Being hit by a car while walking is a terrifying and life-altering experience.
You were just walking—maybe crossing a street, enjoying the fresh air, or heading home after a long day—when your life flashed before your eyes. A car didn’t stop, and now you’re left dealing with the aftermath: the pain, the shock, and the endless what-ifs.
At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we get it. We’ve secured millions for injured victims, and we know how hard it is to face medical bills and insurance headaches while you’re trying to heal. That’s why we keep it simple: free consultations, no fees unless we win and our compassionate support through the entire legal process.
Curious how our Bloomfield Hills pedestrian accident lawyer can turn things around in your case? You can call us at (313) 438-4357 and find out during a free consultation.
Why Choose Michigan Injury Lawyers?
If you’re recovering from a pedestrian accident, choosing a law firm to represent you may seem like another stressful ordeal. After all, you didn’t ask for any of this, and now you find yourself doing all these things you would rather not do (including reading this).
But here’s something you need to understand: choosing the right Bloomfield Hills pedestrian accident lawyer takes all the weight off your shoulders because it’s now your pedestrian accident attorney’s job to handle all the legal matters for you while you focus on what truly matters—healing and getting back on your feet.
A Bloomfield Hills pedestrian accident attorney from our team knows the local roads, the laws, and the tricks insurance companies pull. Here’s why people continue to trust us:
- No upfront costs: We work on contingency—you pay nothing unless we win.
- Personal touch: You’re not a case file. You’re a person with a life and a unique story.
- Proven wins: Millions recovered, from settlements to courtroom victories.
- Local know-how: We understand Bloomfield Hills and Michigan law inside out.
- Insurance fighters: We push back against lowball offers.
- Trial-ready: If it takes a courtroom battle, we’re prepared.
- Fast action: We jump in quickly to protect your rights.
- Always available: Free consultations anytime you need to talk.
When you work with us, you can count on us because we have a team ready to fight like hell to get you the justice and peace you deserve.
How Do Pedestrian Accidents Occur?
Ever wondered why drivers don’t just... see people walking? It seems so simple, right? You’re just trying to cross the street or walk along the sidewalk, wearing normal clothes (maybe even bright colors), in broad daylight—and somehow, a driver still manages to hit you.
Truth is, pedestrian accidents in Bloomfield Hills happen for some pretty frustrating reasons. And no, it’s not because you were “in the wrong place.”
Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of these accidents—because knowing why this happened to you is the first step to fighting back.
Distracted Driving
We’ve all seen it—that driver next to you at the red light, head down, thumbs flying across their phone screen. Maybe they’re texting their significant other, checking social media, or typing an address into GPS. Whatever it is, it’s not worth your safety. Distracted driving accidents happen in a split second, but the consequences can last a lifetime. These crashes are entirely preventable, yet they remain one of the leading causes of injury to pedestrians across Michigan.
When a driver takes their eyes off the road for just 5 seconds while traveling at 55 mph, they’ve covered the length of an entire football field... completely blind, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). No wonder they didn’t see you in the crosswalk.
Failure to Yield Right-of-Way
“But I had the walk signal!” Sound familiar? We hear it all the time from our clients.
Here’s what Michigan law actually says: Drivers MUST yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Period. There’s no “unless I’m in a hurry” or “except when I’m turning right” exception.
Yet, day after day, drivers roll through crosswalks without slowing down or making turns without checking for people walking—as if pedestrians are merely suggested obstacles rather than human beings with the legal right-of-way.
Speeding
We all know that feeling when a car zooms past a little too close for comfort. Your heart races, you jump back, and maybe you even yell something (we don’t judge; we’ve been there, too).
Speed limits in residential Bloomfield Hills neighborhoods aren’t arbitrary numbers—they’re calculated specifically based on reaction time. At 25 mph, a driver spotting you crossing the street has enough time to brake. At 40 mph? Not so much. Considered reckless driving when a driver ignores these limits or drives aggressively, speeding not only endangers pedestrians but also shows a disregard for safety that can carry serious legal consequences.
