The days that follow being hit by a car while walking are often filled with fear and hard questions. At Christensen Law, our Ann Arbor pedestrian accident lawyers listen to your story, protect your rights, and fight for the full compensation you deserve.
We understand how heavy it feels to face medical bills and insurance calls while you are still trying to heal. From our office on Miller Road, we help people across Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County who were struck while walking.
Many of the same legal protections apply whether you were on foot or behind the wheel, which is why our team also handles Ann Arbor car accident claims. We know these streets, and we know how frightening a serious crash can be for you and your family.
We treat every client like family, and we build every case as if it will go to trial. Call us at (734) 519-7576, 24/7 for a free, no-risk consultation, and let us carry the legal weight while you focus on getting better.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
How Our Ann Arbor Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Help Injured Walkers
The moment you hire us, we handle the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the investigation, so you can rest and recover. Our Ann Arbor pedestrian accident attorneys step in quickly to protect the evidence, document your injuries, and pursue every source of compensation available under Michigan law.
Walking should be safe, yet a driver’s split-second choice can leave you with a traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, or worse. We built our firm around a simple idea: the client comes first, and the treatment team, not a courtroom argument, tells the story of what you have been through.
Here is how we support you from day one:
- We investigate the crash scene, gather traffic-camera and witness evidence, and preserve key records before they disappear.
- We coordinate with your doctors, so your medical needs guide the value of your claim.
- We handle every call and letter from the insurance company on your behalf.
- We prepare your case for trial, which often leads to stronger settlement offers.
Each of these steps is designed to protect you, and to strengthen your recovery. As part of our work on Michigan pedestrian accident claims, we also connect Ann Arbor clients with the full resources of our statewide trial team.
Why Choose Christensen Law?
We are trial lawyers who treat your case with the care and firepower it deserves, not a volume settlement mill. Christensen Law has advocated for injured people in Michigan since 1991, which is more than 35 years of standing beside families during the hardest moments of their lives.
Our record reflects that commitment. We have secured a $17.8 million verdict in a motor vehicle personal injury case, and a $9.5 million recovery in a wrongful death matter, among many other results for the people we represent.
Our leadership brings credentials that insurance companies respect:
- Founder David Christensen is a Michigan Hall of Fame attorney, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and holds AV Preeminent status from Martindale-Hubbell.
- Managing Partner Sarah Stempky-Kime is a recognized Leader in the Law, and an ABOTA member.
- Our offices maintain a 4.9 to 5.0 review rating, and consultations are always free, 24/7.
Those honors matter, because they signal to opposing insurers that we are ready and able to try your case. If you were struck while walking, our Ann Arbor pedestrian injury attorneys are ready to listen, protect, and win, so call us today for a free consultation.
What No-Fault PIP Benefits Can Pedestrians Recover in Michigan?
Yes, pedestrians can recover no-fault benefits in Michigan, even though you were not driving a car. When you are struck while walking in Washtenaw County, no-fault benefits provide Personal Injury Protection, known as PIP, which pays for medical care and other losses, regardless of who caused the crash.
PIP is a first-party benefit, which means you claim it from an auto insurance policy connected to you, not from the driver who hit you. Under Michigan law, an injured pedestrian looks first to their own auto policy, then to a spouse’s or resident relative’s policy, and finally to the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan if no other coverage applies.
These first-party PIP benefits can include:
- Reasonable and necessary medical expenses tied to your injuries.
- Wage loss benefits, if your injuries keep you from working.
- Attendant care, which pays for help with daily tasks during your recovery.
- Replacement services, such as help with chores you can no longer do yourself.
Since Michigan’s 2019 reform, drivers choose their PIP medical coverage level, so the amount available to a struck pedestrian can vary from one policy to the next. Sorting out which insurer is responsible and how much coverage applies can get complicated fast.
Because that analysis is rarely simple, we handle it for you and pursue the benefits you are owed.
Suing the At-Fault Driver: Third-Party Claims and Compensation
Beyond PIP, you may also have the right to sue the driver who hit you for pain and suffering, and other losses. This is called a third-party claim, and it is separate from your first-party no-fault benefits.
Michigan law allows a third-party lawsuit when your injury meets a legal standard called a serious impairment of body function, which generally means an injury that affects your ability to live your normal life. A pedestrian hit by a car in Ann Arbor may seek compensation for pain and suffering, permanent disfigurement, and economic losses that go beyond what PIP covers.
Depending on your injuries, that recovery can include future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and the daily toll a serious injury takes on your independence. For families facing a lifelong disability, these third-party damages are often what secures long-term care and stability.
Michigan follows a rule known as modified comparative fault. Under this rule, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, and you cannot recover pain-and-suffering damages if a court finds you were more than 50% at fault for the crash.
Fault is often disputed, so having a trial-ready team on your side matters. We investigate carefully, and we hold the at-fault driver accountable for the choices that caused your injuries, so you can pursue the fullest recovery the law allows.
