Statute of Limitations on Michigan Truck Accident Lawsuits
Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

A truck driver’s negligence or reckless driving can cause serious injuries to others on the road. While you have the right to file a lawsuit for financial compensation after a truck accident, you have limited time to start your claim.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Michigan, a michigan truck accident lawyer from Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. can help you recover compensation for your injuries with a timely claim.
Learn how long you have to file a truck accident claim in Michigan and the benefits of hiring Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. soon after the accident.
Michigan’s Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases
According to Michigan law, an injured party must file a claim within three years from the date of injury or death. In most cases, you have three years from the date of the truck accident to file your compensation claim.
If your loved one was involved in a Michigan truck accident and died due to their injuries weeks or months after the collision, you have three years from their date of passing to file a wrongful death claim.
In most cases, you lose your right to file a claim in Michigan after the three-year statute of limitations has passed. However, the law excludes minors who cannot independently file a lawsuit. If a minor is seriously injured in a truck accident, they have one year from their 18th birthday to file.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, schedule a consultation with a truck accident lawyer from Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C., as soon as possible. Your lawyer can determine whether you are still within the statute of limitations and will help you file a claim.
Why the Statute of Limitations Matters in Truck Accident Claims
Many truck accident cases are complex and involve more than one liable party. Common truck accidents include rollovers, blowouts, cargo issues, and jackknives, which can be caused by driver negligence, illegal work hour requirements, or improperly loaded cargo.
For example, if you are involved in a Michigan truck accident, your attorney can file a claim against the trucking company for breaking Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations. This can include forcing the driver to operate the truck for more than 8 hours without a break.
Receiving compensation through a timely insurance claim can help you pay medical expenses for serious injuries, lost wages, and non-economic damages not covered by your personal injury protection (PIP) benefits.
Quick Filing with a Truck Accident Attorney Can Help Your Claim
Starting your truck accident claim quickly gives your lawyers enough time to properly investigate your case and help you get maximum compensation for your injuries. The lawyers at Cochran, Kroll, & Associates, P.C. will handle the following aspects of your claim to ensure you meet filing deadlines and receive a fair settlement for damages you incurred.
Meeting Deadlines
After a truck accident, you will likely receive regular medical treatment and rehabilitation services. Focusing on recovery may make keeping track of deadlines for your case challenging. If you do not file the required paperwork on time, you may automatically lose your claim.
Although you have three years to file a third-party claim, you must file with your insurance company within 30 days to receive PIP benefits. Additionally, you must report the accident to the police as soon as possible if it involves injury or death. Your attorney can help you report the collision if you did not contact authorities right away. They can also obtain the report to use for your claim.
If you pursue a third-party claim, our truck accident attorneys will ensure you file it within the statute of limitations. We will file the required paperwork with the trucking insurance company or court before the deadline passes and work alongside you to keep your claim moving steadily.
Thorough Documentation
Once you begin working with an attorney, they will start collecting evidence of fault and damages. This may include accident reports, medical bills, and employer timesheets.
By hiring your attorney soon after the collision, they can begin the accident investigation immediately, allowing them access to time-sensitive data that may be lost the longer you wait to file. They can also contact the trucking company and their insurer to prevent the spoliation of evidence relating to your claim.
Time-sensitive data your attorney can gather early on includes:
- Surveillance footage from nearby stores
- Photographs of street conditions or traffic signs
- Witness testimony
- Truck driver electronic hour logs
- Event data recorder (EDR) evidence from the semi-truck
Ongoing Medical Evidence
Victims of truck accidents often suffer serious injuries and require intensive treatment. Over time, your injuries will heal and become less apparent to outside observers. Some victims may also develop invisible disabilities or chronic pain after their external injuries have healed, such as whiplash or mood changes due to a TBI.
If you hire an attorney earlier in the recovery process, they can work with your doctors to obtain medical records and treatment information and learn about your prognosis. With this information, your lawyer can establish a clearer picture of the medical treatment you require after the accident and how it affected your health and daily life.
They can also more accurately estimate the life-long cost of treatment, so you are fairly compensated. For example, a spinal cord injury can cost over $2,500,000 million in lifetime expenses for someone in their mid-20s at the time of the accident.
Building Evidence of Non-Economic Damages
Most truck accident cases last months or years. Your attorney will work with you during this time to collect evidence of your damages and negotiate an appropriate settlement agreement. They will include a financial estimation of challenges you experience due to the accident, such as adapting to a disability or coping with losing a loved one in your claim.
Your attorney will encourage you to document these challenges through journal entries and therapy. Through this process, you can establish records of the emotional difficulties you faced due to the accident. Your lawyer can use this documentation as proof of pain and suffering or other non-economic damages, earning you a higher settlement.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C.
Recovering from a truck accident can be a long process. If you or a loved one have been injured in a Michigan truck accident, Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. can help you resolve your case as quickly as possible. We will help you file your claim within Michigan’s statute of limitations, build a strong argument for your case, and recover the compensation you deserve.
Our contingency fee basis means we only get paid if we win your case, so there is no financial risk to you to get started. Call our law firm today at 1-866-MICH-LAW and schedule your no-obligation, free case evaluation.
Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.