Madison Heights Personal Injury Lawyers

Personal Injury Attorneys in Madison Heights

Helping the Injured in Madison Heights with a 99% Success Rate

Often, when a person gets hurt in an accident, it is no one’s fault but their own. In these cases, recovery is up to that person alone. When it is not their fault, another person or entity may be responsible, and finding an experienced Madison Heights personal injury lawyer for help may be the key to recovery. Imagine slipping and falling at the Telway Hamburger System or being involved in a pileup accident in downtown Madison Heights. Whatever type of accident it was, or however it transpired, you can file a claim through a personal injury lawyer in Madison Heights to recover compensation.

The problem is: some people do not think they need a lawyer. They think filing a claim with the insurance company is enough.

Though that may be true in some cases, it is important to keep in mind that insurance companies are for-profit entities. Their priority is profit, and that is true even if you are insured. Only a committed, experienced Madison Heights personal injury attorney will advocate for your rights and represent your best interests. At Goodman Acker, our priority is you. We take care of our community members in Madison Heights and throughout Michigan. Our Madison Heights personal injury attorneys fight for your compensation — we do not settle unless it is in your best interests. Our 99% success rate for cases we conclude is a direct result of our commitment.

What Sets Our Madison Heights Personal Injury Law Firm Apart?

Goodman solely focuses on personal injury law. We have the legal insight that only comes from experience, and experience is what we have.

We have built relationships and developed extensive resources. We know all the tricks insurance companies may try to use to minimize or avoid a payout. We can also handle the types of personal injury cases other attorneys do not handle because they do not have the talent or resources to handle them.

At Goodman Acker, we rise to the challenge and use our collective knowledge, skills, and resources to make sure our Madison Heights community members recover what is fair and just. Our reputation testifies to our commitment:

• Newsgroups, like FOX 17, feature our law firm regularly — we are a trusted name in our communities.
• Former and current clients thank us for our help — and you can read our client testimonials to get a better understanding of how our work has impacted their lives.
• We are available 24/7 for client emergencies, which is just another reason we are trusted and respected in Madison Heights and throughout Michigan.
• Our reputation is also partly based on the millions of dollars we have recovered for our clients.
• Our reputation is backed by awards and recognition, like inclusion on the Super Lawyers list, an AV Martindale-Hubbell Rating, and a spot on the list of Top 100 Trial Lawyers.

Plus, we offer free initial consultations. This allows us to learn more about your case and give honest responses to all your questions. As it is, personal injuries are already traumatizing. You may not be able to work while you recover. You may not know how you are going to pay your bills. You may think your life cannot get any worse. We will not add to your stress. We will be straight with you. And we will do what we can to minimize the pain you are already enduring.

Rest assured, with Goodman Acker, if you have a personal injury claim in Madison Heights and want to move forward with it, we will work hard so that you can regain your life.

Personal Injury Claims Versus Insurance Claims

Personal Injury Claims

“Personal injury” is a legal term that is defined as a case that involves harm to the body and/or emotional wellness of a person due to another person or entity’s wrongdoing. At least one plaintiff pursues a case for recovering damages from at least one defendant. Through litigation, interested parties work to discover who is responsible for the injuries, calculate the extent of the damages, and compensate the victim for those damages.

Insurance Claims

Insurance claims, on the other hand, do not involve the courts. When a person is injured, they file a claim with an insurance company, either their own or the insurer representing the negligent party. Depending on the type of accident, a claim may be filed against an auto insurance policy, a homeowner’s or property owner’s policy, a renter’s policy, or a professional liability policy.

Typically, an insurance claim is filed first. If a fair settlement is not reached, a personal injury lawsuit can be filed. One of our skilled personal injury attorneys in Madison Heights will make sure your rights and interests are secured by a strategic, well-supported personal injury claim.

Compensation for Personal Injuries in Michigan

In Michigan, the law allows injured parties to seek compensation for the damages they suffer. “Damages” in a personal injury case include the financial expenses and non-economic harm that results from an injury. Most damages that result from a personal injury incident are medical expenses and property damage. When an injury is expected to last for an extended period or contribute to long-term expenses, litigation attempts to project the total costs of the incident.

Of course, other costs can result from an injury that is neither medical nor property related. Pain and suffering and emotional distress are non-economic damages that can be recovered by a personal injury claim. In rare cases, punitive damages (also known as exemplary damages) may be recovered if the liable party acted with malice or willful disregard for the victim’s rights.

