Troy Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Attorney in Troy, MI

Car accidents can happen in Troy on any road for various reasons. Speeding is common on I-75, and distracted driving is a pervasive issue throughout Oakland County. When you or a loved one is hurt in a car accident, it’s vital to understand Michigan’s laws for resolving these cases and the value of working with an experienced Troy car accident lawyer as you attempt to recover your damages.

It is also helpful to see what to do after a car accident in Michigan to protect your rights from the start. The right attorney can help you maximize your recovery. The right attorney can help you increase your recovery.

Representing Car Accident Victims in Troy, MI

The team at Wigod & Falzon has more than 25 years of experience representing car accident victims in Troy and throughout Oakland County. In every case we accept, we take time to learn as much as possible about our client, their accident, and the effects the accident has had on their life. We can help you navigate your recovery process, from establishing liability for the accident to exploring all available legal options.

The 2024 Statewide Traffic Crash Data Report from the Michigan State Police reported 288,880 vehicle accidents in Michigan during 2024, resulting in 1,099 deaths and 71,316 injuries. In Oakland County, there were 35,951 crashes resulting in 9,139 injuries and 68 deaths. Most crashes in Troy result from negligence, but Michigan enforces a no-fault insurance rule that you must understand if you believe another driver caused your recent accident. A skilled Troy personal injury lawyer can explain how these regulations impact your ability to sue for damages.

Our Approach

Wigod & Falzon will work closely with you through all stages of your case. We will help you determine whether another party is to blame for the accident and, if so, help you determine the optimal way to recover your damages. We can help with a no-fault insurance claim, but if you have grounds to file a case against another driver, you can trust our team to guide you to a positive result.

Steps to Take Following a Car Crash in Troy

A car collision in Troy can leave you shaken and potentially unaware of the full extent of your injuries. The steps that you take or do not take following a collision can have a significant impact on your recovery and eligibility to pursue compensation through an injury claim. Your top priority should be your safety and health. Call 911 and report the location of the crash to the dispatcher. Try to wait for EMS and police to arrive at a safe location.

When paramedics arrive, allow them to examine you for injuries. The shock of a collision could mask the symptoms of certain injuries. Once the scene of the crash has been secured, you can take photos of the wreckage and any details that can establish the cause of the collision.

Seek medical attention at a hospital as soon as possible and carefully follow your doctor’s recovery guidelines. Missing time from work can create financial hardships, but an injury claim can help you recoup those losses plus other forms of compensation. You can further support your claim by taking detailed notes about your struggles and physical recovery.

Insurance and Police Reports

You can request a copy of the police report tied to the collision. This important documentation can provide objective information that can establish fault and liability. Notify your insurer about the crash, but be careful not to discuss details about the crash. Until you have all the facts, speculating about what caused the crash could complicate the process of pursuing compensation.

Do not delay securing legal representation. Evidence can become more difficult to collect over time, and witness testimony can become more reliable with each passing week. An attorney can gather the evidence that is needed to build a strong claim that leads to meaningful compensation.

Recovering From a Car Accident in Troy

Under Michigan’s no-fault insurance rule for car accidents, every driver must have no-fault insurance that includes Personal Injury Protection. When an accident happens, an injured driver claims compensation for their damages from their own no-fault policy, even if another driver caused the accident. You may want to learn about the Michigan no-fault law to understand what benefits are guaranteed to you. However, under certain conditions, you may have grounds to file a personal injury case against whoever caused your accident.

Your Troy car accident lawyer can help you through the insurance claim-filing process. Most insurance companies attempt to settle claims for as little as possible, but your attorney can make sure you are treated fairly and negotiate a settlement on your behalf. Your attorney can also determine whether you are eligible to file a personal injury case against the driver who caused the accident.

Filing a Claim

Under Michigan’s no-fault rule for car accidents, you can only file a personal injury case against an at-fault driver if they caused a serious bodily injury. If your damages exceed the scope of compensation your no-fault insurance policy can provide, your attorney can determine whether you have grounds to pursue a personal injury case against the at-fault driver.

If you can file a personal injury case, it’s possible to recover compensation for any economic and non-economic damages you suffered in the accident with your attorney’s help. Our team can also help you understand the car accident settlement process so you know what to expect during negotiations. Some personal injury cases can be resolved through pretrial settlement, while other cases require litigation. Regardless of what your case entails, reach out to Wigod & Falzon as soon as possible so we can start building your case.

