"Were you working when the crash happened, and who were you driving for?" That is the adjuster's key question, because in Michigan the answer can decide whether workers' compensation, no-fault benefits, or both apply.

No - your coworker is not right. In Michigan, being undocumented does not erase your ability to report a work injury or pursue workers' compensation after a crash that happened in the course of your job. That matters for a nurse, aide, or other healthcare worker sent between locations in Kalamazoo, especially after a hydroplaning wreck on I-94, US-131, or storm-clogged roads near Westnedge or Sprinkle Road.

What you need to prove first is employment and work connection, not immigration status:

• the crash report from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety or Michigan State Police
• your work schedule, assignment sheet, patient visit log, or text telling you to drive
• pay stubs, direct-deposit records, badge records, or supervisor messages showing you were working
• photos of the vehicle, road flooding, debris, and damage
• ER records and follow-up treatment records tying the injury to the crash
• any voicemail, text, or witness statement if a boss threatened ICE, deportation, or firing after you reported it

Give written notice to your employer as quickly as possible. Michigan workers' comp has a notice deadline of 90 days, but earlier is better. Claims are handled through the Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Agency.

If the crash involved a motor vehicle, Michigan no-fault rules may also cover medical expenses and wage loss through the applicable insurer. A separate pain-and-suffering lawsuit is usually allowed only if you meet the serious impairment of body function threshold under Michigan law.

If an employer is trying to scare you into staying quiet, save every message. The threat itself can become evidence of illegal retaliation.