Michigan Car Accident Attorneys Give Safety Tips That Can Save Your Life

As attorneys handling auto accidents for more than 50 years, we have seen countless accidents occur at the hands of negligent drivers.  While all of these cases are tragic, some of the most heartbreaking are car accidents caused by drunk drivers. These crashes are completely preventable, and it’s never an “accident” when someone gets behind the wheel while impaired.

According to MADD, in 2007 12,998 people were killed by drunk drivers who had BAC of .08 or greater. And during the holidays, the percentage of drunk-driving incidents jumps. Drinking and driving should never be an option.  Remember, one careless moment behind the wheel can change lives forever.

There is a right way and a wrong way for personal injury lawyers to be charging on collecting PIP benefits

Let me be clear: one of the things that really bothers me is watching a personal injury lawyer sign up a case, and then try to take his or her third on everything starting on day one - wage loss, replacement services, even medical bills!

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for any Michigan personal injury lawyer to take a full attorney fee or to take advantage of a client in this way, especially when an auto insurance company is voluntarily paying a crash victim wage loss and replacement services without any problems.

We at Michigan Auto Law wish our clients, friends and families happy holidays!   We are truly honored to be able to help so many good people who have been seriously injured through no fault of their own.  We know our clients are depending on us, whether it be with an excellent settlement for a car accident, or with an insurance company that is improperly suspending wage loss and medical bills. We are always here for you and we will continue to fight for you and provide the best possible legal representation.

Why some fix people quickly, and others scam the system in Michigan

For my latest year-end reflections on automobile insurance company abuse in Michigan, and the abuses that have sprung up on both sides as a result, I’d like to talk about chiropractors.

Let me start by saying that I personally go see a chiropractor.  About once or twice a year, my back or neck goes “out.”  As a lawyer handling serious personal injury cases, I probably know or have deposed almost every top medical specialist in the state. But I see chiropractors because  peer-reviewed medical studies have repeatedly shown that for acute injuries and trauma, chiropractic care is more effective than traditional medical doctors and pills.

There are a lot of doctors “staring into the abyss” in Michigan, as philosopher Nietszche warned. These doctors see a patient who has been injured in an auto accident, and they must quickly order a battery of expensive medical tests to “work up” the patient. This is unfortunate and it increases medical costs.

But why is it happening?

Our auto accident attorneys know that the reason doctors jump to give crash victims diagnostic tests is mostly because of insurance companies in Michigan. These doctors are literally racing against the clock in efforts to protect their patients before the patients’ insurance companies stop paying for no-fault insurance benefits and the ability to truly help them passes.

“He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” — Nietszche

As an auto accident attorney, my job is to protect and fight for my clients. Yet I sometimes wonder, how do you fight every day with insurance claims adjusters who regularly cross the line, mistreating people terribly and breaking the law, but still avoid Nietzche’s warning about falling into the abyss?

Personal Injury Attorney Highlights West Michigan Streets with the Most Auto Accidents

With the start of another winter, our Grand Rapids auto accident attorneys want to make west Michigan drivers aware of recent crash statistics from Kent County. West Michigan is always one of the first places in the state to get heavy snow, especially with the dramatic lake effect.

The Michigan State Police have published 2008 data for the state’s top 100 high-crash roads - and No. 5 on the list was Alpine Ave. between 4 Mile Road and Henze Drive.  We’ve consolidated the list to identify the top 10 roads in west Michigan that were the scene of the most car accidents and truck accidents, based on the number of crashes reported to Kent County police.

One of my most exciting accomplishments as a lawyer is the law student mentoring program I created eight years ago at Michigan Auto Law, which has resulted in our law firm hiring several talented lawyers who were former law school clerks.  Tom James, Brandon Hewitt, Alison Tomak and Roger Thon all worked at this firm during law school and have become outstanding lawyers.

Auto insurance in Michigan is way too expensive. And another round of auto insurance reform bills is highlighting the dire need to clean up our system and support countless injured people who are gouged and abused by the insurance companies that are supposed to protect them. Our attorneys are excited about the prospect. We’re equally pleased that the office of Butch Hollowell, the state automobile insurance consumer advocate, is also taking on this important issue.

The proposed laws include:

On Tuesday, I blogged about a 60 Minutes news report stating that athletes who have concussions (even minor ones), can go on to have permanent brain injury and dementia. Today I’m writing a continuation of that post, hoping to help traumatic brain injury attorneys entrusted with the immense responsibility of showing what futures may hold for auto accident victims.

The 60 Minutes show was based on a study of the long-term effects of TBI, particularly concussions, in athletes. And Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University School of Medicine, told the show she’s been working on a new area of brain research that’s provided physiological proof of brain disease in athletes who have suffered concussions.