Grand Rapids Car Accident Lawyer

Trusted Car Accident Lawyer in Grand Rapids, MI

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash in the Grand Rapids area, help is available. A skilled and knowledgeable Grand Rapids car accident lawyer from Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, can help you hold the responsible parties accountable for their negligent driving and assist you through the process.

Our firm has built its reputation throughout Michigan one case at a time, helping injured Michiganders pursue substantial damages in the aftermath of tragedy.

At Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, our approach is built on more than legal skill. It is built on empathy, understanding, and personal care. We understand the challenges car crash victims face, and we support you through every step of the process while holding negligent drivers and reluctant insurance companies accountable.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC: A Trusted Choice for Your Grand Rapids Car Accident

Car crashes are a daily reality on the busy roads of Kent County and the Grand Rapids metro area. Michigan recorded 290,221 reported traffic crashes in 2025, roughly flat compared to 2024, while crash deaths statewide fell 3% to 1,065. Kent County alone logged nearly 19,400 crashes in the most recent full year of official state crash data, with about 1 in 5 resulting in an injury. The rest range from minor fender-benders to life-changing injuries, including burns, traumatic brain injuries, and fatal outcomes.

When your morning commute or weekend road trip turns into an unthinkable nightmare due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness behind the wheel, you need a trusted advocate who can guide you through the legal process. Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, is proud to help Grand Rapids-area residents when they need it most. Our offerings include:

• Decades of Trial Experience: Senior partner Stephen Goethel has practiced law in Michigan since 1979, and our attorneys bring decades of combined experience to car accident and injury cases throughout West Michigan.
• Client-Focused Results: We use skilled negotiation and, when necessary, litigation to pursue the compensation the law allows for injured clients, whether that means resolving a claim with the insurance company or taking a case to trial.
• Personalized Attention: We understand that every accident and injury is unique and deserves individual attention. At Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, we customize our approach to meet each client’s needs while staying accessible when you have questions or need support.

Understanding Grand Rapids, MI Car Accidents

Like any other vibrant city, Grand Rapids sees a variety of underlying causes for car crashes. Some common ones include:

• Distracted Driving: Drivers who try to operate a vehicle while texting, scrolling, or using apps continue to create a serious safety problem throughout Michigan. Other forms of distraction, such as adjusting onboard vehicle systems or eating, are dangerous too. Kent County ranked among the top five Michigan counties for distracted driving crashes, with more than 1,250 in the most recent full year of state data.
• Speeding and Reckless Driving: When drivers make foolish, selfish decisions instead of driving carefully and defensively, they put themselves and everyone else on the road at risk, and injuries can result.
• Intoxicated Driving: Operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a serious criminal offense in Michigan. One reason this problem is taken so seriously is how often drunk and drugged driving leads to injury and fatal crashes.
• Weather Conditions: Harsh, slippery weather can appear in Michigan in fall, winter, and spring, so it is no surprise that poor road conditions and reduced visibility contribute to many crashes in and around Grand Rapids.
• Failure to Yield: A large share of Grand Rapids-area crashes happen at intersections, usually when a driver fails to follow a signal or sign and pulls out without yielding. While intersection crashes often occur at lower speeds, serious injuries are still possible.

How Michigan’s No-Fault Law Affects Your Car Accident Claim

Michigan is a no-fault state, which means the process after a car accident works differently than it does in most other states. Here is what that means for you.

Your own insurance pays first. After a crash, you file a claim for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits with your own auto insurer, regardless of who caused the crash. These benefits can cover reasonable medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, and replacement services. You generally must notify your insurer of your injury within one year of the crash under MCL 500.3145, and missing that deadline can bar your PIP claim, though limited exceptions apply for minors and a few other situations.

You may also have a separate claim against the at-fault driver. PIP benefits do not cover pain and suffering. To recover pain and suffering damages, called noneconomic loss, you generally must show that the crash caused death, permanent serious disfigurement, or a serious impairment of an important body function, under MCL 500.3135.

Fault can still reduce or bar some damages. Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you were partly responsible for the crash, your pain and suffering award can be reduced by your share of fault, and if you were more than 50% at fault, the law generally bars you from recovering pain and suffering damages.

Vehicle damage not covered by your own insurance can sometimes be recovered from the at-fault driver through Michigan’s mini-tort law, up to $3,000, under MCL 500.3135.

Because these rules can overlap in ways that are easy to misread, many Grand Rapids car accident victims choose to talk with an attorney early, even before they know the full extent of their injuries.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Grand Rapids

1. Get medical care right away. Some injuries, like concussions or soft tissue damage, do not show symptoms immediately, and a gap in treatment can hurt your claim.
2. Keep up with follow-up care. Attend every appointment your doctor recommends, and follow through with any referrals to specialists or physical therapy. Insurance companies can use gaps or early stops in treatment to argue your injuries were not serious.
3. Notify your insurer. Report the crash to your own auto insurer and apply for no-fault PIP benefits well before the one-year deadline.
4. Keep records of every expense. Save receipts, medical bills, repair estimates, and pay stubs showing missed work. These documents support your claim for medical costs, lost wages, and property damage.
5. Be careful what you say. Avoid discussing fault with the other driver, witnesses, or insurance adjusters until you have talked with an attorney.
6. Talk to a car accident lawyer in Grand Rapids before accepting a settlement offer. An insurance company is not required to tell you when an offer is lower than what your claim may be worth.

