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Trusted Car Accident Lawyers in Jackson, Michigan
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After a car accident in Jackson, you may be trying to handle pain, missed work, vehicle damage, and calls from the insurance company all at once. It can feel like everyone wants information from you before you have had time to understand your injuries, your no-fault benefits, or what the crash may cost you long term.
Michigan’s insurance system can add to that confusion. Your own insurer may be responsible for certain benefits, even if someone else caused the crash. At the same time, you may have a separate claim against the at-fault driver if your injuries meet Michigan’s legal threshold. Missing a deadline, giving a recorded statement too early, or accepting the wrong explanation from an adjuster can affect what you recover.
Matz Injury Law helps injured people in Jackson and throughout Michigan understand both sides of a car accident claim: the personal injury protection benefits available through no-fault insurance and the third-party claim against the driver who caused the crash. We charge 22%, not the standard 33⅓%, offer free consultations, and you pay no fee unless we recover.
Why Choose Matz Injury Law for Your Jackson Car Accident Case
When you are deciding which firm to call after a Jackson car accident, three things tend to matter most: whether the fee leaves you with enough to actually rebuild, whether someone who knows your file is available when you need answers, and whether this firm has handled Michigan car accident cases at this level. Those are fair questions, and they have clear answers here.
Matz Injury Law is a father-and-son personal injury firm. Steven J. Matz founded the firm in 1977 and has practiced personal injury law for more than four decades. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, has been named a Michigan Super Lawyer for 12 consecutive years, and was inducted into the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame. Jared Matz joined in 2016 with a focus on motorcycle accidents and cases involving children. Together, they have recovered more than $300 million for Michigan clients and travel to Jackson County and throughout the state, including the Upper Peninsula.
Lower Fees Mean More Money in Your Pocket
At most Michigan personal injury firms, the contingency fee is 33⅓%. At Matz Injury Law, it’s 22%. On a $100,000 recovery, that difference means you keep $11,333 more. You receive $78,000 rather than $66,667, and the fee stays at 22% whether your case settles early, goes through mediation, or reaches trial.
Steven and Jared Matz Handle Your Case Personally
At many Michigan firms, your file moves through an intake coordinator and then an associate before the named partner ever sees it. At Matz Injury Law, Steven and Jared personally handle the cases the firm takes. A Jackson County client who calls with a question reaches someone who already knows their situation. That kind of continuity matters when your insurer is asking questions and you need a clear answer fast.
Client Testimonials
“Following a near head on collision that left my wife with serious injuries to her leg and a head injury from the air bag that caused ‘instant onset dementia’, she has been deteriorating and needs constant supervision. Hats off to Steve Matz and all the work he and his firm have done to secure the compensation needed from the insurance company to facilitate her care. Without his tireless help I don’t know where we would be today. I highly recommend Matz Injury Law and if needed would definitely utilize them again.” — Thomas C.
“My parents were involved in a fatal car accident, where we needed guidance dealing with the insurance company. A month after the accident the insurance agency had stopped addressing our calls and emails. Retaining Steve Matz and his team was the absolute best decision we made for my mom. He was professional from start to finish and we had a settlement quickly. Steve answered all of our calls and emails, and assured us that he would take care of our family during this time. If you are questioning whether seeking guidance is needed, don’t hesitate and reach out. Steve was very open about what he could do for our case, and how retaining his services could impact our timeline. We felt as though we were talking to a friend, not an attorney, whom checked on us often. Thank you for all you have done for our family, especially my mom during this time. Your service and compassion deserves more than 5 stars!” — Sarah M.
Jackson Car Accident Attorneys
What Does Michigan’s No-Fault Law Mean for Your Jackson Accident?
When another driver causes your crash, it’s natural to expect their insurance to pay. Michigan works differently. Under Michigan’s no-fault insurance system, your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays your medical bills, lost wages, and related costs, regardless of who caused the accident. For Jackson County drivers, that can feel disorienting, but it means your own insurer is the first place to turn for most of your losses.
Your PIP benefits cover:
- All crash-related medical bills for life under an unlimited policy
- Lost wages at 85% of your pre-tax earnings for up to three years (tax-free)
- Household help at up to $20 per day for three years if a doctor orders it
- Nursing care if medically necessary
- Mileage reimbursement for every trip to a doctor, hospital, pharmacy, or therapy appointment
Michigan drivers can elect PIP caps of $50,000, $250,000, or $500,000, or opt out entirely. We recommend unlimited coverage. If your injuries are serious and your cap is low, you may hit that ceiling before you’ve healed.
What Happens If Your PIP Benefits Get Cut Off?
Insurers sometimes reduce, delay, or stop PIP benefits before a person has fully recovered. They may rely on a defense medical exam, often called a DME, or an adjuster’s review of medical records. A DME is ordered by the insurance company. There is nothing independent about it.
In PIP cases, timing matters. Once a PIP carrier cuts off benefits, it generally cannot demand a new DME afterward to create a reason for the cutoff. The carrier must have the basis for its denial before it stops paying benefits. This is known as the “mend the hold” doctrine. If your benefits were stopped without a prior DME or clear basis, contact us before treating the cutoff as final.
Can You Sue the Driver Who Caused Your Jackson Car Accident?