Plus, speed doesn’t just affect whether an accident happens—it determines how badly you get hurt.
Impaired Driving
Rideshares are everywhere, yet some drivers still choose to get behind the wheel after having “just a few drinks,” which they think “is no big deal.”
Alcohol and drugs don’t just make drivers swerve—they affect judgment, slow reaction time, and impair vision. That driver who hit you might have been looking right at you but couldn’t process what they were seeing fast enough to stop.
Poor Visibility
“I just didn’t see them!” It’s the most common excuse we hear from drivers who hit pedestrians. Sometimes, they’re lying to cover up distractions. But sometimes, they’re telling the truth.
But here’s the thing: drivers are still responsible for adjusting to conditions. If they can’t see clearly, they should slow down. Period.
Improper Turns
You’re waiting patiently at the corner. The walk signal lights up. You step into the crosswalk and a car turning left nearly hits you because the driver was only looking for other vehicles, not people.
Left and right turns at busy Bloomfield Hills intersections are notorious pedestrian danger zones. Drivers hyper-focus on finding gaps in traffic and completely forget to check crosswalks before accelerating through their turns. This is one of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents, where a simple oversight can lead to devastating consequences for those on foot.
Infrastructure Issues
Sometimes, it’s not just the driver’s fault. That crosswalk with the faded lines you can barely see? The walk signal that gives you just 10 seconds to cross six lanes of traffic? The intersection with no pedestrian infrastructure at all?
These infrastructure problems can contribute significantly to pedestrian accidents. And guess what? The city, county, or state might share responsibility if poor road design or maintenance played a role in your accident.
When you work with Michigan Injury Lawyers, we don’t just accept the police report’s conclusion about why your accident happened. We conduct our thorough investigation—visiting the scene, talking to witnesses, analyzing traffic patterns, and consulting with accident reconstruction experts when needed.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
When a car hits a pedestrian, the results can be devastating. You don’t have airbags or a steel frame to protect you—just your body against thousands of pounds of metal. At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we’ve seen how these injuries can change lives, and we feel for you. Here’s what pedestrians often face after an accident:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Maybe your head struck the hood, the windshield, or the pavement. Maybe you didn’t even lose consciousness. But now you’re struggling with headaches, memory problems, mood swings, or difficulty concentrating.
- Spinal cord injuries: The spinal cord doesn’t heal like other body parts. Damage to this bundle of nerves can mean permanent paralysis, loss of bladder control, chronic pain, or sexual dysfunction. Spinal cord injuries often require long-term care, rehabilitation, and lifestyle adjustments, making them some of the most devastating outcomes of pedestrian accidents.
- Broken bones and fractures: In pedestrian accidents, we rarely see clean, simple fractures. Instead, we see comminuted fractures (where the bone shatters into multiple pieces), compound fractures (where the bone breaks through the skin), and fractures requiring surgical hardware that can set off airport metal detectors for the rest of your life.
- Internal injuries: The blunt force trauma from a vehicle impact can rupture your spleen, lacerate your liver, collapse a lung, or cause bleeding in your brain. These injuries require emergency intervention and can lead to long-term health complications.
- Soft tissue injuries: Whiplash, torn rotator cuffs, and knee ligament injuries can cause debilitating pain and require lengthy physical therapy. These injuries often cause chronic pain that persists long after the initial accident.
- Road rash and lacerations: The results aren’t pretty when your body skids across the asphalt at any speed. Road rash isn’t just a surface wound—the traumatic removal of multiple layers of skin can become infected and leave permanent, disfiguring scars.
- Amputations: Nothing prepares you for the moment a doctor says, “We couldn’t save the limb.” In an instant, your life is forever altered. Whether the amputation occurs during the accident itself or becomes necessary due to crush injuries or infection afterward, the physical and psychological adjustment is enormous.
Every moment that you feel your pain, every doctor’s visit, every time you take your medication—it’s a reminder of what you didn’t sign up for. At Michigan Injury Lawyers, our Bloomfield Hills pedestrian accident attorneys can only imagine what you’re going through. But we’re here to help heal by fighting for your needed support.
