Dearborn Heights Personal Injury Lawyer

Dearborn Heights Personal Injury Attorney: Local Office on Ford Road

Koussan Law's Dearborn Heights office at 25052 Ford Rd, Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 serves injured residents across western Wayne County and the surrounding communities. Every personal injury matter we accept is handled on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you. From our Ford Road location we are minutes from the communities we represent in Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Westland, Garden City, Inkster, Wayne, Redford, Livonia, and Allen Park, and within easy reach of Ann Arbor and Farmington Hills.

This page covers Dearborn Heights' high-risk roadway corridors, the case types we handle most often for local clients, Michigan personal injury law as it applies to Wayne County cases, the court system that processes injury suits arising from Dearborn Heights incidents, and the deadlines that govern when you can sue.

About Dearborn Heights and Why Injury Cases Concentrate Here

Dearborn Heights sits between the Detroit border and the suburban band of Wayne County. The city is bisected by Ford Road (M-153) and Telegraph Road (US-24), two of the heaviest-traveled surface corridors in southeastern Michigan. Its commercial frontages along Ford Road draw constant retail traffic; Telegraph Road carries north-south commuter and freight volume; and the I-94 interchange at Telegraph adds a freeway dimension to the city's accident profile. The combination of dense commercial driveways, multi-lane arterials, and freeway access points creates a concentration of preventable injuries that local residents see every week.

High-Risk Roads and Intersections in Dearborn Heights

The same corridors that make Dearborn Heights commercially active also make it accident-prone. Our investigations regularly involve the following locations:

• Ford Road (M-153). The east-west spine of Dearborn Heights, lined with retail and feeding rush-hour traffic into Dearborn and Westland. Rear-end collisions, left-turn crashes, and pedestrian injuries occur regularly between Beech Daly and Telegraph. Many crashes here involve drivers attempting to enter or exit shopping centers across multiple lanes of moving traffic.
• Telegraph Road (US-24). A multi-lane arterial cutting north-south through the city. Telegraph's high speeds (45 mph posted, frequently exceeded), frequent merges, and dense commercial driveways combine to produce serious crashes year-round. The corridor's history with serious injuries has led to ongoing safety reviews by MDOT.
• Warren Avenue and Pelham Road. Heavy commercial traffic and surrounding residential streets create dangerous conflict points, especially during shift changes for nearby industrial employers.
• Joy Road and Inkster Road. A multi-lane intersection with restricted sightlines; T-bone collisions are a recurring pattern.
• I-94 and Telegraph Road interchange. Merging traffic onto and off I-94 mixes with surface street volumes; sideswipe and rear-end collisions are common, particularly during weather events.
• Ford Road at Beech Daly Road. A high-volume signalized intersection where left-turn crashes are routine. The intersection sees significant pedestrian activity due to the surrounding commercial uses.
• Telegraph Road at Van Born Road. The southern approach to the I-94 interchange. Backups during rush hour produce predictable rear-end chains.

Regardless of the location, our investigation pulls together every available evidence source: traffic camera footage where available, event data recorder (EDR) downloads, commercial vehicle ECM downloads, witness statements, scene photographs, police crash reports (UD-10), and 911 audio. Learn more about how we handle car accident cases, truck accident cases, and motorcycle accident cases.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Dearborn Heights Clients

From our Dearborn Heights office we represent clients across the full spectrum of Michigan personal injury practice:

