Suffering an injury due to another individual or entity’s negligent actions in Ingham County can drastically impact your ability to work, attend school, drive, and handle ordinary responsibilities. Whether you were hurt in a pedestrian crash, car accident, slip and fall accident, motorcycle crash, or truck collision, Schefman & Associates can help.
Our Ingham County personal injury attorneys can help you find out what happened, identify who may be liable for your injuries, handle insurers, and pursue compensation for the losses you incurred. When an accident involves a government agency, public property, or a busy pedestrian area, our lawyers can also determine whether special legal rules apply.
Highway Crashes Require a Detailed Look at The Evidence
Ingham County’s transportation network includes I-96, I-496, and US-127, which connect Lansing and surrounding communities with other parts of Michigan. A highway collision may involve several vehicles, changing lanes, high speeds, commercial traffic, or limited time for drivers to react. Evidence may include crash reports, photographs, dashcam footage, vehicle data, witness statements, and physical evidence from the roadway. For example, if you were seriously injured in a multi-vehicle collision on US-127, determining which vehicle caused the initial impact may require more than reviewing the final position of the vehicles.
Heavy Motor Vehicle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Traffic is Common in Ingham County
Ingham County includes Lansing, East Lansing, Mason, Okemos, Holt, Haslett, Williamston, and other communities. Its road network covers about 1,253 miles, including local roads, bridges, traffic signals, and other infrastructure. Lansing and East Lansing also have areas where drivers share the road with students, other pedestrians, cyclists, and buses. A collision near downtown Lansing or the Michigan State University area may therefore involve questions about a crosswalk, traffic signal, right of way, visibility, or the driver’s actions.
For instance, a driver turning through an East Lansing intersection may strike a cyclist traveling through the intersection. A pedestrian crossing the street may be hit by a vehicle that fails to yield. Traffic camera footage, nearby business or campus surveillance, photographs, witness accounts, and vehicle damage may help determine what occurred. Our personal injury attorneys in Ingham County can investigate those details and determine whether the available evidence supports a claim against the driver or another responsible party.
Cyclists and pedestrians struck by a vehicle may qualify for Michigan no-fault benefits even though they were not in a car. Under MCL 500.3115, those benefits generally come first from their own household auto policy, with the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan available when no policy applies. Depending on coverage, PIP may pay for medical care, attendant care, household replacement services, and up to three years of wage loss.
Government Road Claims in Ingham County Have Short Notice Deadlines
An injury involving a public road, government building, or other governmental property may be subject to Michigan’s governmental immunity laws. Those rules contain specific exceptions and notice requirements. For example, MCL 691.1404 generally requires notice within 120 days for a defective highway claim against a governmental agency. However, claims involving a county road commission may be subject to the separate 60-day notice requirement. The notice must identify the injury, any eyewitnesses, the defect’s nature, and the exact accident location.
Fault May Be Shared Between Multiple People in an Ingham County Accident
Michigan’s comparative-fault rules allow responsibility for an injury to be distributed among the parties according to their percentage of fault. MCL 600.2959 provides for a reduction of damages based on the injured person’s percentage of fault.
It also bars non-economic damages when the injured person’s fault exceeds the combined fault of the other parties. That issue may arise when several drivers contribute to a crash or when an injured person and a property owner have conflicting accounts of what caused a fall or a multi-vehicle crash. Non-economic damages in an auto case also require an injury that meets the serious impairment of body function threshold under MCL 500.3135.
If the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply, subject to the same threshold and any notice deadlines in your policy.
Our Personal Injury Team Will Identify The Right Defendant
The proper investigation may look different depending on who is accused of causing the injury. A private driver may require an investigation into both insurance coverage and the cause of the crash. A business may require a close examination of maintenance, inspection, or surveillance records. A government defendant may require analysis of governmental immunity and statutory notice requirements.
Our Ingham County personal injury attorneys can gather the relevant records, preserve evidence, communicate with insurers, document medical treatment and financial losses, and determine whether a settlement or lawsuit is appropriate.
Let Our Ingham County Personal Injury Lawyers Handle Your Case
The person or entity responsible for an injury may not always be obvious from the accident itself. Our legal team at Schefman & Associates can investigate the evidence, identify the proper defendant, address the applicable insurance and statutory rules, and build a claim based on your specific damages.
We build every case as if it will go before a jury, and because we work on contingency, you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Submit our online form or call 248-594-2600 for your free case evaluation.