Marquette Car Accident Attorney Near You: Get a Free Consultation
Table of Contents
Marquette Car Accident Attorney Near You: Get a Free Consultation
Table of Contents
If you need a Marquette car accident attorney after a crash on Upper Peninsula roads, the questions ahead of you are real ones. Will your PIP benefits cover what you’ve already lost? Does your insurer owe you more than they’re paying? Can you sue the driver who hit you?
Michigan’s no-fault system is complicated, and when your benefits are being delayed or denied, the confusion compounds fast. Medical bills stack up. Missed work stretches into weeks. The insurance company may seem to have already moved on.
Matz Injury Law is a father-and-son personal injury firm. Steven and Jared Matz handle every case personally and travel throughout the Upper Peninsula and all 83 Michigan counties. We’ve recovered more than $300 million for Michigan car accident victims. We charge 22%, not 33 1/3%.
Why Choose Matz Injury Law for Your Marquette Car Accident Case
Steven J. Matz founded the firm in 1977 and has practiced personal injury law for more than 40 years. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, induction into the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame, and recognition from America’s Top 100 Attorneys. Jared Matz joined in 2016 after graduating magna cum laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, with a focused practice on motorcycle accident cases and cases involving children.
We travel to you anywhere in the Upper Peninsula, offer free consultations, and charge 22%, not the standard 33 1/3% that most Michigan car accident lawyers take. No fee unless we win.
Meet Our Marquette Car Accident Lawyers
Our Client Testimonials
“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.
“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” — Anette L.
Types of Car Accidents We Handle in Marquette and the Upper Peninsula
UP roads carry their own hazards: lake-effect snow, reduced visibility on long stretches of highway, and conditions that change without warning. We represent car accident victims across all 83 Michigan counties, including Marquette and the surrounding Upper Peninsula, in cases involving:
- Rear-end collisions on US-41 and through Marquette intersections, often producing whiplash, back injuries, and soft tissue damage
- Head-on crashes, which can result in some of the most severe injuries and may support a wrongful death claim for surviving family members
- Intersection accidents with contested fault and serious impairment injuries
- Weather-related crashes from ice, snow, and low visibility on Upper Peninsula roads
- Distracted or impaired driving crashes that often meet Michigan’s no-fault threshold for a pain and suffering claim
What to Do After a Car Accident in Marquette
The steps you take right after a crash can protect your PIP benefits and your right to pursue a pain and suffering claim:
- Call 911. A police report documents the accident officially, and you may need it to support your claim even if you weren’t cited.
- Get medical attention right away. Some injuries, including concussions and soft tissue damage, may not produce symptoms for hours or days. A gap in treatment can give an insurer reason to dispute your claim.
- Document the scene. Take photos of the vehicles, road conditions, and any visible injuries.
- Exchange information with the other driver. Collect their name, insurance carrier, and contact details.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney. Questions adjusters ask early in the process can be used to reduce what you recover.
Common Car Accident Injuries and How They Affect Your Claim
The injuries you sustain in a Marquette car accident shape both your recovery and your legal options. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal and back injuries, broken bones, soft tissue damage, and scarring or disfigurement are among the most common outcomes in serious crashes. Each can affect your ability to meet Michigan’s no-fault threshold for a pain and suffering claim.
To meet that threshold, your injury must be objectively manifested, must involve an important body function, and must affect your ability to lead your normal life. Fatal crash cases follow a separate track and may support a wrongful death claim for surviving family members.
If a crash worsened a condition you already had, that aggravation of a pre-existing injury may be compensable under Michigan law, even when the injury seemed minor at first.
What Michigan’s No-Fault Law Means for Marquette Accident Victims
Michigan is a no-fault state. Your own insurance usually covers your initial accident expenses regardless of who caused the crash, through coverage called personal injury protection, or PIP.
Your PIP benefits can include:
- Accident-related medical expenses, up to the PIP medical coverage limit selected in the policy, or for life if unlimited coverage applies.
- 85% of your pre-accident wages, tax-free, for up to three years, subject to Michigan’s statutory monthly limit.
- Household replacement services up to $20 per day.
- Mileage reimbursement to and from medical appointments.
PIP benefits may still be delayed, reduced, or cut off. An insurer may schedule a defense medical exam (DME) to evaluate your condition and use those results to justify a coverage denial. If your benefits are cut off, filing a lawsuit to reinstate them may be an option. Our Michigan car accident attorneys handle these disputes throughout the state.
When You Can File a Pain and Suffering Claim in Michigan
Michigan’s no-fault law doesn’t give every crash victim automatic access to a pain and suffering lawsuit. To pursue a third-party claim against the driver who caused your accident, two conditions generally matter.
First, you must not be more than 50% at fault. Second, your injuries must meet one of three thresholds:
- Death.
- Permanent serious disfigurement.
- Serious impairment of body function that is objectively manifested and affects your ability to lead your normal life.
The third threshold covers many cases. If a doctor can document your impairment through imaging, testing, or medical records, and that impairment has changed how you function day to day, you may qualify. Our complete guide to Michigan car accident lawsuits walks through how courts interpret the serious impairment standard.
What Compensation May Cover After a Marquette Car Accident
Your no-fault PIP benefits cover the categories above regardless of fault, subject to the coverage limits and deadlines that apply to your policy. If you meet the no-fault threshold, a third-party claim may also allow you to recover damages for pain and suffering, income losses beyond what PIP covers, and aggravation of a pre-existing injury that the crash made materially worse.
If the other driver had no insurance, your PIP benefits still apply. Uninsured motorist coverage may help with losses PIP does not cover, but Michigan does not require every driver to carry it. Whether you can pursue a claim through your own policy or directly against the uninsured driver depends on your coverage and the facts of the crash.
Michigan’s mini-tort law also allows a separate claim of up to $3,000 for vehicle repair costs not covered by your own insurance, provided the other driver was at least 50% at fault.
Frequently Asked Questions: Marquette Car Accident Claims
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Michigan?
Michigan generally gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a third-party pain and suffering lawsuit. Your PIP claim carries separate timing rules, including a one-year deadline to give written notice of injury. Because these deadlines can affect different parts of your case, speaking with an attorney early gives you the most options.
Do I Need a Lawyer If the Insurance Company Is Already Calling Me?
You’re not required to hire an attorney, but the adjuster calling you works for the insurer. A recorded statement made early in the process can reduce what you recover. Speaking with a Marquette car accident attorney before you respond helps you understand your rights before anything is on the record.
What If the Driver Who Hit Me Had No Insurance?
Your PIP coverage still applies. Uninsured motorist coverage may cover losses that PIP does not, but it is optional coverage in Michigan. Whether you can pursue a claim through your own policy or directly against the uninsured driver depends on your coverage and the specific facts of the crash. A free consultation can clarify your options.
Does a Pre-Existing Condition Hurt My Claim?
Not necessarily. Michigan allows you to recover when a crash aggravates a condition you already had. What matters is whether a doctor can document the worsening through imaging, testing, or medical records and whether that aggravated injury affected how you live your life. Thorough documentation is what makes these claims hold.
Talk to a Marquette Car Accident Attorney Today
If you were injured in a car accident in Marquette, Steven and Jared Matz are ready to help. We handle every case personally, travel throughout the Upper Peninsula, and charge 22%, not 33 1/3%. Consultations are free, and we collect no fee unless we win.
Call us at 866-226-6833 or reach out through our contact form.
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.
