Car accidents represent a major danger in Lansing. Around 8,284 motor vehicle accidents occur in Ingham County a year, with 2,114 injured people and 27 fatalities. 4,527 of these accidents took place on local roads. [1] Many of the injuries sustained in these car accidents are serious, if not life-altering.
If you suffered injuries in a car crash, you could be entitled to recover compensation from the at-fault parties. The legal team at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers has ample experience helping clients pursue compensation after car accidents.
Read on to learn more about why you should hire an attorney to represent you, how long you have to file a claim after a car crash, the types of damages you can pursue, and guidance on what to do should you be involved in an accident.
Why You Need an Experienced Attorney After a Car Accident in Lansing
After sustaining serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents, many victims aren’t sure what to do. Hiring a personal injury attorney can be beneficial, as they can:
- Give you an objective look at your case
- Gather and preserve evidence to support your claim
- Negotiate with insurance companies for the highest settlement amounts based on the knowledge of what similar claims received
- Navigate the complex court system in Ingham County
- Provide additional knowledge about the legal system, local precedence, and judge histories that might impact your case
- Enable you to focus on your recovery instead of trying to manage a legal case on your own
Types of Cases Our Lansing Car Accident Attorneys Handle
Our Michigan personal injury attorneys have ample experience working on different types of cases involving auto accidents. These include:
- Alcohol-involved crashes
- Speeding
- Red-light-running crashes
- Heavy truck crashes
- Motorcycle crashes
- Snowmobile crashes
The Most Common Causes of Lansing Car Accidents
The most common causes of car accidents in Lansing, Michigan, are [2]:
- Drunk driving
- Deer
- Speeding
- Running a red light
The Most Dangerous Intersections and Roads in and Around Lansing, MI
While it is true that an auto accident can occur anywhere, there are some intersections, roads, and highways that seem to have a disproportionate number of serious accidents. Based on the number of accidents that occur year after year, these are the most dangerous intersections and roads in and around Lansing [3]:
- Grand River Avenue
- West Saginaw Highway
- I-496 and US-127 Corridor
- East Jolly Road and South Cedar Street
- Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
What to Do After a Car Accident in Lansing, MI
If you’re involved in a serious car accident, the steps you take immediately afterward can have a big impact on your life. Here are some general guidelines of what steps to take after an auto accident in Lansing, MI:
- Dial 9-1-1 – As soon as you’ve been in a car accident, it is important to call police officers to the accident scene to investigate. The police officer who arrives will document what happened in a police report that could later serve as important evidence in the event you need to file a legal claim.
- Document the accident scene – If you are able to do so safely, document everything about the accident you can with your smartphone, including the location of the accident, the damage to all vehicles involved, and surrounding trees, signs, and businesses.
- File an insurance claim – Under Michigan law, you must first file a personal injury protection (PIP) claim with your insurance provider. However, don’t speak with any insurance adjusters until you have had the chance to speak with a car accident attorney. Your car insurance company will want you to agree to the lowest settlement amount but an attorney can help you negotiate for maximum compensation.
- Schedule an initial consultation with the best car accident lawyers – Even if you aren’t sure if you want to go ahead with your case, it is a smart idea to schedule a free consultation with a MI car accident lawyer to discuss your legal rights. This will give a lawyer a chance to review your case, notify you about the statute of limitations, and gather evidence easily lost over time.
Damages Our Lansing Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Recover
There are different types of damages you can recover, depending on the nature of your case and the parties involved. These range from medical expenses and vehicle replacement to pain and suffering.
No-Fault PIP Benefits
Michigan is considered a no-fault state for motor vehicle crashes. Under Michigan law, you enrolled in PIP coverage when you purchased auto insurance. This means you must first seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages from your own auto insurance company. Your no-fault insurance plan will not pay for pain and suffering.
Until recently, your plan from your insurance company likely had unlimited PIP. However, recent updates in Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law mean you now choose how much protection you have available, including the limits of the plan.
In some cases, your insurance company might be the only party involved in your car accident claim. Often, clients hire auto accident attorneys to try to get fair compensation from an insurance company that is trying to deny benefits owed to the policyholder.
Wrongful Death Claims
If your loved one died in a Lansing car accident, it is possible for certain family members to hold the at-fault party responsible for the decedent’s medical expenses, lost wages, loss of income, loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and funeral expenses.
UM/UIM Claims
If you’re involved in a car crash with an underinsured or uninsured driver, it is possible to seek compensation for excess PIP benefits, pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and other economic damages from your UIM plan if you elected for UM/UIM insurance when you purchased auto insurance. Then your policy should act as the other driver’s insurance company.
Under many plans, you may also have to name the at-fault driver in your personal injury case. Your personal injury lawyer will give you legal assistance in filing claims against the correct parties.
You Have Limited Time to File a Car Accident Claim
The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have to file your claim in Lansing, MI. If you try to file your case after this deadline, you won’t be able to proceed.
Under Michigan law, the statute of limitation is three years from the date of the accident. It doesn’t change whether you have a personal injury claim, wrongful death case, or a product liability case.
The Basis of Car Accident Claims
To be able to file a civil lawsuit for severe car accidents, there are certain grounds auto accident attorneys will look for to be able to successfully file a case. Generally, you will need to show someone else’s actions or negligence caused your damages in the auto accident.
