As consumers, we rely on products to meet our everyday needs, assuming they will function safely and as intended. However, when a product proves defective, it can result in accidents, injuries, and even death. In Michigan, product liability laws are in place to protect consumers and hold manufacturers accountable for their faulty products. 

What is Product Liability?

Product liability refers to the legal responsibility of manufacturers, distributors, and sellers for the injuries caused by defective products they produce or distribute. When a product is defective, unreasonably dangerous, or lacks proper warnings, those harmed by the product have the right to seek compensation for their injuries.

Examples of Product Liability Cases

• Defective Design: One type of product liability case involves defective design. If a product's design is fundamentally flawed and poses an injury risk to consumers, it may be considered defective. For example, a car with faulty brakes that fail to function properly can lead to severe accidents and injuries.

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As our loved ones age, we entrust their care to nursing homes to ensure their well-being and safety. However, instances of nursing home abuse and neglect have become a pressing concern in Grand Rapids and throughout the nation. It is crucial to familiarize yourself with the signs that may indicate abuse or neglect to protect your loved ones.

One of the most apparent signs of abuse or neglect is the presence of unexplained injuries or health issues. Keep a close eye on your loved one for signs such as unexplained bruises, fractures, pressure ulcers (bedsores), malnutrition, dehydration, poor personal hygiene, sudden weight loss, or changes in behavior and mood.

Understanding Nursing Home Negligence in West Michigan

Nursing home negligence refers to the failure of a facility or its staff to provide adequate care, supervision, or necessary medical attention to residents. It is a grave violation of trust and can have severe consequences for the well-being and quality of life of your loved ones.

Boating is a popular pastime in Michigan, with thousands of residents and tourists taking to the state's many lakes and waterways every year. While boating can be a fun and relaxing activity, it can also be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. It is important to know how fault is determined in boating accidents in Michigan and how to stay safe on the water. 

How to Determine Fault in Boating Accidents

When a boating accident occurs, fault is typically determined based on negligence. This means that a person or party failed to act with reasonable care, and that failure caused the accident. 

Some common examples of negligence in boating accidents include:

 Premises liability claims arise when a person is injured on someone else's property due to the property owner's negligence or failure to maintain a safe environment. If you have been injured in such circumstances, you may have grounds to file a premises liability claim.

Types of Premises Liability Accidents

• Slip and Fall Accidents - Slip and fall accidents occur when someone slips, trips, or falls due to a hazardous condition, such as a wet or slippery floor, inadequate lighting, or uneven surfaces.

• Dog Bites - Dog bites can occur when a dog owner fails to properly control their pet, leading to an attack that results in injury.

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Losing a loved one in a fatal truck accident can be one of the most devastating experiences anyone can face. The aftermath of such a tragic event can be overwhelming, both emotionally and financially. In Michigan, truck accidents have been responsible for thousands of fatalities over the years. 

The Scope of Fatal Truck Accidents in Michigan

Michigan has one of the busiest trucking industries in the United States, with countless trucks on the roads every day. Unfortunately, this means that the state is also home to a significant number of fatal truck accidents each year. According to the Michigan State Police, truck involved fatalities increased 32 percent, from 78 crashes in 2020 to 103 in 2021. The month of October had the highest number of truck-involved crashes with a total of 1,450 crashes. The majority of these auto accidents occurred between noon and 2:59 p.m.

Legal Recourse for Fatal Truck Accidents in Michigan

Under Michigan law, the family members of a person who has died in a truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence may be entitled to compensation. Michigan Compiled Laws § 600.2922 allows for a wrongful death lawsuit to be filed by the deceased person’s surviving family members. The law states that the surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased person may file a wrongful death claim to recover damages for the loss of their loved one.

If you or someone you know has been bitten by a dog, it is essential to know the appropriate steps to take to pursue justice and financial compensation. Injuries from a dog bite attack can be severe, and and you need to know how to handle the situation legally.

First and foremost, if a dog bite occurs seek medical attention immediately. Dog bites can be serious and require medical treatment that is best addressed by a trained professional. Even minor injuries may become infected or cause complications, so it is important not to delay care. Next, speak to a lawyer about taking legal action.

