Why Should You Hire a Personal Injury Attorney in Ionia, MI?
The consequences of being involved in an accident aren’t only limited to physical injuries. You also need to deal with emotional trauma, medical bills, and filing insurance claims. It’s also more painful when you lose a loved one because of another person’s negligence.
An Ionia personal injury lawyer will help you go through this process. He will make sure that legal matters are taken care of so you can focus on your recovery.
What to Expect in Personal Injury Cases?
The rigorous claims process starts once you give your Ionia, MI personal injury lawyer the green light to proceed with your case in order to:
1. Prove negligence
The legal counsel must show there’s negligence for you to receive compensation for loss and harm. Five criteria must be fulfilled. They are:
- A breach of duty
- Proximate cause
- Causal connection resulting in harm
- Breach of duty
- Owed duty of care
2. Build the case
There are different kinds of evidence you can use to build your case:
- Medical bills
- Safety reports
- Visual evidence
- Witness testimonies
- Police reports
- Blood alcohol tests
- Phone records
- Court decision
The court will review the elements of your case, including injuries, property damage, pain, and suffering, to determine compensation. Financial losses, such as lost wages and medical bills, are also covered.
Important Considerations for Personal Injury Cases
Personal injury can also be incurred in other scenarios like dog bites, medical malpractice, and slip and fall. Here are some things to consider before filing a case involving dog bites in Michigan, medical malpractice, and slip and fall.
· There is “strict” liability applied for dog bites.
In many states, the owner is free (to some extent) from liability if his dog injures someone the first time. This rule is applicable only if there’s no reason to believe that the dog was dangerous.
In Michigan, the owner is strictly liable for dog bites. That means that he is responsible for personal injury regardless of the dog’s past behavior.
· Damage caps in medical malpractice cases
Michigan laws put a limit on the type or amount of damages you’ll receive in some types of harm. These laws usually limit non-economic damages called “pain and suffering.”
In medical malpractice cases, the limit is $476,000 for the year 2021. However, this can increase to $851,000 if there is death or catastrophic disabilities.
· The maximum amount you can sue for slip and fall cases
There is no limit to the amount you can sue for pain and suffering. This broad category covers payouts for emotional anguish and physical pain. Compensation may also be awarded for humiliation, embarrassment, and denial of social pleasure and enjoyment.
When to File a Personal Injury Case in Ionia, MI
Settlement is most likely to happen long before you feel the need to file a lawsuit. However, some may feel that a settlement is not enough to compensate for the injury.
The Michigan statute of limitation dictates the period of time within which you can file a case after an injury occurred. You only have three years to do this, or the court has the right to dismiss your case.
The three-year time limit usually begins on the date of the accident. However, if you only discover the injury days after the accident, the clock starts on the discovery date.
Choose The Clark Law Office to Win Your Ionia, MI Personal Injury Case
Our team has over 30 years of experience handling Michigan personal injury cases. With The Clark Law Office, you can rest assured that we represent people, and not insurance companies. In addition, we possess extensive knowledge of Michigan personal injury and negligence laws and legal processes.
If you suffered from an automobile accident, medical malpractice, dog bites, or slip and fall, we could help with:
- Collecting witness statements
- Transacting with insurance companies
- Hiring reliable experts
- Conducting accident reconstruction investigations
- Conceptualizing theories of negligence, submitting evidence and arguments for support
- Building a solid case to discuss with the judge, jury, or insurance companies
Book an appointment with us today by calling +1 (517) 347-6900, and let’s discuss how we can win your case.
