Dearborn Personal Injury Attorneys

Dearborn Personal Injury Lawyers Fight for the Rights of the Injured

From the Henry Ford Museum to the Islamic Center of America, Dearborn is full of unique sites that are unparalleled by any other location in the United States. With just over 100,000 residents, Dearborn is also one of Michigan’s top ten largest cities.

Most of Dearborn’s 100,000 residents do their best to live, work, and recreate responsibly and with regard for others. But, as with any city in the country, exceptions occur. If you’ve been injured due to the negligent, careless, or reckless actions of another, it is in your best interest to speak with an experienced Dearborn personal injury lawyer immediately.

The team at Sommers Schwartz P.C. is here to help you protect your rights and best interests and obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact a Dearborn personal injury attorney today for a free and confidential consultation about your case.

Injuries in Dearborn and Wayne County

Traffic accidents are just one cause of severe injuries in Dearborn. Other common situations that can cause personal injuries include:

• Workplace accidents.
• Defective products.
• Medical negligence.
• Slips, trips, and falls due to negligently maintained premises.

Unfortunately, many serious injuries, such as soft-tissue damage and internal bleeding, may take days or weeks to produce symptoms. You should seek immediate medical attention if you’ve been injured, even if no symptoms are present. Contact a Dearborn injury lawyer today to discuss your case.

Common Types of Personal Injury in Dearborn

Personal injuries can occur for myriad reasons. Some of the most common causes of personal injury in Dearborn include:

Vehicle Crashes

Michigan ranks second among U.S. states for the most deadly roadway accidents per mile driven. Detroit and surrounding cities see the largest concentration of fatal and injury-causing motor vehicle crashes every year due to the area’s large number of drivers and roadways.

Many vehicle crashes are caused by a driver’s failure to use due care to protect others on the roadway. These failures can range from distraction and speeding to driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Slip and Fall Injuries

About 20 percent of falls result in a serious injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These may include broken bones, head injuries, soft tissue damage, and mental and emotional trauma.

In Michigan, business owners must keep walkways clear and illuminated to reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents. They must also check walkways regularly, repair broken surfaces, and warn visitors about hazards. Failure to do so may result in liability if someone is injured. Other property owners may also have duties under the state’s premises liability law.

Dog Bites and Attacks

Every day, nearly 1,000 Americans suffer dog bites and other animal-related injuries that require emergency care. While deaths from dog bites are rare, expensive medical bills, severe scarring, and lingering mental and emotional trauma are common. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that 19,000 people needed reconstructive surgery in 2022 to repair the damage caused by dog bites.

Michigan’s dog bite law allows injured people to seek damages if the victim didn’t provoke the dog and was legally allowed to be on the property when the bite occurred. In Michigan, the dog does not need to have a history of biting people for the victim to seek damages. The state’s dog bite laws cover all dogs, regardless of their previous behavior or temperament.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider’s failure to meet the standard of care causes harm to a patient receiving care. Typical questions in medical malpractice claims include:

• Was there a patient relationship with a healthcare provider?
• What was the standard of care that applied to the healthcare provider?
• Did the provider meet the standard of care? If not, how did they fall short?
• How did the provider’s failure to meet the standard of care cause the patient’s injuries or illness?
• What damages has the patient sustained?

Unlike other types of personal injury claims, a medical malpractice claim begins with providing notice to all parties the injured person expects to bring the claim against. These notice requirements have deadlines and numerous requirements under the law. Working with an experienced medical malpractice attorney is critical to ensure the proper and timely filing of your claim.

Dangerous Products

We use dozens of consumer products every day, from a quick packaged breakfast to automobiles, computers, clothing, and medication. We trust these products are safe for their intended use. A product liability case may result when a dangerous defect betrays that trust and causes injury.

Examples of defects that may cause injuries include:

• Improper materials used in making the product, such as lead paint in children’s toys.
• Defective design posing unreasonable dangers, such as car airbags that inflate too forcefully.
• Failures to warn about unavoidable or inherent risks, such as the risk of injury from power tools.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) tracks many product defects and recalls. This information can help you learn more about a potential defect. However, you may still file an injury claim if the CPSC doesn’t list an item. Talk to an experienced lawyer to learn more.

Workers’ Compensation

Since 1912, Michigan’s workers’ compensation laws have provided resources for employees injured on the job. Workers’ compensation offers medical benefits, a replacement for some or all of an employee’s lost wages, and even death benefits if a workplace injury proves fatal.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the four most common causes of severe and fatal workplace accidents in Michigan include:

• Transportation incidents, including delivery driver accidents.
• Contact with objects and equipment, such as being struck by a load or having a body part trapped in a machine.
• Violence by others, including workplace shootings.
• Trips, slips, and falls, including falls from heights and slips or trips on spills or equipment.

In some cases, more than one party may be responsible for your injuries. If you’re injured by defective equipment, for example, you may be able to seek workers’ compensation for your injuries while also filing a claim against the equipment maker. Talk to an experienced Dearborn personal injury lawyer to learn more about your options.

Time Limits for Dearborn Personal Injury Claims

Michigan limits how long an injured person has to bring a claim. This limit is known as a “statute of limitations.”

In Michigan, you generally have three years from the date you were injured to file a lawsuit. Medical malpractice claims typically must be filed within two years. Additional time to file a medical malpractice case is allowed in cases of death or when the existence of a claim was not discovered until less than six months before the two-year anniversary of the date of the malpractice.

Calculating when this time limit begins and how it runs isn’t always straightforward. The date you discovered the injury, the type of injury suffered, and your age at the time of the injury may all affect the time limit. Even if you think the deadline has passed, an exception may apply. Your attorney can help you calculate the exact time limits in your case.

In addition to setting time limits for personal injury claims, Michigan law limits damages in some claims. For instance, non-economic damages for medical malpractice are limited, or “capped,” each year. These caps don’t affect damages like medical bills or lost wages, but they do affect damages for things like pain and suffering. An experienced attorney can help you understand how these limits may apply to your case.

What to Do If You’ve Been Injured

At Sommers Schwartz P.C., we’re dedicated to helping our clients in Dearborn and neighboring cities throughout Metro Detroit obtain the justice and compensation they deserve. We’ll thoroughly analyze your case, determine the best legal strategy, and position you for the most favorable outcome. Call us today to schedule a free and confidential consultation about your case.