How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You

The Clark Law Office is a leading Michigan personal injury law firm dedicated to representing people, not insurance companies.  We are proud of our hard-earned reputation as successful trial attorneys serving Lansing and all of Michigan for the past 30 years. High quality work, dedication, and extensive courtroom experience allow the attorneys of The Clark Office to provide you with unique trial capabilities and comprehensive knowledge of Michigan’s injury and negligence laws.  Whether you’ve been in a car accident or motorcycle accident, hurt while working, or experienced medical malpractice, you can count on us to work hard for you.

As a client of The Clark Law Office, your representation will be with a trial attorney who will provide you with the personal service you deserve.  Your case will not be passed off to an attorney you’ve never met before! Both David M. Clark and Matthew R. Clark will personally be handling your case.  Our trial experience, aggressive mindset, and our unique ability to try and win large personal injury cases at trial have resulted in top dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients – and we will do the same for you. We understand the hardships and difficulties that come along with recovering compensation from large insurance companies after an injury.

ABSOLUTELY NO FEE UNLESS YOU WIN YOUR CASE

When our attorneys at The Clark Law Office take on an injury case, we do not require our clients to pay a dime unless we successfully recover compensation.  There are no upfront costs.  We pay for everything.  It’s that simple!

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Why Should I Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Just about every injury lawsuit utilizes negligence to prove another party is responsible in causing your injury.  Negligence can be thought of as the failure to take reasonable care to protect others.  In this particular type of lawsuit, a lawyer must be able to prove that the other person owed their client a duty to act with reasonable care.  Some common examples include a driver of a vehicle owing a duty of care to other driver(s) on the road and doctors owing a duty of care to their patient(s).  In addition to this, an attorney must also be able to prove that the negligent party failed to meet a standard of care and the injury directly resulted from this failure.

The final piece is proving that their client has actually suffered damages.  These damages can be either economic (medical expenses) or non-economic losses (pain and suffering) that occurred because of the defendant’s negligence. Many people are hesitant to contact a personal injury attorney after suffering an injury.  The assumption is that hiring a lawyer will cut into the compensation they could potentially receive.  However, numerous studies have shown that injured victims still recover more compensation than those who attempt to settle without an attorney.  In fact, it’s been shown that insurance companies encourage telling their clients that a lawyer is not necessary because it saves them 200-300% in payouts.  Here’s a few ways that we can help you!

  • Collecting witness statements
  • Conducting accident reconstruction investigations
  • Hiring and paying for highly regarded and relevant experts
  • Building theories of negligence and developing evidence and arguments as support
  • Responding and dealing with insurance companies involved and organizing medical bills/records
  • Advising our clients how to proceed during each phase of recovery
  • Preparing evidence and building a strong case to present to insurance companies, judges, and juries on your behalf

What Damages Can I Recover in a Lawsuit?

There are a variety of types of financial compensation that you might be entitled to receive from your personal injury lawsuit after negligence has been established.  These damages have the purpose of compensating the injured party for economic and non-economic losses that they have sustained as a result of the injury or accident.  Some of these damages include:

Medical Expenses

Medical Expenses

medical-expenses-payoutMedical expenses usually include everything than can be considered reasonable and necessary pertaining to the injury.  If it can be found that the defendant was negligent or liable for causing the injuries of the plaintiff, they will have to payout for the injured persons’ medical expenses as a portion of the overall damages.  Medical expenses include both past expenses that have already been paid and future expenses that pertain to the original injury.

What Are Some Examples of Medical Expenses in a Lawsuit?

  • Bills from the hospital
  • Expenses for diagnostic tests
  • Costs for surgery
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation costs
  • Expenses for prescription medication
  • Fees and costs that are insurance related
  • Management of pain and suffering

Wage Loss

Wage Loss

loss of income due to injuryIf you have suffered an injury because of the negligence of another person, you have the right to be reimbursed for the loss of wages during the treatment and recovery of your injury.  It’s also important to note that your wage loss or loss of income is only a portion of your total employment compensation.  Many people don’t realize they can also be reimbursed other types of compensation.

What Are Some Less Known Examples of Employee Compensation?

  • Paid Sick Days
  • Days For Vacation
  • Bonus Days
  • Pay Bonuses
  • All Other Perks & Benefits

Pain and Suffering

Pain and Suffering

Man suffering with painSome severe injuries cause extreme pain and suffering and the goal of this damage is compensate the victim for going through extreme discomfort.  This can be difficult to collect under Michigan no-fault law, but serious injuries are still eligible for compensation.  Typically, pain and suffering falls under physical pain or an emotional and psychological trauma.  You will need to provide documentation to prove that you are in fact in severe pain and suffering.

What Documentation To Prove Pain and Suffering?

  • All medical records
  • Receipts for prescriptions
  • Receipts for over-the-counter medications
  • Proof of wages lost or time off
  • A log for treatment, pain, and other related activities
  • Detailed photos of your injuries

Emotional Distress

Emotional Distress

In a personal injury case, emotional distress damages are intended to compensate you for the impact the injury has had on you psychologically.  This type of damage is very subjective meaning that something that might be stressful to one person may not be to another person.  The severity of the distress that you are experiencing is important to the award amount, but it MUST be proven that is directly related to the injuries caused by the negligent party.

