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Pedestrian accidents can have devastating consequences for victims. Pedestrians often suffer extremely serious injuries, since they do not have anything between their body and the vehicle that strikes them. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a pedestrian accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you should reach out to a skilled Michigan personal injury attorney as soon as possible. We can examine the facts of your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a pedestrian as any individual on foot, walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting, or lying down who is involved in a motor vehicle crash.   According to the NHTSA, on average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours and injured every eight minutes in traffic accidents in 2013. In fact, there were 4,735 pedestrian deaths that year, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. Unfortunately, that number increased in 2014, when a total of 4,884 pedestrians were killed, while an estimated 65,000 were injured across the country.

In Michigan, 148 pedestrians were killed in 2013, accounting for 15.6 percent of the total traffic fatalities in the state in 2013. In 2014, there were 148 pedestrian fatalities, accounting for 16.4 percent of total traffic deaths. Pedestrian accidents can take place in a number of ways, including:

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Posted in: Pedestrian Accident
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The neck is one of the most crucial and vulnerable parts of your body. When a person suffers a neck injury in an auto accident, the results can be catastrophic. If you or someone you love sustained a neck injury in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation through a personal injury claim. At Davis Law Center, our seasoned Michigan auto accident attorneys can examine the facts of your case and determine the viability of your claim.

The neck can be easily jarred and injured during a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, motor vehicle accidents account for approximately 37 percent of neck injuries. Approximately 50 percent of vertebral fractures are to the cervical spine. Neck injuries can take a variety of forms, including mild to severe whiplash, disc herniation, spinal cord injury, vertebral fracture, vertebral dislocation, pinched nerves, compression fracture, and complete severance of the spinal cord. It is important to note that neck injuries are not always immediately apparent.

Neck injuries from auto accidents can be life-changing because they may require extensive treatment costs. Over time, neck injuries can cause ongoing issues with chronic pain and mobility, sometimes inhibiting your ability to have a normal life. This is why Michigan law allows victims of auto accidents to recover a variety of damages, such as medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, property damage, and any other losses arising from the accident.

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Pedestrians struck by vehicles on crosswalks can suffer serious injuries and even death. Unfortunately, it is not that uncommon for crosswalk accidents to occur in Michigan and throughout other states. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a crosswalk accident, do not delay in reaching out to a skilled Michigan pedestrian accident attorney. At Davis Law Center, our skilled injury attorneys can help you recover the compensation you deserve for your harm. You can rest assured that we will thoroughly examine the facts of your case and come up with a legal strategy accordingly.

MCL 257.10(b) defines a crosswalk as any designated area for a pedestrian crossing. This broad definition is likely intended to cover a wide range of situations. As a result, drivers must be vigilant behind the wheel in order not to injure or kill pedestrians while driving.

Under MCL 257.612, vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and bicyclists who are lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. Michigan case law also supports the rights of individuals walking through a crosswalk safely. In Guina v. Harrod, the court held that motorists are required to anticipate the presence of pedestrians at street crossings, and, in the event they cannot see if the crossing is clear, they must drive in a manner that is consistent with how a reasonably prudent person would drive. In other words, motorists should anticipate crosswalks and proceed with caution around them because they should be aware that pedestrians may be in the area, and it may not be easy to see a pedestrian from a distance.

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Spinal cord injuries can have devastating effects on a victim’s life. If you or someone close to you has suffered a spinal cord injury in a mishap that was caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help. At Davis Law Center, our skilled Michigan personal injury attorneys can review the facts of your case and help you seek the compensation you deserve for your harm. You can rest assured that we have the experience and determination to handle your case.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 11,000 people sustain spinal cord injuries each year. The spinal cord consists of a collection of nerves inside the spine and connects nearly all of the parts of the body to the brain, with which it forms the central nervous system. Put another way, the spinal cord is a column of nerve tissue protected by the spine and is in charge of delivering messages from the brain to the rest of the body. A spinal cord injury may take place because of a sudden blow or cut to the spine. The severity of a spinal cord injury depends on two things:  the place of the injury along the spinal cord and the severity of the injury to the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries can cause partial or total paralysis of the lower limbs or of all four limbs.

Some causes of spinal cord injuries are car crashes, pedestrian accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, slip and falls, and sports accidents.

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Posted in: Personal Injury
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Storeowners have an obligation to stack merchandise in a safe manner. Unfortunately, a number of people in Michigan and the United States are injured each year due to improperly stacked items falling off shelves at big box stores. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, such as an accident caused by falling merchandise, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Davis Law Center, our seasoned Michigan personal injury attorneys can zealously advocate for your rights at every step of the way.

Falling merchandise accidents take place when a customer is injured because merchandise falls on top of him or her. This typically happens in commercial places, such as warehouses and big box stores, where goods are vertically stacked. Common causes of falling items include:

  • Stacking too high;
  • Poor stacking;
  • Defective racks;
  • Failing to warn customers of danger zones;
  • Faulty shrink wrapping;
  • Shoppers inadvertently dislodging improperly stacked items when reaching for other items;
  • Improperly secured goods; or
  • Inadequate employee training.

