Michigan car accidents can lead to devastating and debilitating injuries that leave accident victims in pain and needing ongoing medical care. In most cases, car accidents happen because other people drive negligently. You may have legal options if you recently suffered injuries in a car crash.
The experienced and compassionate Michigan car accident attorneys at Michigan Injury Lawyers understand the physical pain and frustration that often comes with car accidents and the resulting injuries. Our legal team can aggressively work with your insurance company to pursue the most monetary compensation available.
Moreover, we can determine your eligibility to file a claim or lawsuit with the at- fault driver’s insurance company. If you are eligible to move forward with a third- party claim, we can assist you with every step of the process and work to maximize your total damages.
For a free consultation and case evaluation with an experienced Michigan car accident attorney, please call us at 313-438-4357 or contact us online for more information.
Why Choose Michigan Injury Lawyers?
Regarding car accident attorneys in Michigan, not all lawyers and legal teams are the same. While many car accident lawyers settle all of their cases out of court, our legal team at Michigan Injury Lawyers is not afraid to file a lawsuit and litigate your case in court.
The results reflect our experience, skills, and legal knowledge. We have successfully recovered millions of dollars for our injured clients through favorable monetary settlements and jury verdicts.
We also have convenient offices throughout Michigan, including Traverse City, Troy, Sterling Heights, Saginaw, Petoskey, Mount Clemens, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Flint, Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, and Ann Arbor. Let us help you pursue the monetary recovery you deserve for your car accident-related injuries and losses.
How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth?
The total value of a Michigan car accident claim depends on various factors, including the limits of insurance coverage available, the circumstances of your accident, the injuries you suffered, the cost of your medical treatment, and whether or not your injuries are permanent.
In Michigan, most drivers have a legal duty to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage. The purpose of this coverage is to provide monetary compensation if you suffer injuries in an auto accident. Moreover, this coverage is no-fault coverage, meaning that it is available without regard to how a car accident occurred or who caused it.
Michigan drivers are eligible to select unlimited PIP coverage, or they may select limits of $500,000, $250,000, or $50,000, depending upon the circumstances. In some cases, a driver may not need to obtain PIP coverage at all.
The primary issue with PIP coverage is that it only pays for out-of-pocket expenses, including an accident victim’s medical bills following their accident. Moreover, if the accident victim selects a limit to their PIP coverage, insurance will only pay up to the coverage limits if they suffer injuries in an accident.
However, in some situations, you may be eligible to file a third-party personal injury claim or lawsuit with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. For example, if you suffered a permanent disability or disfiguring injury in your accident, you can turn to the third-party insurance carrier for additional monetary compensation.
To obtain third-party damages following a car accident case, the accident victim must satisfy their legal burden of proof. Specifically, they must demonstrate that the other driver owed them a legal duty of care the driver subsequently violated. For example, the at-fault driver might have violated one or more traffic regulations, such as speeding or failing to yield the right-of-way.
Next, the accident victim must show that the accident occurred as a direct result of the other driver’s breach. Finally, the accident victim has to demonstrate that as a direct result of the car crash, they suffered at least one physical injury or medical complication.
A third-party personal injury claim or lawsuit with the at-fault driver’s insurer may recover additional monetary damages, including compensation for:
- Mental distress
- Inconvenience
- Past and future pain and suffering
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Loss of spousal companionship
- Loss of the ability to use a body part, such as from a spinal cord injury or paralysis
Our knowledgeable legal team can represent you at every stage of your PIP insurance claim or third-party personal injury claim and work to secure the highest possible monetary award for you.
Our team can accomplish this by highlighting the strengths of your car accident claim and the relevant portions of your medical treatment records. We can also aggressively negotiate with insurance company adjusters and work to secure the maximum monetary award for you.
Where Do Car Accidents Occur in Michigan?
Car accidents in Michigan can occur in many locations, from busy highways to rural country roads to parking lots and garages. Car accidents are also common at traffic intersections especially those in major cities.
Some of Michigan’s most common locations for traffic accidents include Interstate 75 and U.S. Route 23 since these roadways frequently see heavy traffic.
If you or someone you care about suffered injuries in an accident in one of these locations, you should immediately secure the legal help you need. Otherwise, you may inadvertently jeopardize your right to pursue monetary compensation through a personal injury claim.
Our legal team can meet with you to discuss your accident circumstances, evaluate your claim, and help you promptly take appropriate legal action.
Types of Car Accidents and How They Happen
In most situations, Michigan car accidents directly result from other drivers’ negligence. Driver negligence can take various forms, but it usually occurs when a driver behaves recklessly or carelessly while behind the wheel.
