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Top Truck Accident Lawyers in Kalamazoo, MI
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A collision with a commercial truck on I-94, US-131, or a Kalamazoo side street is not a fender-bender you walk away from. The weight, the speed, and the federal rules stacked behind every rig turn a routine drive home into a catastrophic event with a truck accident. What happens in the hours that follow often shapes the rest of your case.
Within hours, the trucking company’s insurer has often already dispatched a rapid-response team to the scene, collecting statements and photographs that help them shape the story in their favor. Meanwhile, your own no-fault carrier may start pushing back on medical bills, second-guessing treatment, and hinting they may cut off benefits. You are stuck in the middle while two insurance companies work to limit what you can recover.
The Kalamazoo truck accident lawyers at Matz Injury Law handle the no-fault claim and the third-party case against the trucking company at the same time, and we charge 22% instead of the standard 33 1/3%, so more of your recovery stays with you.
Why Choose Matz Injury Law for Your Kalamazoo Truck Accident Case
Matz Injury Law has handled Michigan injury cases since 1977, with reported truck accident results that include a $3.45 million recovery for a family after a negligent cement truck driver killed their loved ones and a $200,000 recovery in a fatal truck-pedestrian collision involving a four-year-old child. We work through the FMCSA hours-of-service rules, driver qualification files, and maintenance records that often shape a truck case, and we run the no-fault claim and the third-party case on parallel tracks from day one.
Steven J. Matz founded the firm in 1977, was inducted into the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame, holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and has recovered more than $300 million for Michigan injury clients. Jared Matz graduated magna cum laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2016 and represents people injured in automobile and motorcycle crashes, with a particular focus on cases involving children.
When you hire Matz Injury Law, you pay a 22% contingency fee rather than the 33 1/3% most Michigan firms charge, you speak directly with Steven or Jared from intake through resolution, and we travel to you anywhere across all 83 Michigan counties.
Client Testimonials
“I contacted Matz Law Firm by leaving a message and received a return call promptly from attorney Jared Matz. We agreed that I would send accident specifics via email. Upon receipt, he contacted me immediately, offering his opinion and advice. He was very thorough and explained the financial and legal considerations for each decision. I trusted Jared Matz and all issues were reasonably and effectively resolved. Jared Matz has great communication and negotiation skills, a good understanding of the law, and broad legal experience. Attorney Jared Matz and his staff were consistently courteous, considerate and empathetic. My interactions with Jared Matz and the Matz Injury Law Firm resulted in a good outcome. Because of my positive experience with Jared Matz as my legal representative, I recommend attorney Jared Matz and Matz Injury Law Firm.” — Annette L.
“If you’re looking for an attorney to handle your automobile accident/injury claims, then I highly recommend Steve Matz and his team! When I fractured my skull, he helped me settle my bodily injury claim in a timely manner! He was very attentive, professional, and cordial. It was easy to reach him if I had any questions.” — Alicia C.
Local Kalamazoo Truck Accident Attorneys
How to Know If You Have a Kalamazoo Truck Accident Case
After a truck crash, the first thing you want to know is whether what happened gives you a case. The answer in Michigan turns on three questions, and all three have to point the right direction before both the no-fault and third-party claims are on the table.
- Was the truck driver, the trucking company, or another party negligent in a way that caused the collision? Lane departures, unsafe speed for conditions on I-94, hours-of-service violations, and poor maintenance all qualify.
- Do your injuries clear Michigan’s no-fault threshold? You need a death, a serious permanent disfigurement, or a serious impairment of an important body function.
- Were you 50% or less at fault? Michigan’s modified comparative fault rule blocks pain-and-suffering recovery if a jury finds you more than 50% responsible for the crash.
If the answers point the right direction, you likely have both a no-fault claim and a third-party claim against the trucking company.
Michigan’s No-Fault System and Your Truck Accident Claim
For many Michigan truck crash drivers and passengers, the confusing part is not the crash itself. It is the insurance piece that comes next. Michigan runs on a no-fault system, and a commercial truck wreck triggers two separate claims at the same time.
The first is a personal injury protection claim, often called a PIP claim. Depending on the policy and the order of priority, PIP may come from your own auto insurer, a resident relative’s policy, or an assigned insurer. PIP can cover accident-related medical expenses up to the applicable coverage level, wage loss at 85% of your pre-tax pay for up to three years and subject to the monthly statutory cap, attendant care, mileage to appointments, replacement services, and survivor’s loss benefits if a loved one died in the crash. PIP pays regardless of fault.
The second is a third-party claim against the at-fault truck driver and trucking company. This claim may include pain and suffering if your injuries meet Michigan’s no-fault threshold, economic losses above the applicable PIP limits, and, in limited cases, exemplary damages tied to outrageous or grossly negligent conduct. The two claims run at the same time, on different timelines, against different insurers, which is why a Michigan truck case is not something you want to handle alone.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo sits at the crossroads of two heavy freight routes, and the risks show up where traffic concentrates. I-94 between Sprinkle Road and Westnedge Avenue carries a steady mix of commercial trucks and local traffic, while US-131 serves as a major north-south corridor for freight moving through western Michigan. Winter weather, lake-effect snow squalls, and tight delivery windows pile on top of that baseline risk.