For instance, all drivers have the responsibility of following road signs and traffic laws while driving. If the other driver speeds or drives recklessly, they breach their duty to follow these laws. If this breach caused you damages, you can hold the other driver liable for their actions.
Legal Liability in Lansing, MI Car Accidents
Depending upon the exact nature of your Lansing car accident, there are several different parties you can hold legally liable, such as:
- At-fault driver – Even if you have your own PIP coverage, you can still pursue compensation from the at-fault driver.
- Auto insurance companies – Depending on the case, your Lansing car accident lawyer could file a claim to obtain a higher settlement from your own insurance company or the policy of the at-fault driver.
- Companies – Many car accidents involve businesses, whether your accident involved a company-owned vehicle or commercial truck or took place on property owned by a business.
- Government agencies – Some cases include municipal government organizations because the car accidents involve city-owned vehicles like garbage trucks or due to city road conditions.
Proving Fault for a Car Accident in Lansing
The comparative negligence laws in Michigan allow you to sue another person or company for the proportion of damages for which they are responsible. In a practical sense, you can hold other parties responsible even if you hold some of the blame.
For instance, if you failed to yield properly to traffic, this could be a contributing factor in your auto accident. However, if the traffic lights malfunctioned, the government entity responsible for maintaining them could also be held liable for its share of the fault.
Your Lansing car accident lawyer will be able to go into detail about how comparative negligence will impact your case and what legal rights you have available to recover compensation.
Financial Compensation We Can Secure for Car Crash Victims
While there isn’t a standardized amount of financial compensation you can expect after a Lansing car accident, the car accident lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have been successful in securing multi million settlements for other accident victims. This ranges from a $1 million policy limit settlement to an $18.5 million truck accident settlement.
Factors Affecting Car Accident Settlement Amounts
When it comes to all types of personal injury claims, it isn’t possible to predict just how much your case could be worth. However, there are certain factors known to affect auto accident settlement amounts.
In most cases, the more significant your financial losses, the larger the settlement. This means a case with higher medical bills and more property damage will often be able to recover more money than a case with smaller losses.
The extent of the injuries plays an important role in your settlement amount. Death or catastrophic injuries tend to receive much higher payouts than injuries that are more easily recoverable. This isn’t to say it isn’t worth filing a lawsuit for minor injuries.
The types of insurance coverage available also matter when it comes to the size of the settlement.
A single-vehicle accident with only your own personal policy limit may not be able to recover the same amount of compensation as an accident with a commercial truck. The commercial truck would have business liability insurance and the company’s assets to pay for a claim.
The availability of witnesses and strong evidence also can make a difference in the settlement amount. Cases with a lot of conclusive evidence tend to secure more than cases without it.
The Most Common Car Accident Injuries
The most common injuries reported after a car crash in Lansing, Michigan, include:
- Head injuries, such as concussions and skull fractures
- Back injuries, including a herniated disc
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Burns
- Amputation
- Lacerations
The Time It Takes to Settle a Car Accident Case
It is understandable you want to settle your Lansing car accident case as soon as possible. The average time it takes to reach a settlement after a car crash is six months. However, this amount of time is not set in stone.
There are many factors influencing this, such as how much compensation you’re requesting, the strength of evidence, the other parties involved, and whether you’ve retained a law firm to represent you.
Typically, insurance companies, businesses, and government agencies will take a claim more seriously once you’ve hired a law firm. This could potentially make them offer a fair settlement sooner than they would otherwise.
The Cost of Hiring an Experienced Attorney Specialized in Car Accident Cases
The Lansing car accident lawyers at our law firm work on a contingency basis. This means our clients do not pay anything upfront for our legal help. Instead, we agree on a set percentage of the settlement we help you recover.
Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit With Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
Working with our law firm can help make the process of filing a claim for compensation after your auto accident simpler, as we can help guide you through the process.
First, we’ll start with a free consultation where we’ll discuss the specifics of your case. We’ll discuss what happened during your car crash and examine any evidence you already have, such as cell phone photos.
Based on this information, we’ll discuss your legal rights and make recommendations on what your options are. You are under no obligation to move forward with your case just because you scheduled a consultation with our law firm.
Should you decide to proceed, our law firm will start the process of investigating your case. We’ll gather evidence, such as medical bills, witness testimony, photos, video surveillance from nearby businesses, and other data.
For more complex cases, we may consult experts and use the services of accident reconstruction specialists. This process will help bolster your case and increase the likelihood of a successful claim.
Meanwhile, our law firm will also lead negotiations with your insurance provider to get the highest settlement offer possible. In many cases, this can be achieved in mediation. If not, we will prepare to go to court.
Contact a Lansing Car Accident Lawyer Today!
If you have been injured in an auto accident, you may have mounting medical bills and other expenses. The sooner you contact an auto accident attorney, the sooner you can start the process of recovering compensation.
Contact the Lansing car accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers for a free consultation by filling out our contact form or calling our law firm toll-free at (888) 424-5757. We’re available 24/7 to answer your call.
Our Lansing car accident lawyers have helped dozens of other clients recover compensation after auto accidents. In some cases, we secured multi-million dollar settlements for our clients. We work on a contingency basis, so you won’t have to pay anything for your personal injury attorney until we help you recover compensation.
Resources: [1] MCTF, [2] OHSP, [3] Michigan Traffic Crash Facts
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)