The use of electronic cigarettes, or “vapes” has grown exponentially in the past year. Many Michigan residents made the switch from cigarettes to vapes during the pandemic, believing vaping to be healthier and safer than smoking. While the long-term effects of using a vape are still unknown, some injuries and illnesses caused by vapes have already appeared. Vaping injuries can be severe, leading to hospitalization or even life-long illness or disfigurement. If you or your minor child have been hurt by a defective product such as a vape, you may have options for pursuing compensation. You can start by contacting an attorney. 

What Types of Vape Defects Cause Harm? 

The first step towards recovering compensation in a products liability case is showing that the product was indeed defective. In Michigan, there are three types of product defects: manufacturing defects, design defects, and marketing defects. All three types of defects can be dangerous for consumers. 

Manufacturing defects occur when a mistake is made while the product is being made. Many vapes and vape components are manufactured overseas, where safety standards may not be as firmly enforced as they would be in the U.S. Design defects mean that even if nothing went wrong during manufacturing, the product would still be dangerous because it was poorly designed. 

In 2020, passengers accounted for almost 16 percent of car crash fatalities and more than 23 percent of car crash injuries throughout Michigan. Many passenger injuries happen in multi-vehicle accidents, but a large number also happen in single-car accidents, like a crash earlier this month in Grand Rapids in which a driver collided with a pole and two passengers suffered serious injuries. The circumstances surrounding passenger injuries can sometimes make it complicated for victims to recover compensation, but it is possible with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Sources of Compensation for Injured Passengers

In most states, the first source of compensation for car accident injury victims is the at-fault driver’s liability insurance. However, in Michigan, injury victims must first look to compensation through their own no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, which is required by law in all car insurance policies throughout the state. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the most reliable source of compensation for injured passengers is often their own car insurance coverage, rather than the coverage of any of the drivers involved in the collision.

Michigan PIP coverage provides compensation for a car crash victim’s medical expenses and lost wages. If an injured passenger does not have their own PIP coverage, they may still be covered under the policy of a spouse, a parent, or another relative. If they have no access to PIP coverage of any kind, they may be able to recover through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan.

It may seem like common sense to assume that most semi-truck accidents are caused by the actions or negligence of the driver while the truck is in transit. Certainly, truck driver negligence is a factor in many accidents, but sometimes, a truck is predisposed to an accident before it even enters the road. One factor that can greatly increase the risk of a truck accident is improperly loaded or secured cargo. If you are injured in an accident and there is evidence that shifting cargo was a factor, you may be entitled to compensation from multiple parties.

The Importance of Securing Semi-Truck Cargo

While federal regulations place an 80,000-pound gross weight limit on commercial semi-trucks and their cargo, Michigan state law actually permits trucks to carry weight of up to 164,000 pounds, provided that the weight is distributed appropriately throughout the truck such that no axle bears a weight of more than 13,000 pounds. This distribution is crucial to ensuring that the truck can be handled safely.

However, cargo that is not properly secured can shift while the truck is in motion, throwing off the weight distribution and affecting the vehicle’s balance and traction. When this happens, a truck is more likely to overturn, posing great danger to the occupants of surrounding vehicles. Unsecured cargo can also fall off of a truck and obstruct the roadway, especially if the truck has an open bed or the trailer is not closed and secured properly.

For any parent, sending a child to college can be a challenging time filled with mixed emotions. You may be proud of your child’s accomplishments and excited for what they are about to experience, while at the same time feeling sad about your child moving out of the house and nervous about them living on their own. As this new school year begins, many students are about to embark on a fun and rewarding college experience, but unfortunately, for some students, their parents’ worst fears may come true. If your child is injured at college, you should be sure to understand your legal options for handling the situation.

Alcohol-Related Injuries Among College Students

Many students view college as an opportunity to try things that they were not able to do while living with their parents, and unfortunately, this often includes binge drinking. The first few weeks of college are some of the most dangerous, both because of the many social events where alcohol may be available, and the fact that many students do not fully understand the effects that alcohol will have on their bodies and mental faculties. Students who binge drink, or even those who are around others who are binge drinking, may be at risk of injury in a number of ways, including:

• Drunk driving accidents - As passengers, drivers, or pedestrians, students on or near college campuses may be at risk of injury at the hands of a drunk driver. In the most serious cases, these injuries can be fatal.

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Bicycle accidents have been a cause for concern in Michigan in recent years. Last month, a bicyclist was killed in a collision with a motor vehicle at an intersection on the west side of Grand Rapids. Statewide, bicyclist fatalities nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020, and on average, almost three bicyclists were injured every day last year. If you regularly travel by bicycle, it is important that you are prepared to handle a situation in which you are injured in an accident.

Reasons for Bicycle Accidents in Michigan

Michigan bicyclists are required to obey a number of state traffic laws, including using the right side of the road whenever possible; obeying traffic signs and yielding the right-of-way when appropriate; signaling stops and turns; and equipping their bicycles with functioning brakes, lights, and reflectors. Unfortunately, many bike accidents and injuries happen because a bicyclist fails to follow these laws.

However, another common cause for bicycle injuries is negligence on the part of the driver of a motor vehicle. As with other types of car accidents, drunk driving, distracted driving, and speeding tend to be common factors. A driver may also strike a bicyclist after failing to take notice of the bicyclist, failing to yield the right-of-way to a bicyclist at an intersection, or failing to maintain the three feet of space required by Michigan law when passing a bicyclist.