Personal Injury Attorneys in Dearborn

Choosing the right Dearborn personal injury lawyer to represent you or your loved one after an accident or a wrongful death is not a walk in the park. It is important that you choose a personal injury attorney who is right for your case and also one who has a proven track record of success. Picking the right lawyer to deal with your personal injury case can make a significant difference in the settlement you receive.

At Goodman Acker, our personal injury lawyers in Dearborn have achieved favorable results for our injured clients. We have successfully fought many personal injury cases, ensuring the rights and interests of our clients are protected through every step of the claims process. Additionally, our Dearborn trial lawyers have argued and won cases in courtrooms all over Michigan.

Our legal team has successfully litigated personal injury cases and secured compensation after catastrophic accidents in Dearborn, MI. If you entrust us with your case, rest assured that Goodman Acker will be your dedicated legal advocate, advising you every step of the way.

No Fees Unless We Win

At Goodman Acker, we understand the hardships that injured victims undergo. As you recover, you may be trying to make sense of the accident, missing work, and paying huge medical bills. That is why we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay any upfront fees until we secure your settlement.

Using More than 150 Years of Experience to Win 99% of our Cases

Our personal injury lawyers in Dearborn know that injuries can occur anywhere. They can happen while working at the AK Steel Dearborn Works facility, grocery shopping at Westborn Market in downtown Dearborn, or riding a motorcycle on Interstate 94. When an injury occurs, there are times when you can obtain compensation for medical bills and other expenses resulting from the injury.

If the injury happened at work, you could file a workers’ compensation or personal injury claim, depending on the facts and circumstances. If it happened at the grocery store, you could file a slip-and-fall personal injury claim (or another relevant premises liability claim.) If it happened while driving an automobile, you file a claim with your own auto insurance company.

What matters is that you file the claim correctly. You have limited opportunities to ensure you get fair and full compensation. Without the experience of a highly skilled personal injury attorney in Dearborn, Michigan, to guide you through the process, you may miss something that could be to your detriment. At Goodman Acker, personal injury law is all we do, and there is a reason for that: we are good at it.

Contact us online or at 248-286-8100 to schedule a free consultation. Speaking with one of our highly respected personal injury lawyers in Dearborn is the first step towards regaining your life.

Why Choose Goodman Acker

Here is what you should know about Goodman Acker:

• We have 150+ years of combined legal experience.
• We have a success rate of 99% for cases we conclude.
• We are routinely featured by newsgroups, like Fox 2 News and Local 4 Detroit.
• We are available 24/7 for client emergencies.
• We have won millions of dollars for our clients.
• We offer free initial consultations to get you started.
• We treat our clients like family, and their testimonials reflect that.

It is no secret that our Dearborn personal injury attorneys at Goodman Acker are experienced and well-established. We are consistently recognized as top personal injury lawyers by:

• Super Lawyers.
• AV Martindale-Hubbell.
• The National Trial Lawyers Top 100.

In Dearborn, it is important to recognize that as a suburb of Detroit, we have the largest Muslim population in America. For those of you who speak (and feel most comfortable speaking) Arabic, attorney Ronita Bahri is available to all our clients in Dearborn who have suffered a personal injury. Born in Iraq, she fluently speaks Aramaic, Arabic, and English.

At Goodman Acker, we make sure we have advocates who speak your language, but we also want to make sure we are available when you need us. We offer access to a representative 24/7 for client emergencies. Our goal is to make sure you understand whether you have a personal injury case and, if so, what your best options are. From experience, we know that informed clients make better choices for themselves.

Understanding Personal Injury Cases in Dearborn

No one cares more about the well-being of their clients than our team here at Goodman Acker. Every time we take a case, we devote our full attention to it. To understand if you may have a personal injury case, you must understand what a personal injury case is. Many people confuse it with an insurance claim.

Making an insurance claim is typically the first thing an injured party may do after the incident occurs. The claim may be filed against an insurance policy owned by an individual or entity. Types of insurance coverage that may be applicable in personal injury cases include:

• Auto insurance
• Homeowner’s insurance
• Property insurance
• Renter’s insurance
• Business insurance
• Professional liability insurance.

