Michigan Car Accident Deadlines And Evidence Checklist
Michigan’s PIP rules make the dates of written notice, specific benefit claims and formal denials important. Do not rely on one generic accident deadline.
Sources Checked October 4, 2026 General Information
Start With Separate Timelines
A Michigan collision may raise police reporting, personal injury protection benefits, vehicle coverage and civil damages questions. Make a separate timeline for each. Record the event, document, recipient and required action. A claim opening date alone does not show when a particular benefit was requested or whether a written notice met a statutory requirement.
Preserve the collision date, agency reference, initial insurer notices and every subsequent request or denial. Use actual delivery records where possible. When you do not know whether an item arrived, mark receipt as unconfirmed and ask. Do not transform an assumption into a deadline calculation simply because a spreadsheet needs an entry.
Police Reporting Comes First
MCL 257.622 requires immediate police reporting when a motor-vehicle accident injures or kills someone or causes apparent total property damage of $1,000 or more. The reporting obligation is separate from purchasing the UD-10 later. Keep the time and method of contact and the responding agency’s details.
If the report has not been completed, ask the appropriate agency what information it needs. The central Traffic Crash Reporting Unit does not create the report for you. Keep retrieval requests in an evidence log and continue responding to insurer matters while the report is pending. Processing time is not an extension of another obligation.
PIP Has Its Own Statutory Timing Structure
MCL 500.3145 generally bars commencing a PIP-benefit action more than one year after the accident unless qualifying written injury notice was given within that year or the insurer previously paid PIP benefits for the injury. The statute then provides additional rules concerning later-incurred losses, recoverable periods and tolling for specific benefit claims. It also conditions the tolling provision on reasonable diligence.
These interacting rules should be reviewed with counsel; a notice exception does not create unlimited time to sue or recover every older expense. Preserve the actual notice, what it said, to whom it was sent and proof of delivery. Also preserve prior payment records, specific requests for benefits and formal denial letters. Those documents can matter differently in the analysis.
The same section states a separate one-year action period for property protection benefits. Do not assume that “property protection” means every possible vehicle-damage claim. Ask counsel to identify the coverage and legal claim before applying any number. This guide does not calculate a deadline or determine whether a notice, payment or tolling rule applies to your facts.
The General Injury Rule Is Different
MCL 600.5805 generally provides three years for actions seeking damages for death, personal injury or property injury, subject to exceptions. That general provision should not be substituted for the specialized PIP rules. Different claims arising from one collision can require separate attention.
Tell counsel about government involvement, minors, a death, employment-related circumstances and any earlier lawsuit or settlement. Provide the complete documents, not only your description of them. Ask which claim, defendant, accrual rule and procedural steps apply. If you receive a summons or other legal paper, obtain advice about its response requirements separately.
Track Proof And Insurer Requests
The DIFS consumer-rights guidance makes supporting documentation important to benefit handling. For each expense or wage-loss period, record the supporting item, submission date and carrier response. Keep proof of actual receipt and distinguish a request for more information from a formal denial. Do not assume that a telephone discussion establishes every legally important event.
If a provider or employer sends records directly, ask for a copy or confirmation identifying the materials. Keep a running list of outstanding items. When an expense amount changes, preserve the earlier version and explain the correction. This creates a record someone else can audit without guessing which bill or period you meant.
Preserve Evidence Outside The Insurance File
Save original photographs, video and messages with their source information. Keep a dated account of what you observed, distinguishing later information from personal recollection. Identify witnesses and outside recordings promptly. Ask custodians about existence and retention rather than assuming footage will remain available.
For vehicle evidence, retain inspection photographs, estimates and each supplement. Record where the vehicle is stored and when repairs or disposal are proposed. Ask counsel about inspection or preservation if condition may be important. Keep towing, storage and rental records separate from benefit bills and wage evidence so costs can be traced to their source.
Your Michigan Review Packet
- Police contact details and UD-10 identifiers.
- Written injury notice, delivery proof and prior benefit payments.
- A ledger of specific benefit claims and formal denials.
- Policy forms, coverage selections and outstanding requests.
- Original evidence index, expense records and unresolved legal questions.
This original checklist helps expose missing records. Use it promptly when benefits are disputed; it cannot establish that a tolling rule applies or that an open claim preserves every legal right.
Official Sources
These agency and legislative sources support the state-specific information above. Check the current agency instructions before making a request.
- MCL 500.3145Michigan Legislature
- MCL 600.5805Michigan Legislature
- MCL 257.622Michigan Legislature
- Consumer RightsMichigan DIFS
Published by autoaccident.co. Attorney advertising. AutoAccident.co is not a law firm. This guide provides general information, not legal or medical advice. Coverage and legal options depend on the facts, policy and applicable law. Sources And Editorial Standards.