Auto Accidents

SUV Rollover Accidents in Michigan

Published on: February 20, 2023 | By Davis Law Center

Due to their high center of gravity, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) are more likely to roll over than their smaller counterparts. Vehicle rollovers can quickly turn what would have been a mild accident into a serious one. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an SUV rollover accident that was not your fault, you need to reach out to a seasoned Michigan injury attorney who can meticulously review the facts of your case.

An SUV is a vehicle classified as a light truck that can be used on rough surfaces but is often used on city roads and highways as a family vehicle. An SUV rollover accident takes place when the SUV tips over onto its side or roof after impact. The top-heaviness of an SUV increases its chances to roll over in an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 11,000 fatal rollover accidents take place each year in the United States. In fact, rollover accidents make up more than half of all single-vehicle auto accident deaths. Rollover accidents also increase your risk of serious injury by 36 percent. Data from the Michigan Traffic Crash Reporting System reveals that in 2015, there were a total of 664 crashes involving passenger cars, SUVs, and vans.

What Happens If I Got Whiplash In A Car Crash?

Published on: December 8, 2022 | By Davis Law Center

“Whiplash” is a kind of catch-all term to describe injuries that occur after an incident that causes a person’s head to violently snap back and forth. Probably the most common cause of whiplash is when a vehicle is struck from behind by another car or truck, but sports injuries and slip, trip and falls can also result in whiplash injuries. Whiplash injuries can range from mild to severe depending on how severely a person’s neck hyperextends or compresses as a result of an impact. Moreover, symptoms may not be immediate or even appear for several days following a trauma to the neck.

So what are the symptoms of whiplash? It really depends on how a person’s head, neck and spine react to the trauma or impact that caused the whiplash. Less severe whiplash may result in minimal or no pain or stiffness. Mid level whiplash may cause pain radiating to areas such as the face, head, back and shoulders, as well as possible muscle spasms that cause difficulty in moving one’s head and/or neck. More serious whiplash can cause quite devastating symptoms including numbness, weakness, headaches, dizziness, vision and sleep disturbances, as well as neurological problems associated with trauma to the vertebrae, discs, and nerve roots in the spine.

The types of treatment and length of treatment for whiplash type injuries is generally dictated by the severity of symptoms a person experiences after sustaining trauma to the head and neck. For less severe instances of whiplash, one or more of the following may be all that is needed: Anti-inflammatory medications, pain medication, muscle relaxers, immobilization and/or physical therapy. For more severe instances of whiplash, a person may need some or all of the above plus electrical nerve stimulation, injections and in some cases, spinal surgery. Obviously, the time and potential for a full recovery will depend on the severity of the damage caused by the whiplash event. Some may recover in weeks. Others may have permanent damage and never fully recover.

Parking Lot Accidents in Michigan

Published on: May 25, 2022 | By Davis Law Center

Parking lot accidents are more common than you may think. With cars moving in and out of parking spaces, pedestrians, and sometimes even shopping carts, drivers must navigate parking lots with the utmost caution. If you or someone close to you was injured in a parking lot accident, you need to reach out to an experienced Michigan injury attorney who can evaluate the merits of your case. You can trust that if we take on your case, we will vigorously pursue the compensation you deserve.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that one out of every five automobile accidents occurs in parking garages and parking lots. Even though most parking lot accidents occur at low speeds, these accidents can lead to serious injuries, especially when a car strikes a pedestrian. Some common causes of parking lot accidents include inattentiveness when backing out of a parking space, distracted driving, speeding in the parking lot, or underestimating the amount of space one has to pull into or back out of a parking space.

Whether you are injured in a parking lot accident or somewhere else, your legal rights remain the same. A pedestrian who is hit by a car in a Michigan parking lot can try to pursue damages through a negligence claim. Negligence occurs when a person fails to exercise reasonable care behind the wheel. Reasonable care is defined as how a prudent person would act in the same or similar circumstances. For example, a driver using reasonable care would not excessively speed through a parking lot, understanding the risk of striking a pedestrian associated with such behavior.

Neck Injuries as a Result of Michigan Auto Accidents

Published on: November 13, 2018 | By Davis Law Center

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.

Crosswalk Accidents in Michigan

Published on: November 6, 2018 | By Davis Law Center

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.

Texting and Driving Accidents in Michigan

Published on: September 29, 2017 | By Davis Law Center

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.

Study Finds Increase in Auto Accident Deaths in 2016

Published on: April 5, 2017 | By Davis Law Center

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.

Rear-End Collisions in Michigan

Published on: March 1, 2017 | By Davis Law Center

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.

Insurance Companies Are Watching You

Published on: November 23, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

Michigan injury victims beware and be smart. Insurance companies act like your best friend in their funny little ads on TV but treat you like a criminal as soon as you make a claim and investigate your background more thoroughly than if you had actually committed a crime.

After an accident occurs or a claim is made, you can bet the insurance company will begin an aggressive investigation that includes researching vast databases where they have access to your criminal history, claim history, employment history, vehicle ownership history as well as the names of acquaintances, friends and fellow employees. More importantly, the insurance companies will hire a private investigator to follow you and take videos and pictures of all your activities. They will also exhaustively investigate your social media accounts and download all your public posts and pictures. They will then attempt to use this information to later persuade a judge to dismiss your case if anything you say or do seems to contradict the videos they have of you or the things you post on social media. Make no mistake, no matter how seriously you are injured, most insurance companies would rather pay a private investigator and their lawyers bundles of money than compensate you in any degree for the injuries you sustained.

In many recent Michigan injury cases, surveillance and a thorough review of your social media accounts occurs almost immediately after you make a claim. We recently had a case where a client was run over by a car and by the time our client was released from the hospital, the insurance company had already interviewed all the client’s neighbors, the investigating police officer and our client’s employer in an attempt to somehow discredit the fact that their insured was negligent and ran him over. The insurance company then conducted surveillance on him 24 hours per day which continues to this day

Who Ultimately Decides the Amount for my Injuries?

Published on: September 7, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

One of the tricks the insurance company tries to play with an injured person is to convince the person that the insurance company isn’t liable. They try to convince the injured person that they were actually at fault for injuries and they won’t get anything from a jury. The may try to use this argument to bully the injured person into accepting a low-ball settlement offer, telling the person to “take it or leave it.” Ultimately, the jury has the final say in who is at fault and just how much the other party should get (if anything). A personal injury lawyer can fight to get you the money you need and work to convince a jury that the other party was negligent.

This right to a jury trial is actually included in the Bill of Rights. This is how important our Founding Fathers saw this right. Were it not for the right to a trial by jury, injured parties and those of limited means would get steamrolled by the rich and by big corporations. The civil justice system provides an equal playing field for all parties involved, allowing a jury of our peers to ultimately decide the merits of a particular case.

If the insurance company has denied responsibilities for your injuries or is trying to bully you into accepting a low settlement, a personal injury lawyer can fight to get you the money you deserve. Before allowing yourself to be bullied after your car crash, slip and fall, or other negligent injury, work with an attorney who will fight for the money you deserve.