Insurance policies have limits on how much and what damages (property or bodily injury) can be recovered by the victim (third-party claim) or the insured (first-party claim). So, in terms of insurance claims, the amount of compensation you recover is restricted by the policy.

Personal injury claims, on the other hand, refer to complaints filed with a court. These claims are actually lawsuits. They often happen when the insurance company fails to settle for a fair and just amount or the policy does not cover all the damages. In a lawsuit, the complaint can be made against more than the insurance company, but the actual at-fault party can be sued as well as any other potentially liable parties. In rare cases, punitive damages may be sought in a personal injury claim when the at-fault party acted with malice or reckless disregard for the victim’s well-being.

How Do I Know if I Have a Case?

It is advisable to consult an experienced Dearborn, MI, personal injury lawyer to find out if you have a valid claim. The three main things to consider when evaluating your case are:

1. Deadlines

You must file an injury or wrongful death claim on time to be eligible for compensation. In personal injury law, this deadline is called a “statute of limitations.” This time limit is usually triggered by the accident’s date. However, it is important to note that different scenarios could make Michigan’s deadline longer or shorter. This is why contacting a Dearborn personal injury attorney after an accident is important to learn about the time limit that may affect your case.

2. Negligence

To recover damages in a personal injury case, you must prove that a company’s or person’s wrongful conduct led to your accident and injuries. If they acted “unreasonably,” you may be able to file a case. For example, if a driver was speeding above the posted limit and ended up hitting you, you may recover damages since the driver acted negligently.

3. Damages

Damages are an important factor in any personal injury case. If there is a wrongful death, severe burns, an amputation, or a bone fracture, the damage is obvious. However, there are instances when the damage may not be apparent at first. For example, it may be hard to tell if an accident has caused organ damage or internal bleeding. Mental injuries like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can also go undiagnosed.

To unearth such damages, you should find the right doctors to accurately tell if you have sustained any catastrophic injuries. An experienced Dearborn personal injury lawyer can also help you determine all available damages, including lost income and medical bills.

Elements of a Personal Injury Case

To have a personal injury claim, however, most claims must have four elements present:

• A duty owed to you.
• That duty was breached (generally by negligence, but sometimes with intent.)
• The breach caused you to suffer bodily injury.
• The injury can be monetarily quantified (meaning you had to spend money on a medical evaluation or treatment.)

Some claims, however, will not require all these elements. For example, claims involving product defects may only require you to demonstrate a defect and not necessarily negligence. Dog bites, too, do not require proof of negligence or intent. According to M.C.L.A. § 287.351, the owner of the dog is liable for any damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of whether the dog was known to be vicious or not. In both of these cases, strict liability applies.

At Goodman Acker, we handle all types of personal injury cases in Dearborn; nothing is too complex for us to rise to the challenge.

Examples of Dearborn Personal Injury Cases We Handle

• Medical malpractice
• Premises liability
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Wrongful death
• Bicycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Birth injuries
• Pedestrian accidents
• Dog bite accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Nursing home incidents/accidents
• Product liability.

You will never feel like you are just a case number or that you are alone on your path to recovery. We will pair you up with a Dearborn personal injury lawyer like Attorney Bahri for the entire duration of your case, creating a truly personalized experience that we hope fills you with confidence and peace of mind.

How Does the Claim Process Work?

Depending on the facts of the case, some injury cases may take months or even years to settle. At Goodman Acker, our personal injury attorneys in Dearborn are ready to make demands and negotiate a fair settlement with insurance companies.

We are also ready to go to court on your behalf. Once we file your case, it will enter the discovery phase. Here, our legal team will work tirelessly to find out what happened. We will demand documents from your employer or any other party we believe may be responsible for your accident and injuries.

Goodman Acker will also seek sworn testimony from eyewitnesses who were present when the accident occurred. We are also prepared to hire experts familiar with the events leading up to the accident, including engineers, mechanics, and accident reconstruction experts, who will testify on your behalf. We may also talk to doctors to show that the accident was the cause of your injuries.