The losses that come after a serious crash go beyond what any insurance payment fully addresses. The ability to do your job, care for your family, or simply move through a day without pain is not a line item on a PIP schedule. Michigan’s no-fault system does not eliminate your right to hold the at-fault driver accountable for those losses, but it does set a threshold your injuries need to meet.
To bring a third-party pain-and-suffering claim against the at-fault driver, you need to be less than 50% at fault for the crash, and your injuries must meet one of Michigan’s legal thresholds.
The Three Injury Thresholds Michigan Requires
Michigan law requires that your injuries meet one of three thresholds before you can pursue a pain-and-suffering claim against the at-fault driver:
- Death: the estate or surviving family members may pursue a claim
- Serious permanent disfigurement: such as a visible facial scar that remains after healing
- Serious impairment of an important body function: the injury can be objectively identified and affects how you live your life (the most commonly litigated threshold)
That third threshold has real reach. A fracture that ended your ability to perform your job or care for your children can qualify. It does not require a catastrophic injury.
What Damages Can You Recover in a Third-Party Claim?
Beyond what PIP already covers, a third-party claim can recover:
- Pain and suffering, aggravation, and inconvenience
- Excess medical expenses beyond PIP limits
- Lost wages above the 85% PIP cap
Michigan does not have punitive damages. In limited cases where the at-fault driver has a prior DUI history, exemplary damages may apply.
What Causes Most Car Accidents in Jackson?
I-94 and US-127 both run through Jackson County, and their interchange is a documented high-crash corridor. Short entrance ramps, merging traffic, and heavy through-volume create consistent collision risk. Most serious crashes on these roads and throughout Jackson County trace back to a driver’s decision, not road conditions.
Distracted and Impaired Driving on Jackson Roads
Distracted driving, including phones, navigation systems, and passengers, is among the most common causes of crashes across Michigan. Jackson County roads see elevated risk from high-speed through-traffic on I-94 and US-127. For victims of drunk drivers, the legal picture can look different: if the driver has a prior DUI history, exemplary damages may be available beyond what an ordinary negligence case allows.
Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Jackson County
The I-94/US-127 interchange and Airport Road at Boardman Road have elevated incident counts per Michigan State Police data. West Avenue at West North Street also sees consistent crash volume. If your accident happened on one of these corridors, evidence from the scene matters and can erode quickly.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident in Jackson?
The hours and days after a crash are disorienting. These steps protect both your health and your claim.
- Get medical attention right away, even if you feel okay. Delayed TBI and soft tissue injuries are common and need early documentation.
- Call the police. Michigan requires reporting accidents involving injury, death, or property damage over $1,000.
- Document everything at the scene, including photos, witness contact information, and road conditions.
- Notify your own insurance company of the crash.
- Try to avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurer before talking with a lawyer.
- Call Matz Injury Law at 866-226-6833 for a free consultation.
The single most important step is reaching out before giving any recorded statement. What you say in those first days can shape what you recover.
What Not to Say to the Insurance Company
Adjusters, including your own, may contact you quickly after a crash and ask for a recorded statement. Try to hold off until a lawyer has reviewed your situation. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that can minimize your claim, and an honest answer about how you felt at the scene can later be used to argue your injuries are less serious than they were. This is one of the most common ways Jackson car accident victims inadvertently hurt their own cases.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Jackson?
Many people spend the weeks after a crash focused entirely on recovery and only later realize a legal clock has been running the entire time. Michigan sets two separate deadlines, and they run on different schedules.
The Three-Year Deadline for Pain-and-Suffering Claims
You have three years from the date of your crash to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering, excess medical expenses, and lost wages above PIP limits. This deadline comes from MCL 600.5805(2), and it starts on the date of the crash, not when symptoms appear or when treatment ends. If the at-fault driver is a government employee or the crash involved a defective road, shorter notice requirements may apply. Reach out to us early to confirm which deadlines apply to your situation. If the injured person is a minor, different timelines may apply.
The One-Year Window for PIP Benefits
PIP benefit applications must be filed within one year of the crash under MCL 500.3145(1). There is also a one-year-back rule: even if you file a lawsuit later, you generally cannot recover PIP benefits for expenses incurred more than one year before the lawsuit was filed. Every month without legal guidance can shrink what is recoverable. These deadlines do not move, which is why calling sooner matters.
Contact Matz Injury Law Before the Deadlines on Your Jackson Claim Pass
If your Jackson car accident left you with medical bills climbing and an insurance company that has already gone quiet, Michigan’s filing clocks are still running. We handle PIP claims and third-party pain-and-suffering cases for Jackson County clients, charge 22% not 33⅓%, and travel to clients across Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula. Free consultation, no fee unless we recover.
Call us at 866-226-6833 or fill out our contact form to discuss your Jackson car accident case. Michigan law gives you three years to file a third-party lawsuit and one year to apply for PIP benefits. Both windows are already open and narrowing.
Written By Steven Matz
Steven J. Matz is the founder of Matz Injury Law, specializing in personal injury litigation with a focus on car accident victims. With over 40 years of legal experience, Mr. Matz has achieved numerous million-dollar settlements. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized among Michigan’s Top Attorneys. Steven J. Matz is a frequent lecturer on legal ethics and personal injury law, and serves on the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board.