Common Injuries That Can Follow a Car Collision

Car collisions along Livernois Road, Crooks Road, and elsewhere can lead to serious injuries that require urgent medical attention at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak, or another nearby hospital. Drivers and passengers can suffer significant injuries that can lead to missed time from work and other causes of financial hardship.

• Brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries and concussions can cause life-threatening harm. Nearly four in 10 adults experience symptoms of a brain injury at some point in their lives.
  After a head injury, symptoms can develop over the course of days or longer. Complications from swelling and internal bleeding can lead to secondary injuries. Recovering from a brain injury often requires considerable time and ongoing medical treatment and observation.
• Broken bones. While a broken bone may not sound like the most life-altering injury, multiple breaks or fractures can require corrective surgeries and a long recovery. Serious bone breaks can lead to a lengthy recovery that requires missed time from work.
• Lacerations. Deep cuts caused by shattered glass, twisted metal, or flying debris can damage muscles, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. Severe cuts may require stitches or reconstructive surgery and can leave permanent scarring or lasting loss of function.
• Spinal cord injury. Damage to the spinal cord can have life-altering consequences, including chronic pain, loss of sensation, reduced mobility, or paralysis. Many spinal cord injuries require medical treatment and long-term medical care to help victims adapt to lasting physical limitations.
• Internal organ damage. Blunt-force trauma from a truck crash can injure the lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, or other internal organs. Because symptoms are not always immediately apparent, internal bleeding and organ damage can quickly become life-threatening without prompt medical evaluation and treatment.

When someone suffers a personal injury due to another party’s negligence or misconduct, the negligent party can be held accountable through an injury claim.

Common Causes of Car Wrecks

While mechanical failures and falling tree branches can cause collisions, driver error is a far more common reason that people experience car wrecks in Troy. At Wigod & Falzon, we commonly see the following causes of collisions.

• Distracted driving. When someone takes their attention off the road or their hands off the wheel, those brief moments of distraction are all that is needed to cause a preventable wreck. Smartphones, navigation systems, and other electronic devices are common causes of this type of driver negligence, along with eating while driving.
• Speeding. Driving at excessive speeds can cause a collision and increase the severity of the impact for drivers and passengers. High speeds can lead to vehicle instability and more severe collisions. Weather conditions are another factor, and drivers should show caution when roads are slick or icy.
• Reckless driving. When drivers show disregard for the safety of others, they can create circumstances that endanger other drivers. Excessive speeding, unsafe lane changes, and other forms of aggressive driving can cause preventable collisions.
• Drunk driving. It is an unfortunate reality that someone’s reckless decision to drive while intoxicated can cause serious harm to innocent drivers and passengers. The crime rate in Troy is 23.88 per 1,000 residents in a typical year, and drunk driving contributes to those figures.
• Fatigue. When drivers are heavily fatigued, their reaction time slows considerably. In extreme situations, a driver could even fall asleep while behind the wheel. Drivers have a responsibility to avoid driving when they are overly tired, and signs of fatigue could be used to establish negligence after a car collision.
• Failure to yield. Drivers who ignore traffic signs, signals, or another vehicle’s right of way can cause dangerous side-impact and intersection collisions. Failing to yield often occurs when turning left, merging into traffic, or entering an intersection without making sure it is safe to proceed.
• Tailgating. When drivers follow another vehicle too closely, it leaves little time to react. Rear-end collisions frequently result from tailgating, particularly during heavy traffic or poor weather conditions, and drivers who fail to maintain a safe following distance may be held responsible for the crash.

Although drivers initially rely on their own no-fault insurance for compensation, a serious collision that causes catastrophic injuries can lead to a civil claim.

How Can I Be Compensated for My Injury?

Following a collision in Michigan, all parties involved can rely on their personal no-fault insurance policies for compensation. While this may sound like a straightforward source for compensation, insurance carriers are in the business of making profits, and they do not share the interests of injured claimants. If your insurance provider downplays the harm you suffered or fails to provide you with a fair settlement, you have the right to seek legal support.

When a collision involves a catastrophic injury, death, or disfigurement, or when your own policy’s coverage does not fully compensate you for an injury, you can work with an attorney to pursue further compensation through the civil court system. An injury claim can hold the at-fault driver accountable for the harm you endured.

