Posts Tagged ‘truck accident’
The trucking industry has made great strides in protecting the public against major truck accidents. Safety standards are continuously reviewed. Trucking companies realize the importance of having very strong safety programs and often have dedicated management personnel in place to promote trucking safety. Trucking equipment and technology continues to improve. Industry trade organizations such as the Trucking Industry Defense Association have been formed with the goal of promoting trucking safety and raising awareness among industry leaders.
Automobile Negligence; No-Fault; Michigan
Michigan continues to be a very conservative jurisdiction when it comes to automobile negligence litigation. Ever since Michigan enacted its No Fault Law in 1982, the state has required a “serious impairment,” death or serious permanent disfigurement for a claimant to be able to meet the tort threshold for maintaining a third-party personal injury case. An injury must also be objectively manifested and result in an impairment of the claimant’s ordinary lifestyle.
Recently the Michigan Court of Appeals decided the case of Plaggemeyer v Lee. The Court affirmed the summary dismissal of the plaintiff’s case by the Trial Court. In this case the plaintiff (a young boy) had a fractured femur and had to use a walker to ambulate. He then had to use crutches. The Trial Court and Court of Appeals determined that this injury did not meet the serious impairment threshold. The Court determined that the boy’s broken femur had not affected his general ability to lead a normal life because the boy could still walk, albeit with a walker and crutches.
This case illustrates the very hard bar that a claimant must reach before being allowed to get a case to the jury. Adjusters handling these types of cases need to be familiar with the ever changing case law in this area.
Alexander & Angelas, P.C. devotes a great deal of its practice to representing defendants in catastrophic trucking and automobile negligence cases. We have handled very complex, high severity claims for numerous national corporations and insurers. Recent cases have involved double amputations, multi-million dollar insurance coverage disputes and wrongful death actions. We practice in all State and Federal Courts in Michigan and maintain an active membership with the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA), and Michigan Defense Trial Counsel. For the past 20 years, we have been listed in the A.M. Best Directory of Approved Insurance Defense Attorneys.
Alexander & Angelas, P.C. also maintains a 24 Hour Emergency Response service. The law firm is associated with several independent adjusters positioned throughout Michigan, mechanical engineers who can arrive at an accident scene in Michigan within hours, civil evidence photographers and other qualified and appropriate first-responders. In a catastrophic emergency situation, your company can activate our 24 Hour Emergency Response by calling the following telephone numbers:
Office: (248) 290-5600 or (800) 219-0007
Home: (248) 924-3285
Cell: (248) 330-5584 or (248) 808-0560
Alexander & Angelas, P.C. was founded in 1992 and adheres to the principles of providing comprehensive, efficient, cost-effective handling of litigated matters. We practice in all State and Federal Courts in Michigan and offer a wide range of legal services including general liability matters, Workers Compensation, property/casualty claims, declaratory actions, contract negotiations, transportation claims and insurance coverage disputes.
Grand Rapids Truck Accident -24 Hour Emergency Response
The importance of having an emergency plan in place before a trucking accident was emphasized recently for a large national corporation. Shortly after a serious non-fatal trucking accident this company contacted its counsel and activated Alexander & Angelas’ 24 Hour Emergency Response services. Within minutes of the accident the law firm’s 24 Hour Emergency Response services were swung into action. The law firm responded with a crash reconstructionist, counseled the company truck driver, investigated the scene of the accident to identify any potential witnesses, initiated the necessary regulatory post accident actions, secured electronic data and identified potential claimants.

















