One common cause of car crashes in Michigan is inattentive driving. Drivers are inattentive when they do not watch the road or use their mirrors at the appropriate times. In some situations, drivers may become distracted when arguing with passengers or tending to kids in the backseat.
At other times, they may become distracted when they listen to loud music in their vehicle, program a GPS navigation system, adjust the volume on their stereo system, or send a text message while driving. These activities may cause drivers to lose focus and prevent them from seeing an oncoming vehicle or pedestrian.
Second, some traffic accidents in Michigan result from road rage. Drivers are often in a hurry to reach their final destination and will resort to just about any activity to get ahead of other vehicles.
Common types of road rage include:
- Driving on the shoulder.
- Speeding.
- Tailgating other vehicles.
- Cutting other vehicles off in traffic.
- Failing to use turn signals.
- Engaging in other reckless and aggressive driving maneuvers.
When an enraged driver behaves recklessly and carelessly, they significantly increase their chances of causing a traffic accident that leads to debilitating injuries.
Next, some Michigan car accidents happen when drivers violate standard road rules.
Some of the most common traffic law violations that lead to traffic accidents include:
- Excessive speeding
- Failing to yield the right-of-way to other traffic
- Failing to use mirrors and backup cameras
- Failing to use turn signals
Drivers engaging in repeated traffic law violations may cause accidents and debilitating injuries.
Finally, some Michigan car crashes directly result from intoxicated and impaired driving. When a driver comes under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they may experience limited concentration, delayed reflexes, and delayed reaction time.
Consequently, they might not hit their brakes in time to avoid hitting another vehicle or pedestrian. Similarly, drunk and drugged drivers often experience physical symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, and blurred vision, which may prevent them from seeing a nearby pedestrian or vehicle.
Drivers in Michigan are legally intoxicated if a breathalyzer device measures their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at 0.08 percent or greater. Minor drivers who are under 21 years old, along with drivers of commercial vehicles, must follow higher legal standards. When drunk drivers sustain a conviction for driving under the influence, or DUI, they may incur criminal penalties, like jail time and monetary fines.
In addition, if they cause a traffic accident, they may be responsible for paying the accident victim civil damages through their insurance company if they cause permanent or disfiguring injuries.
When someone else drives recklessly or carelessly, they may cause:
- Head-on collisions, where the fronts of two vehicles strike one another
- Rear-end accidents, where the front of one vehicle hits the back of another vehicle
- T-bone or broadside accidents, where the front of one vehicle hits the side of another vehicle
- Sideswipe collisions, where the sides of two vehicles strike one another while moving forward in different travel lanes
If you sustained injuries in any of these accidents, or others we haven’t listed here, our legal team can explain your legal rights and options and file a claim with the appropriate insurance company. We can then help you negotiate a favorable settlement offer that fairly and fully compensates you for your accident-related injuries.
Injuries that Michigan Car Crash Victims May Suffer
Michigan car accidents regularly lead to severe injuries, some of which are permanent. Every car accident scenario is different, so accident victims will suffer different injuries.
Generally speaking, the more violent a crash, the more significant the injuries an accident victim will ultimately sustain. Other factors that determine a victim’s potential injuries include the number of vehicles involved, the number of collisions, and how the accident victim’s body moves in their vehicle when the accident occurs.
Typical car accident injuries include:
- Bruises and abrasions from airbag deployment
- Open cuts and lacerations
- Internal organ injuries
- Soft tissue contusions
- Traumatic head and brain injuries
- Rib fractures
- Bone fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis injuries
Michigan Injury Lawyers represents clients with a wide range of injuries. Reach out today to learn more about our services and your legal rights.
How Can You Qualify for a Car Accident Settlement?
You might recover financial compensation if a car accident injures you. Your family can recover compensation if your loved one dies in the crash.
First, you must show that someone else caused your injuries.
Your legal case after a car accident comes down to what you can prove that the other driver did to cause the accident. Every driver owes a duty of care to act as a reasonable driver should under the circumstances.
A reasonable driver should:
- Observe the posted speed limit and not travel too fast for the conditions (they should slow down in bad weather or when there is heavier traffic on the road)
- Properly check their blindspots and signal their intention before they change lanes.
- Allow for enough following distance between them and the car in front to allow them to stop when necessary.
- Not get behind the wheel when fatigued or intoxicated.
- Pay full attention to the roads, and do not do things like text while driving.