What To Do If You Are Bitten By A Dog

• Get medical assistance: Even if the bite seems minor, it is important to seek medical attention right away. Dog bites can result in infections and other complications, so it is vital to have a medical professional examine the wound.

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Construction sites are full of hazards. Unfinished buildings, scaffolding, heavy equipment, trenches, and electrical hazards are common in Michigan construction sites. If you or a loved one were injured because of a construction project or equipment, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and recover compensation. You could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and more.

Who is Legally Responsible for a Construction Site Injury?

If you are injured on a construction site, your first step should be to identify who is responsible for the injuries. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, multiple parties may be liable:

• The owner or developer of the property

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Commercial truck drivers are a crucial part of our national infrastructure. They drive hundreds of miles carrying cargo in their large semi-trucks, often working long shifts and overnight hours. But driving for too long without rest can lead to dangerous levels of fatigue that can endanger the lives of everyone on the roads they share with other drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires that truck drivers abide by certain "hours of service" rules that limit how long a driver can drive consecutively without taking a break. Sleep deprivation impairs a driver's ability to operate a commercial vehicle safely, and hours of service violations greatly increase the chances of a collision.

If you or a loved one were involved in a collision with a commercial truck, it is important to know how FMCSA violations may be used as evidence in your case.

An individual's college years should be filled with new friends, engaging classes, and personal growth. Unfortunately, injuries can happen at any stage in life. When a college student is injured due to another party’s negligence or recklessness on campus, he or she has the right to seek financial compensation for damages. The student may be entitled to reimbursement for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, property damage, emotional distress, and other losses associated with the incident.

Types of Injuries Suffered by College Students

College students may suffer a wide range of injuries because of another party's wrongdoing or irresponsibility. Sometimes, the at-fault party is another individual, such as a drunk driver. In other cases, the school itself is liable for a student's injury.

• Car crashes - College students are especially vulnerable to car accidents, particularly due to the prevalence of drunk driving and distracted driving on college campuses.

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Paying for vehicle repair costs and medical needs are usually some of the last things on a person's mind after an auto accident. The moments after a collision are chaotic. An injured person may give little thought to the financial consequences of the crash as he or she is being transported to the hospital. However, as the initial shock of the accident wears off, questions about how to pay for the repairs and medical bills may begin to arise. The question of financial responsibility is especially pressing if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured.

Reimbursement for Accident-Related Costs When the At-Fault Party is Uninsured

Michigan law mandates auto insurance. Unfortunately, some people drive without auto insurance or, more commonly, without enough auto insurance. If you were hit by a drunk driver, distracted driver, or someone who was driving negligently and you find out they do not have insurance, you may understandably worry. 

Fortunately, there may still be a way to recover compensation after an accident with an uninsured driver. Many people have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage is designed for exactly this type of situation. If you were hit by an uninsured driver, you may be able to file a claim with your own insurance company to get compensation. A personal injury attorney can advocate for you and communicate with the insurance company on your behalf during this process. 

Following commercial truck accidents in Michigan, many people are aware that accident reconstruction experts could be used by either side in a dispute over possible financial compensation. So-called accident reconstructionists are considered experts because they have advanced understandings of various elements relating to crashes, so they can usually offer detailed analysis of what the cause of an accident actually was.

The state of Michigan actually has its own Traffic Crash Reconstruction that is part of the Michigan State Police (MSP) and has a primary purpose of determining as accurately as possible how a collision occurred using the physical facts and evidence available at crash scenes. There are numerous areas of a crash scene that will be inspected by experts in these cases.

Accident Reconstruction Concerns

When experts are reconstructing accident scenes, they usually evaluate the following kinds of information:

MLive Media Group recently reported that a list of the top 10 most dangerous intersections in Kent County based on police car accident report data showed that United States Route 131 and Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids remained the most dangerous intersection for the sixth year in a row. The report stated that 31 percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred at intersections.

Grand Rapids itself actually had seven of the top 10 crash locations on the list. A few days before that story was published, a 42-year-old woman was facing two second-degree murder charges after running over five Make-A-Wish bicyclists while under the influence of prescription drugs.

