When people have lost family members and loved ones to fatal pedestrian accidents, they may be able to recover wrongful death damages from the at-fault driver and Michigan No-Fault survivor’s loss benefits from the responsible auto insurance company.
The risk of fatal pedestrian accidents is substantial in Michigan. In 2023, there were 183 pedestrians killed, which was the highest number in a single year in the last 10 years, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts. Pedestrian-involved motor vehicle accidents in 2023 were also the highest they had been in 4 years.
In 2022, more pedestrians across the U.S. were killed in auto accidents than in any single year since 1981, according to NHTSA.
How many fatal pedestrian accidents are there every year in Michigan?
In 2023, fatal car crashes took the lives of 183 pedestrians in Michigan, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts. That is the highest number of pedestrian deaths in 10 years. However, in 2021, there were also 183 crash-related pedestrian fatalities.
Pedestrians killed in car accidents in Michigan from 2014-2023:
- 2023: 183
- 2022: 173
- 2021: 183
- 2020: 175
- 2019: 149
- 2018: 145
- 2017: 158
- 2016: 165
- 2015: 170
- 2014: 148
How many pedestrians are killed in crashes every year in the U.S.?
There were 7,522 fatal pedestrian car accidents in the U.S. in 2022, according to NHTSA. That’s the highest number of crash-related pedestrian deaths in the U.S. since 1981.
Pedestrians killed in car accidents in the U.S. from 2013-2022:
- 2022: 7,522
- 2021: 7,470
- 2020: 6,565
- 2019: 6,272
- 2018: 6,374
- 2017: 6,075
- 2016: 6,080
- 2015: 5,494
- 2014: 4,910
- 2013: 4,779
What should families do after fatal pedestrian accidents in Michigan?
In Michigan, when family members or loved ones are lost in fatal pedestrian accidents, the family should consult with an experienced wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible. These cases always involve liability arguments and insurance companies will almost always try to argue the pedestrian is also at fault.
We understand that families need time to grieve. But insurance companies and insurance adjusters are not so considerate. This is where hiring a wrongful death attorney to begin the crash investigation and reconstruction is most valuable.
Your wrongful death lawyer will also be able to help your family protect its rights to important wrongful death damages and No-Fault survivor’s loss benefits. Unfortunately, many claims adjusters either are not upfront with all the insurance benefits that your family may be entitled to under the No-Fault law. Or the adjuster will miscalculate the benefits that your family is owed. Or the adjuster will omit from your survivor’s loss benefits many of the items that family and dependents are allowed, such as funeral and burial expenses, replacement services, social security benefits, disability benefits, and pension compensation.
How important is it to hire an experienced wrongful death attorney?
Data from the insurance industry itself shows that families that are contacted directly by an insurance company to settle a claim without an attorney on average settle the claim for 3 to 4 times less than what a wrongful death attorney can settle it for. Of course, this is using average settlement amounts involving attorneys from all fields of legal practice. A wrongful death attorney who specializes in this area of automobile crashes and who has a proven track record of success can often settle a case for many multiples of that amount.
Wrongful death damages
In Michigan, the dependents and family members who have lost loved ones in fatal pedestrian accidents may be able to sue the at-fault driver and the owner of the vehicle for damages under the wrongful death act.
Wrongful death lawsuits after a deadly automobile crash allow for the recovery of compensation for the deceased pedestrian’s conscious pain and suffering as well as damages for the deceased’s dependents’ loss of financial support and loss of society and companionship.
Only the personal representative of the deceased pedestrian’s estate may bring the wrongful death lawsuit.
No-Fault survivor’s loss benefits
Survivor’s loss benefits which are available under Michigan’s No-Fault law provide financial support to dependents and family members who have lost loved ones in fatal pedestrian accidents. These benefits cover the “tangible things of economic value” that the deceased pedestrian would have provided.
Dependents and family members must file their application for No-Fault survivor’s loss benefits with the responsible auto insurance within ONE YEAR from the date of the crash. (MCL 500.3145(1))
Failure to file on time – within ONE YEAR of the deadly crash – will forever disqualify dependents and family from claiming survivor’s loss benefits.
The auto insurance company that will be responsible for paying No-Fault survivor’s loss benefits will either be the deceased pedestrian’s own auto insurance company, the insurance company for his or her spouse or resident relative, or – if No-Fault coverage is not available through any of those sources – the auto insurance company that is assigned through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan.
Causes of fatal pedestrian accidents
The two leading causes of deadly crashes – which take the lives of pedestrians as well as motorists, motorcyclists and bicyclists – are alcohol-related driving and speeding.
Factors that also contribute to fatal pedestrian accidents in Michigan – and other deadly crashes – include: (1) the age of the at-fault driver; (2) whether the at-fault driver was distracted or texting while driving; (3) what the driver was doing immediately prior to the car crash (for example, a left turn is more dangerous than a right turn); and (4) the time of day, the day and the month when an at-fault driver is driving.
In Michigan in 2023, the hour between 6:00pm and 6:59pm had the most pedestrian-involved motor vehicle crashes. Sunday and Friday was the deadliest day for pedestrians. And October had the “highest number of pedestrian-involved crashes.”
In fact, during the years of 2023-2021 and 2019-2014, October has consistently been the most dangerous month of the year for crashes involving people who are traveling on foot.
Have you lost a loved one in a fatal pedestrian accident in Michigan? Call now for a free consultation!
If a loved one has passed away as a result of a pedestrian automobile crash and you have questions about when to hire a wrongful death attorney, call now (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with one of our experienced pedestrian accident lawyers. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.
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(Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Fact Sheets, “Pedestrians,” 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023; NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, “Pedestrians,” 2022 Data (published July 2024))