After the discovery stage, your personal injury case will head to mediation. Here, a third party who is not involved in the case will be enjoined to help both parties come to an agreement regarding a settlement.

If this does not work out, Goodman Acker will take your case to trial.

Compensation for Personal Injuries in Dearborn, Michigan

Compensation is based on the damages you suffer from the accident. These damages can be in the form of economic or non-economic damages. Economic damages are generally easy to identify and calculate because a “price tag” is attached to them. Non-economic damages, however, are not readily monetarily quantifiable but must be calculated by taking into consideration the extent of the injury and the permanence of the pain and suffering or inconvenience that flows from the injury.

Examples of Economic Damages

• Personal property losses or damage
• Medical bills for treatment, rehabilitation, and other related expenses
• Lost wages for missed work
• Future lost earning potential
• Caregiving expenses
• Transportation costs for medical appointments
• Mileage to and from medical appointments or related care appointments.

Examples of Non-economic Damages

• Pain, suffering, and inconvenience
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of society and companionship
• Loss of enjoyment of life.

In many personal injury cases, the quality of your life is at stake. We at Goodman Acker want to make sure you receive the best outcome possible.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

After an accident in Dearborn, MI, hiring an experienced attorney is advisable. Here is why:

You Level the Playing Field

After an accident, it is most likely that the defendant will be represented by lawyers. Why not have your own? Whether it is an insurance claim or a lawsuit, having a lawyer who knows how to handle injury cases can turn the case in your favor. If you want to maximize your financial recovery, a lawyer will know what to do and how to negotiate for the best settlement.

You Can Focus on Recovery

At Goodman Acker, we understand that you may be in extreme pain due to the accident. You need time to rest and recover. You do not have to deal with the stress and complications of insurance companies and lawsuits.

By hiring our reliable law firm in Dearborn, we will handle all aspects of your injury case from start to finish. We will also keep you updated on everything that concerns your case. This will give you ample time to rest as we push for the best results.

You Will Be Blamed

The insurance company and the defendant will look for any reason to pin the blame on you. So do not disregard seeking counsel from an injury lawyer. This will give you an edge if the other party builds a case against you. Hiring a lawyer can protect you from unfair blame and set you up to recover damages.

Here is what to expect when you hire Goodman Acker to handle your personal injury case. Our legal team will:

• Conduct a comprehensive and independent investigation.
• Find out what led to the accident.
• Identify all potentially liable parties.
• Calculate your damages.
• Speak to witnesses to get their accounts of what happened.
• Handle all communications with insurance companies and other third parties.
• Go to court if out-of-court talks hit a dead end.

At Goodman Acker, our mission is to help injured victims in Dearborn get back up on their feet and put their lives back together. This is what we do best. You do not have to deal with insurance companies alone — let us help.

Personal Injury FAQs

Our Dearborn Personal Injury Lawyers Answer Common Questions

Here, we want to take a moment and answer some of the most common questions we receive. As always, we believe it is in your best interest to be informed. So, after reading these questions, if you have more, contact our personal injury lawyers in Dearborn to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

Where Is a Personal Injury Claim in Dearborn, Michigan, Filed?

Where you file a personal injury claim in Dearborn depends on the amount of the claim.

For claims less than $25,000, it will be filed at:

Dearborn Courthouse, 19th District Court
16077 Michigan Avenue
Dearborn, MI 48126
313-943-2060

For claims more than $25,000, it will be filed at:

Third Judicial Circuit Court’s Civil Division
2 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
313-224-0157

What Do I Do After an Accident?

The moments after an accident can be confusing. Still, there are certain things you can do to strengthen your case. The most important thing is to prioritize getting medical care. If you are not taken to the ER immediately, take photos and videos of the scene. Do not forget to note down the names and contact details of the witnesses.

It is also important that you never admit fault after an accident. This may severely hurt your personal injury case. Anything you say to third parties at the scene may be used against you if you decide to pursue an insurance claim or go to court. If you believe someone else is responsible for the incident, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to schedule a consultation and discuss your options.

