An injury can temporarily or permanently disrupt your life. As the injured party, you may be entitled to medical care and other damages if the accident was a result of someone else’s negligence. The at-fault party and their insurance company have specific obligations under Michigan’s personal injury law, including ensuring that you become whole again.
After you get into a serious accident, you deserve compensation, but you also need the help of a Southfield personal injury lawyer. Those responsible for injuries will rarely admit fault, and insurance companies do their best to steer clear of accountability. Some personal injury lawyers in Southfield might even say that your case is too difficult for them to take on.
If you have been injured in an accident, you should seek the counsel of Goodman Acker. Our reputable law firm can look into the facts of your case and advise you on the best way forward. Remember, insurance companies are for-profit businesses that only care about their bottom lines. They will pursue every avenue to reduce their liability.
Why Choose Us?
Many injured victims always wonder what the best law firm in Southfield, MI, is to handle their personal injury cases. At Goodman Acker, we pride ourselves on being a client-oriented firm that puts the needs and interests of injured victims first. We go above and beyond to ensure we build the strongest cases for personal injury victims.
Here is why you should choose our reputable Southfield personal injury law firm:
- We have successfully concluded 99% of the cases we have handled.
- We have 150+ years of shared legal experience.
- We are frequently featured on channels like Local 4 Detroit and Fox 2 News.
- We operate 24/7.
- Our testimonials attest to our experience in personal injury claims.
- We have successfully won millions of dollars in compensation for your clients.
- We provide complimentary initial consultations.
We Deal with All Kinds of Personal Injury Claims
Personal Injury Attorneys in Southfield with Expansive Experience
Regardless of how you sustained an injury, our Southfield personal injury attorneys have the skills required to help you. Using the combined insight and experience of our team of personal injury lawyers, we prepare airtight cases that can withstand anything that the defense might try to throw at us. Thanks to our professional networks, we can reach out to specialists from different fields — such as accident reconstructionists or renowned physicians — to provide their expert opinions on a case.
The types of personal injury cases we handle include premises liability cases, truck accidents, medical malpractice, pedestrian accidents, dog bites, car accidents, wrongful death cases, and traumatic brain injuries.
If you have sustained an injury for whatever reason and deserve legal redress, the personal injury attorneys at Goodman Acker can assist you in recouping the damages you are owed.
Why Hire a Southfield Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you have been injured, you may believe that you can take on the insurers or even defend yourself if the case goes to trial. But you will be in a much better position to recover maximum compensation by enlisting the services of a personal injury lawyer near Southfield, MI.
What is more, why should you go out of pocket while nursing an injury? Focus on recovering as we fight for your reimbursement.
Here is how our Southfield personal injury attorneys can assist with your case:
- Dealing with your claim, including filing all relevant paperwork and other administrative tasks as you concentrate on healing.
- Spearheading negotiations with insurance carriers to ensure they don’t lowball your compensation.
- Conducting independent investigations which include reviewing medical documents, accident reports, CCTV footage, and other pertinent evidence.
- Determining liable parties who may be accountable for the accident.
- Calling upon expert witnesses, like accident analysis specialists and medical personnel, whose technical know-how can be used to prove your case.
- Representing you in court if your case proceeds to trial and there is no other alternative for receiving a fair settlement amount.
By talking to personal injury lawyers in Oakland County, you will have the benefit of their experience and knowledge. At Goodman Acker, we are confident in our capabilities to deal with complicated injury cases, and we are sure that our resilience can play to your advantage.
What Compensation Can Southfield Personal Injury Attorneys Help Me Recover?
The individual or party that caused your injuries is the one financially culpable for your damages — it is that simple. Still, insurance providers seldom give in easily. They might do everything they can to find reasons to deny your insurance claim or make a lower settlement offer.
Our experienced Southfield personal injury attorneys do not tolerate such egregious treatment from insurance providers. If your damages amount to $2 million, then you can expect us to fight for $2 million in damages when representing you. We will be unrelenting when it comes to getting you the best outcome possible, which is the main reason we have a 99% success rate.
Our Southfield personal injury lawyers can assist you in recovering damages for:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Lost income and lost wages
- Loss of quality of life
- Medical costs
- Therapy expenses and future medical costs
- Loss of earning capability.
Keep in mind that you have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim against the responsible party and recover damages.
