Sterling Heights Personal Injury Lawyer

Sterling Heights Personal Injury Attorney: Macomb County's Largest City

Sterling Heights is Macomb County's largest city and one of the most populated in Michigan, with more than 134,000 residents. It is an industrial and manufacturing anchor, home to the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant and a dense network of suppliers, retailers, and auto dealerships. The city's growth has outpaced its road infrastructure, producing some of the highest-volume and highest-speed corridors in the region. Koussan Law provides aggressive personal injury representation for Sterling Heights residents and anyone injured within city limits; we take every case on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover.

This page covers Sterling Heights' most dangerous corridors, the case types we handle most often for local clients, Michigan personal injury law as it applies to Macomb County cases, the Sixteenth Circuit Court system, and the deadlines and procedural rules that determine whether a case can be filed.

Sterling Heights' High-Traffic Danger Zones

• Hall Road (M-59). The city's northern spine and one of the most dangerous roads in Metro Detroit. The segment near Lakeside Mall, between Hayes Road and Schoenherr Road, combines extreme traffic volume, big-box retail turning movements, and aggressive driving at 45-plus mph. Multi-vehicle crashes and SUV and truck collisions are routine here.
• Van Dyke Avenue (M-53). Runs through the western portion of the city flanked by retailers and auto dealerships; turning traffic conflicts with fast through-traffic between 15 Mile Road and Hall Road.
• The M-59 and M-53 interchange. One of the highest-crash zones in Macomb County, with frequent commercial-truck involvement.
• Mound Road. Heavy commuter and industrial traffic tied to the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant; shift changes create sudden traffic surges and concentrated crash patterns.
• Dequindre Road, Ryan Road, and Schoenherr Road. North-south arterials carrying heavy commuter volume with frequent signalized-intersection collisions.
• Utica Road and 15 Mile, 16 Mile, 17 Mile, and 18 Mile Roads. East-west arterials with high left-turn and rear-end crash frequency.
• Lakeside Mall area. Large parking fields and crossing traffic create pedestrian and parking-lot collision risk, with winter slip-and-fall exposure on commercial properties.

Whether your crash happened on Hall Road during rush hour, at the M-59 and M-53 interchange, or near the Stellantis plant, Koussan Law investigates thoroughly. We pull every available evidence source: traffic-camera footage, event data recorder (EDR) downloads, commercial-vehicle ECM data, scene photographs, witness statements, police crash reports (UD-10), and 911 audio. See how we handle car accident cases, truck accident cases, and motorcycle accident cases.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Sterling Heights Clients

• High-speed crashes on Hall Road and Van Dyke. These produce the most severe injuries: traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, and fatalities. Michigan No-Fault PIP under MCL § 500.3107 covers medical and wage losses regardless of fault; a third-party tort claim for pain and suffering requires meeting the serious-impairment-of-body-function threshold under MCL § 500.3135. The McCormick v. Carrier, 487 Mich. 180 (2010) framework controls threshold analysis.
• Commercial vehicle and industrial truck accidents. Sterling Heights' manufacturing base means heavy truck traffic on Mound, Van Dyke, and M-59. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399) layer onto Michigan tort law; the carrier's hours-of-service logs, ELD data, drug-test results, maintenance records, and driver qualification file all become discoverable. Federal insurance minimums are $750,000 for general freight and $5 million for hazardous materials. See our Detroit truck accident lawyer guide.
• Premises liability. Lakeside Mall, the Hall Road retail corridor, and the city's restaurants and offices owe a duty to maintain safe conditions. Wet floors, icy sidewalks, and poor lighting give rise to premises liability claims. Post-Kandil-Elsayed v. F&E Oil, Inc., 504 Mich. 132 (2023), the Michigan Supreme Court overruled the old "open and obvious" doctrine; hazards are now analyzed under standard comparative-fault principles.
• Rideshare accidents. Uber and Lyft activity along the Hall Road corridor and to and from downtown Detroit creates layered-insurance cases. The coverage available depends on the driver's app status at impact. See our Detroit Uber and Lyft accident lawyer guide.
• Pedestrian and bicycle injuries. Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles carry full No-Fault PIP under MCL § 500.3115. See our Detroit pedestrian accident lawyer guide.
• Dog bites and animal attacks. Michigan's strict-liability dog bite statute, MCL § 287.351, makes owners liable even for a first-time bite; recovery typically comes from homeowner's or renter's insurance. See our Detroit dog bite lawyer guide.
• Wrongful death. The personal-representative framework under MCL § 600.2922 controls. See our Detroit wrongful death lawyer guide.
• Medical malpractice and nursing home neglect. Sterling Heights is served by Henry Ford Macomb, Ascension, and Corewell Health facilities. See our Detroit medical malpractice lawyer guide.

