Car Accident Lawyers in St. Clair Shores Can Help Get You Compensation
Being in a car accident is a traumatic experience that can leave victims with devastating injuries, enormous property damage, and increasing medical and rehabilitation bills at a time they may be unable to work. In Michigan, as a no-fault state, you first file a claim with your own auto insurance company and not the other driver’s insurance carrier. This process should seem straightforward, but when injuries and damages are severe, involve multiple parties, or lead to death, the insurance company may try to deny or reduce coverage, and costs are not completely covered.
That’s where our car accident lawyers in St. Clair Shores can help. We know the tactics insurance companies and their attorneys use and are fully prepared to fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Our diverse team of highly skilled car accident attorneys treats each client as though they are family and works tirelessly on your behalf.
Our St. Clair Shores car accident attorneys have a combined 150+ years of legal experience. We use our insight, legal skills, and resources to achieve a 99% success rate.
Why Choose Us?
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 Macomb 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 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 and 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.
We provide a free consultation to discuss the facts of your car accident and determine the best way to help. Let us handle all the legal hurdles so you can concentrate on your recovery. Call today at 248-286-8100.
Understanding No-Fault Liability for Car Accidents in St. Clair Shores
Our St. Clair Shores Car Accident Lawyers Explain What’s at Stake
Michigan now has a system of no-fault liability for automobile accidents. Claims are handled through personal injury protection (PIP). This means you file an insurance claim with your own auto insurer––even if you were not at fault for the accident.
No-fault liability has some advantages, as there is no need to prove liability, so the claims process often does not involve negotiation with the other parties. However, the policyholder may still have to prove their case, and coverage is not guaranteed. Also, insurance companies prioritize profit and will still try to deny or reduce benefits to injured parties in St. Clair Shores. One way insurance companies deny or reduce benefits is to attribute fault to the injured party.
Another way is to argue against full compensation if you have an existing health condition and that condition exacerbated the injury, or to deny claims when symptoms such as whiplash do not appear until a few days after the accident. In this example, the insurance company may argue that the whiplash is related to another matter and not necessarily the car accident.
The injuries that are most likely to post challenges to your first-party insurance claim are complex, extensive, or delayed injuries. Insurers will also not compensate for pain and suffering or emotional distress caused by extensive bodily injury like:
- Disfigurement and severe scarring
- Nerve damage resulting in a loss of sensation
- Spinal cord injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord damage resulting in paralysis.
This is why it’s so important to get help from a St. Clair Shores car accident lawyer who knows how to deal with insurance companies and aggressively fight for just and fair compensation.
St. Clair Shores Car Accident Lawyers May Sue the At-Fault Driver
If negotiated by a talented St. Clair Shores auto accident lawyer, auto insurance companies will adequately compensate their own insureds for:
- Property damage
- Medical bills
- Lost wages.
Your auto insurance company, however, will not pay you for excess economic damages (e.g., loss of earned income, future or ongoing medical treatment, etc.) or non-economic damages for pain and suffering. When you have a valid claim for these damages, our St. Clair car accident attorneys can bring a lawsuit against the at-fault driver as well as other parties who may have contributed to the accident. In a successful lawsuit, in addition to being paid for your current and future lost wages and your medical, rehabilitation, caregiving, and property damage costs, you may receive compensation for non-economic damages that may include:
- pain and suffering, both physical and emotional
- loss of companionship or consortium
- disability
- loss of enjoyment of life.
In addition, in some rare cases, punitive damages may also be awarded. These are intended to punish a defendant who acted in an especially reckless or egregious manner and to deter such behaviors in the future.
These additional damages can amount to much more than you can receive from insurance alone. Your St. Clair Shores car accident lawyer knows how to fight for the full damage amounts you deserve.
With a 99% success rate at Goodman Acker, your odds of winning your case are good when our St. Clair Shores car accident attorney takes your case.
Call Goodman Acker today at 248-286-8100 for your free consultation.
