An injury in the Lansing area rarely stays a simple matter. A crash on Saginaw Street turns into a fight over No-Fault benefits. A fall in an icy apartment lot raises questions about who was supposed to clear it. A dog bite on a neighborhood sidewalk puts a homeowner’s insurer on the other side. A Lansing personal injury lawyer sorts out which law applies, who is responsible and which insurance has to pay, so you can focus on getting better.
Khamo Law represents injured people and families in Lansing, East Lansing, Lansing Township and across Ingham County. We are based in Troy, with a second office in Sterling Heights, and our Lansing-area clients work with us by phone, by video or in person in Troy. Our attorneys and staff speak Arabic, Chaldean and English. To talk about what happened, call (248) 466-0606. Consultations are free, and on our contingency fee you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Our statewide Michigan personal injury lawyer page covers the general rules. This page focuses on the cases we see from the capital area and points you to the right detailed page for each one.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Lansing Residents
Car Accidents
Motor vehicle crashes are the largest source of serious injuries we see. Michigan’s No-Fault system means an injured driver often has a benefits claim against their own insurer and a separate claim against the at-fault driver, each with its own deadlines. Our Lansing car accident lawyer page covers local crash data, the US-127/I-496 rebuild, police reports and court locations in detail.
Truck and Semi Crashes
I-96 and I-69 bring heavy freight traffic past Lansing. A crash with a commercial truck can involve the driver, the trucking company, a broker and a maintenance shop, plus federal hours-of-service and inspection rules. Those cases call for quick action to preserve the truck’s electronic logging data. See our Lansing truck accident lawyer page.
Motorcycle Crashes
Riders face different insurance rules than drivers. A motorcyclist hurt in a crash with a car often claims No-Fault benefits through the car’s insurance chain rather than their own motorcycle policy, and the order of priority matters. Our Lansing motorcycle accident lawyer page walks through it.
People Hit While Walking or Biking
Lansing’s wide arterials are hard on pedestrians. In May 2026, a 65-year-old woman died after a driver struck her on Cedar Street near Kalamazoo Street. A person hit by a car on foot or on a bicycle can usually claim No-Fault benefits from a household auto policy, or through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan if no policy applies, and may also have a claim against the driver. More detail is on our pedestrian accident and bicycle accident pages.
Slip and Fall and Unsafe Property
Ice on a parking lot, a broken stair in a rental, or a spill in a store aisle can cause fractures and head injuries. Michigan premises law changed in 2023, when the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in Kandil-Elsayed v F & E Oil, Inc. that a hazard being “open and obvious” no longer automatically wipes out a property owner’s duty. Instead, how obvious the danger was is weighed in deciding whether the owner acted reasonably and how fault is shared. Our Lansing slip and fall lawyer page explains what that means for injured visitors.
Dog Bites
Michigan holds dog owners strictly liable for bites in many situations. Under MCL 287.351, if a dog bites someone without provocation while that person is on public property or lawfully on private property, including the owner’s own property, the owner is responsible for the damages, whether or not the dog had ever been aggressive before. Homeowner’s and renter’s insurance often pays these claims. See our Michigan dog bite lawyer page.
Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
A concussion that does not clear up, or damage to the spinal cord, can change a person’s work and family life for years. These cases depend on careful medical proof of future care, lost earning capacity and day-to-day limits. Read more on our traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury pages.
Wrongful Death
When negligence takes a life, Michigan’s wrongful death statute, MCL 600.2922, requires the claim to be brought by the personal representative of the estate. Damages can include medical, funeral and burial costs, the person’s conscious pain and suffering before death, lost financial support, and the family’s loss of society and companionship. Our Michigan wrongful death lawyer page explains the process for families.
Injury Risks in Lansing by the Numbers
Traffic is the clearest measure available. The 2024 Ingham County crash report lists 3,370 crashes in the city, with 677 injury crashes, 63 people suspected of serious injuries and 8 deaths. Lansing logged more injury crashes than East Lansing and Lansing Township put together. The city’s Safe Streets for All plan, as reported by FOX 47 News, counted 86 fatal crashes in Lansing from 2014 through 2022 and set a goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2050.
There is no comparable public count of falls, dog bites or other injuries, which is one reason those claims depend so heavily on evidence gathered right after the incident.
How We Decide Whether You Have a Claim
Most personal injury cases come down to four questions:
- Duty: did the other person or business owe you reasonable care? Drivers, landlords, store owners and dog owners all have legal duties.
- Breach: did they fall short, for example by running a light, leaving ice untreated or letting a dog run loose?
- Cause: did that failure actually cause your injury, as opposed to an earlier condition or something unrelated?
- Damages: what has the injury cost you, in money and in quality of life, and what will it cost going forward?
We also look at insurance early. A strong case against someone with no coverage can be hard to collect, while your own policy may include coverage you did not know you had.
