Author: Jason Waechter | Date: April 25, 2025 | Category: MC Legal Minute
Michigan motorcycle threshold injury law can affect whether an injured rider may recover pain and suffering damages after a crash. In this Motorcycle Legal Minute™, Jason Waechter, The Motorcycle Lawyer®, explains why Michigan’s threshold-level injury rule, serious impairment of body function, and the impact on a rider’s normal life can become so important when seeking pain and suffering compensation after a motorcycle accident.
The Motorcycle Legal Minute™ was created by Jason Waechter, The Motorcycle Lawyer®, to explain Michigan motorcycle law in a short and easy-to-understand way.
Michigan’s threshold injury law is one of the most important legal issues in many motorcycle accident cases. It can affect whether an injured rider is allowed to pursue pain and suffering damages, even when another driver caused the crash.
In simple terms, the law looks at whether the motorcyclist’s injuries are serious enough to meet Michigan’s legal standard. Without a qualifying threshold-level injury, a rider may have a much harder time recovering money for pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and the ways the crash changed daily living. That raises a practical question many injured riders and their families have after a crash:
Even if a negligent car driver was 100% at fault for causing a Michigan motorcycle accident, an injured biker may not be entitled to pain and suffering compensation unless the injury meets Michigan’s legal threshold.
To meet the threshold, there must generally be a death, a permanent serious disfigurement, or a serious impairment of body function. Death and permanent serious disfigurement are easier to understand. Serious impairment of body function is where many motorcycle injury claims become more complicated.
To prove serious impairment of body function, we generally must show three things. First, the injury must be medically identifiable or objectively shown. A medical test is often the clearest proof. For example, an X-ray may show a broken bone, or an MRI may show a serious spine, shoulder, knee, or other injury. Second, the injury must involve an important body function. Third, the injury must affect the person’s general ability to lead his or her normal life.
This does not always mean the injured motorcyclist must be permanently disabled. It also does not mean the rider must be completely unable to work, walk, ride, drive, or take care of daily responsibilities. The key question is how the crash-related injury changed the person’s normal life.
There are many nuances surrounding Michigan’s threshold-level injury requirement. This Motorcycle Legal Minute gives a short explanation, but serious motorcycle injury claims often require a deeper review of the medical records, treatment history, work limitations, daily-life changes, and insurance issues involved.
Pain and suffering damages are different from medical bills and wage loss. They involve the human impact of the crash, including physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, scarring, limitations, and how the injury affects normal daily activities.
In many Michigan motorcycle accident cases, the threshold injury issue can determine whether the injured rider may pursue these noneconomic damages. That is why proving the seriousness of the injury, the medical evidence, and the effect on the rider’s normal life can be so important.
For more information, see our related guide: Michigan Motorcycle Threshold Injury Law: What Riders Need to Know.
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