How the Claims Process Works

Every car accident case moves at its own pace, but most Grand Rapids claims follow a similar path.

First, your attorney investigates the crash. That usually means gathering the police report, photos, and medical records, along with witness statements or nearby traffic camera or dashcam footage when needed.

Next, your attorney helps you apply for no-fault PIP benefits, so your medical bills and a portion of your lost wages can start getting covered while your case moves forward.

Once your treatment has progressed enough for your attorney to understand the full scope of your injuries, your attorney can prepare a demand to the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Many claims settle at this stage through negotiation.

If the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, your attorney can file a lawsuit in Kent County Circuit Court and prepare the case for litigation, including trial if necessary. Most car accident cases still settle before trial, but a firm that is genuinely ready to litigate often changes how an insurance company negotiates.

FAQs About Grand Rapids, MI Car Accident Law

How Long Do Most Car Accident Settlements Take?

There is no average timeline for a settlement. Generally speaking, a Grand Rapids car accident settlement can take several months to resolve. More complex cases, or ones involving serious injuries or multiple parties, can take longer. The timeline depends on how quickly you finish medical treatment and how willing the insurance company is to negotiate.

What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring an Accident Attorney?

A common mistake is hiring a lawyer who does not regularly handle car accident cases like yours. Another is agreeing to representation without a clear understanding of your Grand Rapids personal injury attorney’s fee structure, which for car accident cases is usually a contingency fee.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

A lawyer can help you gather evidence, apply for no-fault benefits, and build a case against the at-fault driver if your injuries meet Michigan’s threshold for pain and suffering damages. This matters most when your injuries are significant or the insurance company disputes fault.

How Does a Car Crash Case in Michigan Work?

A Michigan car accident case usually involves two claims: one for no-fault PIP benefits through your own insurer, and a possible second claim against the at-fault driver if your injuries meet Michigan’s legal threshold for pain and suffering.

What Is Michigan’s No-Fault Law?

Michigan’s no-fault law requires your own auto insurance to pay your medical bills and a portion of lost wages after a crash, regardless of who caused it. You can still pursue a separate claim against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering if your injuries are serious enough under Michigan law.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim After a Car Accident in Michigan?

You generally have one year to notify your own insurer of your injury to preserve your no-fault PIP benefits, and three years to file a lawsuit for injury damages against the at-fault driver. If the injured person is a minor, the three-year lawsuit deadline can be paused until they turn 18. Missing either deadline can bar your claim.

Can I Still Recover Money If I Was Partly at Fault for the Crash?

In most cases, yes. Michigan reduces your pain and suffering award by your percentage of fault, but if you were more than 50% at fault, you are generally barred from recovering pain and suffering damages, though other benefits may still apply.

What If the Other Driver Did Not Have Insurance?

Michigan’s no-fault system still covers your medical bills and lost wages through your own PIP benefits even if the at-fault driver was uninsured. An attorney can also help you explore uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage under your own policy, if you have it.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Most Grand Rapids car accident attorneys, including our firm, handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no upfront cost and the fee comes out of any settlement or verdict you receive. Ask about the exact fee percentage and how case costs are handled before you sign an agreement.

Will My Case Go to Court?

Most car accident claims settle through negotiation with the insurance company and never reach trial. Your attorney should still prepare every case as if it may go to court, since insurance companies tend to negotiate more fairly when they know a firm is ready to litigate.

Contact a Grand Rapids Car Accident Lawyer Today

Don’t let an insurance company alone decide what your pain and your future are worth. Contact Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, to speak with our car accident injury team and learn how we can help you pursue the compensation Michigan law allows. Your initial consultation is confidential.

Areas We Serve

When a car accident in Grand Rapids or elsewhere in West Michigan turns your life upside down, you need attorneys who understand Michigan’s no-fault system, know the local courts, and are prepared to hold insurance companies accountable. Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC has represented injured Michiganders for more than 30 years, and our attorneys bring decades of combined trial and negotiation experience to car accident cases.

Based in Ann Arbor with a track record of serving clients across Michigan, including Grand Rapids and the rest of Kent County, as well as Kalamazoo, our firm works to hold negligent drivers and their insurance companies accountable. Our legal team includes Stephen B. Goethel, Chad D. Engelhardt, and Jennifer A. Engelhardt. We investigate every crash carefully, work with medical providers to document the true extent of your injuries, and prepare each case as if it may go to trial.

Whether you were injured by a distracted or drunk driver, hurt in a multi-vehicle crash on I-96 or US-131, or now facing a long recovery from a serious wreck, our Grand Rapids car accident lawyers are ready to help you understand your options and pursue the compensation Michigan law allows.

Grand Rapids, MI Car Accident Law Additional Resources:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries: Types and Symptoms
• Michigan Car Accident Statistics
• Grand Rapids Motor Vehicle Accident Statistics
• Most Dangerous Roadways in Michigan
• Yearly Car Crash TBI Statistics May Be Higher Than Reported

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC Ann Arbor Office

This map shows the firm’s Ann Arbor office, which serves clients from Grand Rapids and other communities throughout Michigan.