• Auto, truck, motorcycle, and rideshare collisions. Michigan No-Fault PIP claims under MCL § 500.3107, third-party liability for the at-fault driver under the threshold rule of MCL § 500.3135, and uninsured / underinsured motorist matters. See our Detroit car accident lawyer guide for the procedural framework.
• Slip-and-fall and premises liability. Post-Kandil-Elsayed v. F&E Oil, Inc., 504 Mich. 132 (2023), the Michigan Supreme Court overruled the older open-and-obvious doctrine. Hazards are now analyzed under standard comparative-fault principles, opening serious premises cases that previously dismissed at summary disposition. See our Detroit slip and fall lawyer guide.
• Wrongful death. Holding negligent drivers, employers, property owners, and institutional defendants accountable when families have lost a loved one. The personal-representative framework under MCL § 600.2922 controls. See our Detroit wrongful death lawyer guide.
• Medical malpractice and nursing home neglect. Including the firm's $14.95 million jury verdict against Pontiac General Hospital in a sexual assault and institutional negligence case (NOT a medical malpractice verdict). See our Detroit medical malpractice lawyer guide.
• Catastrophic injury. Spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, severe burns, amputations, and long-term care matters that require lifetime cost-of-care analysis and structured-settlement planning.
• Dog bites and animal attacks. Michigan's strict-liability dog bite statute (MCL § 287.351) makes owners liable even for first-time bites; insurance recovery typically comes from homeowner's or renter's policies.
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Ford Road's commercial frontages and Telegraph Road's wide multi-lane crossings make pedestrian strikes a recurring pattern; full No-Fault PIP coverage applies to pedestrians struck by motor vehicles under MCL § 500.3115.

Wayne County Court System for Dearborn Heights Cases

Personal injury lawsuits arising from incidents in Dearborn Heights are filed in the Third Judicial Circuit Court (Wayne County Circuit Court), with the main courthouse in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. The court's case management procedures are aggressive on scheduling and discovery deadlines; cases that miss procedural windows are routinely dismissed without the merits being reached. Familiarity with the judges, mediation officers, and case-management orders matters; our firm handles cases here continuously.

For Dearborn Heights cases involving government defendants (City of Dearborn Heights, Wayne County, Michigan Department of Transportation, or any government property), MCL § 691.1404 requires written notice within 120 days of the incident. Missing this window is a common reason otherwise-viable claims are barred. The notice must contain the statutory elements (incident time and location, specific defect alleged, names of known witnesses, injuries sustained) and must be served on the correct agency.

Michigan No-Fault Auto Insurance: What Dearborn Heights Drivers Should Know

Michigan operates a unique auto insurance system. Following the 2019 reforms, every Michigan driver selects a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage tier:

• Unlimited PIP: traditional pre-2019 coverage; medically necessary care for life.
• $500,000 cap.
• $250,000 cap.
• $250,000 with Medicaid exclusion (for drivers whose household uses Medicaid).
• $50,000 cap (only for drivers enrolled in Medicaid).
• Medicare-enrolled opt-out.

PIP pays for medical bills, 85% of lost wages for up to three years, replacement services, and attendant care, regardless of fault. Pain-and-suffering damages require a separate third-party tort claim against the at-fault driver, which can only be brought if the injury meets the threshold of serious impairment of body function under MCL § 500.3135. The McCormick v. Carrier, 487 Mich. 180 (2010) framework controls threshold analysis.

Provider reimbursement under MCL § 500.3157 changed materially after 2019; the per-procedure fee schedule and attendant-care hour caps now constrain medical recovery and have produced ongoing appellate litigation. See our dedicated Michigan No-Fault Attorney page.

Statutes of Limitations for Dearborn Heights Personal Injury Cases

• 3 years for general personal injury (negligence, premises liability, auto third-party claims) under MCL § 600.5805.
• 2 years for medical malpractice under MCL § 600.5838a, plus a 182-day Notice of Intent waiting period under MCL § 600.2912b.
• 3 years for wrongful death under MCL § 600.5805 (2 years for medical-malpractice wrongful death).
• 120 days for written notice to government entities under MCL § 691.1404.
• 1 year for No-Fault PIP benefit claims after the date the expense was incurred under MCL § 500.3145.
• Tolling: Michigan recognizes tolling for minors (until age 18, with additional time after) and certain other categories under MCL § 600.5851.