In general, a person injured by another person’s negligence may be able to recover any or all of the following:

• Medical bills (including surgery, medication, rehabilitation, therapy, etc.)
• Property damages
• Transportation costs
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering.

Madison Heights Personal Injury FAQs

Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Madison Heights Answer Common Questions

We always encourage current and potential clients to ask lots of questions about their cases. We have gathered some of the more frequently asked questions below:

How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Madison Heights?

Usually, the statute of limitations in personal injury claims is three years in Michigan. Victims who do not file legal claims before then may lose the right to obtain compensation for their injuries. The statute of limitations is shorter in medical malpractice claims.

The law includes some formal extensions. For example, victims get more time to file if they were legally insane at the time of the injury, under 18, or the victim is unable to serve an out-of-state tortfeasor (negligent actor).

The discovery rule sometimes applies as well, especially in dangerous drug claims. The statute of limitations clock does not start ticking down until victims know the full extent of their damages and they connect those losses to a tortfeasor’s misconduct. This rule comes up in other personal injury claims as well, such as toxic exposure illness claims. In these cases, it could be decades before these victims show visible signs of illness.

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

The Wolverine State has one of the broadest no-fault auto insurance laws in the country. Typically, no-fault insurance only applies to fender-bender accidents that cause little or no personal injury. But most Michigan residents must buy at least $250,000 of PIP (personal injury protection) insurance. The PIP policy must pay all reasonably necessary medical bills and replace lost wages for up to three years.

Insurance adjusters usually cannot contest fault in these situations. However, they can and do argue about the extent of damages. That is where a Madison Heights personal injury lawyer helps victims.

To most insurance adjusters, “reasonably necessary” means “cheapest available.” Attorneys ensure that car crash victims get the treatment they need, not the treatment that an adjuster agrees to pay for. Also, to most adjusters, “lost wages” means “lost regular cash wages.” Many people work overtime, receive bonuses, and get other irregular compensation. Noncash compensation, like per diem and expense payment, is common as well.

For What Types of Accidents Can I File a Personal Injury Claim?

Car wrecks are the most common personal injury claims. Every year, these incidents kill or seriously injure millions of Americans. Driver error, usually impaired driving, or aggressive driving causes over 98% of these wrecks. Defective products, like defective tires, cause most of the rest.

Fall injuries are almost as common. Slip-and-fall injuries send over eight million Americans to hospital emergency rooms every year. Like car wrecks, falls cause physical and emotional injuries. Physically, falls cause injuries like broken bones and head injuries. Emotionally, many victims are so afraid of falling again that they feel like prisoners in their own homes.

Dogs bite millions of people every year. A considerable number of these incidents cause serious injuries. Dog bite liability law is complex in Michigan. Usually, owners are liable for these injuries if they knew their dogs were potentially vicious and they failed to properly control them.

Other personal injuries include birth injuries, brain injuries, nursing home abuse or neglect, misdiagnosis injuries, and wrongful death.

We mentioned defective products above. Manufacturers often take shortcuts, during the design or manufacturing process, to increase their profits. These manufacturers are strictly liable for the injuries their defective products cause.

How Do I Know I Have a Madison Heights Personal Injury Claim?

At Goodman Acker, our Madison Heights personal injury attorneys thoroughly and quickly evaluate your injury claim and determine your legal options.

Especially after car wrecks, insurance adjusters and emergency responders usually make preliminary fault determinations. Even if an adjuster or officer said you were at fault, you may still be eligible for compensation. A fault determination is like a halftime score. The halftime score matters, but not nearly as much as the final score.

We do more than evaluate your claim. We also connect victims with doctors and other injury-related providers. These providers usually charge no money upfront.

How Much is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?

The damages you can seek in a personal injury claim in Madison Heights are fully dependent on the damages you suffered considering all the facts and circumstances. At the initial free consultation, we will review your case and clarify expectations. The real worth of any given personal injury claim, however, cannot be realized until after a full investigation into the accident or incident.

Our highly skilled staff members and personal injury lawyers in Madison Heights have the resources to conduct a thorough investigation. We will uncover all the facts so that the real worth of your claim is revealed, and you receive what you deserve.

Contact Our Trusted Madison Heights Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you need a Madison Heights personal injury attorney, contact our team online or at (248) 286-8100. Our risk-free, no-obligation consultation will help determine whether you have a claim. If so, we will outline what we can do for you.

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 ]