A Kalamazoo car accident has resulted in the death of a 21-year old.  The single-vehicle accident occurred on January 29, 2009 on N. 35th Street when Brenda Lynn Johnson was headed southbound and lost control of her vehicle.  She ran off the road and struck several trees on the east side of the roadway.  She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

 This accident is truly a tragedy.  I want to express my sympathies for the Johnson family and to everyone who knew Brenda Lynn Johnson. 

In the midst of all the confusion that an unexpected death can cause, many people do not think to notify their car insurance of the accident.  I have seen this happen countless times, and it is always very sad.  Under the Michigan No Fault Act, part of the car insurance each driver is required to have is a provision for Survivor Loss benefits.  A No Fault survivor loss claim would provide the family with money to cover a portion of the funeral cost and payments for loss of financial support and loss of household services.

Unfortunately, I have met many people who fail to notify their car insurance companies of the accident or fail to submit a survivor loss claim within the limitations period.  Failing to submit a claim in a timely manner can lead the insurance company to deny benefits even though the accident victim would have received full coverage if he or she had submitted the claim on time.  The best thing to do if you or a family member has been involved in a car accident is to contact a lawyer as soon as possible to make sure you submit all claims on time.

 If you would like more information about your rights after a Michigan car accident, you can order our FREE book, “The Ultimate Michigan Car Accident Handbook” by clicking on the book link. We will send it out immediately along with other important information.

For more information about Michigan car accident cases, visit our law firm web site at www.BuckfireLaw.com. If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan car accident attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.

A Port Huron car accident has hospitalized a teen with non-life-threatening injuries.  The accident occurred on January 30, 2009 near a bus stop on Rural Street, located where 10 Habitat for Humanity houses were built in 2005.  The 16-year old pedestrian was walking to the bus stop when he was hit by a car driven by an 18-year old man.   The pedestrian was taken to the hospital and the driver was ticketed.  According to police, he had not fully cleaned the snow off of his car windows.

I am very sorry this accident occurred, especially because the victim is so young.  I hope he is able to recovery completely and quickly from this accident.

Many people do not realize that a pedestrian who is hit by a car can file a claim for Michigan No Fault benefits, but they can.  Even though the pedestrian hurt in this accident may not have a car or his own car insurance, he may still be able to file a claim through his parents’ insurance policy.  If no one he lives with has insurance, his family should contact a lawyer to help figure out if there is an insurance policy he can submit a claim to.

It is definitely worth taking the time to figure out if there is insurance to cover this boy’s injuries.  No Fault insurance pays for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses, including hospital bills and follow-up treatment.  In addition, if the pedestrian is seriously injured, he may require long-term care, which he could get through attendant care benefits, or if he performed chores around the house, his family could get a payment to compensate them for his inability to do those chores, through household replacement services benefits.

In addition to the No Fault claim, if the pedestrian is seriously injured, he may be able to file a lawsuit against the driver.   Michigan law allows only very severely injured accident victims to sue the driver, so the pedestrian should contact a lawyer to discuss his injuries in detail.  An experienced Michigan car accident lawyer would be able to evaluate his injuries and determine whether they satisfy the requirements to be able to file a lawsuit.

If you would like more information about your rights after a Michigan car accident, you can order our FREE book, “The Ultimate Michigan Car Accident Handbook” by clicking on the book link. We will send it out immediately along with other important information.

For more information about Michigan car accident cases, visit our law firm web site at www.BuckfireLaw.com. If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan car accident attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.

I recently read an article about causes of traumatic brain injuries.  According to the National Institute of Health, collisions such as car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and bicycle accidents cause HALF of all traumatic brain injuries.  This statistic is true for all age groups, except senior citizens, for whom slip and falls become the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries.

The consequences of traumatic brain injuries caused by vehicular accidents can be readily apparent, such as when facial muscles are paralyzed, or they may only become apparent after close observation of the accident victim, such as when the brain injuries cause problems in short-term memory, ability to solve problems, or ability to multitask.

When a car accident or other motor vehicle accident is the cause of a traumatic brain injury, there are usually two claims that the accident victim can make.  First, the accident victim can and should submit a claim for Michigan No Fault insurance benefits, which will pay for medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, and attendant care benefits, which are used to provide the accident victim with supervised care from a professional nurse or a family member. 

No Fault insurance also provides case management benefits, which is a benefit that most people do not realize comes with their car insurance.  With the case management benefits, the insurance company will pay a reasonable rate to hire a case manager who can assist the accident victim with coordinating doctors’ appointments, transportation, and other benefits, such as home modification for a wheelchair ramp or other reasonable modifications.  I always recommend my clients hire a case manager whenever their injuries are severe enough that a case manager would be useful, since the insurance company will pay for the case manager completely.

In addition to the No Fault insurance claim, most traumatic brain injury victims will meet the threshold to be able to file a lawsuit to seek additional damages from the driver who caused the car accident.  Michigan law is very strict and only allows very severely injured people to file a lawsuit when they have been injured in a car accident, but most brain injury victims will have severe enough injuries to satisfy the requirements of Michigan law.  This is very good for them because their lawsuit gives them the chance to collect additional damages.

For example, an accident victim’s No Fault insurance will pay a portion of the victim’s lost wages for up to three years after an accident.  However, many people who suffer brain injuries will be unable to work at their old jobs for the rest of their lives and many will be unable to work at all.  These people especially benefit from a lawsuit, since they could collect damages for their lost wages for the rest of their lives.

Brain injuries are some of the most complicated injuries that can happen to someone because the brain is still so poorly understood.  In order to convince a judge and a jury, an accident victim must hire a lawyer who is an expert on brain injuries and who understands the full extent of the suffering that the accident victim has faced.  I encourage you to learn more about the brain injury lawyers at Buckfire & Buckfire by visting our law firm’s brain injury section.

If you would like more information about your rights after a Michigan car accident, you can order our FREE book, “The Ultimate Michigan Car Accident Handbook” by clicking on the book link. We will send it out immediately along with other important information.

For more information about Michigan car accident cases, visit our law firm web site at www.BuckfireLaw.com. If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan car accident attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.