Tom’s niche in wage loss recovery and attendant care for car accident victims is noted by Michigan trial lawyers organization

I’m proud to announce that one of our outstanding No-Fault insurance attorneys Thomas W. James has been named a Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) Pacesetter. “Pacesetter” is a recognition from the MAJ that highlights noteworthy Michigan attorneys excelling in their fields. The MAJ is a state organization of over 2,000 personal  injury lawyers and insurance lawyers who are dedicated to helping accident victims. Michigan Auto Law attorneys are strong supporters of the Michigan Association for Justice.

Insurance company admits use of ‘Colossus’ software to ‘low-ball’  auto accident settlements and  stonewall car accident attorneys

Continuing with my “Allstate week” (I’ll stop writing about them when Allstate stops giving me so much to write about), this is part  of a  series I’ll be posting about the auto insurance company’s efforts to unfairly use a controversial computer program called Colossus. Colossus is designed to low-ball  settlement awards for injured car accident victims in Michigan and around the country.

Michigan auto insurance attorney warns car accident victims about insurance companies targeting doctors that they don’t like

Claims adjusters regularly discourage injured Michigan car accident victims from treating with certain doctors that claims adjusters don’t like. They can’t legally do this, of course, but it still happens every day. Some doctors are too much of an “advocate” for injury victims, and actually have the audacity to stand up for their patients.  So many insurance companies and claims adjusters steer people to doctors they know are more conservative (read: send hurt people back to work faster).

Michigan truck accident lawyer responds to “Trucker for life” on  why onus is on truckers to avoid truck crashes

First, since this isn’t my first email from an angry truck driver, let me repeat what I’ve written earlier:

As a truck accident lawyer, I’m not anti-trucker.  Currently, about 10 percent of my practice is truck drivers who were seriously injured in truck accidents. I also speak and teach at a number of industry safety seminars to help truckers and trucking companies.

Personal injury lawyer shares reader comment about the importance of sober driving in Michigan

With the new Michigan law that targets drunker drivers, there has been a lot of discussion from our personal injury attorneys about the importance of safe and sober driving – especially around the holidays.

We’ve received a comment from one of our readers, Shelley, regarding drunk driving and a very tragic accident. Take a look:

Continuing with my Wednesday tradition of  highlighting comments from real readers,  this comment comes  Nancy, who  is upset by the fact that Michigan auto insurance companies are allowed to use a person’s credit report to determine rates for policyholders. Most people don’t realize that responsible people who pay off credit cards are often the most penalized and punished when insurance companies use credit scoring.  Plus, there are several logical fallacies in the argument for credit scoring that I address below Nancy’s comments.

Here’s what she has to say:

Auto accident attorney reveals Citizens Insurance agents’ misstatements about No-Fault medical insurance coverage

Too often, our auto accident attorneys hear from injured drivers who have been given completely wrong information from the insurance agents who sold them their Michigan No-Fault auto insurance policies.

One particularly troublesome, and recurring, situation I see involves Citizens Insurance Company.  This is happening  when agents for Citizens Insurance Company erroneously inform the company’s paying customers that Citizens is paying a greater share of the insured’s medical coverage than it actually is.  Oops.  Big problem.

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.