If a driver hit you on Rochester Road, at a Walton Boulevard light or on the M-59 ramps, you need a Rochester Hills car accident lawyer who knows how claims move through Oakland County. Crashes here are common. State records show 1,986 crashes in the Rochester Hills and Avon Township reporting area during 2024: 379 of them hurt someone and 2 were fatal. Each one left a family sorting out doctor visits, lost shifts, a damaged vehicle and calls from adjusters hoping to settle fast.
Khamo Law’s main office sits on Long Lake Road in Troy, roughly two miles below the Rochester Hills border, and we also have an office in Sterling Heights. From Troy we represent injured drivers, passengers, cyclists and walkers from Rochester Hills, Rochester, Auburn Hills and Oakland Township. Our team brings more than 40 years of combined experience and has recovered more than $40 million for injured clients. Dial (248) 466-0606 to set up a free case review; we work on contingency, which means no fee is owed unless money is recovered on your behalf.
People search for this help in different ways: a car accident attorney Rochester Hills MI drivers can call, an auto accident lawyer near Rochester Road, or an injury firm close to Avon Township. Whatever words you used, this page walks through the Michigan rules, the local roads and the steps that protect a claim. For the statewide overview, visit our Michigan car accident lawyer page.
Legally reviewed by Attorney Koro E. Khamo
Founder & Managing Attorney at Khamo Law
Michigan Bar No. P80994
How a Rochester Hills Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
One collision can open several files at once: benefits from your own insurer, a case against the careless driver, and now and then a claim tied to a broken road or a contractor’s work zone. Here is the work we take off your plate:
- Open your personal injury protection (PIP) claim, send in bills, wage proof and mileage logs, and chase payment until it arrives
- Challenge an adjuster who stalls, denies treatment or stops your wage checks
- Pull the Sheriff’s Office crash report and rebuild what happened at the scene
- Send preservation requests for signal data, store cameras and witness accounts while they still exist
- Gather the medical proof needed to show your injury crosses Michigan’s serious impairment line
- Search for every policy in play, from the at-fault driver’s liability limits to your own uninsured and underinsured coverage
- Flag possible claims against the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the county road agency or a contractor, and serve the required notice on time
- Bargain with the carriers and, if a fair offer never comes, file suit in Oakland County and try the case
REPRESENTATIVE RESULTS
Results That Reflect the Cases We Handle
Khamo Law has obtained millions of dollars in recoveries for injured clients.
Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Every case depends on its individual facts, injuries, liability, insurance coverage, and applicable law.
Rochester Hills, MI Crash Statistics for 2024
The Michigan Traffic Crash Facts report for Oakland County breaks out the Rochester Hills and Avon Township area this way:
- 1,986 reported collisions over the year
- 379 collisions where at least one person was hurt
- 2 collisions that took a life
- 521 injured people, 30 of whom had suspected serious injuries
That works out to more than one injury crash a day in this part of northern Oakland County. A “minor” collision can still leave you with a torn rotator cuff or a lingering concussion that keeps you off the job for months.
Sheriff’s Deputies, Not City Police, Answer Rochester Hills Crash Calls
The city contracts with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement instead of running its own police force. Deputies work out of the Rochester Hills substation at 750 Barclay Circle. So when you call 911 after a wreck in the city, a sheriff’s deputy writes the report, and your copy comes from that substation or from the county’s online system rather than from a city police desk.
Rochester Hills Roads Where Collisions Keep Happening
Rochester Road (M-150)
This state trunkline is the spine of the city’s retail strip. Plazas, drive-throughs and a long run of curb cuts mean drivers constantly brake, merge and turn left across several lanes, which produces rear-end hits, sideswipes and turning collisions. MDOT has budgeted $40 million to reconstruct M-150 from M-59 (Hall Road) north to Tienken Road during 2027 and 2028, a project that adds four traffic signals. Expect narrowed lanes, shifting patterns and abrupt backups while crews work, all of which raise the risk of work-zone wrecks.
