might have said something about the accident that might hurt your recovery without even knowing it. Your attorney may or may not be able to undo potential damage, but your attorney needs to know what was said and to whom in order to evaluate whether comments made could adversely affect your claim.

Expect an Evaluation and Explanation

Toward the end of your first meeting with a personal injury attorney, the lawyer should be able to tell you the pros and cons of your case. (Note: lawyers cannot, nor should, promise certain outcomes; they can only tell you what they expect, based on past experiences.) The lawyer may offer to take your case on the spot. However, you are under no obligation to agree; you have the right to both visit other attorneys. Takeaway: take time to evaluate the consultation before making a final decision.

Similarly, while some attorneys agree to take cases during a consultation, others may want to take a little time to decide. Note: If the lawyer chooses not to take your case, it is not your fault; there might be many reasons such as conflicts of interest or an inability to devote the time necessary to be the best advocate you deserve. Takeaway: Feel free to visit another office and get another opinion.

Expect to Talk About Money

You can expect the attorney to talk about money, including fees. The attorney should explain – in clear language – how the billing process works. The attorney should explain their hourly rate, charges for items such as investigations, ordering records, or even making copies. Note: Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingent fee basis, which means they receive a portion of any amount you recover after the lawsuit. (However, even in this arrangement, some attorneys still charge clients for certain costs.) Be prepared to ask the attorney specific questions about billing practices.

Be Prepared to Sign Documents

If you decide to engage your attorney after consultation, be prepared to sign documents. Signing a retainer or representation agreement will make the attorney your “official” legal representative in your case. Your lawyer may also ask you to sign releases allowing them to access insurance information, medical records, and other items.

Hopefully, this article has given you some insight answered about what to expect at your consultation visit to a personal injury attorney.

If you have more questions or need to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney, contact the Law Offices of Turner & Turner. Founding member Buzz Turner has more than 30 years of experience as an advocate for clients injured in vehicle-associated accidents, medical malpractice, and other personal injury claims.

Call Turner Law today for your free consultation at (248) 248-355-1727, email Turner Law or visit the Firm’s website.

Michigan’s auto no-fault reform bill went into effect last July and the consequences are quickly being felt among accident victims. After the latest statutory reforms from the revised law introduced a new medical fee schedule, the causal effect has been a reduction of how much insurance companies are required to reimburse medical providers for certain services.

Meanwhile, advocates for survivors of catastrophic auto crashes have been saying for months that the changes would cut off their access to medical services they need to survive.

Now, slightly more than two months after the updated medical fee schedules have gone into effect, many survivors have been speaking out about how they are, in many cases, struggling to access even minimal care.

“I was struck by a pickup truck backing out of a driveway… the hitch went through my right-lower extremity, and… severely broke the leg in multiple places,” Paul Becker told a Michigan Fox TV affiliate, who was seriously injured in a July 2018 crash. “I think I’ve had nine surgeries in total, and still trying to recover from the mobility aspect.”

Fox reported Becker hadn’t had any major issues getting insurance to cover the medical services he’s needed during his recovery, that is until this past July.

“Eight o’clock in the evening, they left a message stating that, at that time, anything … from now on will no longer be covered, and it was just out of the blue, boom, you’re no longer covered for anything,” Becker explained.

“I feel like with this last six weeks without any physical therapy, I’ve literally gone backwards.”

Under the new law, any medical service not already covered under federal Medicare law, which includes in-home caregivers and transportation to medical services, will now only be reimbursed by insurance companies at 55 percent of what they were back in 2019. The law also caps the number of hours family members can provide care to just 56 hours a week, according to legal analysis.

Tom Judd, president of the Michigan Brain Injury Providers Council, said in a statement about the legal revisions, “There’s been a lot of delays, and denials, and payments on a whole, and not just the providers that we’ve been talking about for the past few months, in terms of residential and attendant care providers, but outpatient therapists are getting denied or slashed in reimbursement.”

Judd added the changes have thrown Michigan’s post-acute medical care industry into turmoil.