What Are Some Examples of Emotional Distress?

  • Loss of sleep
  • High levels of anxiety
  • Fear
  • Depression
  • Humiliation
  • Sex Discrimination
  • False Imprisonment

Loss of Consortium

Loss of Consortium

This type of damage is meant to compensate an individual for the loss of love and companionship of a spouse who was injured.   The idea is that person who was injured or killed can’t provide his loved ones with the same love, affection, comfort, and sexual relations because the negligence of another person.  As a means for compensation, loss of consortium allows you to file a claim against the negligent party for all of those losses and includes the aid, support, and companionship.

What Are Some Examples of Loss of Consortium?

  • Companionship
  • Emotional and mental support
  • Basic home services
  • Taking care of children
  • Sexual relations
  • Love and comfort

Why Choose The Clark Law Office As My Personal Injury Law Firm?

Our law firm will be working closely with you to get the best results possible. We take our responsibilities to our clients seriously, so we stay involved and informed about updates in Michigan law to ensure a positive resolution for your legal manners. The Clark Law Office understands the stress and concerns that you have, because we have lived through hard fought cases and the crucible of trial with its clients for over 30 years.  The following are some of the verdicts and settlements that have been obtained by our attorneys:

  • $2.75 million motorcycle accident verdict against the US Air Force

  • $2.1 million defective machine settlement against a multi-national machine manufacturer

  • $1.1 million dollar verdict for real estate rights in Florida

Common Injuries Involved in Personal Injury Cases

The type and severity of the injury sustained by the victim will have a large impact on the result of your case.  The types of injuries vary widely and many victims experience one or more serious injuries.  The following list includes examples of the most common injuries that are involved in personal injury cases.

  • Fractured bones and broken bones
  • Spinal cord injuries such as quadriplegia and paraplegia
  • Back and neck injuries including herniated discs
  • Knee injuries such as MCL and ACL tears
  • Poising injuries from substances that are toxic
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Birth injuries or birth defects
  • Finger, wrist, and hand injuries
  • Electrocution or electric shock
  • Explosion and burn injuries
  • Wrongful death
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Psychological injuries such as emotional distress

Examples of Circumstances That May Lead To a Lawsuit

Our law firm also handles cases that include injuries sustained in bicycle accidents, slip and falls, and dog bites as well as those stemming from birth injuries, burn injuries, and pain syndromes.  We also provide expert legal counsel for those seeking compensation for wrongful death, defective products, and nursing home injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Lawsuits

What Is My Case Worth?

This is a common question that we get asked constantly and is quite difficult to provide a quality answer to. It sounds cliché, but every personal injury case is different with a completely unique set of circumstances. For example, two passengers in the same vehicle will have different case value amounts. There is no standard when it comes to estimating case value, the only way to truly know the value of a case is to work with an attorney who can investigate for evidence, medical records, and other relevant information.

Do You Think My Case Will Go To Trial?

Regardless of what we think of your case, we will prepare and be ready for trial. This will allow us to gather the required evidence and perform a detailed investigation. That being said, roughly 85% of cases settle before even reaching a courtroom. Our reputation as proven trial attorneys helps us recover maximum financial compensation for you!

How Long Will It Take To Resolve My Case?

This is a hard question for a personal injury lawyer to answer simply because each case is unique. It is difficult to create a timetable for injury cases because of this reason. Some cases might only take 1-2 months while others could potentially take years.

How Soon Should I File a Lawsuit?

Following your accident your injury, you should contact a personal injury attorney as quickly as possible to give you the best chance of recovery. Victims of an injury have a certain time limit to file lawsuit which is referred to as statute of limitations. If you fail to file a suit within the time frame you will never be able to recover any financial compensation for your sustained injuries.

How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?

At The Clark Law Office, we charge absolutely no fees unless you win your injury case. This is also called a contingency fee basis. We will pay for the expenses of the case including relevant medical experts, court fees, private investigators, etc. We will accept a fixed percentage only if your case is won, which is usually 1/3.

Will You Be The Attorney Handling My Case?

Of course! Our advantage as a smaller personal injury firm is the dedication and commitment we provide to our clients. David M. Clark and his 30 years of personal injury experience will be personally handling all aspects of your case. Many large firms will sign up your case and then refer you to another lawyer who you don’t know and trust. That will never happen at our law firm.

Have You Tried Similar Injury Cases Before?

Over the last 30 years trying and litigating cases personal injury cases across the country we have tried just about every injury case imaginable. Chances are we have lots of experience successfully trying similar cases to yours. Either way, we will be completely honest and up-front about everything related to your case.

Contact Our Lansing Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation

When you call The Clark Law Office you will receive a free legal consultation regarding your situation and your injuries.  We strive to insure that we achieve the best possible result for each of our clients.  We have been handling personal injury cases for over 30 years and have recovered millions of dollars for our client’s injuries.  We have the experience and expertise to get you the results you deserve.

“We have focused our entire law practice and dedicated our lives to represent the people and we look forward to helping with you through your tough times.”

If you have questions about your case, don’t hesitate to call us at (517)-347-6900, email us at info@theclarkawoffice.com, or fill out our online contact form.  Initial consultations are completely free and you pay no fees unless you win your injury case.