Guide to Finding Michigan Medical Malpractice Lawyer

When you are injured by a medical mistake in the state of Michigan, it can be prudent to seek out MI medical malpractice lawyers as soon as possible. After you are injured due to medical negligence, you may be wondering what your rights are and whether you should sue using a Michigan medical malpractice lawyer. This guide can help you understand the role of Michigan medical malpractice lawyers, as well as the limits the state of Michigan has imposed on MI medical malpractice lawyers. At the end of this guide, you will find information on how to seek legal representation by a MI medical malpractice lawyer who meets your needs.

Do I Need a Michigan Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

If your doctor is aware of your injury, you may be offered a settlement by a malpractice insurance company. Before signing any documents, contact a MI medical malpractice lawyer. Michigan medical malpractice lawyers have experience with insurance company settlement offers and can help you assess whether the settlement deal is fair.

Often, if you have not sought representation by MI medical malpractice lawyers, insurance companies will give you an unfair, or even insultingly low, offer. Securing representation by a Michigan medical malpractice lawyer experienced in negotiating can help you to obtain a better settlement offer and get your life back on track.

If the insurance company never offers an acceptable settlement, your Michigan malpractice lawyer can assist you in filing a lawsuit. Michigan medical malpractice lawyers will advise you as to all of your legal options and help you come to an informed decision as to whether or not to take the case to trial.

Can I Afford a MI Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

If you are still reeling from the financial effects of a medical mistake, you may believe you cannot hire a Michigan medical malpractice lawyer due to your financial difficulties. You may be surprised: most MI medical malpractice lawyers do not charge clients anything upfront, and beginning legal action with a MI medical malpractice lawyer can mean that you can defer existing hospital bills.

Most Michigan medical malpractice lawyers take cases on what is called a contingency fee basis. When your Michigan medical malpractice lawyer takes your case “on contingency,” you will only be charged a percentage of your total award—either from settlement or trial—as an attorney's fee. If you win your case, MI medical malpractice lawyers are allowed to take as much as one third of your award as their fee. If you lose a case that was taken on contingency, you owe your MI medical malpractice lawyer nothing.

Do I Need a Michigan Medical Malpractice Lawyer Right Away?

You may have many things on your mind other than Michigan medical malpractice lawyers after receiving bad medical care. However, as soon as you discover that you have been injured, the clock starts ticking on what the state calls the “statute of limitations.” After the statute of limitations has run out, no MI medical malpractice lawyer will accept your case, as it would be thrown out by the court.

The current statute of limitations that MI medical malpractice lawyers need to abide by is two years. Please note that this is two years from when you discovered you were injured, not necessarily from the date of the injury. Your Michigan medical malpractice lawyer can help you to understand when the statute of limitations began in your specific circumstances.

Michigan medical malpractice lawyers can offer you the most assistance if you seek their help early, long before the clock runs out on the statute of limitations. This gives your MI medical malpractice lawyer more time to negotiate with insurers before going to court. The longer you wait, the less your Michigan medical malpractice lawyer will be able to do for you, so it is imperative to contact MI medical malpractice lawyers as soon as you realize you have been injured.

How Big an Award Can Michigan Medical Malpractice Lawyers Seek?

When you have been injured, you may wonder how much money you could get in a lawsuit. The state of Michigan allows MI medical malpractice lawyers to seek unlimited amounts of damages for economic reasons—for instance, if you are unable to continue working, your MI medical malpractice lawyer can seek economic damages for the years of work you would have otherwise done.

Hard limits apply to Michigan medical malpractice lawyers when seeking non-economic damages, like damages for pain and suffering. These limits have been applied to MI medical malpractice lawyers to keep medical costs due to lawsuit awards down. Your Michigan medical malpractice lawyer can tell you the latest numbers for Michigan's damage caps, because non-economic damages in Michigan are limited to a scale that adjusts annually with inflation. Last year, Michigan medical malpractice lawyers were limited to seeking $410,800 for most injuries, but if medical negligence resulted in brain damage, paralysis, or other catastrophic damage, your MI medical malpractice lawyer could seek damages up to a higher cap of $733,500.

The state of Michigan does not allow MI medical malpractice lawyers to seek any punitive damages, which are damages that stem not from your own pain and suffering, but rather are designed to punish a negligent doctor. Even if your doctor has a history of making medical mistakes, your Michigan medical malpractice lawyer cannot seek punitive damages to punish him or her.

Finding a MI Medical Malpractice Lawyer

When you need to consult with Michigan medical malpractice lawyers, it can be hard to know where to start. The State Bar of Michigan offers a lawyer referral service if you need a Michigan medical malpractice lawyer. The lawyer referral service hotline number is (800) 968-0738, and if you ask for MI medical malpractice lawyers, you will be given the number of a MI medical malpractice lawyer who can help you through your legal problem.

Michigan medical malpractice lawyers who work through the state's referral service will set up an initial consultation first. This initial consultation lets you understand the fees and services of your potential Michigan medical malpractice lawyer and can help you decide which MI medical malpractice lawyer is right for you. The referral service from the state is free, but MI medical malpractice lawyers you consult with may charge up to twenty dollars for your initial half-hour consultation.