Personal injuries are more common than you might think. Every day, many people right here in Traverse City are hurt as a result of car accidents, workplace accidents, construction accidents, and nursing home abuse. When you are injured through the negligence of another individual or corporation, you have the legal right to be compensated for your injuries and losses.
The experienced Traverse City personal injury attorneys at Michigan Injury Lawyers can help you defend this legal right. Call now for your free initial consultation.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents are some of the most common causes of injuries across the United States. It is a simple matter of statistics: With so many vehicles on the road, and people spending so much time in their vehicles, it is highly likely that accidents will occur. Most Traverse City residents ride in a car every day. The more miles you travel, the most likely you are to find yourself in a collision.
Accidents may be likely, but they are not inevitable, and you may need to negligent drivers accountable for the injuries they cause so you can pay for your medical bills. This helps to deter unsafe driving habits in the future. The unsafe choices drivers make can put you at risk of serious injury—or even death. Every driver here in Traverse City must accept personal responsibility for enacting safe driving habits.
No-Fault Car Insurance for Traverse City Auto Accident Victims
Michigan is a no-fault insurance state. This fact means that drivers are required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance that will cover their medical expenses, part of their lost income, and certain incidental expenses regardless of whose fault an accident was.
Importantly, however, PIP does provide coverage for non-economic losses like pain and suffering or lost quality of life. Fortunately for people involved in severe accidents, Michigan law does allow people who suffer “serious impairment of bodily function” to file third-party insurance claims or lawsuits in order to recover for all of their auto accident-related losses. The experienced lawyers at Michigan Injury Law can help determine your options after a serious car crash.
NOTE: This summer, Michigan car insurance is going to change tremendously due to legislative reform. Consumers will have more coverage options, and the way claims are handled may also change. As a result, car accident victims should work with a lawyer, like those at Michigan Injury Law, who are familiar with these changes and how they may affect your case.
Workplace Accidents
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 155 workers died as a result of workplace injuries in Michigan in 2018, an alarming figure for Michigan residents who go to work on a daily basis. No one should face the risk of death while on the job. Employers must provide adequate safety training and equipment, as well as the necessary supervision and oversight to ensure a safe working environment for all employees. Those who fail to do so must be held accountable for their actions to prevent other innocent workers from being injured—or killed—in the future.
Worker’s compensation benefits are available to anyone who is injured on the job, regardless of who was at fault for causing the injury. That said, worker’s compensation benefits are limited to medical bills and limited wage compensation. If a third party contributed to your injuries, your attorney may advise you to sue them, too, such as the company that manufactured defective safety equipment. These third-party personal injury claims can recover full wage compensation, in addition to compensation for pain and suffering.
Be sure to speak with an experienced workplace injury lawyer before filing any type of claim or complaint.
Construction Accidents
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 21.1 percent of all workplace fatalities in the United States in 2018 were in the construction industry. This means that a construction worker suffered more than one out of every five fatal injuries in the American workplace. Construction workers are restricted by the “election of remedy” rules that apply to all workplace injury claims, so be sure to consult an attorney before filing your claims. The election of remedy also applies to survivors of a worker who dies on the job.
Construction workers are not the only ones who can be injured in construction accidents. Falling objects or dangerous activities (such as blasting) may injure passersby. Many auto accidents occur in work zones. If your injuries were caused by the negligence of a construction company or its workers, you have the right to be compensated for your losses.
Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Nursing home neglect and abuse is a growing problem in America. As the population ages, more and more people require assistance. This can be in-home nursing care, temporary care in a rehabilitation facility, or full-time residence in an assisted living facility.
Regardless of the service provided, a caregiver has an obligation to perform their duties with “reasonable prudence.” Medical providers who fail to render necessary treatment or care can be found liable for medical malpractice. The care facilities that allow neglect or abuse to occur at the hands of their employees can be held liable for the injuries that occur.
In 2012, Gov. Rick Snyder signed comprehensive elder protection into law. The legislation was a package of ten separate bills that covered a wide variety of issues related to elder abuse. They established state task forces—including in the medical examiner’s office—to help identify and prosecute elder abuse. They also strengthened the penalties and set sentencing guidelines for crimes related to elder abuse, important steps toward prosecuting elder abuse in the criminal justice system. It is also important to hold abusers and their employers accountable in civil court.
In many cases, an individual who is prosecuted criminally for elder abuse was hired by a care facility that negligently allowed the abuse to occur. The criminal case punishes the abuser, but not the facility that allowed it to happen. By pursuing a civil claim against negligent care facilities, victims hold these facilities accountable for preventing neglect and abuse against the vulnerable adults in their care.
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Call Us Today for a Free Case Evaluation with a Traverse City Personal Injury Lawyer
Regardless of how an injury occurs, a negligent defendant has a legal obligation to compensate you for your injuries and losses. It is important to hold defendants accountable for their negligence to protect other innocent victims from being injured in the future.
At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we fight hard for Traverse City injury victims. Call (231) 649-2720 or write to us online using our contact form for your free initial consultation.
Michigan Injury Lawyers Office
340 E. State Street, Ste. 4C
Traverse City, MI 49684
231-649-2720