Economic vs. Non-Economic Injuries

The injury claims process can consider both tangible financial losses and intangible emotional hardships. Medical bills, lost wages, and other financial hardships are typically classified as “economic” damages that are straightforward to calculate by adding up receipts, pay stubs, and other forms of documentation.

Non-economic damages address the emotional harm that someone suffers. PTSD, depression, anxiety, reduced quality of life, and other intangible losses can potentially be recovered through an injury claim. While no-fault insurance benefits typically focus on economic losses, a severe collision could qualify for an additional personal injury claim seeking non-economic relief.

When Should I Accept a Settlement?

Whether you are negotiating a settlement with your personal insurer or working with an attorney to resolve a civil court case, you are not obligated to accept an unfavorable settlement. The decision to accept a settlement is completely up to you, but there are special considerations that you should make before resolving your claim.

If you accept any settlement, that would end that specific claim, and you would not be able to pursue compensation from that specific defendant. Rejecting a settlement offer does not guarantee that the at-fault party will quickly come back with a better offer. Negotiations require a careful approach and the steady support of an injury lawyer who understands the steps that are needed to secure fair compensation that addresses all of your losses.

Why You Should Hire a Car Accident Lawyer

Securing compensation after a car accident can be more challenging than you may think, especially if you do not hire a car accident lawyer. When you hire a car accident lawyer, you gain representation from an advocate who understands the state’s car accident laws and the steps that are needed to secure compensation for your car accident case.

If you suffered catastrophic injuries, for example, your attorney can gather evidence to support a civil court claim seeking non-economic damages. When needed, they can subpoena smartphone records to show that the other driver was distracted at the time of the collision. In 2024, 315,167 people were injured by distracted drivers, and legal support from a Troy car accident attorney can hold negligent drivers accountable for the harm they cause.

FAQs

Q: How Can I Prove Fault for a Car Accident in Troy?

A: You can prove fault for a car accident in Troy with evidence like photos of the crash scene, police reports, eyewitness statements, and drivers’ cell phone data. Your Troy car accident attorney can gather this evidence on your behalf to help you build the strongest possible personal injury case if you are eligible to do so. Some of this evidence won’t be obtainable for long, so it’s vital to hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Car Accident in Troy?

A: The amount of compensation you can claim for a car accident in Troy depends on the severity of your injuries. You may be eligible to claim vehicle repair or replacement costs, medical expenses, lost income, and lost future earning capacity if the accident caused a permanent disability. Additionally, in a personal injury case, the injured plaintiff could claim compensation for pain and suffering.

Q: Will the At-Fault Driver Go to Jail for Causing My Accident?

A: The at-fault driver may go to jail or face other criminal penalties for causing your accident if they caused it by breaking the law. For example, if you were hurt by a drunk driver, they could not only face civil liability for your damages but also criminal prosecution for intoxicated driving.

Q: Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Troy?

A: You should hire a car accident lawyer in Troy to have a better chance of increasing your recovery. An experienced local attorney will be an invaluable asset for proving fault for your accident, uncovering the full scope of the damages you are eligible to claim, and guiding you through all of the legal proceedings necessary to resolve your case.

Q: What Does it Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Troy?

A: The cost to hire a car accident lawyer in Troy varies by lawyer. When you choose Wigod & Falzon to represent you, there is no fee for our representation unless we win, and our contingency fee policy means we only charge a percentage of the compensation we recover on your behalf. There is no risk of paying more in legal fees than you receive for your damages, and no fee at all if we are unable to recover compensation for you.

Schedule Your Free Case Review with Our Troy Car Accident Attorneys

The team at Wigod & Falzon has successfully helped many clients in Oakland County navigate difficult car accident cases, and we are confident we can help you achieve a positive outcome. You have limited time to pursue your recovery, so contact us today and schedule a free consultation with our team. We look forward to helping you recover your damages.

Troy, MI Car Accident Resources

• Learn how to claim lost wages after a Michigan car accident
• See what to do if you were hit by a car while walking
• Find out what to expect physically after a car accident
• Learn whether to call a lawyer or insurance first after a car accident
• See why you should hire a car accident lawyer for your claim
• Review Troy car accident statistics and local road safety data
• Learn about the average car accident settlement in Michigan