CAR ACCIDENT CASES IN MICHIGAN
John N. Elliott is one of the top-rated Michigan car accident lawyers and can help you if you were injured in an auto accident today or any time in the past.
If you have been injured, then choosing the best personal injury attorney for your car accident case is your most important decision. Hiring a top-rated auto accident attorney is the difference between winning a great settlement and receiving no settlement at all. If you’ve been wronged, car accident lawyer, John Elliott can get you the results you deserve!
The Law Office of John N. Elliott is the best law firm to handle your case. Car Accident Attorney, John Elliott represents Michigan car accident injury victims personally with the utmost level of dedication and compassion for the manner in which the injury affected their lives.
We have the experience, knowledge, and skill to win your case. Our Michigan car accident lawyer settles the vast majority of our car accident cases for the maximum amount of compensation before ever going to court. He will do the same for you.
MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT COMMON QUESTIONS
Many people find the no-fault insurance laws in Michigan to be complex and confusing. Our experienced personal injury attorney will answer your most frequently asked questions about your rights after a crash. The most common questions are answered on this page:
It is important to have a lawyer begin an investigation as soon as possible after the crash. This is necessary to locate and interview eyewitnesses, photograph and examine the vehicle, and take pictures of the area of the accident. As time goes on, it is more difficult to find witnesses that can help your case, and evidence, like surveillance video on nearby buildings, can be deleted. Additionally, this could become more complex if the at-fault party is from out-of-state or the country.
Your insurance company may also be underpaying your no-fault benefits and you may not even know. There are strict time deadlines for filing insurance and personal injury claims. If you miss a deadline, your case will be destroyed forever. A delay may forfeit rights to a settlement in the future.
We will answer all of your questions and tell you our opinions about your case, and if you hire us, we will start working immediately.
There are several things that you should do immediately after a Michigan car accident, which include:
- Notify the police of the accident, especially if they do not come to the accident scene.
- Get the driver’s license number and license plate number of the other vehicles in the crash.
- Take photographs on your phone of damage to your car and other vehicles.
- Get the names, telephone numbers, and addresses of all witnesses to the accident.
- Report the accident to your own auto insurance company after the accident.
- Request an Application for No-Fault Insurance Benefits from your insurance agent.
- Reach out to a Michigan car accident lawyer for help.
Michigan law requires drivers to report any accident involving a motor vehicle that causes more than $1,000 in property damage, results in death or injury, or damages an unattended vehicle or other property. Most times, the police officer who investigated the crash scene will prepare the report.
The accident must be reported but the driver may not be required to file a written report. However, many insurance company policies require a written report to be filed within 24 hours of an accident to qualify for insurance benefits. We suggest you make a report after even a minor crash just to make sure you do not get the insurance company runaround.
You can get a copy of your traffic crash report (UD-10) from the police agency that investigated the accident.
If you choose our auto accident attorneys for your case, we will get it for you. Our law firm can often get your accident report within 24 hours of the crash, depending on the police agency.
You should contact your insurance company immediately after the car accident to report any damage to the vehicle or personal injury claim. You will want an adjuster to assess the damage to your vehicle and to assist you in arranging repairs.
If you were injured, you will need to apply for no-fault insurance benefits with your own insurer. You should report all claims quickly so the insurance company does not try to deny your claims later on because they were not reported in a timely manner.
Our auto accident attorneys will help you with this process from start to finish and answer any questions you may have.
COMMON MICHIGAN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
While a car crash can happen from any number of circumstances, there are some common types throughout Michigan. These include, but are not limited to:
HOW OUR MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS HELP YOU AFTER A MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT
The Michigan no-fault insurance laws are confusing. You need to know your rights after a Michigan car accident. When you choose our law firm for your car accident case, we will:
You should be very careful speaking to an insurance adjuster after your Michigan car accident.
Some insurance adjusters can be helpful after an accident and it is fine to speak to them. This includes the property damage adjuster for car repairs and the no-fault insurance adjuster assisting you with your claims for medical bills and lost wages. If your adjuster is not paying your bills and wages, you should contact our law firm right away.
However, you should never speak with the insurance adjuster for the driver that caused the accident. Those adjusters are looking for ways to avoid paying you a settlement.
Michigan has the mini-tort law that determines who is responsible for paying the property damage to the vehicle involved in an accident.
In most cases, the driver that caused damage to your vehicle is responsible for only paying a maximum of up to $1,000.00 to you for a property damage claim.
COMMON MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES
The most common types of injury after a Michigan auto accident include:
Car accident attorney, John Elliott, will get all of your medical records, reports, and x-rays to establish the full degree of your injuries. An experienced Michigan car accident lawyer will then provide these materials to the insurance adjuster along with a package called a settlement demand to maximize the amount of your compensation payout.