M-59 (Hall Road)
Along the city’s south end, M-59 moves traffic at highway speed through interchanges where vehicles enter and exit in tight gaps. Unsafe lane changes and fast rear-end impacts are the typical result.
Walton Boulevard and Other County Roads
Commuters heading between Troy, Rochester and Auburn Hills pack Walton Boulevard, Adams, Crooks, Livernois, John R, Hamlin, Auburn, Avon and Tienken Roads. In 2025, neighbors around the Walton Boulevard and Old Perch Road intersection complained about a string of wrecks tied to westbound left turns, where the protected green arrow gives way to a flashing yellow arrow that requires turning drivers to yield. According to the Road Commission for Oakland County, heavy peak-hour traffic is the core issue, with motorists taking chances and running reds, and its engineers planned a closer review of the location.
South Boulevard
South Boulevard is the dividing line between Rochester Hills and Troy. Depending on which side of the line a collision lands, either community’s agency may end up handling it.
The Clinton River Trail
This 17-mile path passes through the city on its way from Sylvan Lake to Rochester, where it links up with the Paint Creek Trail. At each spot where it meets a busy street, people on bikes and on foot share the crossing with cars that are turning or passing through. If a vehicle struck you near the trail, our pedestrian accident and bicycle accident pages explain your options.
Why Rochester Hills Drivers Crash
- Misjudged gaps on a flashing yellow arrow, when a turning driver underestimates oncoming speed
- Running red signals at peak hours, the behavior the county road agency singled out at crowded intersections
- Following too closely in the stop-start flow on M-150 and around Hall Road
- Cars pulling out of plazas and parking lots onto busy retail roads
- Lane closures and shifts during construction, including the coming M-150 reconstruction
- Texting, scrolling or programming a screen while driving
- Alcohol, marijuana or other drugs
- Drivers who flee the scene rather than stop and exchange information
Which Parties Can Be Held Liable?
The careless driver is usually the main target, yet digging into the facts can turn up others whose choices contributed to the wreck:
- The driver who caused the crash, plus that person’s employer if they were on the clock making deliveries or service calls
- The owner of the vehicle, when the owner let the at-fault driver use it
- A road construction company that left a work zone poorly marked or badly laid out
- The government agency in charge of the pavement: MDOT for state routes such as M-150 and M-59, or the Road Commission for Oakland County for county roads like Walton Boulevard
Government claims are narrow and come with tight notice rules, covered in the road defect and deadline sections below.
No-Fault Insurance Benefits for Rochester Hills Crash Victims
Under Michigan’s No-Fault law, the first source of payment for your injuries is generally your own auto policy, and fault does not matter for these benefits. PIP coverage may pay for:
- Treatment costs that are reasonable and necessary, capped at the medical limit you selected
- Lost income for as long as 3 years from the crash date, with a monthly cap
- Household help, known as replacement services, at up to $20 a day
- Mileage for driving to appointments and therapy
- Attendant care if you need someone to help you bathe, dress or move around
Drivers have been able to pick from several PIP medical limits since July 2, 2020, so what your policy covers depends on the option on your declarations page. No policy of your own or in your household? The Michigan Assigned Claims Plan may step in. If your carrier is refusing to pay, read about denied PIP benefits, and see our Michigan No-Fault insurance lawyer page for a deeper look at the system.
Compensation From the At-Fault Driver
Your PIP policy will never pay for pain, suffering or lost enjoyment of life. Those losses come from the negligent driver, but only if the crash caused death, a serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement, as set out in Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL) 500.3135. To qualify as a serious impairment, the injury must be objectively manifested, involve an important body function and affect your general ability to live your normal life.
Beyond pain and suffering, the driver’s liability coverage may also owe you:
- Excess wage loss, such as income above the monthly PIP cap or earnings lost after the three-year PIP window ends
- Excess medical costs above the PIP limit on your policy
- A mini-tort recovery of up to $3,000 for uninsured vehicle repair costs, such as your deductible
When the Road Itself Causes the Crash
A crater-sized pothole or a heaved slab of concrete can send a car out of control. Government agencies in Michigan are usually immune from suit, with exceptions. One is the highway exception in MCL 691.1402, which obligates the agency with jurisdiction to keep the road reasonably repaired. The duty reaches only the improved part of the roadway built for vehicles, so sidewalks, trailways and crosswalks fall outside it.