Compensation After a Pedestrian Accident in Michigan
Let’s talk about money. Because while no amount of cash can undo your injuries, the reality is you need financial support to rebuild your life.
Here’s what you need to know about getting compensated after a pedestrian accident in Michigan:
No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Benefits
First things first—Michigan has a “no-fault” system. Sounds fair, right? Well, it’s complicated. As a pedestrian who got hit, you’re entitled to Personal Injury Protection benefits regardless of who caused the accident. It isn’t some act of insurance company generosity—it’s your legal right.
According to the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, these benefits should cover:
- Your medical bills (doctor visits, surgeries, medications, therapy)
- A portion of your lost income for up to three years (because bills don’t stop when your paycheck does)
- Replacement services (like paying someone to mow your lawn or clean your house while you recover)
- Attendant care (if you need in-home nursing or help with daily activities)
But here’s the confusing part—these benefits might not come from the driver’s insurance company. They might come from YOUR auto insurance, even though your car wasn’t involved. Or from a resident relative’s policy. Or from the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan if you don’t have auto insurance. How much compensation you get for a pedestrian accident depends on the severity of your injuries, your recovery time, lost income, long-term care needs, and how the accident has impacted your life.
Third-Party Claim for Non-economic Damages
“So my medical bills are covered. That’s it?” Not even close.
If you’ve suffered what Michigan law calls a “threshold injury,” you can pursue additional compensation from the at-fault driver. What’s a threshold injury? According to MCL § 500.3135, it’s:
- A serious impairment of body function (like being unable to walk normally, lift your children, or sit at your desk for work)
- Permanent serious disfigurement (like scarring that cosmetic surgery can’t completely fix)
- Death (in which case your family can pursue a wrongful death claim)
Through this claim, you can recover for things PIP benefits don’t cover, like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and emotional distress.
Wrongful Death Damages
The most heartbreaking cases we handle involve families who’ve lost loved ones in pedestrian accidents. Unfortunately, death is not uncommon when pedestrians get hit by cars. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), pedestrians account for up to 17 percent of total traffic fatalities in the U.S.
If you’re reading this after losing someone dear to you, please accept our deepest condolences.
In wrongful death cases, families may recover:
- Funeral and burial expenses (which can easily run $10,000 or more)
- Medical costs incurred before death
- Lost financial support (what your loved one would have contributed to the family financially)
- Loss of companionship and guidance (because relationships have value beyond dollars)
- The emotional suffering of surviving family members
No amount of money can replace your loved one, but financial stability can at least remove one burden as you navigate your grief.
How Our Bloomfield Hills Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Can Help
“What exactly will you do for me?” Great question—and a fair one when you’re trusting someone with something as important as your recovery.
Here’s the deal: While you focus on healing, we handle everything else. And we mean everything.
Our Bloomfield Hills pedestrian accident lawyer become your shield against insurance adjusters who “just need a quick statement” (translation: they’re fishing for reasons to deny your claim). We’re your investigators, visiting the accident scene, tracking down security footage, and finding witnesses before evidence disappears.
We’re your medical advocates, connecting you with specialists who understand pedestrian injuries and can document them properly. We’re your number-crunchers, calculating not just today’s bills but the lifetime cost of your injuries.
And when the insurance company offers a lowball settlement? We’re your fierce negotiators who know what your case is worth—and aren’t afraid to take them to court if they won’t pay it.
And the best part? At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we work on contingency—which means if we don’t win for you, you don’t pay us a dime.
Call the Bloomfield Hills Pedestrian Accident Lawyer at Michigan Injury Lawyers
Don’t let insurance companies push you around or leave you with less than you deserve. Our Bloomfield Hills pedestrian accident lawyers are here to fight for every dollar you’re owed, whether for medical bills, lost income, or the pain you’re enduring. At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we offer free consultations—zero risk, just a chance to talk to someone who can listen to your concerns and advise you on your legal options. Call (313) 438-4357 or visit us online to schedule your free case evaluation today.