At Jalal Abdallah Law, we work on a contingency fee basis for all personal injury cases. You pay nothing upfront and no attorney fee at all unless we win your case. Your initial consultation is completely free. There is no financial risk to getting experienced legal representation on your side from day one.

During your free consultation, we review the facts of your situation, explain whether you have a valid claim under Michigan law, identify which insurance policies apply, walk you through what the legal process looks like, and give you an honest assessment of what your case may be worth. There is no pressure and no obligation to hire us.

The timeline depends on the complexity of your case, the severity of your injuries, and whether the insurance company negotiates in good faith. Straightforward cases can resolve in a few months. Cases involving serious injuries, disputed liability, or litigation typically take one to three years. We pursue every case as efficiently as possible while ensuring you receive full and fair compensation — never rushing a settlement before the full extent of your injuries is known.

Michigan is a no-fault insurance state, meaning your own auto insurance pays your medical bills and a portion of lost wages through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits regardless of who caused the accident. To pursue pain and suffering and non-economic damages from the at-fault driver, your injuries must meet Michigan's threshold under MCL 500.3135 — death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of a bodily function.

Michigan follows a modified comparative fault rule. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover non-economic damages like pain and suffering. However, PIP benefits are not affected by fault at all. Insurance companies aggressively try to inflate your share of responsibility — an attorney investigates the facts and pushes back against unfair fault assignments.

Michigan's general statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years from the date of injury under MCL 600.5805. Medical malpractice carries a two-year deadline. No-fault PIP benefits require written notice to your insurer within one year. Claims against government entities may require notice in as few as 60 days. Missing any deadline permanently eliminates your right to compensation — contact an attorney immediately after your injury.

You may recover economic damages including past and future medical expenses, lost wages, and lost earning capacity, as well as non-economic damages including pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. Michigan does not cap non-economic damages in standard negligence cases — only in medical malpractice. In cases involving egregious conduct such as drunk driving, exemplary damages may also be available.

No — not without an attorney. The opposing insurer's adjuster may seem cooperative, but their job is to minimize your claim. You are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company. Politely decline and direct them to your attorney. Any statement — even something as casual as saying you feel okay — can be used to minimize your injuries or your compensation later.

Call 911 and stay at the scene. Seek medical attention immediately even if you feel fine — many serious injuries do not produce symptoms right away. Document the scene with photos and collect witness contact information. Report the accident to your insurer but do not give a recorded statement to the opposing insurer. Do not sign anything. Contact a personal injury attorney before accepting any settlement offer.

Yes, if your injuries meet the threshold under MCL 500.3135 — death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of a bodily function that affects your ability to lead your normal life. You may also sue for excess medical benefits if your costs exceed your PIP coverage limit, and for vehicle damage up to $3,000 through a mini-tort claim under MCL 500.3135(3)(e).

Multiple parties can be liable — the truck driver, the trucking company for unsafe hiring or hours of service violations, the vehicle owner for maintenance failures, cargo loaders for improper loading, and truck manufacturers for defective equipment. Michigan has adopted FMCSA regulations under MCL 480.11a requiring a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage. Evidence including ELD data and black box records must be preserved immediately — contact an attorney right away.

Yes — if a motor vehicle was involved in your crash. Motorcycles are excluded from Michigan's no-fault "motor vehicle" definition, but if you are hit by a car or truck, you are entitled to PIP benefits from the at-fault vehicle's insurer. If no coverage is available through the priority chain, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan (MACP) provides up to $250,000. If you own your motorcycle and failed to carry required liability insurance under MCL 500.3113(b), you may be denied PIP benefits.

Yes. Michigan's no-fault system covers pedestrians struck by motor vehicles regardless of fault. PIP benefits follow the priority order — your own auto policy first, then a resident relative's policy, then the at-fault vehicle's insurer, then the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan. You do not need to own a car to receive PIP benefits. You can also pursue a third-party liability claim for pain and suffering if your injuries meet the threshold under MCL 500.3135.

Yes — and you should. The criminal case and your civil claim are entirely separate proceedings. The criminal case is brought by the State of Michigan to punish the driver. Your civil claim recovers compensation for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Do not wait for the criminal case to conclude — civil deadlines run independently and evidence must be preserved immediately.

Yes — under Michigan's Dram Shop Act (MCL 436.1801), licensed establishments that overserve a visibly intoxicated person who then causes an accident can be held financially liable. This applies to bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and any licensed liquor vendor. Written notice to the establishment is required within 120 days of the accident. Missing this deadline permanently eliminates the dram shop claim — contact an attorney immediately if a bar or restaurant may be involved.

