Personal Injury

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Understanding The Threshold Injury Requirement For Michigan Auto Negligence Cases

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Understanding The Threshold Injury Requirement For Michigan Auto Negligence Cases

Michigan law limits the ability of a person injured in a car accident to bring a third-party claim for non-economic damages. Unlike first-party benefits, which are available to a person injured in a car accident regardless of fault, a person cannot bring a third-party claim if he or she was more than 50 percent at fault for the accident. MCL 500.3135(2)(b). Furthermore, the injured party must demonstrate that he or she suffered an injury that meets the no-fault damages threshold. This requires that the injury suffered in the car accident be one of the following:

5 Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Personal Injury Case

5 Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Personal Injury Case

Sometimes accidents are unavoidable. You can do everything right, take all the proper precautions and still fall victim to someone else’s negligence or careless. What you can control, is how you handle the aftermath. Below are five common mistakes accident victims make before obtaining an attorney that can result in either a lower settlement or no case at all. 

What You Post Can Be Used Against You In A Court Of Law

What You Post Can Be Used Against You In A Court Of Law

Social media plays a huge role in our daily lives. It allows us to share information and content to people half away around the world with the click of a mouse or a few taps on a phone. In fact, posting and tweeting about our daily experiences is almost second nature. Often we do not stop to think about some of the consequences of the things we share with the world. The same is true for plaintiffs in personal injury cases.

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5 Dog Breeds With The Most Attacks

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5 Dog Breeds With The Most Attacks

Dogs are fantastic companions, but unfortunately dog bite attacks are common and can cause serious injuries. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention approximates that 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States. Of those victims, 20% require medical attention.

Animals 24-7 released a 2014 report titled “Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada (1982-2014)”, which looked at dog bite attacks over the last 32 years. The report lists the number of deaths, maimings (loss of limb or disfigurement) and other severe injuries that required medical treatment for each dog breed. The five breeds with the most attacks are listed below.

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2014 Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Statistics

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2014 Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Statistics

Each year, the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center and the Office of Highway Safety Planning compiles and publishes the annual Michigan Traffic Crash Facts. The statistics are often surprising. For example, did you know that in 2014, single-vehicle accidents caused more fatalities (434) than multi-vehicle accidents (397)? Click below for more details from the 2014 report. 

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Be Careful Who You Lend Your Car To

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Be Careful Who You Lend Your Car To

Did you know that in the state of Michigan, you can be held liable for an automobile accident without being behind the wheel, or even present at the scene? Under the owner liability act, MCL 257.410 et seq., the owner of a motor vehicle is liable for any injuries caused by any person driving the vehicle with the owner’s express or implied consent or knowledge.

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Do You Have Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

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Do You Have Uninsured And Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

As a prerequisite for obtaining vehicle registration, Michigan residents are required to purchase certain insurance coverage. MCL 257.518, 500.3009, .3131. The law requires that each driver carry minimum liability insurance of $20,000 for injuries to one person, $40,000 for each accident if multiple people are injured, and $10,000 for property damage. MCL 257.520. These minimum coverage limits are commonly referred to as 20/40/10 coverage.

But what happens if the injuries you sustain in a car accident exceed the $20,000 minimum policy of the driver who hit you? Even worse, what happens if the driver who hit you does not have insurance?