How Does a Southfield Personal Injury Lawyer Prove Negligence?
To get paid for an injury, personal injury lawyers in Southfield must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was negligent. Generally, if nobody is responsible for a collision, compensation is not available from third parties.
The four key elements used to prove negligence include:
- Duty of care: The defendant had a legal obligation to protect you from harm.
- Breach of duty: The defendant didn’t fulfill their duty of care since they acted unreasonably.
- Causation: The negligent actions of the defendant resulted in your injuries.
- Damages: You suffered economic and non-economic damages, such as medical bills, disfigurement, and lost wages.
Common Questions for Personal Injury Attorneys in Southfield
Below are some of the most common questions and answers that you might have for a Southfield personal injury lawyer.
Does filing a claim and working with an attorney mean that I’ll have to go to court?
Working with an Oakland County personal injury attorney and pursuing a claim does not necessarily mean that you will have to go to court. Injury cases are taken to trial only if there is no other way for a plaintiff to obtain a fair settlement and get their deserved compensation. Going to trial is typically a last resort, not a go-to option.
How much is my personal injury case worth?
Establishing an injury claim’s settlement value is one of the most important stages of a case. Basically, a settlement value is like a new car’s sticker price. If the settlement value is too high, the insurance company will not negotiate. If it is too low, it is difficult to obtain maximum compensation.
To determine a settlement value, which is how much a personal injury case is worth, most Southfield personal injury attorneys multiply the economic losses by two, three, or four, mostly depending on the facts of the case. When settlement negotiations begin, most lawyers have a floor and a ceiling. They will not accept settlement offers under a certain dollar amount, and they always say yes to offers above a certain amount.
What should I do after I’ve been injured in an accident?
Frequently, the first few hours after an injury are the most important hours in the entire legal process. Seriously injured victims, especially head injury victims, usually aren’t thinking clearly. Therefore, many people unintentionally do, or do not do, things that hurt their claims later. After an accident, try to remember a few simple rules:
- Collect as much evidence as possible. Take pictures, get the names and contact information of witnesses, and make a note of nearby surveillance cameras.
- Do not speak to another party’s insurance company. Telephone adjusters know how to paint a victim into a corner.
- See a doctor, even if you do not “feel” injured. It’s impossible to know how badly you are hurt, or not hurt, until a doctor examines you.
- Avoid speaking to anyone other than emergency responders. The statements you make, even something like saying “I’m sorry” to another driver, could be used against you later.
Above all, speak with a Southfield personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney immediately starts working for you.
I was partially at fault for my accident. Can I still get compensation?
Comparative fault, a legal doctrine that shifts blame for an injury from one party to another one, is among the most common insurance company defenses. For example, insurance company lawyers might argue that Wendy slipped and fell on a wet spot because she did not watch where she was going.
In all states, jurors must listen to the evidence in these cases and divide responsibility 50-50, 80-20, or on some other percentage basis.
From this point, different jurisdictions have different rules. In many states, victims who are partially at fault cannot recover damages. But Michigan is a modified comparative fault state with a 51 percent threshold. Victims who are not more than 50 percent responsible for their injuries can recover a proportionate number of damages.
What’s my deadline to file a personal injury claim in Michigan?
The Wolverine State has one of the shortest statutes of limitation in the country. Usually, injury victims have only three years to bring legal claims. That amount of time might seem lengthy, but in real terms, it is not.
A good Southfield personal injury attorney does not run to the courthouse and file legal paperwork. Instead, an attorney puts first things first. Medical attention for your clients and other related matters, like vehicle repair or replacement, is our immediate priority. Then, our professional team diligently reviews the case and collects evidence to support the claim. Next, we negotiate with insurance companies, so they have a chance to do the right thing. This process sounds lengthy, and frequently it is.
It is almost impossible to effectively advocate for an injury victim with one eye on the case and one eye on the clock. So, the longer a victim waits to reach out to us, the more challenging the case becomes.
Contact Southfield Personal Injury Attorneys at Goodman Acker Today
Goodman Acker has been assisting accident victims in Southfield to get justice and fair settlements as well as a sense of closure following catastrophic accidents. If you want to find out how our firm can assist you with your personal injury claim, you can peruse our client testimonials or review our case results.
To get started, please call 248-286-8100 to schedule a no-obligation, no-cost case consultation now! Goodman Acker is eager and ready to help.
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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