St. Clair Shores Auto Accident Attorney Must Prove Negligence
To win your car accident lawsuit, your St. Clair lawyer must prove that another party or parties, the defendants in the case, were negligent or at fault for causing the injuries you received. Proving negligence legally means showing the following elements:
- Duty: The defendant owed you a duty of care not to cause harm.
- Breach: The defendant breached this duty by actions or failure to act.
- Cause: The defendant’s breach caused your injuries.
- Damage: As a result, you suffered damages that can be monetarily quantified.
In a car accident, there may be parties in addition to the other driver whose negligence contributed to the accident. Examples include the manufacturer of the car or its parts if these were faulty and led to the accident, or the municipality or road repair company that failed to repair a road properly or left debris in the road. Our legal team would investigate the accident thoroughly to find all possibly negligent parties and hold them accountable as they all may have insurance and assets that could go toward a settlement.
Our St. Clair Shores Car Accident Lawyer Answers FAQs
Car insurance claims in St. Clair Shores can be tricky and confusing. While the best way to get answers is in your free initial consultation, the following are answers to some of the most common questions we get about car accident claims.
In Michigan, you have one year to file a claim with your insurance company. If you are filing a lawsuit, according to Michigan’s personal injury statute of limitations (section 600.5805), you generally have three years to file, with some exceptions.
All accidents involving automobiles fall under Michigan’s No-Fault law. So, if you were involved in a truck accident or even a motorcycle accident in St. Clair Shores, you probably have an insurance claim to file and benefits to request.
Several factors are taken into consideration when determining a settlement for a St. Clair Shores car accident personal injury claim. There are a wide range of settlement amounts possible, and while there is no single answer or set formula to determine the amount, factors that will be considered include:
- Extent and permanence of injuries and whether you will need continuing care
- Costs of missed wages and whether you will be able to work in the future
- Medical, rehabilitation, and other related medical costs, like transportation to and from appointments
- Contributory negligence and degree of fault.
Our team of car accident attorneys in St. Clair Shores understands the laws and policies surrounding auto collisions in Michigan. We will take the following steps, at a minimum, to maximize your chances of receiving fair and adequate compensation:
- We will gather witness statements, accident reports, and, among other evidence, the investigation file from the police.
- We will gather and review your medical records and submit your claims for medical bills.
- We will communicate and negotiate with your automobile insurance adjuster for you.
- We will keep you informed and provide ongoing advice until your claim is satisfied.
- We will get you the best possible settlement for your pain and suffering.
If you did something that contributed to the accident, you may still be able to get a settlement, since Michigan considers comparative negligence. However, your compensation will be reduced according to your degree of fault. For example, if you are determined to be 20% at fault and the award is for $100,000, you would receive $80,000. Compensation for economic damages is available to injury victims even if they are over 50% at fault for an accident, but compensation for non-economic damages is not available for people who are over 50% at fault.
The good news is that it doesn’t cost anything up front to hire our St. Clair Shores personal injury lawyers. We work on a contingency basis, which means we take on all costs and expenses of your case, and you pay nothing unless and until we win. Fees and costs are then taken out of the settlement award. You have nothing to lose, so call us today to get started.
With over 150 years of combined experience, you can rest assured that we will give 100% of our skills and resources to ensure that you get the maximum of what the law allows.
Get Help From Our Trusted St. Clair Shores Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, reach out to Goodman Acker today. Our team of experienced St. Clair Shores car accident attorneys provides clients with the representation and results they deserve. Our focus is always on you.
At Goodman Acker, our compassionate personal injury attorneys will handle all legal hurdles and requirements so you can concentrate on your recovery. With more than 150+ years of experience leading our way, you can expect exceptional representation for your personal injury case.
We make it easy and stress-free to begin your personal injury claim right now. Call us today to get started while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be found.
When you choose Goodman Acker, it’s a good decision. Call 248-286-8100 for help today.
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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