Whether you’re visiting the Potter Park Zoo or the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum or simply driving on I-96, there are always fun things to do in Lansing, Michigan. Unfortunately, a fun day exploring the city can turn into something else in an instant if you suffer a back injury.
Some back injuries happen in a slip-and-fall accident when a negligent business owner neglects to clean up a slippery floor or fix a loose step. Others happen in a car accident when another driver rear-ends you at a stop light or slams into you at an intersection. The pain of a back injury can be life-changing, but it’s even worse knowing that you were hurt because another person was negligent.
Back injuries can impact your life for months or years and, in some cases, for the rest of your life. When an insurance company refuses to cover your expenses, it just worsens a bad situation. An experienced back injury lawyer can help you collect the compensation you need to cover the cost of treatment and help you get your life back.
Atnip & Associates, PLLC is a back injury law firm serving Lansing, Michigan, and other communities all over the state. Our mission is to help people when insurance companies are trying to take advantage of them. With our help, you can stand up to the insurance company and fight for the compensation you need. Contact Atnip & Associates, PLLC, today.
Car accidents are a common cause of back injuries, including:
Sprains
Strains
Herniated disks
Fractured vertebrae
Spinal stenosis
In Michigan, you don’t have to prove that another driver was negligent to obtain compensation for these injuries. Instead, you can file an insurance claim with your Personal Injury Protection carrier.
Under Michigan’s no-fault system, your PIP plan is supposed to cover all your necessary medical expenses from an accident for life. However, there are two significant limitations to this benefit:
PIP plans will only cover up to your coverage limit.
Insurers often try to minimize what they pay out by denying claims.
Once you’ve used up the coverage available under your PIP plan, you can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s Residual Bodily Injury plan. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you prove the other driver’s negligence and obtain damages for your injuries.
What can you do if your PIP insurer refuses to cover your treatment completely? Don’t let the insurance company take advantage of you. A Michigan back injury lawyer will help you collect the compensation you need.
Slip-and-fall accidents are another common cause of back injuries. Often, slip-and-fall accidents fall under a legal concept known as “premises liability,” in which the business owner is liable for failing to maintain their premises in a safe condition or at least warn you of a dangerous condition.
For example, let’s say you slip on a loose step while heading downstairs in a café. If the café owner knew about the loose step but didn’t have it fixed or post a warning sign, then they are probably liable for your back injury.
Slip-and-fall accidents are simpler than car accidents because you usually don’t have to deal with multiple insurance companies. However, you do have to prove that the other party was negligent to collect compensation.
There are some deadlines you must meet in a back injury case. After a car accident, you must notify your PIP carrier of your insurance claim within one year under the Michigan Insurance Code. If they deny part of your claim, you have one year to take them to court. For example, if your PIP carrier refuses to cover a particular medical bill, you must file suit within one year of incurring that expense.
If you’re filing a suit for personal injury, you have three years from the date of the injury, according to the Michigan Statute of Limitations. After three years, your time is up, and any lawsuit you file thereafter will probably be dismissed.
You can receive several different types of compensation for a back injury, some of which might come from your PIP insurer, while others might come from the at-fault party’s insurance company, depending on the type of accident.
Compensation can include:
All current and future medical expenses related to the back injury
Lost income from wages
Lost earning potential if you are no longer able to do the same work
Compensation for pain and suffering
Compensation for lost quality of life
Most people tend to underestimate their losses when they’re trying to estimate how much their back injury claim is worth. They may think only of their initial medical bills and not of the care they will need in the future. They may consider the wages they’ve lost from missed time at work, but not what it will mean to their financial future when their injury prevents them from going for a big promotion or even remaining in the same career. When you meet with your back injury lawyer, ask them to estimate appropriate compensation for your losses.
What can a Lansing back injury attorney do for you? They can help protect you from being exploited by the insurance companies. If you file a PIP claim and the insurer tries to minimize your compensation, you don’t have to just accept it. Contact Atnip & Associates, PLLC, to make sure you get the full benefits to which you are entitled after a car accident.
If you file a personal injury claim, we can help you in several ways. We’ll investigate the accident by interviewing eyewitnesses, requesting the police report, examining your medical records, and reviewing any video we can find of the accident.
After we’ve gathered enough evidence to support your claim, we’ll estimate your total losses and send a demand letter to the other driver’s or the property owner’s insurance company. We’ll handle all the negotiations for you, so you don’t have to deal with the stress. Often, the insurance company will settle rather than risk the uncertain outcome of a trial. If they don’t offer a full and fair settlement, we’re happy to take them to court and represent you there.
Don’t let the insurance companies push you around. We have a long history of standing up to them and winning, and we don’t charge anything unless we win. Contact Atnip & Associates, PLLC, immediately.
