Using More than 150 Years of Experience to Win 99% of our Cases
Our personal injury lawyers in Waterford know that injuries can occur anywhere. They can happen while at work, grocery shopping, 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 right. You have limited opportunities to make sure you get compensation that is fair and full. Without the experience of a highly skilled personal injury attorney in Waterford, Michigan, to guide you in the process, you may miss something that could help your claim. At Goodman Acker, personal injury law is all we do, and there’s a reason for that: we are good at it.
When is it Important to Seek Legal Help?
Even if your particular injuries are not serious, you may still benefit from consulting an attorney. If the accident was caused by another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If you are not sure whether you need to consult an attorney, you can always schedule a free consultation with a Waterford personal injury lawyer. During this consultation, you can discuss your accident and injuries with an experienced Waterford personal injury attorney. The attorney will then be able to advise you on whether you have a case and what your next steps should be.
If you have suffered minor injuries, you may be able to negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company without the help of an attorney. However, if your injuries are more serious, or if the insurance company is being uncooperative, you will likely need assistance from personal injury attorneys in Waterford to help you get the compensation you deserve.
In addition, if the at-fault party is uninsured or underinsured, you will almost certainly need an attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve, as insurance companies are very unlikely to pay out a fair settlement in these cases.
Finally, it is important to note that personal injury laws vary from state to state. An experienced Waterford, MI, personal injury attorney will be familiar with the laws in Michigan and can help you navigate the complex legal process.
Many times, when a person gets hurt from an accident, it is no one’s fault but their own. In these cases, recovery is up to that person alone. When it’s not your fault, another person or entity may be responsible, and finding an experienced Waterford personal injury lawyer for help may be the key to recovery.
The problem is this: Some people don’t 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 profits, and that’s true even if you are their insured. Only a committed, experienced Waterford 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 Waterford and throughout Michigan. Our personal injury attorneys in Waterford fight for your compensation––we do not settle unless it is in your best interests.
In fact, our 99% success rate for cases we conclude is a direct result of our commitment to our valued clients.
Contact us online or at 248-286-8100 to schedule a free consultation today with our dedicated, seasoned personal injury lawyers in Waterford.
What Sets Our Waterford Personal Injury Lawyers Apart?
We know how painful and challenging it can be to suffer from an unexpected injury. It affects not just you, but your children, spouse, and families. We know you just want to get well and stop the physical and emotional pain as much as the financial. As a personal injury law firm, Goodman Acker consistently prove our commitment to legal excellence through unparalleled knowledge of personal injury law and the civil court system in Oakland County and throughout Michigan. Our legacy and reputation depend on our experience and our successes. And that’s why you choose Goodman Acker to represent you or your loved one: because every injured person entitled to compensation deserves strong, consistent representation so that they can recover that compensation.
What sets our personal injury firm apart from the rest in Waterford, Michigan? It’s our standard of excellence, which includes:
- More than 150 years of combined experience
- A 99% success rate for settled cases
- Case results resulting in millions of dollars for our clients and their families
- Client-focused representation that produces strong client testimonials
- Featured regularly in the news with media outlets like Fox 2 News and Local 4 Detroit
- Commitment to an aggressive-yet-ethical, high-performing firm culture
- Availability 24/7 for client emergencies
- Free initial consultations
Our standard of excellence and the quality representation it fosters get noticed by our clients and our peers. We are consistently recognized as top personal injury lawyers by:
- Super Lawyers
- AV Martindale-Hubbell
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
This recognition does not come easy, but we continue to receive it because we work diligently to build compelling cases. We fight for our clients when others might retreat.
Rest assured, with Goodman Acker, if you have a personal injury claim in Waterford 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” is a legal term that can be defined as a case which 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, on the other hand, do not involve the courts. 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 Waterford 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. 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, there are other costs that can result from an injury that are 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 general, a person injured from another person’s negligence may be able to recover any or all the following:
- Medical bills (including surgery, medication, rehabilitation, therapy, etc.)
- Property damages
- Transportation costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering.
Waterford Personal Injury FAQs
Personal injury claims can leave people frustrated and confused. The process itself can be overwhelming. Here, we try to answer some of the most common questions we get daily.
In Michigan, the statute of limitations (deadline) for personal injuries and wrongful death, M.C.L.A. § 600.5805, allows you three years from the date of an incident to file a personal injury claim. Limited exceptions allow for additional time, like cases where:
- the victim is considered insane at the time of the accident;
- the victim was under the age of 18 at the time of the accident; or
- the liable party/defendant is out of state and cannot reasonably be served with a lawsuit.
For medical malpractice cases, however, M.C.L.A. § 600.5805(8) sets a two-year limit. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys in Waterford will help make sure you timely file a strong claim.
In July of 2020, the State of Michigan put into place a new auto insurance policy, also known as Michigan’s no-fault law. It affects personal injury claims involving car accidents, bus accidents, or truck accidents. The no-fault law states that all drivers are now required to purchase and carry basic insurance coverage that would pay for expenses resulting from an accident.
Because this law is so new, it is important to have a Waterford personal injury lawyer by your side to represent your interests and advocate for your rights. Even if you are dealing with your own auto insurance company, their priorities are not necessarily a fair settlement for you.
Though Michigan now limits personal injury lawsuits in motor vehicle cases, you can still sue when necessary and in accordance with the law. You are still permitted to sue for full and fair compensation for injuries sustained in other types of accidents in Waterford, such as but not limited to the following:
- Medical malpractice
- Premises liability
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Wrongful death
- Bicycle accidents
- Birth injuries
- Pedestrian accidents
- Dog bite accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Nursing home incidents/accidents
- Product liability.
The damages you can seek in a personal injury claim in Waterford 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.
At Goodman Acker, we want our clients to be informed because, from our experience, we know informed clients make better decisions for their recovery.
Contact Our Trusted Waterford Personal Injury Lawyer Today
With more than 150+ years of experience guiding us, the personal injury lawyers at Goodman Acker provide exceptional representation. Plus, we charge no upfront costs and no fees unless we win your case.
So, what do you have to lose? Let us help you obtain the most favorable outcome in your case.
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 ]
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