Personal Injury

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.

Spinal Cord Injuries in Michigan

Published on: July 20, 2018 | By Davis Law Center

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.

Understanding Damages in Michigan Personal Injury Cases

Published on: April 13, 2017 | By Davis Law Center

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.

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.

Examining the Statute of Limitations in Michigan Personal Injury Cases

Published on: March 24, 2017 | By Davis Law Center

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.

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

Can I Re-Negotiate a Case that has Previously Settled?

Published on: September 20, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

Some people work to negotiate a settlement on their own, only to find that the amount did not sufficiently cover their damages. They may wish to re-open negotiations to try to get more for their injuries. Unfortunately, once a case has been settled, that makes a case final. This is why it is vital that a person speak with a personal injury lawyer before signing any settlement documents. An attorney can review any offers to make sure that they are fair for the injured party.

There is nothing more frustrating than speaking with a client only to find that they have already settled their matter. It is heartbreaking to learn that a person needed surgery, physical therapy, or other expensive procedures that they thought could be avoided. Sadly, because they accepted a settlement offer, they now must pay for these treatments out of pocket. These treatments need to be covered by any settlement or verdict.

An experienced personal injury lawyer can review a settlement offer relative to a person’s injuries and ensure that is it a fair amount. A settlement offer needs to cover any future medical treatments that may be needed. For example, a person with a back injury may ultimately need a spinal fusion to correct their injuries. A settlement offer needs to take this into account and properly compensate a person for this potential surgery.

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.

How long will my Personal Injury case take?

Published on: July 20, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

A common question we get asked from clients is, “How long will my case take?” This is an understandable question that unfortunately doesn’t have an easy answer. In general, an injury claim takes between 4 months and two years. Some cases can take even longer, depending on the specific circumstances of the case, but many cases will fall within that time period. This broad time frame is frustrating for clients, but sadly it is the best estimate there is.

The insurance company generally doesn’t want to settle a case quickly. It knows that if it can delay a person’s claim, it is possible that they will become desperate and take a settlement that is far less than what they are owed. This is understandably frustrating for an injured person, but a Detroit personal injury attorney can help a person focus on getting what is fair even if takes a little bit longer.

The longest cases are the ones that actually go trial. Trials are unavoidably lengthy ordeals that include motions, depositions, and more before it ever makes it in front of a jury. Fortunately, the majority of cases settle before going to trial, with most settled before a lawsuit is even filed. Whether your claim is one that will need to be litigated can’t be predicted, unfortunately, and won’t be known until the claim begins moving forward.