There are moments in life that split everything into "before" and "after." Losing someone you love in a car accident is one of them. The phone rings, the world stops, and suddenly you are standing in the middle of the worst moment of your life with no idea what comes next. Grief does not follow a schedule, and neither do the insurance companies that will start calling you almost immediately.
For over 40 years, Hamo Law Firm has stood beside Michigan families in exactly that moment. George Hamo built this practice from the ground up in 1981 on a single principle: good people in dire need deserve a fighter in their corner who will treat them like family and take the battle directly to the billion-dollar insurance companies. His son Alex carries that same mission forward today. Together, they have recovered over $250 million for Michigan clients, not by taking every case, but by taking the right cases and seeing them through with the kind of disciplined, relentless advocacy that insurance defense teams have learned to respect and fear.
If you have lost a loved one in a fatal car accident in Michigan, this page explains your legal rights, what to expect from the process, and how Hamo Law can serve as the bridge that carries your family from this calamity to the result you deserve.
Michigan Wrongful Death Law: What Families Need to Know
What Is a Wrongful Death Claim?
A wrongful death claim is a civil lawsuit filed on behalf of a deceased person's estate when that person's death was caused by another party's negligence or wrongful conduct. In Michigan, wrongful death claims are governed by MCL 600.2922. This is entirely separate from any criminal charges that may be filed against the at-fault driver. A criminal case may result in a conviction, but it does not put money in the hands of the surviving family. That is what a civil wrongful death lawsuit is designed to do.
The claim is filed by the personal representative of the deceased's estate, typically a spouse, parent, or adult child appointed by a probate court.
Who Can Recover Damages?
Under Michigan law, the following surviving family members may be entitled to recover damages through a wrongful death claim:
- Spouse
- Children and grandchildren
- Parents and grandparents
- Siblings
- Anyone who was financially dependent on the deceased
What Damages Can Be Recovered?
Michigan wrongful death law allows surviving families to pursue compensation for a broad range of losses, including:
- Loss of financial support and future earnings
- Loss of companionship, society, and consortium
- Conscious pain and suffering experienced by the deceased before death
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Medical bills incurred as a result of the fatal injuries
- Emotional distress suffered by surviving family members
What Is the Deadline to File in Michigan?
Michigan law gives surviving families three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit under MCL 600.5805. Three years may sound like a significant amount of time, but critical evidence, including skid marks, surveillance footage, cell phone data, and witness memories, begins to disappear almost immediately. Contacting an attorney as soon as possible is not just good advice; it is often what determines whether a strong case can be built at all.
Michigan No-Fault Law and Fatal Car Accidents
How Michigan's No-Fault System Applies After a Fatal Crash
Michigan operates under a unique No-Fault insurance system governed by MCL 500.3101. In fatal car accident cases, No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits provide a specific set of coverages to surviving family members, including:
- A death benefit paid to the deceased's dependents
- Survivor's loss benefits, which replace a portion of the income the deceased would have earned, paid for up to three years after the date of death
- Funeral and burial expense reimbursement up to the limits set by the policy
The 2019 No-Fault Reform and What It Means for Your Family
In 2019, Michigan significantly overhauled its No-Fault law. The reforms changed how PIP medical benefit levels are elected and introduced new complexities for surviving families navigating claims. These changes have created new battlegrounds where insurance companies push back harder on survivor benefits and coverage disputes. Knowing which benefit tier the deceased carried and how that affects your family's recovery requires an attorney who lives and breathes Michigan No-Fault law every day.
Stepping Outside No-Fault: The Third-Party Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Michigan's No-Fault system limits certain claims, but death crosses the threshold that allows surviving families to step outside the No-Fault framework and pursue a third-party lawsuit directly against the at-fault driver and their insurance company. This is where the real fight begins and where Hamo Law's 40 years of trial experience matter most.
If the at-fault driver carried insufficient insurance, Michigan's uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage provisions may also provide an avenue for additional recovery.
How Hamo Law Handles Fatal Car Accident Cases
The Investigation
Every strong wrongful death case is built on a foundation of thorough, early investigation. When Hamo Law takes a case, the work begins immediately. That means:
- Preserving and analyzing the police report and crash scene evidence
- Retaining accident reconstruction experts when needed
- Securing surveillance footage before it is overwritten
- Subpoenaing cell phone records and vehicle black box (Event Data Recorder) data
- Interviewing witnesses while memories are fresh
- Working with medical experts to establish cause of death and injury severity
Building the Case for Maximum Recovery
Facts tell the court what happened. Evidence tells the court what it cost. Hamo Law works with economic experts, vocational specialists, and life care planners to document the full scope of what a family has lost, including decades of future earnings, retirement benefits, and the irreplaceable value of a parent, spouse, or child present in a family's daily life.
Beyond the numbers, Hamo Law builds the human story. Juries do not award damages for statistics. They award them for people, and part of Hamo Law's job is to make sure the jury understands exactly who was lost and what that loss means to the people left behind.
A Track Record That Speaks for Itself
Hamo Law has recovered over $250 million for Michigan clients across four decades of serious injury and wrongful death litigation. That includes cases resulting in $7.5 million and $6.5 million results. Every case is different, and no outcome can be guaranteed, but that history reflects a firm that fights hard and does not back down when insurance companies push back.
You Should Not Face This Alone
Grief is heavy enough on its own. No family should also have to figure out the mechanics of Michigan No-Fault law, negotiate with an insurance adjuster, and wonder whether they are being taken advantage of, all while trying to bury someone they love.
The insurance company handling this claim has unlimited resources, experienced legal counsel, and every financial incentive to make your family's recovery as small as possible. What they are not counting on is a family that has a 40-year trial firm standing beside them, one that knows exactly how these companies operate and has spent four decades holding them accountable in courtrooms across Michigan.
That is what Hamo Law was built to do. Not to process claims. Not to churn through settlements. But to fight, with discipline and with heart, for families who deserve nothing less than full justice.
Take the First Step Toward Justice: Contact Hamo Law Today
Your family deserves answers, not a form letter. The conversation is free, confidential, and there is no obligation. When you call Hamo Law, you speak with an attorney, not a receptionist running through a script.
George and Alex Hamo have guided Michigan families through some of the hardest moments a person can endure. They are ready to do the same for yours.
Hamo Law Firm 614 S. Grand Traverse Street Flint, Michigan 48502
Phone: 810-234-3667
Website: hamolaw.com
Legal Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or establish an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and past results, including multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts, do not guarantee future outcomes. Michigan No-Fault and wrongful death laws are subject to legislative and judicial changes. Please contact Hamo Law Firm directly for a formal consultation regarding your specific situation.