Personal Injury

How Much is my Personal Injury Case Worth?

Published on: June 29, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

During their initial free consultation, many clients want to know how much money they can expect for their injuries. They hope that a personal injury lawyer can give them an estimate of what to expect from a settlement or a verdict. While this is an understandable question, there is unfortunately no way to provide an estimate for what a case may be worth. Ultimately, the settlement or verdict you potentially receive will be based on the specific facts of your case and your specific injuries.

It is important for clients to understand exactly what a personal injury case is – it is an attempt to make someone as whole as possible after the have suffered injuries due to another person’s negligence. In other words, the goal is to return you to the state you were in before the injuries. Obviously, turning back the clock is impossible and with certain life-changing injuries, such a wrongful death, money is wholly inadequate for replacing what you have lost. But this is the only way we have to help those who have suffered an injury.

This means that it is important for a client to understand the injuries they have suffered and what they can expect to recover for them. Economic damages are relatively easy to value. These include medical bills, lost wages, future medical, etc. Since they are quantifiable, it is relatively straightforward to add them up when seeking recompense. Non-economic damages, while no less important, are somewhat more difficult to value. These include things such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, etc. An experienced injury attorney can help you identify these damages and give you some ideas on how to value them. While it may be difficult to put an exact number of these injuries, it is possible to evaluate claims based on the totality of your injuries.

Detroit Personal Injury Lawyer: What is Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Published on: June 16, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

An option available on most auto insurance policies is known as Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM). This coverage exists for people who have been seriously injured in a car accident and who find that the at-fault party’s insurance coverage does not make them whole. As a Detroit Personal Injury Lawyer, it is a good idea to speak with your insurance agent about adding this coverage. It is often relatively inexpensive and can be a major help for an injured person.

In Michigan, a person is required to carry at least $20,000/$40,000 worth of coverage. This provides $20,000 worth of coverage for a single person, $40,000 worth of coverage for a single accident. As anyone who has spent a night in the hospital can tell you, $20,000 will barely cover that hospital stay. This leaves almost nothing left for future medical and other costs associated with an injury.

UIM coverage can supplement this coverage, giving an injured person an opportunity to be made whole by their own insurance company. A Detroit Personal Injury Lawyer can help with this first-party claim. Before settling with the at-fault party’s insurance company, speak with an attorney who can make sure you are taking the steps necessary in order to preserve your right to make this claim.

Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents

Published on: June 6, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

Slip and fall accidents can occur in many situations and under many types of conditions. Usually a slip and fall accident refers to a situation where a person is injured by slipping, falling or tripping because of a dangerous condition on the grounds. If you have been injured in a slip and fall, you may need a Michigan person injury attorney who can fight on your behalf.

Slip and fall accidents, also known as premises liability cases, can be cause by so many different conditions. A Michigan personal injury attorney can help you determine if it is worth it for you to pursue your case.

These falls can happen inside or outside a building. They can be caused by bad floors, wet floors, poorly lit steps, cracks in the pavement or ice or snow, among other causes. These cases are covered by negligence laws. Anyone who owns a property has the responsibility to make sure their property is safe, including problem areas caused by weather like icy patches and standing water or structural defects like loose tiles, wet floors, poorly lit areas.

Detroit Personal Injury Attorney on the Stigma of a Lawsuit

Published on: May 30, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

Some people hesitate to contact a Detroit Personal Injury Attorney because they worry about the stigma of a lawsuit. They worry that people will think less of them for seeking help after an accident, assuming that their friends or family might accuse of them of seeking a handout. The truth is, the vast majority of people who file personal injury lawsuits only want what is fair. They aren’t looking for a handout — they only want to be made whole after an injury. If you are worried that people might look down on you for filing a lawsuit, this fear is unfounded.

One reason there’s a stigma with personal injury cases is that we hear about “frivolous lawsuits” constantly. We are told these lawsuits drive up insurance costs because it costs so much money to litigate. In reality, if a case is truly without merit, it is often dismissed right away. There are mechanisms in place to help the defense dismiss these cases and judges have little tolerance for cases blatantly without merit.

The reason there is so much animosity towards these lawsuits is that insurance companies and corporations want as few as possible. They know that if they can prevent people from contacting a Detroit Personal Injury Attorney, they can save substantial amounts of money. By preventing people from pursuing what is rightfully theirs, these corporations can continue padding their bottom line.

Can a Personal Injury Attorney Guarantee me Money?

Published on: April 29, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

Many people, when first meeting with their personal injury attorney, want to know if this lawyer can guarantee a paycheck. They want to know exactly how much they can expect to receive for their injuries and exactly when they can expect it. A lawyer can never guarantee the results of any case, nor can this attorney guarantee any particular settlement amount or verdict.

While a lawyer can’t guarantee a particular outcome due to ethical concerns, Davis Law Center can make certain promises to their clients. One promise is that we will work tirelessly to see your case through to as successful a resolution as possible. We understand that your case is the most important matter in your life and we take the responsibility of handling it seriously.

We can also promise to give you sound advice on how best to proceed with a personal injury case. Ultimately, the decisions are up to the client on whether to accept a settlement or take a case to trial. Our experience in personal injury cases helps us understand how to evaluate an offer relative to the case overall. This can help a client make the right decision for themselves and their family when choosing to accept or reject a particular offer.