When we investigate a Kalamazoo truck crash, we usually find one of these causes at the center of it:
- Driver fatigue pushed past FMCSA hours-of-service limits
- Distracted driving
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Equipment failure tied to skipped maintenance
- Trucking-company pressure to hit delivery times
- Drivers the company never properly trained
Common Injuries in Commercial Truck Accidents
A truck crash is categorically different from a two-car collision. A passenger car weighs about 4,000 pounds. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. That weight differential produces injuries well past the cuts-and-bruises range, even at moderate speeds, and many carry lasting consequences.
Common injuries we see in Kalamazoo truck crashes include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Internal organ damage
- Multiple fractures
- Amputation
- Severe burns
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring
- Wrongful death
What Damages Can You Recover After a Kalamazoo Truck Accident?
The losses after a serious truck crash are rarely just medical. You may face lost income, a disrupted household, long-term care costs, and emotional weight that does not show up on a bill. Michigan law generally sorts truck accident losses into three categories, and a full claim may touch more than one.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the hard-number losses you can document. If your medical expenses run past your chosen PIP coverage level, an economic damages claim against the at-fault trucking company can pick up where PIP stops. These losses often include:
- Past and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Funeral and burial expenses in a wrongful death case
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate you for the losses that no receipt captures. To recover them in Michigan, your injuries must clear the no-fault threshold: death, serious impairment of body function, or permanent serious disfigurement. These losses often include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of companionship or consortium for a spouse or family member
- Inconvenience
- Severe scarring or disfigurement
Exemplary Damages in Truck Accident Cases
Michigan does not recognize punitive damages, but it does allow exemplary damages in a narrow set of circumstances. These damages are meant to compensate the injured person for the added humiliation, outrage, or distress caused by especially wrongful conduct, not to punish the wrongdoer. One example may be a truck driver with a documented history of impaired driving who caused the crash while impaired. The evidence has to be there.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Kalamazoo
Those first hours after a truck crash matter in ways that are hard to see in the moment. If you are able to act at the scene or soon after, a few steps can protect your claim:
- Call 911 and accept medical attention, even if adrenaline makes you feel fine.
- Photograph the truck, its DOT number, the trailer, the cargo, and the full scene from several angles.
- Collect the driver’s name, carrier, and insurance details, plus contact information from every witness.
- Request the crash report from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office through LexisNexis E-Crash once it is available.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer before you speak with an attorney.
- Contact a Kalamazoo truck accident lawyer before evidence starts to disappear.
How to Choose a Kalamazoo Truck Accident Lawyer
Not every personal injury firm handles truck cases well. Before you sign with anyone, ask five questions on the first call:
- Does the firm understand Michigan no-fault law and FMCSA rules?
- Who handles my file? The attorney I meet today, or a paralegal I never hear from again?
- Will the firm travel to me, or do I have to come to their office?
- What is the contingency fee?
- Does the firm know Michigan no-fault law and FMCSA rules cold?
If those five answers matter to you, they are the same five we built our practice around. Matz Injury Law meets every one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents in Kalamazoo
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Michigan?
Michigan generally gives you three years from the date of the crash to file most personal injury lawsuits, including third-party claims against a trucking company. No-fault PIP benefits follow stricter timing rules. You generally must give notice or file within one year, and the one-year-back rule can limit how far back you can recover unpaid benefits. If a government entity is involved, you may face a shorter notice window. Call early.
What Should I Do If the Trucking Company’s Insurer Already Called Me?
Keep the call short. Do not give a recorded statement, and do not sign a medical authorization they send over. The trucking company’s rapid-response team works for the carrier, not for you. Tell them your attorney will return the call, then contact a lawyer the same day.
How Much Does a Kalamazoo Truck Accident Lawyer Cost?
Matz Injury Law works on contingency at 22%, not the 33 1/3% most Michigan injury firms charge. You pay nothing up front and no fee at all unless we recover compensation for you. Over a truck case, an 11-point fee difference adds tens of thousands of additional dollars to your pocket at settlement or verdict.
What If I Was Partly at Fault for the Truck Crash?
Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule. If a jury finds you 50% or less at fault, you can still recover pain and suffering damages, reduced by your share. If you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover pain and suffering. Your no-fault PIP benefits apply regardless of fault. Do not discuss fault with any insurer before you speak with a lawyer.
Talk to a Kalamazoo Truck Accident Lawyer at Matz Injury Law
Whether you are recovering from your injuries or grieving someone you lost, you should not be dealing with two insurance companies at the same time. Call Matz Injury Law at 866-226-6833 or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
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.