Common Causes of Multiple-Vehicle Accidents

The full top 10 list included:

From Brewery Vivant to City Built Brewing Company to Greyline Brewing Company to the Mitten Brewing Company to Harmony Brewing Company, there is no shortage of local brewery options in Grand Rapids. While these locations certainly offer adults the opportunity to taste some unique beverages, people who overdo alcohol consumption are at greater risk of causing drunk driving accidents.

It was only a few weeks ago that a 27-year-old man was arraigned on two felony charges after he allegedly struck and then dragged a bicyclist more than a mile-and-a-half while having a breath alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.21, nearly three times the legal limit. A Remus man who allegedly rear-ended and killed a motorcyclist was sentenced to one year in Isabella County Jail, while earlier this year, a Kentwood woman was sentenced to at least five years in prison following a January 2021 drunk driving crash that killed a young man.

Michigan Dram Shop Liability

One common theory of liability often floated by people who were victims of drunk driving crashes is that people who sold alcohol to the intoxicated individuals should also be liable. While there is certainly some justification for this belief, there are limited situations in which alcoholic vendors might be liable.

Five people reportedly suffered injuries in a three-vehicle accident near Grand Rapids that involved a Chevrolet Impala trying to change lanes, striking another vehicle, and then crossing into the opposite lane and hitting a GMC pickup truck. The car accident injuries reportedly ranged from minor to critical.

Just days after that story, a list of the 20 most dangerous intersections in Michigan in 2021 was released that featured two intersections in Grand Rapids: United States Route 131 (US 131) and Wealthy Street ranked fifth, and Franklin Street Southwest and US 131 ranked 18th. The 134 total car crashes at US 131 and Wealthy Street marked a 17.5 percent increase from the 114 in 2020 and almost a 9 percent increase from the 123 in 2019 with injuries increasing from 18 in 2019 to 23 in 2020 to 26 in 2021.

Common Causes of Multiple-Vehicle Accidents

The bottom line to multiple-vehicle accidents remains that more damage will always be possible in these cases because your own vehicle could be struck by more than one other vehicle, and such collisions increase the possible amounts of damage to cars. One of the most common questions following any multiple-vehicle crash is to wonder why and how an accident happened.

It has become very clear over the past several years how critical proper sanitization in restaurants is. Viral and bacterial infections can easily be passed from person to person in an eatery environment where multiple people may handle a customer’s food. Aside from infections that are transmitted from person to person, pathogens contained in improperly handled food have the potential to make a restaurant customer very sick with food poisoning.

Food poisoning can be more than just drastically unpleasant - it can endanger a person’s life, particularly if they have health conditions making them more vulnerable than most. For this reason, the state of Michigan has set out strict legal rules that apply to most establishments serving prepared food. These guidelines are designed to ensure that food is stored, handled, and prepared in a manner that is safe and unlikely to render diners ill. If you have suffered food poisoning after eating in a restaurant, you may be entitled to compensation. An attorney can help you pursue this special type of personal injury case. 

Essential Food Handling Regulations for Michigan Eateries

Restaurants have a duty to ensure that their staff members are following all relevant food safety laws. Failing to follow regulations as set out by the Michigan Food Code even once can pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the public. If you became sick after eating food from a restaurant, it may be because the establishment broke an important regulation such as: 

Falls are an occurrence far too common in rehabilitation facilities. A majority of people staying in these care centers are there due to an injury that prevents them from being able to safely care for themselves at home. Some have mental impairments due to a recent stroke or brain injury. Others have physical injuries that restrict their movement. Many of those who are able to stand or walk are supposed to do so only with a caregiver present for safety and medical reasons. While not all falls can be prevented with a reasonable professional level of care, many can.

If you or your loved one was recently injured after falling in a rehabilitation facility, there is a possibility that the rehabilitation facility or one of its care providers was negligent in causing the injuries. If this proves to be the case, you or your loved one may be entitled to compensation. An attorney can assess you case and help you determine how to move forward. 

