Who Must Purchase Michigan No-Fault Insurance? A bedrock principle of Michigan’s no-fault law is that it establishes a system of mandatory auto insurance. This insurance requirement is set out in MCL 500.3101(1), which states that any “owner or registrant” of a motor vehicle that is required to be registered in
Grand Rapids Car Accident Attorney Tom Sinas Weighs in on Substitute HB 4612
Grand Rapids Car Accident Attorney Tom Sinas Weighs in on HB 4612 (H-3) “Reforming” Michigan’s current auto no-fault system has been topic of interest for quite some time now. Towards the end of last month, Speaker Jase Bolger proposed a number of changes to Michigan’s existing no-fault insurance system. The
Summary Analysis of Substitute HB 4612 (H-3)
SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF HB 4612 (H-3) By: George T. Sinas CPAN General Counsel Sinas Dramis Law Firm March 7, 2014 On Thursday, February 20, 2014, HB 4612 (H-3) was offered as a substitute to H-1, which has been stalled on the floor of the Michigan House for almost one year.
2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index
2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index: The Results are In Every year, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety releases its annual Traffic Safety Culture Index. The index is a compilation of a series of surveys measuring the opinions of drivers in the United States regarding issues relating to driving safety. Some
Potential Liability for Tech Company Uber after Car Accident Kills Girl
This past New Year’s Eve, a young pedestrian in San Francisco, crossing the road with her mother and brother, was struck and killed by a cab driver on his way to pick up customers. It is alleged that the pedestrians were crossing the street legally when the impact occurred. This
Are Parallel Parking Spaces Designed for Vehicular Travel?
Last month, the Michigan Supreme Court heard oral argument in Yono v Department of Transportation concerning this very issue. Plaintiff had suffered injury while walking back to her car, which was parallel parked along M-22 in Suttons Bay, Michigan. Plaintiff filed suit against the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), alleging
The Highway Exception, Road Defects, and Governmental Immunity
It might be easy to assume that the government would be held liable if you encounter a dangerous road defect while driving (for example), and are injured as a result. However, in Michigan, the nature of the defect determines whether or not governmental immunity applies. Generally speaking, the government is
NHTSA Proposes Upgrade to Car Seat Standards
We have previously blogged about Michigan car seat laws and proposed changes to it. We now have another update, but this time on the federal level. Yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it was proposing upgrades to the federal child car seat standards. Specifically, the administration
Pre-existing Injuries and No-Fault Coverage
As we all know, car accidents can be life-altering. These collisions can cause new injuries or even make old injuries much worse. Michigan residents are fortunate because our auto no-fault insurance system is designed to cover situations where one might face such instances. In other words, medical treatment for both
Michigan No-Fault PIP Coverage and the Concept of Domicile, Take Two
We’ve previously discussed the general significance of determining an individual’s domicile, or where they reside, for the purpose of establishing Michigan no-fault PIP coverage availability under Michigan’s auto no-fault scheme. However, this analysis also intersects with the family law realm. What happens if a minor whose parents are divorced is