One minute you are driving down Dort Highway or crossing the Flint River bridge on your way home, and the next minute everything changes. Your car is damaged, your body hurts in ways you do not fully understand yet, and your phone will not stop ringing with numbers you do not recognize. Somewhere in the chaos, an insurance adjuster is already building a file on you, and it is not built with your best interests in mind.
We have sat across the table from thousands of Flint families in that exact moment. George and Alex Hamo built this firm around the belief that the person who just got hit by a distracted driver on Saginaw Street deserves someone in their corner who actually picks up the phone. That is what we do, and we have done it for over 40 years.
Understanding Michigan's No-Fault System
What No-Fault Actually Means
Michigan is a no-fault insurance state, which surprises a lot of people after their first accident. Under MCL 500.3101, your own auto insurance policy is generally responsible for covering your medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who caused the crash. This system was designed to get injured drivers help quickly, without waiting on a lengthy fault investigation.
PIP Benefits Explained
Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, is the core of Michigan's no-fault coverage. These benefits may cover:
- Reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the crash
- Wage loss for a period after the accident
- Replacement services for tasks you can no longer perform yourself
- Attendant care in cases involving serious injury
The 2019 No-Fault Reform
Public Act 21, passed in 2019, reshaped Michigan's no-fault system significantly. Drivers now choose from several PIP coverage tiers, ranging from unlimited coverage down to opting out entirely under certain conditions. This choice affects how much medical coverage is available after a serious crash, which is why we always review a client's policy tier early in a case.
When You Can Step Outside No-Fault
Michigan law allows injured drivers to pursue a claim against an at-fault driver in certain situations. Under MCL 500.3135, this generally requires a threshold injury, meaning death, serious impairment of a body function, or permanent serious disfigurement. Meeting this threshold opens the door to compensation for pain and suffering that PIP alone does not cover.
Proving a threshold injury takes medical documentation and, often, a fight with the insurance company. This is where experienced representation makes a real difference.
What to Do After a Car Accident
Immediate Steps at the Scene
If you are able to, there are a few steps that protect both your health and your case:
- Call 911 and request police and medical response
- Take photos of the vehicles, the road, and any visible injuries
- Exchange insurance information with the other driver
- Avoid discussing fault or making statements about your injuries
Documenting the Accident and Your Injuries
Insurance companies look for gaps and inconsistencies. Seeing a doctor promptly, following through on treatment, and keeping records of missed work all build a clearer picture of how the crash affected your life. Injuries like whiplash or soft tissue damage do not always show symptoms right away, so early medical evaluation matters even if you feel okay.
Common Mistakes That Hurt a Claim
We see the same mistakes repeatedly, and they are almost always made in good faith. People give recorded statements to the other driver's insurer without realizing how those words get used later. Others wait too long to seek treatment, which gives adjusters an opening to argue the injury was not serious or not related to the crash. Posting about the accident on social media can also undercut an otherwise strong claim.
Why the First Offer Is Rarely Right
Insurance companies are not in the business of losing money. Early settlement offers are typically calculated to close a file quickly and cheaply, often before the full extent of an injury is even known. Accepting that offer usually means giving up the right to seek more later, even if your medical costs continue to climb.
How Hamo Law Builds Your Case
The Bridge Philosophy
We think of our role as a bridge. On one side is the calamity of the accident, the confusion, the pain, the unanswered questions. On the other side is resolution, whatever that looks like for your specific situation. Our job is to walk that bridge with you, one step at a time, until you reach solid ground.
Direct Access to Your Attorney
When you call Hamo Law, you talk to George or Alex, not a rotating cast of case managers you have never met. This father-son partnership has built its entire reputation on being reachable. Clients tell us again and again that this accessibility is the reason they chose us and the reason they send their friends and family our way.
Investigation and Evidence
Building a strong car accident case takes real legwork. Depending on the facts, our process may include:
- Gathering police reports and witness statements
- Reviewing traffic camera or dashcam footage when available
- Consulting accident reconstruction experts for complex crashes
- Working with medical providers to document the full scope of injury
Negotiation and Trial
Most car accident claims resolve through negotiation, and we approach that process with a firm hand. When an insurance company will not offer a fair result, we are prepared to take a case to trial. That willingness to fight, not just settle, is part of what has produced results like our $7.5 million and $6.5 million case outcomes, though every case depends on its own specific facts.
What Compensation May Cover
Medical Expenses Beyond PIP Limits
When injuries are severe, medical costs can exceed what PIP benefits provide. A liability claim against the at-fault driver may help cover the difference, particularly for long-term or ongoing care needs.
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
A serious injury does not just cost you time off work. It can affect your ability to perform your job long-term, especially in physically demanding roles common throughout Genesee County. Compensation may account for both current wage loss and reduced future earning potential.
Pain, Suffering, and Non-Economic Damages
Once a threshold injury is established under Michigan law, pain and suffering compensation becomes available. This category recognizes the very real, non-financial toll a serious accident takes on a person's daily life.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Michigan?
Under MCL 600.5805, most Michigan car accident injury claims must be filed within three years of the accident date. PIP claims often carry a separate, shorter notice requirement, so it is important to act quickly rather than wait until a deadline is close.
What If I Was Partially at Fault?
Michigan follows a modified comparative fault system. You may still recover compensation even if you share some responsibility, though your fault percentage could reduce the final award. This is a nuanced area of law that benefits from experienced guidance.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
Most cases settle before trial, but we prepare every case as though it might not. That preparation gives us leverage in negotiations and ensures we are ready to fight in court if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair resolution.
What Does It Cost to Hire Hamo Law?
There is no upfront cost. We work on contingency, which means our fee comes only from a successful recovery. Your initial case evaluation is always free.
A Firm That Feels Like Family
There is a reason so many of our clients become lifelong friends. When you walk through our doors after one of the worst days of your life, you are not another file number waiting to be processed. You are a Flint neighbor who needs someone experienced and steady in your corner.
George and Alex Hamo have spent four decades proving that a smaller, selective practice can go toe to toe with the biggest insurance companies in the country. We have never chased size for its own sake. We have chased results, and we have chased relationships that last far longer than the case itself.
Talk to Us Today
If you or someone you love was hurt in a Flint car accident, do not navigate the insurance maze alone. Reach out to Hamo Law for a free, no-obligation case evaluation, and let a firm with over 40 years of Michigan trial experience carry the weight for you.
Hamo Law Firm
614 S. Grand Traverse Street, Flint, Michigan 48502
Phone: 810-234-3667
Email: ahamo@hamolaw.com
Website: hamolaw.com
The information provided here is for educational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. To understand your specific rights under Michigan law, please contact us for a formal consultation.