Benson announces plan to eliminate the driver responsibility fee and discusses how it’s unfair to Michigan drivers

The scope of my blog is on news, tips and help for auto accident victims and drivers in Michigan. Today, I’ve invited  Jocelyn Benson, the  Democratic candidate running for Michigan Secretary of State to guest blog about an important idea for Michigan drivers. Professor Benson is an attorney who lives in Detroit. She has been an advocate for efficient and transparent government.

The auto accident lawyers of Michigan Auto Law wish our clients, friends and family a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are thankful for you, the people we have the honor of helping in your times of need. Our greatest satisfaction is having happy clients who can confidently refer their loved ones, knowing our attorneys can provide the best legal help available following an automobile accident. Happy holidays!

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Southfield, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with a lawyer. There is absolutely no fee or obligation.

Beware of 14 Factors that Can Ruin a Traumatic Brain Injury Case

This is part six of my series on tips for lawyers handling traumatic brain injury cases. In my experience, I’ve found the incredible irony underlying any TBI case is that the plaintiff — like any plaintiff in any personal injury case — must be likable, honest and credible for a jury to award a fair verdict. But, as we frequently experience with clients, it’s often the brain injury itself that makes a plaintiff somewhat unlikable.

On May 12, 2009, Plaggemeyer v. Lee was issued by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Plaggemeyer is the latest injustice in a long line of cases since Kreiner v. Fischer. It too harms Michigan personal injury lawyers and accident victims alike.

Mr. James Plaggemeyer was injured in a serious car accident. He suffered a broken left femur and required surgery. He spent several days in the hospital recovering from leg surgery and needed the use of a walker for an additional four weeks, crutches for the next eight weeks, and a cane for another four to six weeks. Mr. Plaggemeyer testified he had difficulty walking for about a year after the accident, and he sometimes called for his wife Ruth’s support when walking. Nevertheless, the Michigan Court of Appeals, in a panel with Sawyer, Murray, and Stephens, threw his case out of Court.

I had a deposition this week that raised a recurring issue in many of my more serious truck accident cases, and I would like to share it with my fellow truck accident lawyers. After any serious truck accident, where the trucking company has seriously injured or killed someone, it is now common for the truck company’s insurance carrier to send rapid response teams to the scene of the accident. These rapid response teams will usually include accident reconstructionists, adjusters and even the defense lawyer for the truck company.

A Flow Chart Guide to Michigan’s Car Accident Threshold Law

Last week, when I blogged about the Michigan Supreme Court’s 2004 Kreiner v. Fischer decision — the case that has ravaged the rights of car accident and truck accident victims in Michigan — I received a request asking if I could specifically explain Kreiner, which sets forth Michigan’s auto accident threshold law. Here’s a flow chart I use when leading seminars for Michigan lawyers on the state’s automobile accident threshold law, and when teaching the third-party no-fault class at Cooley Law School every year with Professor Borin. You can click on it to view an enlarged version.

As personal injury lawyers who specialize in automobile negligence, we normally write about car accidents and truck accidents in Michigan. But given the recent headlines regarding the national outbreak of swine flu, our lawyers wanted to pass along these important tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s our most sincere hope that our clients and friends are protected from this new strain of influenza.

On February 5, Steve Gursten was interviewed by ABC News, for its nationally syndicated radio show, The Law Business Insider. Hosted by Steve Murphy, the show features America’s premier lawyers and business executives. Steve Gursten was chosen for the interview because he received the largest 2008 settlement and auto negligence verdict in Michigan, according to a year-end verdicts and settlements report by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

A new Court of Appeals ruling says family members providing attendant care to injured must be compensated what agencies pay their employees for comparable services — instead of what agencies charge

Michigan attendant care lawyers are predicting a drastic setback for families providing attendant care to loved ones who have suffered catastrophic injuries in car accidents. Specifically, we are expecting Michigan auto insurance companies to aggressively reduce the hourly rates they compensate people providing attendant care to injured family members.

The car accident lawyers of Michigan Auto Law wish our treasured readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Our blog will resume December 2.