Timing is critical. MCL 691.1404 generally requires written notice within 120 days after the injury, describing the precise location and nature of the defect, the injuries suffered and any known witnesses. A late or incomplete notice can sink the case, so reach out promptly if road conditions may have played a part.
Shared Fault Under Michigan Law
Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule. A jury that finds you 20% responsible, for example, trims your recovery against the other driver by 20%. Cross the more-than-50% mark and your pain and suffering claim against that driver is barred. None of this touches your PIP benefits, which stay available whatever your share of blame. Adjusters often pin most of the fault on the turning driver in a left-turn wreck, so proof of the signal phase, the timing and each vehicle’s speed can change the outcome.
Hit by an Uninsured Driver or Someone Who Fled
When the other motorist carried no coverage, carried too little or took off, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap. Michigan does not require this coverage, and every policy sets its own notice and reporting conditions. Check your policy and report any hit-and-run to the Sheriff’s Office without delay. Our pages on uninsured and underinsured motorist claims and hit-and-run accidents in Michigan go into more detail.
Proof That Builds a Rochester Hills Injury Claim
- The deputy’s crash report, with the scene diagram and any tickets issued
- Signal timing data showing which phase each approach had at the instant of a turning or red-light collision
- Store and gas station cameras on M-150, Walton Boulevard and nearby plazas, which may tape over footage in a matter of days
- Dashcam clips and phone photos taken at the scene
- Contact details for witnesses
- Repair estimates and photos of the damage
- Treatment records tying each injury to the collision
Once you retain us, we move quickly to lock down this proof before recordings are overwritten and witnesses forget details.
Injuries We See After Oakland County Crashes
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash, herniated discs and other neck or back damage
- Damage to the spinal cord
- Fractures of the wrist, ribs, hip, leg or other bones
- Torn shoulder or knee ligaments
- Internal organ injuries
- Permanent scars and disfigurement
Head and soft tissue injuries often stay quiet for a day or two before pain sets in. A prompt medical exam guards your health and creates a record that links your symptoms to the crash. For catastrophic harm, visit our Troy brain injury attorney and Troy spinal cord injury attorney pages.
Steps to Take After a Rochester Hills Collision
- Dial 911 so a sheriff’s deputy comes out and documents the scene.
- See a doctor the same day if you can, and describe every ache, not just the worst one.
- Photograph everything: both cars, the signal heads, lane markings, construction signs and visible injuries.
- Swap information with the other driver and collect witness phone numbers.
- Look around for cameras on storefronts, gas stations and homes facing the crash site.
- Tell your own insurer about the crash and open a PIP claim.
- Decline a recorded interview with the other side’s carrier until you have legal advice.
- Speak with a Rochester Hills car accident lawyer early, especially when a pothole or work zone may be involved, since the 120-day government notice clock is already running.
Getting Your Crash Report in Rochester Hills
Copies are generally ready for pickup at the Sheriff’s Rochester Hills substation, 750 Barclay Circle, in 3 to 5 business days. They also post online through the Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information System (CLEMIS), typically after 7 to 10 business days. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Rochester Hills page lists current fees and instructions.
Skip that errand if you hire us. Requesting the police report is a standard part of Khamo Law’s intake, and our team reads it closely as the investigation gets underway, leaving you free to heal.
Filing Deadlines That Apply to Rochester Hills Crashes
- Pothole or road defect claim against a public agency: written notice within 120 days of being hurt, per MCL 691.1404
- PIP benefits: written notice to the No-Fault insurer within one year of the crash, per MCL 500.3145
- Assigned Claims Plan application when no policy applies: within one year of the crash, per MCL 500.3174
- Injury lawsuit against the negligent driver: usually within three years of the crash, per MCL 600.5805
Watch out for the one-year-back rule in MCL 500.3145 too: in a PIP lawsuit you can generally collect only for expenses incurred in the 12 months before filing. Unpaid bills older than that can be lost even when the case itself is timely.