Under MCL 600.2922(2), only the court-appointed personal representative of the deceased's estate may file a wrongful death lawsuit in Michigan. The personal representative files on behalf of all eligible beneficiaries including the spouse, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and financially dependent individuals. If no estate is open, that step must be completed through the probate court before the lawsuit can proceed.

Under MCL 600.2922(6), recoverable damages include medical, funeral, and burial expenses; the deceased's conscious pain and suffering before death; loss of financial support to surviving family members; loss of society and companionship; loss of consortium for a surviving spouse; and future lost earnings. In cases involving drunk driving or gross negligence, exemplary damages may also be available. All wrongful death settlements require court approval before distribution.

The general statute of limitations is three years from the date of death under MCL 600.5805. If the estate is opened close to or after the deadline, the personal representative may have two years from the issuance of letters of authority under MCL 600.5852. Medical malpractice wrongful death cases involve shorter timelines. Never accept an early insurance settlement without legal review — signing a release permanently eliminates all future claims.

Exercise your right to remain silent immediately and request an attorney before answering any questions. Do not speak to police or prosecutors without legal representation present — regardless of how routine the questioning seems. Contact Jalal Abdallah Law as soon as possible. The earlier we get involved, the more options we have to protect you.

Misdemeanors are less severe offenses punishable by up to one year in county jail, handled in district court. Felonies are serious offenses carrying more than one year in state prison, classified from Class H through Class A and Class M2. Both result in a criminal record. Felony cases involve additional proceedings including a Probable Cause Conference and Preliminary Examination before proceeding to circuit court — making early legal representation critical.

Michigan's Clean Slate Law allows many convictions to be set aside. Misdemeanors become eligible after three years, non-violent felonies after five years, and multiple felonies after seven years. Some serious offenses are not eligible. Automatic expungement also applies to certain misdemeanors after seven years without a new conviction. We review your record and advise whether you qualify and how to proceed.

Title insurance protects property owners and lenders against financial losses from title defects that existed before the policy was issued but were unknown at closing — including undisclosed liens, forged deeds, recording errors, missing heir claims, and unrecorded encumbrances. Owner's policies protect the buyer; lender's policies protect the mortgage lender. For the one-time premium, owner's title insurance provides protection for as long as you own the property.

Michigan does not legally require an attorney at every closing, but having legal representation is strongly advisable. An attorney reviews all closing documents before you sign, identifies unfavorable or incorrect terms, ensures the title is clear, and advises on your rights and obligations. Real estate transactions involve significant financial commitments — legal oversight at closing is one of the most valuable protections available.

Common issues include unpaid property taxes or contractor liens, unresolved judgments or mortgages from prior owners, errors or gaps in the recorded chain of title, boundary disputes, undisclosed easements, and probate issues from a deceased prior owner. Our attorneys identify and resolve these during the title examination process — before closing, not after — so your transaction proceeds cleanly and securely.

The right entity depends on your goals, number of owners, liability concerns, and tax situation. An LLC is one of the most common choices for small to mid-sized Michigan businesses, providing personal liability protection with flexible management and tax treatment. Corporations are often preferred for businesses seeking outside investment. We evaluate your situation and recommend the structure that best serves your long-term objectives.

A denied claim is not the final word. We review the denial, assess whether the insurer applied your policy terms correctly, and determine whether the denial constitutes bad faith under Michigan's Insurance Code. We then pursue resolution through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation — whichever path is most likely to recover the benefits you are owed. Contact us before accepting any insurer's decision as final.

Michigan uses two primary methods: the multiplier method, which multiplies your total economic damages by a number between 1.5 and 5 based on injury severity; and the per diem method, which assigns a daily dollar value to your suffering and multiplies it by the number of days experienced. Michigan places no cap on pain and suffering in standard negligence cases. The strength of your medical evidence and documentation significantly influences the final value.

For standard negligence cases — car accidents, slip and falls, truck crashes — Michigan places no cap on pain and suffering damages. Juries can award any amount they determine is fair. Medical malpractice is the exception, with caps currently at approximately $568,000 for standard cases and approximately $1,015,000 for catastrophic outcomes like permanent paralysis (2024 figures, adjusted annually for inflation).

Common tactics include calling within hours to obtain a recorded statement before you understand your injuries, offering lowball settlements before the full extent of harm is known, disputing causation by claiming your injuries are pre-existing, sending you to an "independent" medical examiner who is paid by the insurer, monitoring your social media for evidence that contradicts your reported limitations, and using broad medical authorizations to search for unrelated health conditions. An attorney counters every one of these tactics from the start of your claim.