Yes. You can sue the driver that caused the auto accident for pain and suffering resulting from the crash.
When you sue the at-fault driver and owner of the vehicle for personal injury compensation, you can claim compensation for your pain and suffering, psychological damages, disability, and scars caused by the accident. There is no cap, or limit, on the amount you can demand for pain and suffering. Your settlement is often based on the insurance policy limits of the negligent driver.
These pain and suffering settlements are completely separate from your Michigan no-fault insurance benefits. Most injured accident victims get their medical bills and lost wages paid in addition to receiving a large personal injury settlement. John Elliott, an experienced car accident lawyer will work hard to get you every available type of compensation.
Yes. Injured passengers can sue all drivers that were negligent in causing the auto accident. This includes the driver of the vehicle that the passenger was riding in at the time of the crash and all other vehicles responsible for causing the crash, such as rideshare drivers, including Uber and Lyft.
Claims are often filed by one spouse versus another spouse, a child versus a parent, and a friend versus a friend. The insurance policy provides for coverage to any innocent person harmed by the negligent driver and an injured person should still pursue a claim, even if it is against a family member or friend as it will be the insurance company that pays the settlement.
There are several factors that determine the amount of a Michigan car accident settlement. Every case is different, so there is no set formula to determine the right amount of the settlement. There is also no “average settlement” or “typical settlement” for injury settlements.
Auto accident victims can claim a compensation payout for these types of damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Fright and shock
- Psychological injuries
- Scars and permanent disfigurements
- Disability from work and activities
- Loss of income and wages
- Bystander claims
- Death: Filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Claims are made for the pain and suffering of the victim from the time of accident until death, for loss of companionship of the surviving family members, and economic losses suffered by the family due to the death of a family member.
There are many types of pain and suffering damages that you can claim compensation for including physical pain suffered, permanent disfigurement, mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, shock, anger, and depression.
The amount of pain and suffering damages is determined by a number of factors including the seriousness of your injuries, the type, and length of medical treatment, and how the injuries have affected your ability to lead a normal life. Car accident lawyers will evaluate your case to get you the maximum possible pain and suffering settlement.
You do not need a lawyer to settle your own car accident claim, but you should be aware of many serious mistakes that you can make without an experienced Michigan car accident lawyer on your side. One study showed that the majority of accident victims who hired a lawyer believed that they received a much greater settlement than if they tried to settle their own case.
Insurance studies have shown that injury victims actually receive substantially larger settlements when they hire a lawyer for their case, even after paying the attorney fees. This is because insurance companies know that they cannot get low-ball settlements with experienced attorneys who know and understand the value of an injury. Additionally, an experienced car accident attorney will be able to ensure that no statements or admissions are made that are detrimental to your case.
The length of time that it takes to get paid a car accident settlement is different in every case.
Some cases settle quickly because the injuries are substantial and the insurance policy limit is low, so the adjuster will pay the entire policy right away. However, most cases can take up to a year or more after the accident to get a settlement check. This is because the victim is still recovering and the future effect of the injuries is unknown.
Under Michigan law, the statute of limitations to pursue a case for personal injuries from an auto accident is three years from the date of the incident. There are some exceptions — such as if the claimant was a minor at the time of the accident — However, if no exception applies then any claim made after this statute of limitations may face dismissal.
Additionally, a claim for first-party no-fault insurance (PIP benefits) must be filed within one year of the date of the accident. Similarly, any lawsuit demanding payment for unpaid medical bills lost wages, and other benefits must be filed within one year of the date that each bill was incurred or became payable.
GET THE BEST MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS
John N. Elliott has earned the top awards and honors in the legal profession and is recognized as a legal expert in automobile cases.
It does not cost anything to hire John Elliott as your Michigan car accident lawyer. We do not charge any fees to start your case and only get paid when you receive your settlement check. This is called a contingency fee agreement. If your case is unsuccessful for any reason, you owe us nothing. You will receive that in a written guarantee!
Michigan Car Accident References and Resources
- Michigan Department of State Police
- Michigan Secretary of State - Reports and Statistics
- Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning
- United States Department of Transportation Fatal Traffic Crash Statistics
- Traffic safety videos
- Michigan Traffic Crash Facts
- Michigan Drunk Driving Audit
- Michigan OWI Training
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
CONTACT A MICHIGAN CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEY TODAY
John Elliott, who is an experienced Michigan car accident lawyer has the skills, experience, knowledge and integrity you need to get you the best possible settlement.
Call us now at (248) 451-9600 or submit the online contact information form to get started on your case with a free evaluation.