“Hurdles that they did not have to jump through before July 1, they’re having to jump through now, and they’re not getting any payment…. and so, the crisis is kind of expanding to places that we didn’t really think that they would be going.”

According to the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council, more than 700 patients have already lost access to medical care, since the changes took effect in July.

At least 41 Michigan-based care companies have had to either close their doors completely or discharge patients receiving benefits via no-fault auto insurance. The MBIPC says this has already put at least 1,500 healthcare workers out of a job.

Under the new law, insurance companies still have to provide lifetime medical coverage for those who had or have unlimited personal injury protection (PIP) policies. But advocates say the changes are squeezing qualified medical professionals out of Michigan’s post-acute care industry, making quality providers scarce.

If you have been hurt in an auto accident and are concerned your coverage will not provide adequate protection for your medical needs, contact the law office of Turner and Turner for a free consultation to ensure your rights are adequately protected.

Writing down the details after an accident is more accurate than relying on your memory. After any kind of accident that could prompt you to file a personal injury claim, it’s crucial to do everything you can to protect your right to fair compensation for your losses.

One of the best first steps you can take is to write down everything you can remember about your accident, including details of your injuries and their effects on your daily life.

These notes can be useful later, when you put together a demand letter for the insurance company, or when you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit. Having notes to remind you of the details of what happened, and what you went through, is more reliable than counting on your memory.

Get into the habit of taking notes on anything you think might possibly affect your case, and carry it through the entire personal injury claim process. Whenever you remember something you had not thought of before — write it down — and put it with your other notes.

Here are some specific things about which you should make notes:

Describe How the Accident Happened

As soon as your head is clear, jot down everything you can remember about how the accident happened, beginning with what you were doing and where you were going, the people you were with, the time, and the weather.

Include every detail of what you saw and heard and felt—twists, blows, and shocks to your body immediately before, during, and right after the accident. Also include anything you remember hearing anyone—a person involved in the accident or a witness—say about the accident.

Describe Your Injuries and Their Effects on You

In the first days following your accident, make daily notes of all pains and discomfort your injuries cause. You may suffer pain, discomfort, anxiety, loss of sleep, or other problems that are not as visible or serious as another injury, but for which you should demand additional compensation.

If you don’t make a specific note of injuries immediately, you may not remember exactly what to include in your demand for settlement weeks or months later. Also, taking notes will make it easier for you later to describe to an insurance company how much and what kind of pain and discomfort you were in.

In addition, writing down your different injuries may help your doctor diagnose you. For example, a relatively small bump on the head or crick in the neck may not seem worth mentioning, but it might help both the doctor and the insurance adjuster understand why your bad back pain developed several weeks after the accident.

Also, by telling the doctor or other medical provider about all of your injuries, those injuries become part of your medical records, which will provide evidence later that such injuries were caused by the accident.

Describe Your Economic Losses and Other Effects of the Accident

You may be entitled to compensation for economic loss, missed special events, as well as for pain and suffering, but you will need good documentation. Begin making notes immediately after the accident about anything you have lost because of the accident and your injuries: work hours, job opportunities, meetings, classes, events, family or social gatherings, vacation, or anything else which would have benefited you or which you would have enjoyed but been unable to do because of the accident.

Summarize Conversations with Insurers, Witnesses, and Others

Make written notes of the date, time, people involved, and content of every conversation you have about your accident or your claim. In-person or telephone conversations worth noting may include those with any witness, adjuster, or other insurance representatives, or with medical personnel.

If you have been in an accident, and need help determining whether you may have a claim, contact the attorneys at Turner and Turner; with more than 30 years of experience advocating for the rights of accident victims, our attorneys will help you receive the compensation you deserve.

Call for a free consultation today at (248) 355-1727.

Our office recommends if you are a victim of an auto accident, or other personal injuries as a result of someone’s negligence, call as soon as you’re able; your rights can be affected. There are many things your attorney will undertake to ensure your right to compensation and recovery remains safeguarded.

Insurance companies immediately work to reduce what they owe. We know from experience that insurers immediately preserve evidence, take statements, and research victims and witnesses.