Drivers do not have to be perfect, but they are not supposed to injure you through their mistakes. Car accidents happen due to the careless actions of other drivers. Those drivers must pay you for your injuries and losses.
You Have the Burden of Proof in a Car Accident Case
If you have suffered injuries in a car accident, you need to prove that the other driver was to blame for them to have a legal obligation to pay you. You need evidence to prove fault because your word alone is insufficient. The other driver may tell their own story because they do not want to pay for your injuries. You could hold them personally liable if their insurance coverage refuses to pay for your damages.
You need a full investigation of your car accident to determine the cause. Then, you need proof that backs up your side of the story.
Car accident proof can include:
- Testimony from people who saw what happened before and during the accident (statements from people who are objective and have no financial interest in your case are the most powerful form of evidence)
- Pictures of the accident scene (if it was possible, you should have taken these at the scene, although it might have been impossible due to your accident injuries)
- The police report from the accident (the officer who showed up should write their observations about what they saw, which you can use in the insurance company claims process, but not at a trial)
- Video camera footage from either a dashboard camera or a traffic camera that was in the vicinity
- Testimony from an expert who can reconstruct the accident and give their own opinion about what caused it
You need enough evidence to prevent a truth contest with the other driver. Each driver may have their own side of the story. Usually, the one with the best proof will prevail. However, you do not have much time to gather evidence because it can quickly disappear. If you try to begin a car accident case months after your accident, you might find it more difficult to build the strongest possible case.
Fighting the Insurance Company
Even if you are filing a PIP claim and dealing with your own insurance company, negotiations often still prove difficult for accident victims. Your insurance company becomes your adversary when you file a PIP insurance claim.
It will take a strong team of experienced attorneys to represent you during settlement negotiations and obtain the full monetary recovery that you deserve. The same applies if you pursue third-party compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurer.
During settlement negotiations, an accident victim’s lawyer typically begins with an opening settlement demand, while the insurance company adjuster typically places an initial offer on the table.
These low initial offers rarely cover the actual value of the case.
Settlement negotiations typically proceed when the accident victim’s lawyer gradually reduces their settlement demand while the insurance adjuster gradually increases their settlement offer. The parties then continue negotiating until they resolve the case through settlement or reach an impasse.
If your third-party case does not settle, Michigan Injury Lawyers can file a lawsuit on your behalf and pursue litigation in court. We can then take your case to a civil jury trial or binding arbitration proceeding to pursue the full monetary recovery you need.
What Can You Receive After a Car Accident?
Your car accident damages break down into the following categories:
- Economic damages represent your actual financial losses from the accident. This category includes money you need to spend on medical and personal care. It also includes money you should have earned on your job but didn’t because of your injuries.
- Non-economic damages are subjective damages that relate to your experience. You have dealt with physical and emotional pain because of your car accident injuries. You have also lost your pre-accident quality of life. Non-economic damages should depend on you and what you have endured.
Your car accident damages cover both the past and the future. You may wonder how you can foresee the future, which is a fair question. A car accident attorney from Michigan Injury Lawyers can estimate your damages after evaluating your situation. The insurance company will compute a quick and detailed calculation of what they should pay you and will resolve to pay you far less.
You may ask whether you can get punitive damages in your case. Punitive damages only apply in extreme circumstances. After a car accident, you may get them from a drunk or reckless driver.
What to Do After a Michigan Car Accident?
If you recently sustained injuries in a Michigan car accident, follow through with any recommended medical treatment regimen your healthcare provider prescribes.
For example, you might need physical therapy, additional treatment from a medical specialist, like an orthopedic doctor, or a consultation with your primary care doctor. Seeking this additional treatment helps to show the insurance company that your injuries are serious and that you deserve to recover monetary compensation for those injuries.
Next, keep a journal recording your medical treatments and the daily symptoms or difficulties you face following your accident.
Finally, gather any documentation regarding your case, including police reports, witness statements, witness contact information, and medical treatment records, and submit those documents to us.
Our legal team can immediately forward those documents to the insurance company and use them to demand additional monetary compensation in your case.
Contact a Michigan Car Accident Lawyer Right Away
Filing a PIP insurance claim, or a third-party injury claim, can confuse anyone. Consequently, you need a solid legal team advocating for you.
The skilled attorneys at Michigan Injury Lawyers can aggressively advocate for you at every stage of your case and work to pursue the maximum compensation available.
For a free legal consultation and case evaluation with a personal injury law firm in Michigan, please call us at 313-362-4557 or contact us online.
Michigan Car Accident Lawyer