Thinking of representing an Illinoisan in an out-of-state accident? Think again

Suppose one of your neighbors is injured in a car accident in Michigan. She calls and asks you to represent her. You've handled lots of Illinois accident cases, and you feel comfortable with this one based on what she tells you.

Not so fast, warns James H. Koning. There are differences in Illinois and Michigan law that make this far from routine for an Illinois lawyer who doesn't practice in Michigan.

"Michigan has no-fault insurance," Koning says. "According to Michigan law, most out-of-state insurers have filed a Michigan certification, which means that your clients' insurance policy automatically turned into a Michigan insurance policy once they crossed the state line." Find out more about the perils of representing an Illinois client in an out-of-state claim in the June Illinois Bar Journal and in Koning's article in the April Tort Trends newsletter.