Winning 99% of Our Cases by Using Skills Gained from 150+ Years of Experience
The home of diverse celebrities like rapper Eminem and baseball pitcher John Smoltz is also one of the most diverse communities in Greater Detroit. Furthermore, local residents are heavily invested in this community. The average Warrenite adult has lived in the city for almost forty years.
Alas, Warren has a dark side as well. The highways which run through the city, including Interstate 696 and Van Dyke Avenue, are among the most dangerous roads in the state. Falls are a serious issue here, as are dog bites and injuries related to negligent security.
At Goodman Acker, our personal injury lawyers in Warren will help you understand whether your injury entitles you to compensation. If it does, we will put our knowledge, skills, and insight from more than 150 years of combined experience to work. We negotiate with the facts and the law to maximize compensation. If the other parties do not agree to a fair and just settlement, we do not back down. We go to trial.
With a 99% success rate, we know how to advocate the rights of our Warren, MI, community members.
To learn why we are trusted by so many to take on their complicated personal injury cases, contact us at 248-286-8100. One of our highly respected personal injury lawyers in Warren will discuss your case with you.
Why Choose Us to Represent Your Personal Injury Claim in Warren?
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 proves our commitment to legal excellence through unparalleled knowledge of personal injury law and the civil court system in St. Clair 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 Warren, Michigan? It’s our standard of excellence, which includes:
- More than 150 years of experience that endures
- A 99% success rate for concluded cases
- Case results providing millions of dollars to our clients
- 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 a vibrant, 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.
How We Build Compelling Personal Injury Cases
Don’t Let Recovery Slip Away Due to Poor Representation
You are entitled to compensation for an injury when the wrongdoer was negligent or, in some cases, where strict liability laws govern, in which case negligence is not required. When negligence is required, you must prove the following by a preponderance of the evidence (though in some cases, clear and convincing evidence is necessary).
- The person or entity owed you a duty of care. This duty will vary depending on the relationship. For example, a property owner’s duty of care varies from a homeowner’s duty of care. Likewise, a general physician’s duty of care differs from an oncologist’s duty of care.
- The duty of care must have been breached. The person or entity must have acted outside of what a reasonable person would have done in the same situation.
- The breach caused an injury. In other words, but for the breach of duty, you would not have been injured.
- The injury must have resulted in damages. Damages are the costs (financial, physical, mental, and emotional) of the injury. You must have actual monetary damages where, at a minimum, a doctor bill exists.
To build a compelling personal injury case, we start at the beginning and make sure that each of the above elements is well-supported by evidence and legal analysis. The starting point is, therefore, to collect and preserve evidence.
Elements of a Strong Personal Injury Case
Evidence may include:
- Police reports
- Accident reports
- Photos and videos
- Personal journals
- Witness statements
- Proof of lost wages (e.g., pay stubs)
- Proof of pain and suffering (e.g., personal journal memorializing details of recovery)
- Medical bills and related documentation
- Expert testimony.
As the evidence is obtained, we begin the legal analysis. We strive to prove each element of a negligence or strict liability claim with substantial evidence and persuasive legal arguments.
Clients must do their part, too, for a personal injury claim to be successful. Mainly, you must seek medical attention and follow your doctor’s orders. When you have an appointment, you must go to it. When you are prescribed medication, you must take it. When you are referred to physical therapy, you must attend it.
You must follow your care plan to (1) get better and (2) protect your legal rights. If you miss an appointment, especially without a valid reason, it creates an opening for the insurance company to deny or devalue your claim. They will question the severity of your injuries and, thus, question the integrity of your claim.
At Goodman Acker, we do our part to build a compelling case and will advise you on how you can do your part to help strengthen it to recover maximum compensation.
Personal Injury FAQs
Our Warren, MI, Personal Injury Lawyers Answer Your Questions
It’s typical to be anxious, with a lot of questions, after an injury caused by another person. Here, we answer the most frequently asked questions we get during our free, no-obligation consultations.
At Goodman Acker, we handle all personal injury claims. We take on straightforward cases as much as we do the complicated ones. We also provide our legal services in all areas of personal injury law, including:
- 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.
These cases typically involve insurance companies, but we do not shy away from negotiating with or suing other parties who are liable for your injuries. Our aim is maximum compensation, and so we put forth a strategy to attain it.
Personal injury claims are first filed with an insurance company. If it is a first-party claim, the claim is made directly with your own insurance company. In Michigan, this is standard in personal injury cases involving auto accidents. If it is a third-party claim, the claim is made with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
If negotiations fail, and the insurance company refuses to settle for a just and fair amount, a lawsuit may be filed. In Warren, civil lawsuits with damages estimated to be $25,000 or less are filed at the City of Warren Courthouse, 37th District Court. If the damages exceed $25,000, the lawsuit is filed with the County Clerk at the Macomb County District Court.
Our personal injury attorneys thoroughly know how the personal injury claim process works. You will not have to worry about how, where, what, or when.
In Michigan, the statute of limitations for personal injuries and wrongful death is generally three (3) years, with limited exceptions. If you were under the age of 18 or had a medical reason (e.g., insanity) at the time of the accident, you may have longer before the statute of limitations expires.
Keep in mind also that in some personal injury cases, you have less time. You have one (1) year for auto accident claims and two (2) years for medical malpractice claims.
No two personal injury claims are the same. They may be alike, but not the same. The worth of the claim will depend on the facts and circumstances of the specific case. The worth of your claim will depend on fault and the damages you suffer.
With respect to fault, if you contributed at all to the accident, your claim will be reduced accordingly.
With respect to damages, you are entitled to economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages refer to the costs that are easier to quantify because they are more objective. Non-economic damages are the costs of the injury that have no price tag attached and are more subjective. The value of non-economic damages can be assessed in several ways, but ultimately it will reflect the sum of your economic damages, the extent of your injury, and the injury’s impact on the quality of your life. Our personal injury attorney will be more specific about it when discussing your case.
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 to 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.
With all the above said, cases involving product defects or medical malpractice carry cap limits on the amount you can be rewarded.
Michigan follows the modified comparative negligence doctrine. This law states that if you contributed to the accident, you could still recover damages. The one caveat is this: you will not recover if you were more at fault than the defendant. A jury, which acts as the fact finder, determines the percentage of fault.
Understanding your contribution in any accident that leads to an injury, therefore, is critical. Insurance companies use this law to avoid or reduce payouts. It is in your best interests to be candid with your lawyer so that the facts and evidence can be discovered and properly argued to a successful end.
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 a Trusted Warren 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 ]
GOODMAN ACKER
Meet our Personal Injury Attorneys