If you’ve been hurt in Menominee, MI, and someone else is at fault, Schwaba Law Firm can help you demand that the responsible parties compensate you for what they made you suffer. You can hold the at-fault party liable whether you sustain injuries at a restaurant, in a motorcycle accident, or while using a product for its intended purpose.
Andrew Schwaba understands the life-changing nature of a personal injury accident. It can upend your routine, destroy your finances, and leave you in serious pain. You could be facing costly medical bills, losing employment wages, and suffering emotional trauma. But you don’t have to let a serious accident take away what matters most. Instead, you can trust Andrew to fight to get back what you’ve lost. He cares about his clients and diligently pursues the compensation owed to them.
Contact Schwaba Law Firm at (906) 424-4661 today to learn about your legal options and get a free consultation with a trusted Menominee, MI, personal injury lawyer. Andrew will get started on your case at no upfront cost to you.
What Will a Menominee, MI, Personal Injury Lawyer Do for My Case?
Many accident victims attempt to handle their cases without a lawyer. However, that decision can backfire and lead to an unfavorable result. You need someone with experience to take on the insurance company and seek the justice you deserve. An experienced Menominee personal injury attorney is a critical ally throughout the legal process.
When you hire an attorney to handle your personal injury case, they will manage multiple moving parts simultaneously, including by:
- Answering Questions: Personal injury law is complicated, and having questions is normal. You might not know how insurance claims and lawsuits work, how much your case could be worth, or how long it might take to pursue. Your lawyer will answer your questions and explain the steps they will take so you don’t feel confused. They will also update you on the status so you know what’s happening during your ongoing case.
- Investigating the Incident: Your lawyer will meticulously review what happened and how. They might visit the accident scene to take pictures, talk to witnesses, and secure security camera footage. They might also hire experts like a reconstruction specialist, medical professional, or economist to help them establish the extent of your present and future losses and how they came about.
- Identifying the At-Fault Parties: Sometimes, more than one person or entity is at fault for an accident. That means you can hold multiple parties liable for your injuries. Your attorney will identify everyone who contributed to your injuries and determine the available insurance coverage.
- Leveling the Playing Field and Communicating with the Insurer: Insurance carriers prefer not to settle claims for the full amount available under the policy limits. Denying claims or devaluing someone’s injuries means they save money. When a lawyer gets involved, the insurer knows they can’t intimidate you into accepting a lowball offer. You don’t have to talk to the adjuster when you hire a personal injury lawyer in Menominee, MI. They will speak to the insurer on your behalf, force the company to take the claim seriously, and negotiate an adequate settlement when the time comes.
- Protecting Your Rights: Asserting your rights alone can be challenging. A personal injury lawyer can do the necessary work to hold the at-fault party accountable for their misconduct. They won’t let the insurer take advantage of you or use sneaky tactics to strip you of the maximum monetary award you deserve.
- Calculating the Value of Your Claim and Protecting Your Future Interests: How much you could recover for your losses depends on several factors, including your total medical bills, the permanency of your injuries, and the emotional effects of the accident. Your goal is to move forward as quickly as possible, and you don’t want your case to end without adequate compensation. Your lawyer knows how to determine what fair compensation looks like given the circumstances, so your claim covers your past and future losses.
- Maximizing Your Recovery: Recovering after an accident is difficult. You might be in pain and struggle with numerous symptoms. Sometimes, time away from work is necessary to let the injuries heal. However, that means you don’t make the money you need to pay your daily expenses, causing economic strain. On top of all of that, you have a personal injury case to handle. Your lawyer can relieve you of the responsibility, so you have time to get better without dealing with the added distraction or stress of an injury claim or lawsuit.
- Coping with the Emotional Aspects: You don’t only suffer physical injuries and pain. You also experience emotional or mental distress after an accident. Dealing with the trauma can seem like an uphill battle. Your attorney can offer the support you need to get through this difficult experience.
- Simplifying Your Case: Personal injury cases can confuse anyone unfamiliar with the process. Lawyers recognize the obstacles accident victims often encounter. Your attorney will address these issues and deal with every task, including gathering evidence, so you don’t have to. Your lawyer is there to make your life easier.
- Filing a Lawsuit: If negotiations fail, your attorney can file a lawsuit and take your case to court. They will continue gathering evidence and preparing for a possible trial. Trial prep involves creating legal arguments for the judge and jury to hear, determining the evidence to present in court, and finding witnesses to testify on the stand. Your attorney can also walk you through each phase of litigation. They will help you understand your role in the lawsuit and what to do as proceedings progress.
- Representing You at Trial: Your attorney will fight for you in court if your case goes to trial. They will aggressively argue your case and submit evidence to show that the defendant should be financially responsible for your injuries. They will be your voice and advocate for your future.
Click to learn what a personal injury attorney does.
What Are Common Personal Injury Cases in Michigan?
A personal injury case often involves negligence. When a party’s negligence or other wrongdoing leads to another’s injury or death, they should be held financially responsible for the victim’s losses.
The most common personal injury cases in Michigan include the following:
What Types of Injuries Happen Due to Personal Injury Accidents?
