MICHIGAN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER

Key Takeaways for Michigan Injury Victims

• You Have Rights: Michigan law allows you to seek compensation if someone’s negligence caused your injury. An attorney helps you hold the responsible party accountable.
• Insurance Companies Are Not on Your Side: The at-fault party’s insurer will likely make a low initial settlement offer. Accepting it forfeits your right to seek further compensation.
• Michigan Has Strict Deadlines: You generally have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit, but some claims have shorter time limits. It is critical to act promptly to protect your rights.
• You Pay No Upfront Fees: We handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee comes from the compensation we recover for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing for our time.

Why Choose Goodman Acker PC for Your Michigan Personal Injury Claim?

Choosing the right legal team to represent you is one of the most important decisions you will make. At Goodman Acker, we believe that you deserve more than just a lawyer; you deserve a compassionate advocate who will stand with you every step of the way. Our firm is built on a foundation of honesty, ethics, and an unwavering dedication to our clients. We understand the challenges you are facing, and our sole mission is to provide the highest quality legal services to help you secure the recovery you need to move forward.

Our approach combines decades of legal experience with a deep sense of care for the people we represent. When you work with us, you are not just another case file. You are a valued member of our community who deserves respect, attention, and aggressive representation. We promise to:

• Listen with Empathy: We take the time to understand your story, your injuries, and how the accident has impacted your life and your family.
• Communicate Clearly: We cut through the confusing legal jargon to give you a straightforward understanding of your case, your rights, and your options.
• Leverage Our Experience: With over 150 years of combined experience, our attorneys use their extensive knowledge to build a strong case on your behalf.
• Fight for You: We are not afraid to take on large insurance companies and corporate defendants to demand the accountability and fair compensation you deserve.

We are a team of hard working, knowledgeable attorneys who take great pride in our work and in the successful results we achieve for our clients. We are here to lift the legal burden from your shoulders so you can focus on what truly matters: your health and recovery.

What is a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury claim is a formal legal process that allows a person who has been hurt to seek compensation from the person or entity responsible for causing their injuries. The core idea behind personal injury law is to “make the victim whole” again, at least financially.

While no amount of money can erase the pain and trauma of an accident, compensation can provide the financial stability needed to cover medical bills, lost income, and other costs associated with the injury.

These claims typically arise from situations where someone acted with negligence. Negligence is a legal term that simply means a person failed to use reasonable care, and that failure caused harm to someone else. For example, a driver who runs a red light and causes a crash has acted negligently. A store owner who fails to clean up a spill and a customer slips and falls has also acted negligently.

The legal claim is the tool you use to hold that person or company accountable for the consequences of their actions. Most personal injury claims are resolved through a negotiated settlement with an insurance company, but some may proceed to a lawsuit in civil court.

Types of Personal Injuries We Handle

At Goodman Acker, our attorneys have a wide range of experience handling claims for people across Michigan who have been injured in many different types of accidents. We are prepared to help you navigate the complexities of your case, regardless of how your injury occurred.

Our primary areas of focus include:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Trucking and Commercial Vehicle Accidents
• Premises Liability/Slip and Fall
• Dog Bites
• Medical Malpractice
• Childbirth Injuries

If you have been injured in these or any other type of accident caused by someone else’s actions, our legal team has the knowledge and resources to help you seek justice.

Should I Accept the First Offer from the Insurance Company?

After an accident, you will likely be contacted by an insurance adjuster from the at-fault party’s insurance company. They may seem friendly and helpful, and they might even offer you a quick settlement. While it can be tempting to accept this money, especially when bills are piling up, it is very important to be cautious. The first settlement offer is almost always much lower than the actual value of your claim.

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and their primary goal is to protect their bottom line by paying out as little as possible on claims. The adjuster’s job is to resolve your claim quickly and for a low amount. They know that you may be in a vulnerable position and may not understand the full, long-term costs of your injuries. An injury that seems minor at first could lead to chronic pain, future surgeries, or the need for ongoing therapy.

Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you give up your right to seek any further compensation for that injury, even if your condition worsens. Before accepting any offer, it is a good idea to speak with an experienced Michigan personal injury lawyer who can help you understand the true value of your case, including future medical needs and lost earning capacity.

Compensation Available to Personal Injury Victims in Michigan

If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to recover compensation, known as damages, for the harm you have suffered. The purpose of these damages is to help restore you to the financial position you were in before the accident occurred. In Michigan, personal injury compensation is typically broken down into two main categories.

• Economic Damages: This type of compensation is for the specific, measurable financial losses you have incurred because of your injury. Economic damages often include things like past and future medical bills, lost wages from being unable to work, loss of future earning capacity if you are disabled, and the cost of repairing or replacing damaged property.
• Non-Economic Damages: These damages are meant to compensate you for the non-financial harm you have experienced. Because these losses are subjective, they are more difficult to assign a dollar value to, but they are just as real. Non-economic damages can include compensation for physical pain and suffering, emotional distress and mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and permanent disfigurement or scarring.