Courts That Hear Rochester Hills Auto Cases
Lawsuits arising from crashes in the city go to Oakland County courts. Claims worth $25,000 or less may be filed in the 52nd District Court, 3rd Division, at 700 Barclay Circle, which covers Rochester Hills, Rochester, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township and neighboring northern Oakland communities. Higher-value cases belong in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac.
More Ways We Help Injured Rochester Hills Residents
Car crashes are only part of our injury work. Neighbors from Rochester Hills also come to us after:
Hurt a few miles down the road? Our Troy car accident lawyer page covers crashes in our home city.
What Sets Our Rochester Hills Car Accident Attorneys Apart
- Close by: our Troy headquarters is a short drive from Rochester Hills, and we work with the Sheriff’s report system and Oakland County courts regularly.
- Daily auto work: PIP fights and third-party injury cases make up a large share of what we do.
- Fast evidence requests: signal data and camera footage go on our list in the first days of a case.
- Contingency fees: our fee comes out of a recovery, and if there is none, you owe us no fee.
- No-cost first meeting by video, by phone or in person in Troy.
- Three languages: our attorneys and staff speak Arabic, Chaldean and English, so nothing gets lost in translation.
Clients have given Khamo Law a 5.0-star average across more than 230 Google reviews. Firm founder Koro E. Khamo has earned recognition as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and a spot on The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40 list.
Questions From Rochester Hills Crash Victims
Does Rochester Hills have a police department that investigates crashes?
No. Oakland County sheriff’s deputies patrol the city under a contract, so they investigate wrecks and write the reports. You can get a copy at the Barclay Circle substation or through CLEMIS online.
When should I contact a car accident attorney in Rochester Hills, MI?
As soon as you are medically stable. Store video can vanish within days, the PIP notice period is one year, and a road defect claim needs written notice within 120 days. An early call gives us the most room to protect each claim.
I turned left on a flashing yellow arrow and got hit. Is it automatically my fault?
Not automatically. Turning drivers must yield, which is why adjusters lean toward blaming them, yet an oncoming driver who was speeding or ran a red can carry most or all of the fault. Signal timing data and camera footage often settle the question.
Will the Rochester Road rebuild affect crash claims?
It can. During MDOT’s 2027 to 2028 reconstruction of M-150, a crash tied to confusing lane shifts or missing signs may point to the contractor or the agency, not just another driver. Those claims need fast investigation and, against a public agency, notice within 120 days.
My insurer is paying my bills. Why would I need a lawyer?
PIP covers medical care and some lost income, but it never pays for pain and suffering, and carriers often cut off benefits partway through treatment. A lawyer can watch for those cutoffs and pursue the at-fault driver for losses No-Fault leaves unpaid.
What injuries are serious enough for a pain and suffering lawsuit?
Michigan requires death, a serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement. Fractures, surgeries and brain injuries frequently qualify, but each case turns on the medical proof. A driver found more than 50% at fault cannot recover these damages.
Can I recover my collision deductible from the other driver?
Often, yes. Michigan’s mini-tort rule lets you seek up to $3,000 in uncovered vehicle damage from an at-fault driver, which can include your deductible.
What will it cost me to hire Khamo Law?
Nothing up front. Your first consultation is free, and our fee is a percentage of any recovery. If we do not recover money for you, you owe us no attorney fee. We also take care of ordering your crash report at intake.
Get Help From a Rochester Hills Car Accident Lawyer Today
Whether the crash happened on M-150, along Walton Boulevard or on a quiet subdivision street, Khamo Law is ready to review what happened and explain your options. Reach us at (248) 466-0606 or send a message through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.
The material on this page is general information and should not be taken as legal advice for your situation. Every case is different, and prior results are no promise of how your case will turn out.