What Should I Do if an Insurance Adjuster Calls Me? 

If the other party’s insurance representative calls you, do not speak with them or agree to submit a written statement regarding the accident. Even if they seem friendly, sympathetic, or concerned, be very wary since they are almost certainly looking for ways to reduce or eliminate their liability.

During such a time, it is best to let an experienced lawyer deal with the insurance company. This also applies if the defendant’s lawyer contacts you. Let Goodman Acker deal with such parties on your behalf.

Should I Visit a Doctor if I Feel Fine?

You should always seek medical attention even when you feel completely fine after an accident. You can visit your own physician for a thorough checkup to ascertain that you are okay. Even though visiting a doctor is not a requirement when filing an injury claim, it can go a long way to proving your injuries were directly linked to the accident. Ensure you keep all documentation proving you received medical treatment after the accident. Regardless of the type of treatment you receive, documentation is key to supporting your Dearborn personal injury claim.

When Should I Contact a Personal Injury Attorney?

If you have been injured and you believe someone else may be responsible for the accident, contact Goodman Acker as soon as possible. The earlier, the better. At Goodman Acker, we represent injured victims and their families in personal injury cases, providing legal representation in Michigan.

Remember, the statute of limitations may begin immediately after the accident. Still, crucial evidence like CCTV footage that may help your case may be deleted after some time. Witnesses may also forget the details of what happened as time goes by. This is why it is important to get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible.

Do I File an Insurance Claim or a Personal Injury Claim? 

Whether or not you file a claim against an insurance policy or a complaint with the court depends largely on the facts and circumstances. Most cases may start with a claim against an insurance policy but progress to a formal complaint. To find out what the best option is for you, contact our personal injury attorney in Dearborn to schedule a free initial consultation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Dearborn?

In Michigan, the statute of limitations for personal injuries and wrongful death is three years, with limited exceptions. You may have longer to file if you were insane or under the age of 18 at the time of the accident.

In some personal injury cases, you have less time. In Dearborn auto accidents, you have one year. In medical malpractice claims, you have two years.

How Does Michigan’s No-fault Law Impact My Personal Injury Claim? 

The state of Michigan recently changed its policy on auto accidents and auto insurance claims. Under the new policy, known as Michigan’s no-fault law, victims file a claim with their own auto insurance company regardless of who caused the accident. The new policy does not completely bar you from filing a personal injury claim against the at-fault party, but it imposes strict rules. These rules are complex and can easily intimidate a victim. At Goodman Acker, we will review your case thoroughly and pursue the most aggressive action to ensure you are compensated adequately.

How Much Is My Dearborn Personal Injury Claim Worth?

Each Dearborn personal injury case is unique. The facts and circumstances will dictate, for the most part, the amount of compensation you should receive. It depends on what the actual and anticipated current and future costs of medical bills, lost wages, and other economic damages are worth. It is also dependent on the value calculated for any pain and suffering you must endure.

Note that in cases involving product defects or medical malpractice, a cap limits the amount you can be awarded.

At Goodman Acker, our personal injury attorneys in Dearborn understand you are anxious to know what you can get for your claim. We do not let our emotions guide us but allow our experience to lead us. We know what to look for and what to seek in terms of compensation, and then we put all our effort into obtaining it for you. But we also want to be honest about expectations. Most cases do not return millions of dollars to the injured party. What you can expect, however, is the full worth of your specific personal injury case.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Dearborn Personal Injury Attorneys

Do not let the person responsible for your accident and injuries off the hook without being held accountable for negligent acts. We have over 150 years of combined legal experience navigating complex injury cases. Let us put our experience to work.

Get started now to learn more about your options. Call 248-286-8100 now to speak with our personal injury lawyers in Dearborn.

LEGALLY REVIEWED BY BARRY J. GOODMAN

Barry J. Goodman has devoted his professional life to keeping courthouse doors open for victims seeking justice. Always a tireless advocate for his own clients, Goodman sees his responsibility as a Detroit personal injury attorney in a broader sense as well. [ Attorney Bio ]