Macomb County Court System for Sterling Heights Cases

Personal injury lawsuits arising in Sterling Heights are filed in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court (Macomb County Circuit Court), with the main courthouse at 40 N Main Street, Mount Clemens, MI 48043. Macomb County enforces strict scheduling orders, and our firm prepares every case as if it is going to trial. For cases involving government defendants (the City of Sterling Heights, Macomb County, or the Michigan Department of Transportation), MCL § 691.1404 requires written notice within 120 days of the incident, specifying the time and place, the defect or wrongful act alleged, known witnesses, and the injuries. Missing this window is a common reason otherwise-viable claims are barred.

Michigan No-Fault Auto Insurance: Key Rules for Sterling Heights Drivers

Following the 2019 reforms, every Michigan driver selects a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage tier, ranging from unlimited lifetime medical down to a $50,000 cap for Medicaid-enrolled drivers, with $250,000 and $500,000 options in between. PIP pays medical bills, 85% of lost wages for up to three years, replacement services, and attendant care under MCL § 500.3107, regardless of fault. Pain-and-suffering damages require a separate third-party tort claim under MCL § 500.3135. Provider reimbursement under MCL § 500.3157 and attendant-care hour caps changed materially after 2019. The Michigan Supreme Court's Andary v. USAA, 512 Mich. 207 (2023) decision held the 2019 reforms do not apply retroactively to pre-reform accidents; for post-2019 claims, the new framework controls. See our Michigan No-Fault Attorney page.

Statutes of Limitations for Sterling Heights Personal Injury Cases

• 3 years for general personal injury 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 (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 expense was incurred under MCL § 500.3145.
• Tolling for minors 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, and if you are found more than 50% at fault you cannot recover non-economic damages, though you can still recover a reduced share of economic damages. Defense counsel routinely tries to push plaintiff fault above 50% to extinguish the pain-and-suffering exposure; thorough discovery preparation makes the difference.

Why Sterling Heights Injury Victims Choose Koussan Law

Michigan injury practice is dense with statutory and procedural rules: the PIP coverage tiers, the post-Andary reform landscape, the post-Kandil-Elsayed premises framework, the 120-day government-notice trap, and the medical-malpractice Notice of Intent and Affidavit of Merit requirements. Koussan Law practices Michigan injury law every day and tries cases at every level of state and federal court, including arguments before the Michigan Supreme Court. Our Detroit office is roughly 25 minutes from Sterling Heights.

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: Sterling Heights Personal Injury Lawyer

Q: How long do I have to file after a Sterling Heights accident? 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 strict.

Q: What does it cost to hire a Sterling Heights personal injury lawyer? Contingency fee. Standard structure: 33⅓% of the recovery pre-trial, sometimes 40% if the case goes to trial. Costs reimbursed from the recovery. No upfront cost, and no fee unless we recover.

Q: Where will my Sterling Heights case be filed? The Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Court (Macomb County Circuit Court) in Mount Clemens. Federal cases may instead be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Q: A truck from an industrial route hit me on Mound Road. Are these cases different? Yes. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations layer onto Michigan tort law, and the carrier's logs, ELD data, maintenance records, and driver file become discoverable. Insurance limits are typically much higher than auto policies.

Q: I slipped and fell at Lakeside Mall. 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 and your percentage of comparative fault.

Schedule Your Free Sterling Heights Case Evaluation

If you have been injured in Sterling Heights, on Hall Road, near the Stellantis plant, at a Lakeside Mall property, or anywhere within city limits, call (313) 800-0000, contact us online, or use our free case calculator. We meet clients in person, by phone, or by video, including hospital and home visits for those unable to travel. Spanish and Arabic language services available.

Related Resources

• Macomb County Personal Injury Lawyer
• Clinton Township Personal Injury Lawyer
• Warren Personal Injury Lawyer
• Troy Personal Injury Lawyer
• Michigan No-Fault Attorney
• Auto Accident
• Trucking Accidents
• Slip and Fall
• Wrongful Death
• Detroit Truck Accident Lawyer Guide
• Detroit Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer Guide
• Detroit Dog Bite Lawyer Guide
• Michigan Personal Injury Case Value Guide