No matter where you are or what you are doing, you have a responsibility to be careful and considerate around other people so you do not inadvertently cause them to get hurt in a preventable accident. This responsibility is also embedded in Michigan state law as a duty of care, and anyone who injures another person by violating that duty can be held liable for their negligence in civil court.
If you were recently hurt in an accident that you did not cause, you should speak with our Southfield personal injury lawyers as soon as possible about what your legal options are and whether you may have grounds to file a civil suit. These types of claims can be challenging even if it seems obvious to you that someone else is at fault for your injuries. Our skilled attorneys’ representation can make a world of difference in how effectively and efficiently you can demand the compensation you deserve.
What Is Negligence and How Does It Play into Personal Injury Claims?
A person’s duty of care is one of four components of negligence, which is the legal theory around which most personal injury claims are built. In order to successfully sue someone else under this theory, the defendant being sued must have owed a specific duty of care to the person filing suit, breached that duty in some way, and directly caused an accident resulting in a significant physical injury through that breach of duty.
Depending on the circumstances, a breach of duty can be something overtly illegal, like a traffic offense leading to a car crash, or simply something broadly irresponsible, like a store owner neglecting to put out a wet floor sign once they discover a spill in one of their store’s aisles. There are also certain circumstances under which someone may be strictly liable for an injury regardless of whether they did anything specifically irresponsible to cause it, as our Southfield personal injury attorneys could explain in more detail.
Getting Paid Fairly Within Filing Deadlines
Anyone who can prove another person at fault for injuring them through negligence can then demand financial restitution from that person for every negative effect their injuries will ever have on them. This can include but is not strictly limited to things like:
- Medical bills, including expected costs of rehabilitative and maintenance care
- Lost work income and long-term earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to personal property damage
- Physical discomfort and pain
- Psychological trauma and distress
- Lost enjoyment of life, and other intangible effects of long-term disability or disfigurement
Even if an injury has lifelong and debilitating consequences, MCL § 600.5805 limits the vast majority of personal injury victims to a certain timeframe to file suit, generally starting from the date on which the injury first occurred. This is one of the biggest reasons why contacting our lawyers quickly after suffering a personal injury in Southfield could be so important to case success.
Contact Our Southfield Personal Injury Attorneys for Help
Personal injury litigation can be much more complicated in practice than it might seem on paper, particularly if you have to start the legal process while still recovering from the trauma your accident has caused you. Fortunately, you have help available from dependable legal professionals at Thurswell Law with a long track record of getting people paid everything they deserve for all their compensable damages.
Our Southfield personal injury lawyers could discuss your potential claim with you and offer preliminary guidance about the next steps during a confidential consultation. Call 248-354-2222 today to schedule yours.
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