Forest Hills Car Accident Lawyer

After going through a car accident, it can be tough to figure out what to do next. You may be dealing with lost wages or struggling to pay your ever-increasing medical bills.

How We Can Help

That is why it can help to have our Forest Hills car accident lawyer working on your side — someone who has walked this path before, with others like you, and who can help you determine the best next steps to recover the compensation you deserve. You don’t have to try to figure out on your own how to get the money you need to recover.

Whether you’re dealing with loss of wages, personal injury, or damage to your vehicle, you need someone who can fight for your right to compensation.

Why Choose Us?

At Goodman Acker, we’re here to take the worrying about your case off of your shoulders. Our 99% success rate means you can trust us to get the job done.

When you’re looking to get the compensation you deserve, it’s key that you work with car accident attorneys in Forest Hills. There are many reasons that you may be struggling financially following a car accident, including lost wages from being unable to work, high medical bills, and the cost of medication that you need to control your pain.

Car Accident Statistics

Sadly, car accidents are common. In 2020, more than 5 million car accidents occurred in the United States. Car accidents can be caused by a number of factors, including drunk driving, speeding, failure to obey traffic laws, and distracted driving.

35% of all fatal car crashes involve someone driving under the influence. Most car accidents happen at night, regardless of the cause of the crash.

Statistically, the most common car accident injuries include soft tissue injuries (may be related to seatbelt use), cuts and scrapes, head injuries, chest injuries, limb injuries, back injuries, and internal injuries. Many people who have experienced car accidents develop several types of injuries, some of which may not set in until days, weeks, or months following the accident.

Our Forest Hills, MI, car accident lawyers have extensive experience handling car accident cases and can adequately assess your situation and give you the guidance you need.

Where Do Car Accidents Occur?

Car accidents happen virtually anywhere where you have a roadway, a vehicle, and a driver. This may be at an intersection, between intersections, in a parking lot or garage, or virtually anyplace else that you can think of.

While drivers are less likely to experience car accidents on the freeway, accidents that happen at a high speed are more likely to be fatal than those that occur in cities or on rural roads.

How Do You Get Compensated Following a Car Accident?

In order to receive compensation following your car accident, you’ll need to be able to show that you were not at fault for the accident. While it may seem obvious to you that the accident was the other person’s fault, it’s important that you work with someone who is able to make it clear to the court that you were innocent and did not cause the accident.

In other words, you have to be able to show that a driver did something wrong, such as going through a red light, making an improper or unsafe left turn, failing to yield the right of way to you, speeding, or something else, and as a result you were injured. Don’t try to prove this to the court on your own–you need to work with a Forest Hills car accident lawyer who can provide you with the support you need to win your case.

Who Compensates Me for My Forest Hills Car Accident Injuries?

In normal circumstances, the insurance company for the at-fault driver must compensate you for your injuries. If the at-fault driver does not stop and is never identified, or if they have no insurance or do not have enough insurance to fully compensate you, then you will probably have a claim with your own insurance company under your uninsured motorist’s coverage. Don’t try to navigate the world of car insurance compensation on your own–working with one of our car accident lawyers in Forest Hills, MI, can provide you with the expertise you need to get the compensation you deserve.

How Do I Know If I Have a Good Car Accident Case?

There are essentially only two things that you must have for a good car accident case in Michigan. Lawyers, insurance adjusters, judges, and the like refer to these things by the shorthand descriptions “liability” and “damages.”

Liability

Liability refers to whose fault caused the accident. Michigan is an at-fault state, meaning that in order to be entitled to compensation for your injuries, you have to be able to prove that the accident was someone else’s fault. The correct name for this is “negligence,” and it simply means that someone else’s carelessness caused you to be injured.

For example, perhaps the other driver was driving too fast, not paying attention, talking on a cell phone, texting, or otherwise driving carelessly. If you can prove that the driver did something careless to cause the accident in which you were injured, you probably have a good car accident claim.

Modified Comparative Negligence

While you may be able to prove that the driver who struck your vehicle was at fault and is, therefore, liable to compensate you for your injuries, you must also be aware that the driver may have a potential defense against your claim if you share any fault for the accident.

Damages

The second thing you have to be able to prove for a good car accident case is damages. Damages basically come in two types:

• Economic Damages: the medical expenses necessary to treat your bodily injuries, lost wages and income, damage to your personal property, and other economic losses.
• Noneconomic Damages: the physical pain, mental anguish, sleepless nights, and inconvenience that you have to endure due to injuries that you didn’t ask for and do not deserve, but were caused by somebody else’s carelessness. These types of damages are commonly referred to as pain and suffering, and certainly include that, but can also include much more.

Do I Need a Lawyer for My Forest Hills Car Accident Claim?

You can handle your car accident claim without a lawyer and without paying legal fees if you want to. There is no law against that.

However, if you have large financial losses, or if there will be long-term consequences of the accident, or if you have serious injuries, such as a concussion, a spinal injury, a herniated disc, internal injuries, broken bones, or some combination of these kinds of injuries, it would be unwise to attempt to handle the claim without an experienced car injury attorney to assist you.

The insurance adjusters and lawyers who will be attempting to deny or minimize your claim are professionals. They do this all day, every day. So, you need someone on your side who is just as professional and as capable, and who cares as much about your interests as your adversaries do about protecting the interests that they have.

When Should You Hire a Forest Hills Car Accident Attorney?

You should hire our Forest Hills car injury attorneys as soon as possible after being injured in a car accident, or whenever you realize that you need an attorney’s help. Whether you hire a lawyer on Day One or Day 100 after your car accident, the legal fee will be the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Should You Do First After a Car Accident?

First, seek medical attention for any injuries. Next, call us at 248-286-8100.

Should I Fight My Case Alone?

Absolutely not. While you’re legally permitted to represent yourself, doing so can lessen the chances that you’ll get the payout you deserve.

How Do I Know If I Have a Case?

It can be tough to know whether you have a case, and talking with a Forest Hills lawyer is the first step toward learning whether you might be eligible for compensation.

How Do I Learn More About Getting Started with a Forest Hills Car Accident Lawyer?

Reach out to us to schedule your free consultation–we’re excited to get to know you and fight for your compensation.

Why Hire a Car Accident Attorney?

In the early stages of your car accident claim, when nailing down evidence of liability, talking to witnesses, getting statements, and developing evidence of your damages, the assistance of our experienced car accident attorneys can prove invaluable.

The advice, counsel, and support of our skilled Forest Hills car accident lawyers can help ensure that you recover all the damages to which you are entitled. Why wouldn’t you want to have these advantages throughout the entire claims process?

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 ]