Injuries can arise from any type of accident. The type and severity often depend on the circumstances.
Common injuries in personal injury accidents include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Emotional or psychological damage
- Whiplash
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Permanent disability
- Lacerations
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Traumatic brain injury
- Burn injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other diseases from exposure to harmful chemicals
- Organ damage or failure
In addition, if a personal injury accident turns fatal, the family of the victim may file a wrongful death lawsuit.
How Do I Know If I Have a Personal Injury Claim?
The only way to know for certain if you have a personal injury claim is to hire a lawyer. An experienced Michigan personal injury attorney can review the circumstances of the accident and advise you of your options.
What Must Be Proven in a Personal Injury Claim?
Negligence is the legal term at the center of most personal injury cases. You must prove multiple elements of negligence to recover compensation from the at-fault party.
Everyone has a legal duty to act reasonably and with care not to harm others. When someone doesn’t fulfill their duty and you get hurt, they can be held liable. You must prove that whoever harmed you owed you a duty of care, failed in that duty in a way that caused the accident or incident, and your injuries resulted from the event. You must also show you suffered losses, such as property damage and hospital bills.
Evidence is essential in any personal injury claim. You can gather evidence to prove negligence and establish liability for your injuries.
Helpful evidence includes:
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Photos from the accident scene
- Copies of your medical records and medical bills
- Statements from experts such as healthcare professionals, vocational experts, and accident reconstruction specialists
- Paystubs and other financial records showing lost wages
- Security camera and dashcam footage
What Damages Could I Be Entitled to in a Personal Injury Case?
When you file a personal injury claim or lawsuit, you can demand compensation to cover two types of losses: economic and noneconomic.
Economic losses have specific costs attached to them, such as:
- Ambulance services, physical therapy, hospital stays, doctor visits, and other medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Cost of repairing or replacing damaged property
Noneconomic losses are the intangible physical and emotional effects of the injury, such as:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of or diminished quality of life
Can I Still Get Compensation If I Was Partly to Blame for My Injuries?
Yes, but you’ll get less than you would have received if you weren’t partially at fault for the accident. In Michigan, modified comparative negligence allows the court to reduce a plaintiff’s compensation according to their percentage of shared fault. If you were at fault at all, the compensation for your total losses would be reduced by your percentage of fault.
If you’re more than 50 percent at fault for your injuries, the court won’t award you compensation for your noneconomic losses at all, and your compensation for your economic losses will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
How Long Does a Typical Personal Injury Case Last?
No one can predict how long your case will take to resolve. Some injury claims settle within a couple of weeks or months. Others take years. It depends on various factors, including the number of liable parties, the duration of your treatment, and whether you’re partially to blame for the incident.
How Long Do I Have in Michigan to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
A personal injury lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires. A statute of limitations is the law that dictates the amount of time a person has to file a lawsuit against the other party involved in the legal dispute.
In Michigan, the statute of limitations allows a three-year timeframe to file suit after an accident. That means you have three years from the date of your injury to initiate your lawsuit against the at-fault party.
How Soon Should I Start a Personal Injury Claim?
You might think three years is enough time to prepare your case. However, time can run out before you know it. If you don’t file an injury claim promptly and pursuing a lawsuit becomes necessary, you might miss your chance to hold the negligent party liable in court if you don’t file a lawsuit in a timely manner.
Your lawyer can help you file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurer right away. They can also keep track of the statute of limitations and prevent you from missing the deadline to file a lawsuit. The insurance carrier might decide to deny your claim or spend months reviewing the evidence before making an offer. When you and your lawyer file your insurance claim early, you will still have the threat of filing a lawsuit to use as leverage against the insurance company to encourage a reasonable settlement.
Don’t Face Insurance Companies Alone
After an injury accident, the insurance company may contact you quickly, sometimes before you even understand the full extent of your injuries. Never speak to them without a lawyer. Their adjusters will be working to protect the company’s bottom line, which may mean disputing your claim, minimizing your losses, or pressuring you into a low settlement. Our personal injury attorneys will handle all communication and negotiations with insurers so you can focus on your recovery. We’ll push back against lowball offers and advocate for a settlement that reflects the true value of your claim.
Injured in Marinette? Speak With a Lawyer Today
If you suffered injuries in Marinette, Wisconsin, because of someone else’s wrongful behavior, you have the right to hold that person accountable. At Schwaba Law Firm, we fight for injury victims on both sides of the Menominee River. A Marinette injury lawyer from our firm can review your situation, explain your options, and get to work on your case right away. Contact us today for a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in Marinette.
No Fee Unless We Win: Contact a Menominee, MI, Personal Injury Attorney Today
Schwaba Law Firm knows the life-changing effects of getting hurt in an accident someone else causes. You don’t know what to expect or the steps you should take next. Andrew Schwaba will explain every possible solution to your problem and guide you through every part of your case.
At Schwaba Law Firm, we believe that cost should never be a barrier to the pursuit of justice. That’s why we take personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means you pay nothing in attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. If someone else caused your injuries in an accident, call (906) 424-4661 or contact us online to speak with a Michigan personal injury lawyer from Schwaba Law Firm for your free, no-obligation consultation.