Common Ways Pedestrians Are Hit in and Around Ann Arbor
Most pedestrian crashes in Ann Arbor happen in a handful of predictable situations, and each one calls for a slightly different investigation. Knowing how these crashes unfold helps us find the evidence that proves what really happened.
Ann Arbor’s dense, walkable streets create real risks, especially near the University of Michigan campus. Busy corridors like State Street, South University Avenue, Plymouth Road, and Washtenaw Avenue see heavy foot traffic that mixes with steady vehicle flow all day.
Foot traffic surges during class changes, and on football Saturdays near Michigan Stadium, when crowds and cars share the same streets. Low-light evening hours add another layer of risk for people walking home, and for drivers who simply do not see them in time.
The crashes we see most often include:
- Crosswalk collisions, where a driver fails to stop for someone lawfully crossing. Ann Arbor’s own crosswalk ordinance requires drivers to stop for pedestrians at and approaching crosswalks, which goes further than state law.
- Campus-corridor crashes near the University of Michigan, where a U-M campus crosswalk accident attorney can help students and longtime residents alike.
- Hit-and-run crashes, where the driver leaves the scene, and fast action is needed to identify them.
- Turning-vehicle crashes, where a driver turns across a crosswalk without yielding to a person on foot.
Whatever type of crash you experienced, we investigate the details that matter, and pursue every avenue of compensation on your behalf. Our familiarity with Ann Arbor’s streets, and its local traffic rules, helps us build a clear and credible case.
How We Protect You From Costly Insurance Tactics
Insurance companies often act quickly to limit what they pay, so early legal guidance can protect the value of your claim. After a pedestrian crash, an adjuster may reach out to sound friendly, while looking for reasons to reduce your benefits.
Some common tactics we help clients avoid include:
- Requests for recorded statements, which can be taken out of context later.
- Early, lowball settlement offers, made before your injuries are fully known.
- Independent medical exams, arranged to downplay your condition.
- Delays that pressure injured people into accepting less than they deserve.
We step between you and these tactics, so your focus stays on recovery. Our job is to hold every responsible party accountable, and to pursue the full compensation Michigan law allows for you.
How Do We Build a Strong Pedestrian Injury Case?
We build strong cases by putting the client at the center, and letting the evidence speak. In our experience, no single witness makes or breaks a case, because the most important part of any case is you, and the story of your recovery.
We let your treatment team, meaning your doctors, therapists, and specialists, describe the full scope of your injuries. We also let the at-fault driver’s own conduct come to light, so that responsibility becomes clear to a jury.
Our approach usually includes:
- Preserving physical evidence, vehicle data, and surveillance footage before it is lost.
- Documenting your injuries and treatment through your own medical providers.
- Consulting crash-reconstruction professionals when the cause of the crash is in dispute.
- Preparing every case for trial, which strengthens your position in settlement talks.
Each of these steps is meant to give your story its full weight, so the people responsible are held accountable. That trial-ready mindset is a core part of how we serve pedestrian accident clients in Ann Arbor.
Ann Arbor Pedestrian Accident Attorney FAQs
Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often from injured pedestrians and their families in Ann Arbor.
Deadlines depend on the type of claim, so acting early protects your rights. For first-party PIP benefits, Michigan law generally requires a written claim within one year of the crash, with strict one-year rules for the expenses you can recover. Third-party lawsuits against the at-fault driver follow a different deadline, so it is wise to speak with a lawyer soon after your injury.
You are usually not required to give the at-fault driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and doing so can hurt your claim. Adjusters may use your words later to reduce or deny what you are owed. Before you talk with any insurance company, let us review your situation, so your rights stay protected.
Nothing upfront, because we work on a contingency fee. That means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you, and your first consultation is always free. We take on the costs, and the risk, of your case, so you can focus on healing.
You may be able to bring a wrongful death claim, which is about far more than money. It is about accountability, and about securing the resources your family needs to move forward after a devastating loss. We handle these cases with compassion, and we stand with families as they seek justice for the person they lost.
Yes, prompt medical care protects both your health and your claim. Some serious injuries, including brain injuries, do not show symptoms right away. Seeing a doctor quickly creates a clear record that links your injuries to the crash, which supports both your no-fault and third-party claims.
You may still have a path to benefits, even if the driver was uninsured or cannot be found. In many cases, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan can provide PIP benefits when no other auto policy applies. Uninsured motorist coverage may also help with pain and suffering, so it is worth having us review every possible source of recovery.
Talk With Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Ann Arbor Today
If you were struck while walking, you do not have to face insurance companies and medical bills alone. Our Ann Arbor pedestrian accident lawyers are ready to listen to your story, protect your rights, and win the justice you deserve.
Reach us any time at our Ann Arbor office at 3049 Miller Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, or call (734) 519-7576 for a free, no-risk consultation. Listen, Protect, Win is what we do, and we are ready to fight for you and your family.
Serving all of Michigan, from the D to the UP.
