Detroit Intersection Accident Injury Claims Involving Drivers Who Run Red Lights
When a driver runs a red light, a normal Detroit intersection can quickly become the site of a serious crash. These accidents often happen at high speeds because the other driver enters on a green light and does not expect cross traffic. The impact can cause injuries like traumatic brain injuries, fractures, spinal injuries, internal trauma, and other harm that may last for months or years. When we help someone hurt in a red-light crash, we focus early on finding out what the traffic signal showed, who had the right of way, and what evidence supports this. Michigan law gives important rights to people injured by negligent drivers, but insurance companies may still argue about who was at fault, even when it seems clear.
Michigan Law Requires Drivers To Stop At Red Lights
Michigan law is direct about a driver’s responsibility at a traffic signal. Under MCL 257.612, a driver facing a steady red signal must stop before entering the crosswalk, at the marked stop line, or before entering the intersection when there is no crosswalk or stop line. The driver generally must remain stopped until the signal permits movement, subject to Michigan’s rules governing lawful turns on red.
Running a red light can be strong evidence that a driver broke Michigan traffic law. In an injury claim, though, we also gather proof showing how that violation led to the crash and the injuries. A traffic ticket can help, but we do not rely only on the citation when proving a civil case.
Why Red-Light Intersection Crashes Cause Serious Injuries
Intersection collisions frequently produce side-impact or T-bone crashes. The side of a passenger vehicle provides less space between the person inside and the striking vehicle than the front of the car does. A vehicle entering an intersection at normal speed may therefore suffer a violent impact when another driver enters against the light.
We often see head injuries, neck and back injuries, broken ribs, hip fractures, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, and internal injuries after intersection crashes. Some victims require surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, or extended time away from work. Others develop symptoms that are not fully apparent until hours or days later.
Injury severity matters when we evaluate whether the injured person can pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for non-economic damages.
Proving Which Driver Had The Green Light
The biggest dispute in many red-light cases is surprisingly simple: both drivers may claim that they had the green light. When that happens, independent evidence can determine whether the case succeeds.
We may examine police reports, witness statements, nearby surveillance cameras, dash cameras, vehicle data, photographs, and physical evidence from the intersection. Businesses located near busy Detroit intersections may have exterior cameras that captured the collision or the vehicles immediately before impact. Traffic cameras may also provide useful evidence in some circumstances.
Timing matters because video footage can be overwritten. Witnesses may also become harder to locate as time passes. We therefore treat preservation of evidence as an important early step in these cases.
Michigan No-Fault Benefits After An Intersection Accident
A person injured in a Michigan motor vehicle collision may also have rights under Michigan’s no-fault insurance system. Under MCL 500.3107, Personal Protection Insurance benefits can include reasonable charges for reasonably necessary care, recovery, and rehabilitation. The statute also provides qualifying work-loss benefits for income an injured person would have earned during the first three years after the accident, subject to statutory limits and applicable coverage rules.
These benefits are separate from the claim we may pursue against the negligent driver. This distinction matters because a seriously injured person may have both a no-fault claim for certain economic losses and a third-party liability claim arising from the red-light driver’s conduct.
When We Can Pursue Pain And Suffering Damages
Michigan law limits when someone injured in a motor vehicle accident may recover noneconomic damages from an at-fault driver. Under MCL 500.3135, tort liability for noneconomic loss may arise when the injured person suffers death, permanent serious disfigurement, or a serious impairment of body function.
A serious impairment analysis is highly fact-specific. We look at the nature of the injury, the medical evidence, the body function affected, and how the injury has changed the person’s ability to live normally.
A broken leg requiring surgery, a serious spinal injury, a traumatic brain injury, or another condition that substantially affects work, mobility, family responsibilities, recreation, or daily activities may support a third-party injury claim depending on the circumstances.
Comparative Fault Can Affect A Red-Light Accident Claim
Insurance companies sometimes try to place part of the blame on the injured driver even when another motorist ran the red light. They may argue that the injured driver was speeding, was distracted, or could have avoided the collision.
Michigan’s comparative fault rule under MCL 600.2959 reduces damages according to the injured person’s percentage of fault. If the injured person’s fault is greater than the combined fault of the other persons involved, noneconomic damages are unavailable, although economic damages are reduced by the assigned percentage of fault.