In some rare cases, a court may also award exemplary damages. Michigan law allows these damages not to punish the defendant, but to compensate the victim for the humiliation, outrage, or indignity they suffered due to the defendant’s malicious or reckless actions.

Our attorneys can carefully evaluate every aspect of your case to identify all potential damages you may be entitled to.

How Our Michigan Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You

Navigating the legal system after a serious injury can be confusing and stressful. When you hire a Michigan personal injury attorney from Goodman Acker, you are getting a dedicated partner who will handle all the legal complexities so you can focus on your recovery. We manage every detail of your case from start to finish.

Here are some of the ways our team can help you:

• Conducting a Full Investigation: We will promptly investigate the circumstances of your accident, gathering crucial evidence such as police reports, witness statements, photographs of the scene, and video footage.
• Calculating Your Damages: We work with you, your doctors, and sometimes financial professionals to calculate the full value of your claim. This includes not only your current bills but also the anticipated costs of future medical care and your total lost income.
• Handling All Communications: We will take over all communication with the insurance companies and the at fault party’s lawyers. This protects you from saying something that could be used against you and allows you to avoid the stress of dealing with adjusters.
• Negotiating a Fair Settlement: Armed with strong evidence, we will negotiate aggressively with the insurance company to secure a settlement that fully and fairly compensates you for your losses.
• Representing You in Court: While most cases settle out of court, we prepare every case as if it is going to trial. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we are fully prepared to file a lawsuit and advocate for you before a judge and jury.

Our goal is to ensure your voice is heard and your rights are protected throughout the entire legal process. We are committed to fighting for the maximum compensation possible for you and your family.

Michigan Personal Injury FAQs

Here are answers to some common questions we hear from people navigating personal injury claims.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Michigan?

In Michigan, the time limit for filing most personal injury lawsuits, known as the statute of limitations, is generally three years from the date of the injury. However, there are exceptions. For example, medical malpractice and some other types of claims have shorter deadlines. It is very important to contact an attorney as soon as possible to ensure you do not miss your window to file.

What if I’m partly at fault for the accident?

Even if you believe you were partially to blame, you can still have a valid personal injury case in Michigan.

Our state follows a legal rule called modified comparative negligence. This means your final compensation award will simply be reduced by whatever percentage of fault is assigned to you. The most important part of this rule is that you cannot be found more than 50% responsible for the accident to recover damages for pain and suffering.

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer?

At Goodman Acker, we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay us any upfront fees. We only get paid if we successfully recover compensation for you, either through a settlement or a court verdict. Our fee is a percentage of the amount we recover, so you never have to worry about paying out of pocket.

Will I have to go to court for my personal injury case?

The vast majority of personal injury cases are resolved through a settlement agreement without ever going to court. Negotiation is often a faster and less stressful way to resolve a claim.

However, our attorneys at Goodman Acker believe that the best way to get a fair settlement offer is to show the insurance company that we are ready, willing, and able to take a case to trial if they refuse to be reasonable.

We will always advise you on what we believe is the best course of action for your specific situation.

What is Michigan’s No-Fault Law and how does it affect my accident claim?

Michigan’s No-Fault insurance law requires your own auto insurance policy to pay for certain benefits regardless of who caused the accident. These are called first-party benefits and include medical expenses, lost wages for up to three years, and replacement services.

If your injuries are serious enough to meet a legal threshold, such as causing a serious impairment of body function, you can also file a separate, third-party claim against the at-fault driver to recover damages for pain and suffering.

What should I do immediately after being injured in an accident?

Your first priority should always be your health and safety. Call 911 to report the accident and request medical assistance if anyone is injured. If you are able, take photos and videos of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and any visible injuries. Exchange contact and insurance information with the other parties involved, but avoid discussing fault.

Seek a medical evaluation as soon as possible, even if you feel fine, as some serious injuries have delayed symptoms. Finally, contact a personal injury attorney before speaking with any insurance adjusters.

Goodman Acker PC: Trusted, Experienced Michigan Personal Injury Lawyers

When you are facing the aftermath of a serious injury, you should not have to face it alone. At Goodman Acker, we are more than just your lawyers; we are your partners in recovery. We understand the trust you place in us, and we are dedicated to honoring that trust with unwavering advocacy and compassionate support. We are good people who truly care about our clients, and we will do everything we can to help you get your life back on track.

Let our team help you by:

• Providing a free, no-obligation consultation to review your case.
• Handling all the stressful legal work so you can heal.
• Fighting tirelessly to secure the justice and financial recovery you deserve.

If you or a loved one has been injured, do not wait to get the help you need. Call Goodman Acker today at (248) 831-1507  or through our online form for your complimentary consultation. We are available 24/7 to listen to your story and explain how we can help.