Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys

Respected Injury Lawyers Representing Wayne County Residents in All Types of Accident Claims.

When you are injured in an accident, your priorities change. Your focus shifts from achieving your long-term goals to returning to your pre-accident condition. However, no one is ever the same after sustaining catastrophic injuries. Once the medical bills arrive, you may realize the accident’s total monetary and physical on your life. Filing a Detroit personal injury case can help you and your family recover compensation for your injuries. 

The Detroit personal injury lawyers at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. are here to help. At Sommers Schwartz, our dedicated team of injury attorneys has more than 45 years of experience helping accident victims and their families recover what they deserve and move on with their lives. We take as much time as necessary to listen to you so we can advocate effectively on your behalf. 

Types of Detroit Personal Injury Cases We Handle at Sommers’ Schwartz, P.C. 

Personal injury cases allow Detroit victims to pursue financial compensation from the party responsible for their injuries. Merely being involved in an accident does not necessarily mean you are entitled to recover compensation. To succeed in a Detroit personal injury claim, you must show the other party was negligent. You must prove each of the following elements:

1. Duty: The other party owed you a duty of care.
2. Breach of Duty: The other party violated the duty of care they owed you.
3. Causation: The other party’s actions or failure to act resulted in the accident.
4. Damages: You suffered legally recognizable damages because of the accident. 

At Sommers Schwartz, P.C., our dedicated team of Detroit personal injury lawyers effectively represents clients in many types of accident cases. 

Auto Accidents

All drivers owe a duty of care to other drivers when navigating on a highway or through neighborhood streets. Motorists must obey state and local traffic laws and signals and exercise sound judgment behind the wheel. Unfortunately, more than 15,000 people are seriously injured yearly in Wayne County car accidents. The most common causes of Detroit car accidents include:

• Distracted driving.
• Drunk driving.
• Drugged driving.
• Aggressive driving.
• Fatigued driving.
• Careless mistakes.

Truck Accidents

Detroit has the highest population of all Michigan cities. Since many highways cut through Detroit, it also has a high volume of truck traffic. Some of the Detroit highways most frequently by large trucks include:

• I-75.
• I-94.
• I-96.
• I-275.
• I-375.
• U.S. 12.
• U.S. 24.
• U.S. 10.

Semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles can cause tremendous damage in an accident, including devastating, lifelong injuries. According to the most recent statistics compiled by the Michigan Traffic Crash Reporting System, over 2,500 Wayne County truck accidents caused nearly 700 injuries and over a dozen deaths in 2020 alone.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles are a quick and convenient mode of transportation. However, navigating Detroit’s crowded streets and Michigan’s high-speed thoroughfares can be dangerous. Motorcycles do not afford riders the protection of a steel frame, which makes even low-speed collisions potentially life-threatening. Other drivers often fail to notice motorcycles due to their smaller size, which increases the chances of an accident. Consequently, Detroit motorcycle accidents are common and often end in severe injuries. In 2020, 417 people were seriously injured in Wayne County motorcycle accidents; another 40 riders were killed. 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

Drivers have an obligation to pedestrians and cyclists to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, the Detroit pedestrian and bicycle accident rate is exceptionally high. About a third of all Michigan pedestrian accidents occurred in Wayne County, accounting for over 450 pedestrian injuries and 54 pedestrian deaths in 2020. Wayne County bicycle accidents make up about a quarter of all bike accidents in the state. Often, these accidents are due to a distracted motorist who is impaired or not taking appropriate care to look out for pedestrians or bikers. 

Slip and Fall Accidents

Trips, slips, and falls are the leading cause of preventable injury across the United States, resulting in a total annual cost of more than $50 billion annually. All property owners, including individual homeowners, businesses, and government entities, owe a duty of care to those they allow onto their property. While the extent of a landowner’s obligation to their guests varies, the law generally requires property owners to exercise reasonable care in maintaining accessible areas. Those injured while on another’s property may be able to pursue a claim for financial compensation through a Detroit slip and fall lawsuit. 

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals, including doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists, are responsible for providing their patients with appropriate medical care. However, medical errors are consistently one of the leading causes of preventable injury and death. According to some estimates, 250,000 people die annually due to preventable medical errors. Some of the most common medical errors involve:

• Surgical errors.
• Medication errors.
• Misreading test results.
• Misdiagnoses and delayed diagnoses.
• Providing poor follow-up care.
• Failing to prevent infections.

