What You Need to Know After a Grand Rapids Car Accident – Does Your Injury Meet the Threshold for a Claim?
Car crashes are, unfortunately, a daily occurrence. While many are minor, others cause life-changing injuries. If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt in a motor vehicle accident, it is in your best interest to talk to a personal injury lawyer. Tom Sinas, an expert Grand Rapids car accident attorney with Sinas Dramis Law Firm, has been advocating for injured people in West Michigan for over a decade. He will help you understand your rights following a Grand Rapids car accident and determine if you meet the complicated legal standard of threshold injury law—a first step in any car crash claim.
What Is Threshold Injury Law?
Threshold injury law is a unique and often confusing aspect of our state’s auto insurance system that applies to anyone injured in a Grand Rapids car accident as well as any other part of the state. When Michigan adopted the no-fault system in the 1970s, the goal was to ensure people injured in car crashes could quickly access medical care and wage loss benefits—regardless of who was at fault. This is what we call “no-fault benefits,” and they’re provided by your own insurance company.
But there was a trade-off: in exchange for this guaranteed access to certain benefits, the state made it more difficult for victims to sue the at-fault driver for additional damages. In order to bring a lawsuit against another driver for pain and suffering or other non-economic damages, your—or a loved one’s—injury must meet what’s called the “threshold.”
Tom explained it simply in the lastest Fox 17 “Know the Law” segment, sponsored by Sinas Dramis Law Firm.
“Think of it like a threshold into a room. You’re either in or out,” he said. “If your injury meets the threshold, you can move forward with a liability claim. If not, you can’t.”
What Injuries Qualify as “Threshold Injuries”?
Michigan law recognizes three main categories of threshold injuries:
- Death – The most obvious and severe threshold.
- Permanent Serious Disfigurement – This includes injuries that cause significant and lasting changes to your appearance, like deep scars or burns.
- Serious Impairment of Body Function – This is the most common threshold injury and also the most complex.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into the third category, because it’s where many cases fall.
A serious impairment of body function doesn’t mean you’re completely disabled. It means your ability to live your normal life has been affected. That could include changes in how you work, care for your family, participate in hobbies, or even perform daily tasks. You don’t need to be permanently bedridden—just significantly impacted.
Never Assume You Don’t Have a Threshold Injury
Many people assume their injuries “aren’t bad enough,” so they don’t contact a personal injury lawyer. That’s a mistake.
As Tom explains, “If you just assume that you don’t have a threshold injury, you might give up your right to bring a claim—possibly forever. There’s a statute of limitations in Michigan that limits how long you have to file a lawsuit.”
Even if you’re unsure whether your injury qualifies, it’s worth talking to a personal injury lawyer. Tom and his team at Sinas Dramis Law Firm offer free consultations. A quick conversation will help determine whether you have a case and what steps to take next.
Contact Sinas Dramis Law Firm
Peace of mind starts with knowledge—and that begins with asking the right questions. If you or a loved one have been in a Grand Rapids car accident, or in a crash in another location in Michigan, don’t guess whether you meet the injury threshold. Contact Sinas Dramis Law Firm for a free consultation to get advice from the experts.