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Bodily Injury Coverage on Policy if Injured in Accident

Written by Steven Matz on . Posted in .

This is a common question we get after someone has been in a car accident.

Do I automatically get the amount of bodily injury coverage listed on my policy if I get hurt in an accident?

That is a question that callers ask us all the time.  The answer is No.

For one thing, the bodily injury coverage you buy on your Michigan auto insurance policy doesn’t cover you for accidents other  people cause.  It’s the other way around—your coverage protects you from injury claims made by people in accidents you cause.

The important thing to find out if you are hurt in a traffic accident in Michigan is how much liability coverage the other driver has. This is something you should probably let a lawyer do for you, since we don’t recommend that you contact the other driver’s insurance company yourself. You want to “level the field” early on in your claim in order to avoid giving too much of the wrong kind of information to your opponents.

The thing to keep in mind is that whatever amount of liability insurance your opponent has does not mean that you just make a phone call to their insurance company and go pick up a check for that amount.  To qualify for any money at all from the driver who causes an injury accident in Michigan, there are only four types of pain and suffering cases that are eligible. And you can be sure that the claims adjusters and lawyers for the other person’s insurance company will make every effort to look for information that damages the value of your claim—or reduces it to nothing, even if the accident wasn’t your fault.

Final Thoughts on Bodily Injury Coverage

So don’t count on a quick and easy settlement just because the other driver caused the accident and injured you. And please don’t assume that the bodily injury coverage on your insurance policy determines how much money you can get for your case.

If you would like to dig deeper into this topic, take a look at our information about uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. To speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Michigan, contact us through our form or call 1-866-22Not33.

Steven Matz

Written By Steven Matz

Steven Matz
Steven J. Matz is a founding shareholder of Matz Injury Law. The firm’s concentration is on personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury. Mr. Matz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with high distinction and highest honors in 1974 from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor degree in 1977 from The George Washington University National Law Center. Mr. Matz lectures and publishes in a number of areas, including ethics, marketing, trial tactics, and head injury. Mr. Matz has served on the Michigan Association for Justice Executive Board and currently serves the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board as a Hearing Panel Chairman and Master. He is also a member of the State Bar Committee for Character and Fitness.
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The maximum contingency fee permitted by law is actually 33 1/3%. Michigan court rules require that the attorney fee be computed on the net sum recovered after deducting all disbursements properly chargeable to the enforcement of the claim.

What does 22not33 mean, exactly?

We can charge 22% while virtually all other injury attorneys charge 33 1/3% because we are very, very, good at obtaining results for our clients. 

We do not spend millions of dollars on television ads; instead, we offer a lower fee to all our clients.  We do not have dozens of lower paid associates handling our work. All our clients are represented by Steven and Jared Matz. Steven Matz started the firm in 1977 and since then has dedicated his life to representing injury victims.  Jared joined the firm in 2016 but grew up listening to stories, discussing theories, and generally learning at the dinner table about how to effectively and compassionately represent injury victims. Jared Matz was literally born to represent individuals involved in motor vehicle crashes.

All of our cases are handled on a contingency fee and all our cases are handled at 22%. Whether the case settles or goes through trial, the fee does not change. While our competitors make excuses as to why they charge so much, we are obtaining results for our clients at a lower fee.

At a typical television advertising law firm, your first call will be handled by a receptionist, who may refer you to an intake person, who will discuss your claim with an intake manager, who then discusses your claim with an associate, who may then report to a partner. You may never speak with the person whose name is at the top of the letterhead. At Matz Injury Law you will always speak with either Steven Matz or Jared Matz.

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