Detroit medical malpractice cases are some of the most challenging personal injury lawsuits because they involve complex legal and medical issues. Additionally, under Michigan law, medical malpractice cases must include an expert’s affidavit reflecting their opinion that a healthcare provider’s care fell below the generally accepted standard of care. This requirement adds an extra layer of difficulty to these already complex cases.

Birth Injuries

If a mother or child suffers preventable injuries during labor and delivery, they may be able to recover in a birth injury lawsuit. Other birth injury claims are based on inadequate or mismanaged prenatal care. 

Many birth injuries either involve physical trauma or oxygen deprivation during labor. Whatever the cause, injuries to a child or mother during childbirth can be severe and lifelong. 

Some of the most common birth injuries affecting children include:

• Brachial plexus injuries.
• Traumatic brain damage.
• Broken bones and fractures.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Erb’s palsy.
• Excessive bleeding.
• Infections.
• Paralysis.

Birth injuries that affect mothers include:

• Vaginal tears.
• Ruptured uterus.
• Preeclampsia.
• Episiotomy injuries.
• Cesarean section injuries.
• Epidural-related injuries.

Wrongful Death

A wrongful death claim is a specific type of personal injury case alleging that a party’s negligence caused the death of another person. It is brought by the deceased’s personal representative, a person who is named in their will or appointed by the court to act in their survivors’ best interest. 

Families can pursue a Detroit wrongful death claim for the following:

• Motor vehicle accidents.
• Slip and fall or premises liability cases.
• Workplace accidents.
• Medical malpractice.
• Product liability claims.
• Construction accidents.

Damages for a wrongful death claim include compensation for medical, hospital, funeral, and burial expenses, along with damages for their loved one’s lost wages and pain and suffering. Family members can also recover compensation for losing the financial support and companionship their loved one would have provided. 

Damages in a Detroit Personal Injury Lawsuit

Plaintiffs who successfully bring a Detroit personal injury claim can recover compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover the out-of-pocket expenses you incurred due to the accident. These commonly include:

• Past and future medical expenses.
• Lost wages.
• Decrease in earning capacity.
• Modifications to your home to accommodate a disability.
• Property damage.

Non-economic damages are much more subjective but equally crucial to a full and fair recovery. These damages compensate you for the emotional and psychological impact of the accident. Non-economic damages available in a Detroit personal injury lawsuit include compensation for:

• Pain and suffering.
• Mental anguish.
• Loss of enjoyment of life.
• Disability or disfigurement.

In addition to these damages, Detroit courts occasionally award exemplary damages in personal injury cases. Exemplary damages provide additional compensation to accident victims for especially egregious conduct, such as drunk driving. Exemplary damages are rare and only available in cases where the at-fault party’s conduct was willful or malicious. 

Representative Verdicts and Settlements

At Sommers Schwartz, P.C., we have a long history of recovering significant compensation for accident victims across Michigan. While every case is different, some of the recent results our attorneys have secured include:

• $7.5 million settlement in a birth injury case involving a doctor’s failure to prevent an infant’s stroke.
• $5.3 million settlement in a medical malpractice case involving intubation errors.
• $4.5 million settlement in a personal injury case involving a man electrocuted by a fallen power line.
• $4.375 million settlement in a birth injury case involving a child who suffered a severe brain injury.
• $2.65 million settlement in a wrongful death case after a fatal car accident.
• $2.265 million settlement in a construction site accident.
• $1.5 million wrongful death settlement in a case involving an intoxicated driver who crashed into a car, killing a father and daughter.
• $1.1 million settlement in a case involving a severely injured woman in a truck accident.
• $1 million settlement in a defective manufacturing equipment case involving an assembly line worker seriously injured by a cutting machine.
• $875,000 wrongful death settlement on behalf of a 35-year-old woman who died of a seizure due to an E.R. doctor’s failure to diagnose her coronary artery disease.
• $450,000 settlement in a personal injury case related to a cruise ship passenger’s slip & fall injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact the Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. to Schedule a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in an accident, contact the knowledgeable Detroit personal injury lawyers at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. For over four decades, Sommers Schwartz, P.C. has represented clients nationwide in some of the most complex and high-stakes personal injury cases. Over this time, we’ve recovered more than $1 billion for our clients and their families. 

To learn more and schedule a free consultation, call Sommers Schwartz, P.C., at 800-783-0989. Alternatively, complete our online contact form and one of our Detroit County personal injury lawyers will contact you shortly.