Compensation in a Michigan Injury Case
Depending on the type of case, an injured person may recover:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced ability to earn in the future
- Pain, suffering and emotional distress
- Loss of the ability to enjoy normal activities
- Scarring or disfigurement
Car crashes follow special rules. Your own No-Fault insurer pays medical bills and some lost income, and a pain and suffering claim against the driver is allowed only if the injury meets the serious impairment threshold in MCL 500.3135. Falls and dog bites do not have that threshold, but they also do not come with No-Fault benefits, so health insurance and liens become part of the picture.
When You Share Some of the Blame
Being partly at fault does not automatically end your case. Under MCL 600.2959, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. If your share is greater than everyone else’s combined, you can still recover reduced economic damages such as medical bills and lost wages, but not noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering. In car crash cases, the No-Fault act applies its own version of this rule. Insurers often overstate an injured person’s share of fault, so the early evidence matters.
Deadlines for Lansing Injury Claims
- Most injury lawsuits, including falls and dog bites: generally three years from the injury under MCL 600.5805
- Injuries caused by a defective public road: written notice to the agency usually within 120 days under MCL 691.1404
- No-Fault benefits after a crash: written notice to the insurer within one year under MCL 500.3145
- Wrongful death: special timing rules apply because an estate must be opened first, so families should get advice early
Reports, Records and Courts in Lansing
For incidents the Lansing Police Department handled, Central Records at 120 W. Michigan Avenue provides crash reports and accepts Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for other police records. For a fall at a store or apartment complex, there may be no police report at all, so ask the manager to write an incident report and keep a copy. For a dog bite, write down the owner’s name and address and the dog’s description, and photograph the injury the same day.
If a case is filed, smaller claims of $25,000 or less in the city go to the 54-A District Court in Lansing City Hall, and larger claims go to Ingham County’s 30th Circuit Court, which has a courthouse at 313 W. Kalamazoo Street, per the Ingham County court directory.
What to Do After Getting Hurt in Lansing
- Get medical care and follow through on the treatment plan
- Photograph the scene, the hazard or vehicle damage, and your injuries
- Collect names and contact information for witnesses
- Keep shoes, clothing or other items involved in a fall
- Save letters, emails and claim numbers from any insurer
- Avoid recorded statements and do not sign a release before getting advice
Our steps to take after an injury guide has a fuller checklist.
Why People in the Lansing Area Call Khamo Law
Our lawyers have more than 40 years of combined experience and have recovered more than $40 million for injured clients. More than 230 clients have reviewed the firm on Google, for a 5.0-star average. Founder Koro E. Khamo is a Super Lawyers Rising Star and was named to The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any other case; you can review our case results with that in mind.
- One team for every claim: when a single incident creates a No-Fault claim, a liability claim and a lien problem, we handle them together.
- Remote-friendly: phone and video meetings, e-signatures and secure document upload, so the drive to Troy is optional.
- Three languages: our attorneys and staff speak Arabic, Chaldean and English.
- Police report handled for you: once you hire us, we request it as part of intake.
Questions About Personal Injury Claims in Lansing
Is it worth suing for a personal injury?
It depends on how badly you were hurt, how clear the other side’s fault is and whether there is insurance to pay a judgment. Many cases resolve without a trial, but being ready to file suit is often what moves an insurer. A free consultation can help you weigh it.
What does a personal injury attorney in Lansing charge?
Most injury lawyers, including Khamo Law, work on contingency, meaning the fee is a percentage of the recovery and nothing is owed if there is no recovery. The exact percentage and how case costs are handled are set out in the written fee agreement, which you should read before signing.
How much can you get for pain and suffering in Michigan?
There is no formula or fixed schedule. A jury or settlement looks at the seriousness of the injury, how long recovery takes, any permanent limits and how the injury affects daily life. In car crash cases, the injury must first meet Michigan’s serious impairment threshold.
What are my chances of winning?
No lawyer can promise an outcome. The strength of a case usually turns on the evidence of fault, the medical records linking the injury to the incident, and how much of the blame the other side can shift to you. We will give you an honest assessment after reviewing the facts.
I was hurt in East Lansing. Does that change anything?
The law is the same, but the agencies differ. East Lansing has its own police department, and smaller cases go to the 54-B District Court rather than 54-A in Lansing.
Can I bring a claim if I was bitten by a friend’s dog at their house?
Often, yes. Michigan’s dog bite statute covers people lawfully on private property, including invited guests, as long as they did not provoke the dog. The claim is usually paid by the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, not out of your friend’s pocket.
Do I have to meet in person?
No. Many of our clients outside Metro Detroit never need to visit the office. You are welcome to meet us in Troy if you would rather talk face to face.
Talk to a Lansing Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a family member was hurt in Lansing or anywhere in Ingham County, tell us what happened. Call (248) 466-0606 or send us a message to schedule a free consultation.
The information on this page is general and is not legal advice about your situation. Outcomes in earlier cases do not guarantee or predict the outcome of yours.