Westland Car Accident Attorneys

As Michigan’s tenth-largest city and a part of the metro Detroit area, Westland is no stranger to vehicle traffic and accidents. Thousands of Westland residents commute daily for work, school, and leisure. Tourists, freight traffic, and other visitors also pass through Westland daily, increasing the number of vehicles on local roads.

Every driver on Michigan’s roads has a legal duty to use reasonable care to control their vehicle, follow traffic laws, and stay alert. When a driver fails to use due care, they can cause a crash that injures other drivers, passengers, bicyclists, or pedestrians.

If you or someone you love has been in a Westland car crash, you may feel uncertain about the future. You may be fighting for insurance benefits and wonder how to hold another driver accountable. The Westland car accident attorneys at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. can help answer your questions.

Michigan Car Accident Statistics

As Michigan’s most populous urban county, Wayne County experiences the highest rate of vehicle crashes each year. A total of 44,017 car accidents occurred in Wayne County in 2020, claiming 234 lives and injuring 10,581 others. Neighboring Oakland and Macomb Counties also ranked in the top three Michigan counties for car crashes.

Car accidents can have several different causes. However, some driving behaviors increase the risk of collisions. Dangerous driver behavior that contributes to many Westland car crashes includes:

• Speeding. The state of Michigan estimates that driving faster than the posted speed limit caused or contributed to 190 car accident deaths in 2020. Speeding also caused or contributed to 5,469 crashes that caused injuries.
• Failing to Yield. Tragic results can result when a driver doesn’t yield to traffic with the right of way. In 2020, 105 deaths and 9,302 injuries in car crashes were connected to a driver’s failure to yield.
• Driving Recklessly. Excessive speed, weaving in and out of traffic, and other behaviors that demonstrate a lack of care for the safety of others on the road can lead to many accidents. In 2020, reckless driving was linked to 112 deaths and 970 injuries in Michigan car crashes.
• Failing to Control the Vehicle Well Enough to Stop. Brake failure, ice, rain, and snow can make a driver unable to stop their vehicle in time to avoid a collision. In 2020, 8,987 injury-related crashes resulted from drivers who didn’t have enough control of their vehicles to stop.
• Ignoring or Missing Traffic Control Signals. In 2020, 3,971 injury-related crashes resulted from drivers ignoring or failing to stop at red lights or stop signs, crossing the center line into oncoming traffic, or failing to follow traffic control signals.
• Driving Carelessly. Careless driving may include driving while distracted, failing to pay attention at crosswalks or intersections, and other behaviors that take a driver’s attention away from driving. Careless driving caused 3,148 crashes involving injuries in Michigan in 2020.

Speeding, failing to yield, and driving recklessly were Michigan’s top three causes of deadly car crashes in 2020. Many collisions that don’t result in death still cause life-altering injuries.

Some types of car accidents in Michigan are more common than others. In 2020, single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of car accident, accounting for 96,821 recorded crashes. The most common scenarios for multi-vehicle accidents include:

• Rear-end crashes. Fifty-thousand-seven hundred seventy-six rear-end crashes occurred in Michigan in 2020. These are commonly caused by a failure to control the vehicle. In 74 cases, someone involved was killed; in 10,817 crashes, at least one person was injured.
• Angle crashes. Crashes in which one car hits another at an angle, including crashes at intersections, caused even more injuries than rear-end crashes. In 2020, 11,279 injuries and 190 deaths occurred in angle crashes.

The type of vehicle collision most likely to cause serious injuries, however, is not one of the most common. In 2020, only 5,566 Michigan crashes involved a head-on collision between a vehicle traveling straight and another vehicle that made a left turn into the first vehicle’s path. Nonetheless, 2,288 of these crashes, or 41 percent of the total, left at least one person injured; 43 crashes resulted in death.

Common Types of Car Accident Injuries

Car crashes can cause many types of injuries. These injuries may be severe or even fatal. In a serious crash, a person can suffer more than one type of injury.

Common types of car accident injuries in Michigan include:

• Traumatic brain injuries. Nearly one-third (30 percent) of all traumatic brain injuries suffered in Michigan each year occur during a car accident, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Over 200 people lost their lives in Michigan in 2021 from a traumatic brain injury caused by a car crash.
• Back, neck, and spinal cord injuries. Damage to the spinal cord can cause permanent paralysis or other lifelong disabilities. Fractured vertebrae, damaged discs, and sprained muscles can also cause ongoing problems with pain and mobility.
• Broken bones. The forces generated by a car crash can break human bones. In some cases, broken bones require surgery. Implants may be used to keep bones in place as they heal. Implants like screws may require additional surgery to remove, or they may be permanent. A severe break can also cause lifelong chronic pain, disfigurement, or mobility problems.
• Organ damage. Car crashes can also cause serious damage to internal organs. Internal bleeding, leaking of organ contents into the body, and other issues may result. Some organ damage poses a significant risk of infection as well. Sometimes, organs may be damaged so severely that a transplant is required to save the patient’s life.

Time Limits in Westland Car Crash Claims

The vast majority of Michigan car crash claims involve dealing with insurance companies and considering options for legal action (like a lawsuit). Both parts of the process require an understanding of time limits and compensation rules.

Michigan’s statute of limitations sets a three-year time limit for initiating a personal injury lawsuit. Typically, this three-year period starts running on the date of the crash. Several factors may influence how the three years are calculated, however. Additionally, the facts of your case may fall under an exception that extends or shortens the amount of time you have to file a claim. Speak to an experienced attorney, even if you suspect you may be out of time.

Insurance companies also set time limits that may affect how you receive benefits. Speak to an attorney if you have trouble understanding the language in your policy or if you’re having difficulty accessing benefits.

Compensation in Michigan Auto Crash Claims

In a Michigan car accident injury claim, damages compensate you for losses you experienced due to the crash. If another party is found liable for your losses, the court can order that party to pay damages.

Damages are often divided into “economic” and “non-economic” damages.

• Economic damages focus on financial losses. They are compensation for money you lost or spent due to your injuries. Common economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, mileage to and from medical appointments, and the costs of repairing or replacing your vehicle. An attorney can help determine if you have other economic damages requiring compensation.
• Non-economic damages don’t typically leave a paper trail like bills or receipts, but they are real and often devastating losses. Common types of non-economic damages include pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, emotional trauma, and losing the ability to do things you once enjoyed, like hobbies or time spent with your family and friends.

Choose a Westland Car Accident Lawyer to Fight for You

If you’ve been injured in a car crash in Westland, you’re not alone. Talk to the experienced Michigan car accident lawyers at Sommers Schwartz, P.C. today. We’ll help you understand your legal rights, deal with insurance companies, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to learn more and schedule a free and confidential consultation.