Often, insurance representatives, referred to as adjusters, will fight the insurance company’s liability by saying the victim has some culpability. This ploy is to assert the victim owns some portion of fault, thus reducing what is owed, or; insurance companies often argue the injury was actually the result of a pre-existing condition.

Having a personal injury lawyer will even the playing field and help maximize the value of an injury claim. Sometimes a victim cannot get to their doctor right away, or may not know which doctor to see. Indecision may cause a time gap between the crash and medical care. This is important to avoid: Any gap between a crash and medical care is an excuse for the insurance company to not pay what they rightfully owe.

Personal Injury attorneys and their staff spend much of their time talking with doctors and medical providers about the care received by clients. A committed attorney will go the extra mile to make themselves available to you via phone or email. For Turner and Turner, this is the beginning of the process. We offer a free case evaluation to all new clients.

Our attorneys will answer your questions and respond to your concerns promptly, and make understanding the legal process quick and easy for those unfamiliar with the process. A great attorney brings their attitude of commitment to your relationship with them right into the courtroom. We are professionals who work with you to fight for the best results possible.

If you have been the victim of an accident, whether auto, motorcycle or other motorized vehicles, don’t let your rights slip away because of indecision or an inability to navigate the thicket of insurance regulations.

Call Turner and Turner at (248) 355-1727 for a free case evaluation and consultation to preserve your rights to fair and timely compensation.

As parents, we have two tasks:  to enable our teens to be competent drivers and to ensure their safety, the safety of their passengers and the safety of other drivers they encounter.

The three leading causes of accidents involving teenage drivers are:

• Inexperience
• Teen passengers in the vehicle
• Nighttime driving

In Michigan, the graduated licensing system restricts passengers and nighttime driving for a time and requires a certain number of hours of driving to be logged.

The only cure for inexperienced driving is…experience!  Allow your teen ample opportunities to drive, supervised by you or another trusted adult.  When you are running errands, ask your teen to drive you.  Take a road trip with your teen, making them enter and exit the highway.  Be sure your teen drives at night, at dusk and at sunset.  Take them to drive when it’s raining and snowing in places that are safe for them to experience the difference in the way that cars function under these conditions.   It may not be relaxing, but they really need the experience.

Make a resolution to get through the holidays drinking LESS.  (Obviously, if you are problem drinker, you need to get through the holidays completely alcohol-free.)

Easier said than done?  Not true!  Consider these suggestions.  

1. Sit next to the sober people!  Just as you can lose weight if you eat what the skinny people do, you will drink less if you are hanging out with the non-drinking party-goers.  This does not limit you to pregnant women and the kids; plenty of people don’t drink or are even the designated driver for the evening.  And they are looking for you, the person who isn’t drinking!
2. Volunteer to be the designated driver.  When you are the designated driver (and you announce it loudly at the beginning of the party), there is no social pressure to drink and you have the responsibility to be completely sober.  When you know you are driving family and friends home and their safety depends on your behavior, that tempting drink seems pretty unimportant.
3.  Limit your alcohol to just the mealtime.  Enjoy your glass or wine, beer or cocktail, but limit it to while you are sitting at the table.
4. Host the party so that you can control the amount and what type of alcohol is served.  If scotch is your weakness, you, the host, can decide not to buy the scotch!
5. Visualize the behavior you desire.  John McGrail, Ph.D., author of The Synthesis Effect, says, “Imagine yourself not going beyond your appropriate limit and walking out of the event feeling great, with a big smile on your face.  Having pictured the desired behavior, your inner computer will choose that reality, making it much easier to drink less or not at all.”
6. Involve your partner in your decision to cut back drinking.
7. If you are attending a traditionally drinking-heavy event, limit your time there or limit how much you will drink before you leave.  Then, immediately leave when you have hit either your time limit or your drink limit.
8. Be aware of mood fluctuation.  Avoid being tempted by drink when facing depression or anxiety.
9. Keep water or a non-alcoholic drink with you all night.  Sip this drink regularly, slowing down your intake of alcohol.

And, of course, if despite all precaustions, you are in an accident caused by weather, another driver or yourself, feel free to give us a call.  Advice is free and we’d love to help.