Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids
When a serious personal injury occurs, it can sometimes be life-altering and cause financial hardship for victims and their families. If you or a loved one suffered a personal injury that was caused by the negligence of others, calling a licensed attorney to review your claim might be a smart move.
The legal team at Jay Trucks and Associates has been fighting for the rights of personal injury victims throughout the state of Michigan for decades. Our firm has handled more than 1,000 cases and recovered millions of dollars in compensation, including $2,000,000 for a worker who suffered catastrophic injuries in an accident, $935,000 for a female motorist that suffered fractured bones in a collision with a commercial vehicle and $98,000 for the family of a 5 year old child that was the victim of a dog bite attack. Our founder Jay Trucks attended Central Michigan University and Detroit College of Law and is a member of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association.
…I was treated like a person, not just a case number. I felt taken care of from beginning to end…
— J. Fuller
If we determine you have a valid case, our Grand Rapids personal injury attorneys are ready to handle the entire legal process on your behalf so you can focus on recovering from your injury. We charge no fees up front and only bill you when we successfully recover compensation.
Free Consultation.
(989) 601-2554
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How Do I Know if my Claim is Valid?
You or your attorney must be able to prove negligence was the cause for your injury. During your free case review, our attorneys are prepared to go over the details of your claim and determine if we may be able to prove the four elements of negligence:
Duty of care was present
Duty of care was breached
Causal link exists
Damages resulted from your injury
Our attorneys take on cases involving many types of personal injury accidents, such as:
Car, truck and motorcycle accidents
Boating accidents
Defective products
Medical malpractice
Dog bites
Nursing home abuse
Contact our firm today. Our Grand Rapids personal injury lawyers are ready to verify whether you have a valid claim.
(989) 601-2554
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What if I am Partially at Fault for My Injury?
Under Michigan law, if a personal injury victim is found to hold partial fault for his or her own injury, any compensation awarded will be reduced based on the percentage of fault. This law is also known as the comparative fault rule. For example, if an injury victim was awarded $100,000 for his or her injury and was found to be 40 percent at fault, the victim would receive a maximum of $60,000.
However, this law also states that if the injury victim is found to hold a higher percentage of fault than the other parties, the victim cannot recover any compensation.
If you were injured in an accident and you believe you share some percentage of fault, call our Grand Rapids personal injury lawyers to discuss whether you may still be eligible for compensation.
What Types of Compensation are Available?
If you have a valid claim, there could be multiple forms of compensation we could pursue to help you recover from your personal injury.
Economic Damages
These are damages that have a definitive monetary value, such as medical expenses and lost wages from missing time at work because of your injury. Some economic damages that may be available are:
- Medical costs (includes prior and future out-of-pocket expenses related to the treatment of your injury)
- Doctor's visits
- Surgeries
- Hospital stays
- Ambulatory care
- Medical devices (prosthetics, wheelchair, etc.)
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lab tests
- X-rays, MRI's, CT scans
- At-home care
- Lost wages from missing work
- Property damage
- Lost earning capacity
There are no caps on economic damages in Michigan personal injury lawsuits.
Non-Economic Damages
These types of damages cover the physical, mental and emotional suffering that you or your loved one may have endured. These types of damages have no defined monetary value – their value is based on the evidence presented, the severity of your injuries and other factors. This is something your lawyer can help determine.
Common examples of non-economic damages are:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental trauma
- Emotional anguish
- Anxiety
- Advise on how to proceed during each phase of the legal process
- Insomnia
- Physical disability or disfigurement
- Reduced enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
Medical malpractice and product liability cases are the only two types of personal injury cases where there is a cap on these types of damages.
Exemplary Damages
One of the unique aspects of personal injury cases in Michigan is victims cannot pursue punitive damages, which are meant to punish negligent parties for egregious negligence.
Michigan allows you to pursue exemplary damages, which are somewhat like punitive damages, except exemplary damages are not meant as punishment and they are connected to specific damages suffered by the victim, such as:
Humiliation
Mental anguish
Injury to feelings
Outrage
Your attorney must prove the negligent party engaged in willful, malicious or wanton conduct that demonstrated a complete disregard for your rights.
The Grand Rapids personal injury lawyers at Jay Trucks and Associates have many years of combined experience determining the value of personal injury claims. Our goal is to recover the maximum compensation available for your claim.
Call Jay Trucks and Associates today for a free consultation.
(989) 601-2554
CONTACT US
Do I Really Need a Lawyer?
Some personal injury victims may question the need for a licensed lawyer to represent their claim, especially if liability for the injury is clear. However, many personal injury victims who decide to hire legal representation end up with larger settlement awards.
If you decide to let our Grand Rapids personal injury lawyers handle your claim, we can handle all communication with insurance companies and other lawyers. We are aggressive negotiators who pursue maximum compensation and are prepared to take cases to court when necessary.
Injury victims that have legal representation usually recover more compensation when compared to those that do not have a lawyer.
Our attorneys have over 150 years of combined experience and have access to industry professionals who may be able to help validate your claim and provide detailed arguments about how someone else is at fault for your injuries. For example, we can bring in medical experts to verify the severity of your injury or its cause.
We are prepared to handle the investigation and take other steps to help build a strong case, such as preserving evidence, contacting witnesses, obtaining video footage and reconstructing the accident.
Dealing with the Insurance Company
Sometimes insurance adjusters from both sides will contact the injury victim immediately after the accident. They are hoping you will say something they can use against you to lower the value of your claim. That is why they often ask victims to provide a recorded statement. Adjusters are trained on how to get victims to say things that damage their own credibility or make it sound like the victim is partially to blame for the accident.
Policy-Limits Recovery – $500,000
For a family business owner that suffered neck fractures and shoulder injuries in an automobile accident.
If you are contacted by an insurance adjuster, it is important to understand your rights. You are not required to give a recorded statement. You can refuse to answer questions if you are unsure or do not know the answer. You can also refer insurance companies to your attorney.
Be careful with what you tell the insurance company, they are looking for anything they can use against you. Stick to the basic facts about the accident and avoid answering questions where the insurance adjuster asks for your opinion or to speculate about what happened or what led to the crash. You should also avoid giving too many details about your injuries and the amount of pain you feel. Victims tend to minimize their pain, and this could damage the value of your claim.
When Do I Need to File my Claim By?
Give us a call today .
(989) 601-2554
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What to Do After Suffering a Personal Injury
There are steps you can take to help preserve your potential personal injury case:
Seek Medical Attention
Notify the Police
Collect Evidence
Contact a Grand Rapids Personal Injury Lawyer Today
The lawyers at Jay Trucks and Associates understand the financial and emotional obstacles individuals and families often encounter after an accident, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Our lawyers have been able to recover over $500 million in compensation on behalf of our clients throughout the state of Michigan.
Do not hesitate to contact us today. Our friendly staff of legal professionals is prepared to answer your legal questions in a free consultation. You will not have to pay any upfront costs and we only get paid when we successfully recover compensation for your claim.
Learn how a dedicated Grand Rapids personal injury attorney may be able to help you by calling 989-601-2554.
(989) 601-2554
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