Common Causes of Falls in Rehabilitation Centers

Even professional caregivers sometimes make careless mistakes that can lead to a fall. Many patients in rehabilitation centers are particularly vulnerable and may suffer serious injuries when they fall. Common causes of falls include: 

Over the past few decades, distracted driving has been a significant issue that has affected roadway safety in the United States. Despite awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, it continues to be a common cause of car accidents. In fact, an average of nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in distracted driving accidents every day, according to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If you have been injured in a car accident involving distracted driving, you may be wondering what your legal options are. An experienced personal injury attorney can work with you to demonstrate that a distracted driver was responsible for your accident, and they can help you get the compensation you deserve.

What Is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving may include anything that takes a driver's eyes or attention off of the road. Distracting activities can include using a cell phone to make calls, reading or sending text messages, eating and drinking, conversing with passengers, adjusting the car stereo, using a GPS navigation system, and more. In recent years, cell phone use has become one of the most common—and deadliest—forms of distracted driving. 

There are multiple reasons why the food served to people at restaurants may be unsafe, and in some cases, different types of food may become contaminated with dangerous viruses or bacteria. E. coli is one of the most common causes of food poisoning, and a recent outbreak that took place in the Midwest has raised concerns about the risks people may face when eating at certain restaurants. Those who have suffered harm due to food poisoning will want to determine their options, and a personal injury lawyer may be able to assist in taking legal action against a restaurant, food supplier, or other company that failed to follow the correct safety practices or allowed contaminated foods to be sold to consumers.

E. Coli Outbreak Associated With Wendy's

On August 17, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it was investigating an outbreak of cases of food poisoning related to E. coli. The CDC's investigation is still ongoing, and it has not confirmed a specific source of food poisoning. However, out of the initial 62 patients the CDC interviewed, 52 of them reported eating at a Wendy's restaurant within one week of becoming ill. While Wendy's has not admitted responsibility for this outbreak, it did take the step of removing romaine lettuce from its sandwiches at restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. To date, the CDC has received reports of 97 illnesses affecting people in six states, with 43 of these cases requiring hospitalization.

Toxic chemicals are insidious substances - often without a bad smell or clear visual warning, chemicals can cause serious physical harm to unsuspecting victims. Chemical burns can happen quickly and be immediately painful, but they can also happen slowly over time and cause damage that is hard to detect and prevent. Depending on the source of the chemical and which organization or individual was responsible for its unsafe handling, victims of toxic chemical contact may want to take action to recover financial compensation for their injuries and pursue justice. 

Where Do Chemical Injuries Frequently Occur? 

Chemical injuries are categorized into four groups: Acid, alkali, phosphorus, and chemical injection injuries. The most common chemical that burns people is sulfuric acid and chemical burns most often occur in the workplace, but they can also happen at work, school, or on the premises of restaurants, grocery stores, and home improvement stores. Even seemingly harmless substances like paint can cause external tissue damage and should be avoided when the source and substance are not well known. 

People are also often injured when chemicals are improperly stored, such as when holding tanks leak, rupture, or overflow. Industrial plants that handle chemicals on a large scale may not store chemicals or their by-products safely, causing them to leech into the ground and contaminate rivers, drinking water, and other elements of the nearby environment. 

A normal person going about their daily business - working, driving, helping a friend - can have their life changed in the blink of an eye when a spinal cord injury takes place. The consequences of a spinal cord injury are often wide-ranging, expensive and laborious to treat, and difficult or impossible to adjust to. If you or someone you love has been debilitatingly injured by a spinal cord injury, Michigan law may allow you to seek compensation with a personal injury lawsuit. Learn more about spinal cord injuries and then contact an experienced personal injury attorney who may be able to help. 

Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord is a large column of nerve tissue that connects the entire body’s nervous system starting at the base of the skull and down through the middle of the back. Protective membranes surround the spinal cord, and these are further protected by vertebrae. The nerve signals that tell our bodies to pick something up, retract from painful stimuli, or scratch an itch all run through the spinal cord. Unsurprisingly, then, when the spinal cord is injured, the consequences can be devastating. Spinal cords are most commonly injured in accidents - unexpected events that happen in a split second and which can change a life forever. These accidents include, but are not limited to: 

• Car accidents

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