How to Help Prevent Delays from the Insurance Company

Published on: February 18, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

Insurance companies will fight to do everything possible to delay your case. It’s part of their business model and is an inevitable part of any case. A personal injury attorney can do everything they can do keep the case moving forward, but the client has certain steps they can take to prevent these delays as well. By working together, it is possible to move a case along as quickly as possible by preventing avoidable delays.

One way to prevent delays is to avoid gaps in treatment. This is one of the most common ways to delay a case. It’s not uncommon for a person to wait weeks or even months to see if pain subsides on its own before speaking with an attorney. This is somewhat understandable as most people hope that they aren’t seriously injured and don’t necessarily like to see doctors. However, it does prevent some issues for a personal injury matter.

In order for a claim to be successful, a person will need to prove that their injuries were caused by the incident in question. If there is a long delay between the time a person was injured and when they sought treatment, the insurance will claim the injuries were caused by something else. They will claim the injured person is just seeking a paycheck and isn’t really hurt or that their insured isn’t responsible.

How is Future Medical Calculated?

Published on: January 22, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

One of the most difficult damages to calculate for an injured person is future medical. Because people aren’t experts at calculating damages, this is an area where a person can leave money on the table if they try to negotiate a settlement on their own. This is bad because there is no second bite at the apple once you’ve settled your case. An experienced car accident lawyer will make sure that future medical treatments are identified and compensated.

The only way to calculate future medical treatments is to have a doctor testify about their necessity. For example, a person may have injured their back in a way that will eventually require surgery for a herniated disk. Because the person might want to see if their back improves with rest, they put off the surgery for as long as possible. But a doctor will testify that, eventually, a person will need surgery to correct their back issue.

Once the doctor has testified to the necessity of the treatments, the car accident lawyer will introduce evidence about the cost of these treatments. This might include testimony from an economist about the cost of treatment, medical bills from previous surgeries, etc. This gives the jury an idea of what to award in order to properly compensate the injured person.

Is the Free Consultation Really Free?

Published on: January 17, 2016 | By Davis Law Center

People are trained to pass on things that sound too good to be true. This means that some people hesitate to contact an attorney because they worry they will be charged. They hear “free consultation,” but assume there must be some kind of catch. In reality, there is no catch to a free consultation with a personal injury attorney. If you have been hurt in an accident, take advantage of this consultation to get the information you need.

A free consultation is good for both client and attorney. For the attorney, they can learn about the facts of a case, get some general information, and get a feel for the client. This helps them learn if they might be a good fit to represent a particular client. Instead of forcing the client to sign a contract, the lawyer can be certain they are the right fit for the client.

The advantage for the client is that they can learn about a particular law firm, listen to the types of cases they normally handle, and get some information about what to expect from this process. Since many people are unfamiliar with personal injury cases, this information can be invaluable. And, if after the meeting they determine the attorney is a good fit, they can retain that lawyer.

Peanut Executive Gets 28 Years in Jail for Salmonella Outbreak

Published on: September 24, 2015 | By Davis Law Center

A former peanut executive has been sentenced to 28 years in jail for his role in a salmonella outbreak. This outbreak occurred in 2009 and resulted in more than 700 illnesses and 9 deaths. According to prosecutors, this man knowingly sold peanuts that had failed food safety tests, causing these illnesses. As a product liability attorney, this is a great message to send to food executives and other companies that consumer safety is of paramount importance. By holding executives criminally liable, it makes safety compliance far more likely.

This salmonella outbreak was more than just a simple oversight, the executive allegedly knew of the salmonella and had the peanuts sold anyway. In some cases, batches came back positive but were simply retested until they came back negative. In other cases, peanuts were shipped before the food safety results came back. In both cases, this is a flagrant disregard for consumer safety and the laws governing food production.

Salmonella can make people very sick, resulting in nausea, diarrhea, muscle pain, and more. It is especially dangerous for elderly people, children, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. For these people, salmonella can be deadly.

Detroit Injury Lawyer on Staying Safe this Independence Day

Published on: July 2, 2015 | By Davis Law Center

As we get ready to celebrate this July 4th, many of us will gather with family and friends to celebrate. This often includes grilling hot dogs, watching a baseball game, and watching some fireworks. If you or your family plans on shooting off fireworks, it is important to take safety precautions. As a Detroit injury lawyer, this office knows just how life-changing certain injuries can be. By taking some simple precautions, it is possible to enjoy the holiday while minimizing your risk for injuries.

First, do not drink alcohol and shoot of fireworks. A person is far more likely to be hurt, and far more likely to hurt someone else, if they are intoxicated and lighting fireworks. If you plan on drinking, it is best to go to a professional display or to allow a sober friend or family member to handle your fireworks.

Second, be sure that you are shooting off fireworks in an open area free of obstructions. Don’t shoot fireworks off too close to a home, power lines, other people, or anything that might be in the path of the display. People should also take care not to point fireworks at anyone nor should they stand directly over a firework when lighting it. Children should also only be allowed to light fireworks under the close supervision of an adult, if at all.