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Posted in: Premises Liability
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Texting and driving is a major problem in Michigan and across the United States. These accidents often lead to severe injuries and, in some cases, even death. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an accident caused by someone who was texting and driving behind the wheel, we can help. At Davis Law Center, our skilled Michigan injury lawyers can scrutinize the circumstances of your case and help you pursue the full and fair compensation you deserve.

Texting and driving is an issue that should not be taken lightly. When a driver is not focused on the road, the consequences can be devastating. Studies have shown that a driver who is texting and driving has slower reflexes and reaction times, similar to a drunk driver. In fact, studies have shown that sending a text message forces you to take your eyes off the road for approximately five seconds.  If you do this at fifty-five miles per hour, its like driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in the United States in 2015 alone because of texting and driving. In fact, one out of every four car accidents in the U.S. is caused by texting and driving. By some estimates, text messaging is six times more likely to get you in a crash than drunk driving.

In Michigan, the problem is just as bad. According to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, 41 percent of Michigan young adult drivers engage in texting and emailing while driving. While Michigan law prohibits drivers from reading, manually typing, or sending a text message while driving, more than 26 percent indicated they engaged in texting or emailing behind the wheel daily.

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Posted in: Auto Accidents
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If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to damages for the harms you suffered. At Davis Law Center, our Michigan law firm will scrutinize the facts of your case and seek the compensation you deserve. We strongly believe in providing compassionate and competent legal guidance throughout the process. While we aim to settle every case in a fair and swift manner, we are not afraid to zealously advocate for your rights in the courtroom.

Establishing damages in personal injury cases can be challenging. In the context of personal injury claims, damages are defined as a sum of money awarded to an individual in compensation for a loss or injury.

In most cases, before any damages can be obtained, the person seeking damages must establish that his or her harm was caused by someone else’s negligence. Negligence is a failure of an individual or entity to exercise reasonable care that ends up causing an injury or death to someone else. Reasonable care is defined as how a prudent or sensible person would act under the same or similar circumstances.  In order to win on a negligence claim, the plaintiff must establish that he or she was owed a duty of care by the defendant, that the defendant breached this duty of care, and that the plaintiff suffered quantifiable damages as a result.

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Posted in: Damages and Personal Injury
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In Michigan, as in any other state, all drivers have a duty to obey traffic laws and drive carefully to minimize the risk of accidents on the road. Unfortunately, drivers do not always adhere to this duty and end up causing accidents that result in serious injuries or even deaths. If your loved one was killed in a car accident due to someone else, you may be able to take legal action against the at-fault party. At Davis Law Center, our experienced car accident and wrongful death attorneys understand how to navigate these complicated and high-stakes claims.

In a recent study, the National Safety Council reported that motor vehicle accident deaths increased by six percent in 2016 as compared to 2015. Specifically, auto accident fatalities topped 40,000 for the first time since 2007. These numbers were similar to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s findings, which stated an eight percent increase in fatal crashes in the first nine months of 2016 compared to the prior year. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 893 fatal crashes in Michigan in 2015, resulting in 963 deaths.

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At Davis Law Center, our seasoned Michigan injury attorneys are committed to helping individuals who have suffered injuries due to accidents caused by someone else’s negligence. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an accident that was not your fault, you may be able to recover compensation through a personal injury claim. Personal injury refers to an area of law in which an injury to the body, mind, or emotions is caused by another person’s negligence. Some examples of personal injury cases include, but are not limited to, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and falls, premises liability, products liability, construction accidents, and medical malpractice.

Accident victims have a limited time frame to file their personal injury claims in Michigan, known as the statute of limitations. Put another way, the statute of limitations sets a time limit after an injury or property damage occurs in which a civil claim must be filed. Failure to file within this time frame could mean losing your right to be heard by a Michigan court altogether. The statutes are designed to encourage people to file their lawsuits in a reasonably timely manner so that evidence is not lost and memories do not become stale.

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Posted in: Personal Injury
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Rear-end collisions are some of the most common types of car accidents that take place in Michigan and throughout the United States. If you or a loved one has been in a rear-end collision, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Davis Law Center, our seasoned rear-end accident attorneys can discuss your case with you and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim.

A rear-end accident occurs when one vehicle strikes the back of another vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are about 1.7 million rear-end collisions on U.S. roadways each year. The NHTSA found that 87 percent of rear-end collisions took place because a driver simply was not paying attention to the road. Cell phones and other non-driving-related gadgets in cars contributed to that distraction. Other common causes of rear-end accidents include speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changes, failing to obey traffic laws, poor weather conditions, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

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Posted in: Auto Accidents
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American Association for Justice Michigan Association for Justice The National Trial Lawyers Million Dollar Advocates Forum State Bar of Michigan