Why Injured Livonia Crash Victims Trust Lee Steinberg Law Firm
A serious car crash can disrupt your health, income, and daily life in seconds. For more than 50 years, the Lee Steinberg Law Firm has represented injured people across Michigan and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients.
Whether you were driving, riding as a passenger, walking, or cycling when the collision happened, our Livonia car accident attorneys are ready to help. We handle rear-end crashes, intersection collisions, multi-vehicle wrecks, hit-and-run cases, and accidents that cause catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Traffic throughout Livonia and Wayne County includes busy local roads, regional routes, and freeway connections. A prompt investigation can preserve photographs, witness accounts, electronic vehicle data, surveillance footage, and other evidence before it disappears.
The Lee Steinberg Law Firm has car accident lawyers with outstanding results and awards:
- Our trial lawyers are routinely awarded the Super Lawyers designation, a peer-reviewed honor recognizing leading personal injury lawyers in Michigan.
- Founder, Lee Steinberg, is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who has been a powerful voice in Michigan law since the 1970s.
- Co-President Eric Steinberg is a former president of the Michigan Association for Justice, an organization that supports injury victims across the state.
- The firm has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only organization for civil plaintiff lawyers.
No Fee Guarantee
Our clients do not pay attorney fees or case costs unless we obtain compensation. Our Livonia car accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront retainer or hourly bill. We advance the expenses needed to investigate and pursue the claim, and you owe us nothing if there is no recovery.
Free Consultation With a Livonia Car Accident Lawyer
After a Livonia car accident, you may need immediate answers about medical treatment, wage loss, vehicle damage, and which insurer should receive your claim. Our lawyers and paralegals are available to explain the next steps during a free consultation. During your case review, an experienced Livonia car accident lawyer will listen to what happened, explain your rights, answer your questions, and outline the available legal options. The consultation is confidential, and there is no obligation to hire the firm.
Our Results
Our firm is dedicated to achieving results for injured people. These recent settlements include:
- $5,750,000 for a man injured at a work site
- $3,250,000 for a woman injured at a major retailer
- $2,500,000 for a man injured by a semi-truck
- $2,000,000 for a woman killed in a car accident
- $1,300,000 for a man injured at a construction site
- $1,250,000 for a tenant injured at her rental complex
Common Causes of Livonia Car Accidents
Most serious car accidents are caused by unsafe driving or another preventable act. Common causes include:
- Distracted driving, including texting or using a phone
- Speeding or driving too fast for road and weather conditions
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Fatigued or drowsy driving
- Following too closely
- Failing to yield or obey a traffic signal
- Unsafe lane changes and improper turns
- Negligent vehicle maintenance or defective components
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on crashes
- T-bone and intersection accidents
- Sideswipe and lane-change collisions
- Multi-vehicle pileups
- Rollover accidents
- Hit-and-run crashes
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims
Where Car Crashes Happen in Livonia
Crash risk in Livonia is not limited to one type of roadway. Collisions can occur on neighborhood streets, commercial corridors, and major routes used throughout Wayne County. The city-specific corridors already identified for this page include:
- Middlebelt Road
- Five Mile Road
- Seven Mile Road
- Plymouth Road
- I-96 and I-275
How Michigan No-Fault Insurance Works After a Car Accident
Michigan's No-Fault system separates first-party personal protection insurance benefits from a third-party liability claim against an at-fault driver or owner. The available benefits and the responsible insurer depend on the policies in effect, the injured person's household coverage, and how the person was involved in the crash.
Michigan No-Fault Benefits
Michigan No-Fault benefits may cover economic losses after a motor vehicle accident, regardless of who caused the crash. Depending on the policy and the facts, benefits may include:
- Reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to the crash
- Work-loss benefits for up to three years, subject to statutory limits
- Replacement services for household tasks the injured person cannot perform
- Attendant care or nursing services when medically necessary
- Medical mileage, prescriptions, co-pays, and other allowable out-of-pocket expenses
Which Auto Insurance Company Pays No-Fault Benefits
Michigan law uses an order of priority to identify the insurer responsible for personal protection insurance benefits. Under MCL 500.3114, a person injured while occupying a motor vehicle generally looks first to an applicable policy issued to that person, a spouse, or a relative domiciled in the same household. If no such coverage applies, an eligible occupant generally claims through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan.
Different rules can apply to employees in employer-owned vehicles, people transported for hire, motorcycle operators or passengers, and other circumstances defined by statute. Under MCL 500.3115, an eligible pedestrian, bicyclist, or other non-occupant who is not covered under MCL 500.3114 generally claims through the Assigned Claims Plan.
Assigned-claims benefits are generally subject to a $250,000 statutory maximum, with limited exceptions. A lawyer can review the policies and facts, identify the proper claim route, and help complete the MACP application.
How Much Time Do You Have to File a First-Party Claim
MCL 500.3145 generally bars an action for No-Fault benefits filed more than one year after the accident unless written notice was given to the insurer within that year or the insurer previously paid benefits for the injury. The written notice must identify the claimant and describe the time, place, and nature of the injury.
A separate one-year-back rule can limit recovery to losses incurred during the year before the lawsuit was filed. Because the notice, filing, and benefit deadlines work differently, an injured person should act promptly and obtain advice based on the facts of the claim.
Pain and Suffering Compensation After a Livonia Car Accident
If another driver's negligence caused the crash, an injured person may have a third-party claim for non-economic damages in addition to No-Fault benefits. Under MCL 500.3135, the injury must involve death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of body function. Recoverable non-economic harm may include:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional distress, anxiety, or depression
- Limitations on work, hobbies, and daily activities
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of society and companionship
- Grief following the death of a loved one
Michigan assesses these damages according to comparative fault. A claimant's damages may be reduced by that person's percentage of fault, and MCL 500.3135(2)(b) bars non-economic damages when the claimant is more than 50 percent at fault.
What Documentation Do I Need to Prove Pain and Suffering
The insurance company will require evidence connecting the collision to the injuries and showing how those injuries changed the person's life. Useful documentation can include:
- Crash-scene and vehicle photographs
- Medical records, imaging studies, and treatment plans
- Medical bills, prescription receipts, and mileage records
- Employment records and proof of lost income
- A treatment journal or pain log
- Before-and-after photographs and activity records
- Statements from family members, friends, co-workers, or treating professionals
Who Is Responsible for Paying Pain and Suffering After a Car Accident
The responsible parties depend on how the collision happened and who owned or controlled the vehicles involved. A claim may include the negligent driver, a vehicle owner, and, when the driver was acting within the scope of employment, an employer. A multi-vehicle crash may involve several drivers and insurers.
A Livonia car accident lawyer can investigate each party's conduct, identify the available liability and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and preserve claims before the applicable deadlines expire.
Deep Resources and Aggressive Investigation
Building a serious car accident case requires more than submitting a police report and medical records. Insurance companies investigate quickly, challenge causation, and look for reasons to reduce or deny payment.
The Livonia car accident lawyers at Lee Steinberg Law Firm can work with accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, economists, vocational professionals, and life-care planners when the case requires them. These experts can help explain how the crash happened and document the injuries, financial losses, and long-term care needs.
Our team begins preserving evidence immediately, including witness statements, traffic-camera or surveillance footage, vehicle data, phone records when relevant, photographs, medical documentation, and insurance communications.
