Detroit, MI Interstate 75 Car Accident Guide

Interstate accidents are usually the most hazardous of all car accidents, regardless of what part of the country you live in. Large cities like Detroit often witness a great deal more serious motor vehicle accidents than less populated, rural areas because of the excessive number of automobiles on the roadways at any given time. 

The more vehicles and people there are in a given area, the more prone that area is to traffic and gridlock, thereby paving the way for more accidents, particularly during morning and evening rush hours and when visibility is low due to low light or rain.

If you were injured in a car accident near or in Detroit, Michigan, it is important that you talk to a lawyer to make sure that you are properly compensated. Personal injury claims are often tricky to navigate, particularly if you are trying to prove that another driver was at fault. Fortunately, an experienced I-75 car accident lawyer can walk you through the legal process, and help you gather any additional details or relevant evidence that will help to strengthen your claim and hold the liable party accountable for the injuries and other damages they caused. 

Where Do Most Michigan Car Accidents Occur?

Between 2016 and 2020, Oakland County and Wayne County reported the highest numbers of motor vehicle accidents on Interstate 75. Even though it is more central to Detroit, only about 23} of all reported car accidents took place in Wayne County while slightly more than 38 took place in Oakland County, which consists mostly of suburban Detroit neighborhoods.  

What Are the Most Dangerous Areas of I-75 in Michigan? 

An overwhelming majority of the vehicle accidents reported in the Detroit metro area happen along Interstate 75 in the following locations:   

• Madison Heights between the 12 Mile Road Entrance Ramp and 12 Mile Road: 245 accidents and 71 injuries
• Troy between Rochester Road and Maple Road: 196 accidents and 58 injuries
• Madison Heights between 14 Mile Road and the 14 Mile Exit Ramp: 176 accidents and 46 injuries
• Hazel Park between Woodward Heights Boulevard and 9 Mile Road: 161 accidents and 43 injuries
• Detroit between Warren Avenue and the Warren Ramp: 153 accidents and 57 injuries
• Detroit between 7 Mile Road and the 7 Mile Ramp: 151 accidents and 46 injuries
• Auburn Hills between the S I-75 Ramp and Leaper Hills: 151 accidents and 27 injuries
• Troy between the 14 Mile Road Ramp and Maple Road: 196 accidents and 58 injuries
• Hazel Park between the I-696 Ramp and Woodward Heights Boulevard: 145 accidents and 49 injuries
• Royal Oak between 11 Mile Road and the 11 Mile Ramp: 143 accidents and 53 injuries

What Factors Commonly Contribute to Detroit-Area Car Accidents? 

One common factor that car accidents in the Detroit metropolitan area share is the time of day during which they occur. For instance, in the above listed accident-prone areas of Michigan, the greatest number of collisions took place between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. More accidents took place on Friday than any other day of the week, and during January than any other month.  

While there is no clear data set that shows speed as a contributing factor in the specific locations mentioned above, statewide collision reports reveal that speeding caused or contributed to more than 15 of all injury-causing accidents and almost 19 of all fatal accidents statewide in 2020. Additionally, the speed limit on Interstate 75 from the Upper Peninsula to Saginaw was increased from 70 miles per hour to 75 miles per hour in 2017. The faster drivers are allowed to go, the more destructive and potentially deadly car accidents tend to be.

Michigan Police Report Laws

Following a serious motor vehicle accident, Michigan law requires you to file a police report. This official report is often one of the most noteworthy pieces of evidence in a Detroit car accident case. It is a third party report that documents the important facts of the case, which can be incredibly useful when establishing liability during a personal injury lawsuit. A lot of people have no idea what information is actually contained in a Michigan accident report, or how they can acquire a copy. Read on to learn more about Michigan car accident police reports.

Michigan driving laws state that you are required to file a report for an auto accident if it resulted in property damage of more than $1,000, a fatality, or injuries to anyone involved. The accident has to be reported as soon as possible to the closest law enforcement official or police station. The officer who takes your report will fill out a UD-10 Traffic Crash Report and give you an incident report related to your UD-10.

What Information Will I Find in a Michigan Accident Report?

A Michigan UD-10 is full of details that often play an essential role in a personal injury claim. It is important that you carefully review your copy of the report to make sure that all the details it provides are correct. Just like anyone else, police officers can occasionally make a mistake, even when they are just documenting the details of a car accident. If there are any mistakes, you must make sure the police department corrects the facts. If not, it could impact your ability to obtain compensation if you end up moving forward with filing a lawsuit for your injuries.

Your UD-10 Traffic Crash Report should include: 

• The names and contact details of every driver involved
• The insurance information of everyone involved 
• Which driver was determined to be at fault
• The names and contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident
• Where and when the accident occurred
• A narrative and diagram of the accident completed by the responding officer 
• Descriptions of any property damage or injuries sustained during the accident
• The weather and traffic conditions at the time of the accident
• The officer’s statement regarding how the accident happened  

How Can I Get a Copy of My Michigan Accident Report?

There are a few different ways you can obtain a copy of your Detroit, MI car accident report. You may request a copy of your UD-10 from the Michigan State Police, or from the local department that responded to your accident. 

How to Get a Copy From the Michigan State Police:

• Go to michigan.gov/msp. Scroll down to Online Services and click Find Traffic Crash Reports 
• Register with the website and create an account
• Navigate to Michigan State Police Records Request
• Fill out the form and submit it along with $10 for each requested copy of the report  

How to Get Copy From a Local Police Precinct:

• Reach out to the local records clerk 
• Inquire about their Freedom of Information Act policy as it relates to UD-10s
• Follow the instructions you are given

Can I File a Michigan Car Accident Claim if I Don’t Have a Police Report? 

Since Michigan law requires an official police accident report to be filed if the accident resulted in more than $1,000 in property damage, injury, or death, it is highly likely that a police report will already be created and filed if you were in an accident bad enough to warrant a personal injury claim. 

Depending on your insurance company, you might not be eligible to file a claim for a Detroit, MI auto accident if there was no police report filed. These reports are also required if you plan to file a no-fault benefit application or were involved in a hit-and-run accident.

Most Michigan auto insurance carriers require car accident victims to provide the police with a written report no more than 24 hours after a hit-and-run accident if they are going to file a claim for uninsured or underinsured benefits along with comprehensive and collision coverage. Whether or not these rules apply to your specific case will depend primarily on your insurer and the terms of your policy.

Likewise, to claim the state’s no-fault benefits following an accident, you will need to include a copy of your police accident report as documentation that shows proof of loss. 

We Can Help You After a Detroit, MI Car Accident

If you were injured in a traffic accident, your police accident report is one of the most crucial pieces of documentation you have. While it is obviously possible for you to track down a copy of the police report by yourself, small but essential tasks such as this can be challenging and even overwhelming if you are in the hospital with serious injuries. When you work with one of our Detroit, Michigan Interstate 75 car accident attorneys, you have options. 

We can take care of vital tasks like getting a copy of your official accident report and filing your claim for compensation. If dealing with the fallout of a serious motor vehicle accident all on your own is proving to be difficult to manage, we are here to help. Give us a call to schedule a free evaluation of your personal injury case. We work on a contingency-fee-basis, so you never pay anything up front and we only collect payment if we win your case.