Modified Comparative Negligence in Michigan

Michigan follows modified comparative negligence under MCL § 600.2959. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover non-economic damages (pain and suffering), though you can still recover a reduced share of economic damages. Defense counsel routinely attempts to push plaintiff fault above 50% to extinguish the pain-and-suffering exposure; pre-trial discovery preparation makes the difference here.

Why Choose Koussan Law for Your Dearborn Heights Case?

Michigan personal injury practice is dense with statutory, procedural, and substantive rules. PIP coverage tiers, the Andary v. USAA (2023) retroactivity rulings on the 2019 PIP amendments, the post-Kandil-Elsayed premises liability landscape, the 120-day government-notice trap, the medical malpractice Notice of Intent and Affidavit of Merit requirements, and the procedural rigor of Wayne County Circuit Court all require a firm that practices Michigan injury law every day. Koussan Law has recovered tens of millions of dollars for Michigan injury victims and tries cases at every level of state and federal court, including arguments before the Michigan Supreme Court.

Selected results from the firm:

• $14.95 million jury verdict against Pontiac General Hospital (sexual assault and institutional negligence).
• $6 million settlement in a premises liability case.
• $1 million wrongful death settlement from a choking incident in a care facility.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its specific facts.

Frequently Asked Questions: Dearborn Heights Personal Injury Lawyer

Q: How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Dearborn Heights? Generally three years from the date of injury under MCL § 600.5805. Two years for medical malpractice. 120 days for written notice to government defendants under MCL § 691.1404. These deadlines are jurisdictional and strict.

Q: What does it cost to hire a Dearborn Heights personal injury lawyer? Contingency fee. Standard structure: 33⅓% of the recovery pre-trial, sometimes 40% if the case goes to trial. Costs (filing fees, expert witnesses, depositions, medical records) reimbursed from the recovery. No upfront cost. No fee if no recovery.

Q: Can I sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering after a Dearborn Heights auto accident? Yes, if your injury meets the "serious impairment of body function" threshold under MCL § 500.3135. The McCormick v. Carrier framework controls. PIP benefits cover medical and lost wages separately, regardless of fault.

Q: What happens if the at-fault driver in my Dearborn Heights crash had no insurance? Your own policy's Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage steps in. Michigan does not require UM, but it is widely carried. We routinely handle UM claims against the client's own carrier.

Q: I slipped and fell at a Dearborn Heights store. Do I have a case? Possibly. Post-Kandil-Elsayed, the old "open and obvious" defense no longer automatically bars recovery. The case turns on whether the property owner knew or should have known of the hazard, whether warnings were posted, and your percentage of comparative fault.

Q: My loved one died in a Dearborn Heights accident. Who can file a wrongful death case? Only the personal representative of the decedent's estate under MCL § 600.2922. The personal representative is appointed by Wayne County Probate Court, typically the surviving spouse, an adult child, or another close family member.

Q: How long will my Dearborn Heights case take? Highly variable. Simple auto cases with clear liability and modest injuries can resolve in 6-12 months. Cases involving disputed liability, multiple defendants, or catastrophic injuries frequently take 24-36 months. Cases that go to trial may take longer.

Visit or Call Our Dearborn Heights Office

Koussan Law's Dearborn Heights office is at 25052 Ford Rd, Dearborn Heights, MI 48127. Free parking on site. Free initial consultation. We meet with clients in person, by phone, or by video, including hospital and home visits for clients unable to travel due to injury. Call (313) 800-0000, request a consultation online, or use our free case calculator. Spanish and Arabic language services available.

Related Resources

• Wayne County Personal Injury Lawyer
• Detroit Personal Injury Lawyer
• Dearborn Personal Injury Lawyer
• Westland Personal Injury Lawyer
• Livonia Personal Injury Lawyer
• Michigan No-Fault Attorney
• Auto Accident
• Slip and Fall
• Wrongful Death
• Detroit Car Accident Lawyer Guide
• Detroit Slip and Fall Lawyer Guide
• Detroit Wrongful Death Lawyer Guide
• Michigan Personal Injury Case Value Guide