This is one reason we do not assume liability will remain undisputed. We gather evidence that addresses not only what the red-light driver did wrong but also allegations the insurer may make against our client.
What Compensation May Be Available After A Red-Light Crash
The damages available depend on the injuries, available insurance coverage, and the facts of the collision. We may pursue compensation for pain and suffering, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, excess economic losses, and other damages permitted by Michigan law.
Serious injuries may also create substantial future losses. Someone who requires additional surgery, cannot return to the same occupation, or develops permanent physical restrictions may face expenses and financial consequences long after the initial hospital treatment ends. We consider those future effects when evaluating the value of a claim rather than focusing only on expenses incurred during the first few weeks after the crash.
How Long Do We Have To File A Michigan Injury Lawsuit?
Under MCL 600.5805(2), Michigan generally provides a three-year limitations period for actions seeking damages for personal injury or death, subject to exceptions that may apply in particular cases.
That does not mean waiting three years is a good idea. Important evidence can disappear much sooner. We prefer to begin investigating a serious intersection crash while surveillance video, witnesses, vehicle evidence, and other information may still be available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Detroit Red-Light Accident Injury Claims
What Should We Do If Another Driver Ran A Red Light And Hit Us?
We should first obtain appropriate medical treatment and make sure the crash is reported. We should also preserve photographs, witness information, insurance documents, and any available video. If businesses are located near the intersection, surveillance footage may exist, but it may not be stored permanently. We can investigate quickly and determine what evidence may establish which driver had the right of way.
What If The Other Driver Says We Ran The Red Light?
A disagreement between the drivers does not automatically make the case impossible to prove. We can look for independent evidence such as witnesses, dash-camera footage, surveillance video, vehicle damage patterns, police observations, and electronic vehicle information. The location and severity of the impact may also help explain how the collision occurred. We do not rely solely on one driver’s version of events when other evidence may be available.
Can We Recover Compensation If The Red-Light Driver Received A Ticket?
A ticket can support the investigation, but a citation does not automatically determine the entire civil injury case. We still must establish liability, causation, and damages. Under MCL 257.612, motorists have a legal duty to obey red traffic signals, so evidence that the other driver violated that duty can become important when we establish negligence.
What If We Were Partially At Fault For The Intersection Accident?
We may still have a claim. Michigan’s comparative fault law under MCL 600.2959 generally reduces damages according to the injured person’s percentage of responsibility. If the injured person’s fault exceeds the aggregate fault of the other persons, noneconomic damages are barred. Because even a relatively small fault allocation can affect the value of a claim, we carefully investigate allegations that our client contributed to the collision.
Can We Recover Pain And Suffering After A Red-Light Crash?
Potentially. Under MCL 500.3135, Michigan permits claims for noneconomic damages after motor vehicle accidents when the injured person suffers death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of body function. Whether an injury meets the statutory threshold depends on the medical evidence and how the injury has affected the person’s life. We evaluate the full impact rather than looking only at the initial diagnosis.
What If Our Injuries Did Not Appear Until Several Days After The Accident?
Delayed symptoms are common after vehicle crashes. Neck pain, back pain, headaches, concussion symptoms, and other conditions may become more noticeable after inflammation develops or the immediate stress response to the collision subsides. We recommend obtaining medical care when symptoms appear and explaining accurately when and how they began. Medical documentation can become important if an insurer later argues that the condition was unrelated to the accident.
Talk To Ravid & Associates, P.C. About A Detroit Intersection Accident
When a driver runs a red light and causes a serious collision, we focus on establishing what happened, preserving evidence, documenting the injuries, and identifying every source of compensation available under Michigan law. Insurance companies may contest the traffic signal, question the severity of an injury, or attempt to shift blame to the injured person. We build the claim around evidence rather than accepting the insurance company’s version of the accident.
If you were injured because another driver ran a red light at a Detroit intersection, contact our Detroit auto accident attorneys at Ravid & Associates, P.C. today by calling (248) 948-9696 to receive your free consultation. We represent injured people in Detroit and throughout the entire state of Michigan from our office location in Southfield, Michigan. We can review the circumstances of the crash, explain the Michigan laws that apply, and determine what compensation may be available for your injuries and losses.
