Westland

Westland Personal Injury Attorney: Standing Up for Wayne County's Working Families

Westland is one of Wayne County's largest cities, a working-class community built around the auto industry, healthcare, and skilled trades. Its dense residential neighborhoods sit close to some of Metro Detroit's busiest commercial roads, and when a crash happens on Ford Road, Wayne Road, or the I-275 corridor, the consequences for a local family can be life-altering. Koussan Law represents injured Westland residents and anyone hurt within city limits on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover.

This page covers Westland's most dangerous corridors, the case types we handle most often, Michigan personal injury law as it applies to Wayne County, the Third Circuit Court system, and the deadlines and procedural rules that determine whether a case can be filed.

Westland's Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

• Ford Road (M-153) between Wayne Road and Newburgh Road. Westland's commercial spine and its most dangerous corridor. Strip retail, restaurants, and constant driveway cuts create a gauntlet of turning traffic, sudden stops, and distracted drivers; rear-end and left-turn T-bone crashes are routine.
• Wayne Road and Cherry Hill Road. A high-volume intersection near the civic center where aggressive left turns produce serious broadside collisions.
• Warren Road and Central City Parkway. Residential, commercial, and municipal traffic converge near city hall, creating conflict points and confusion.
• Merriman Road and Palmer Road. Speeding on Merriman through southern Westland's residential grid leads to devastating side-impact crashes.
• I-275 at Ford Road. The interchange funnels highway-speed traffic onto Ford Road's overwhelmed surface streets; merge crashes and rush-hour pileups are common.
• Newburgh Road, Merriman Road, and Wayne Road corridors. North-south arterials carrying heavy commuter volume with frequent signalized-intersection collisions.
• Hix Road and Annapolis Street. A southwestern intersection where poor sightlines contribute to crashes.

Whether your crash happened on Ford Road at rush hour or at the I-275 interchange, 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 Westland Clients

• Car accidents on Ford Road and the I-275 corridor. 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. See our Detroit car accident lawyer guide.
• Truck and commercial-vehicle accidents. Distribution and delivery traffic near the I-275 corridor and along Ford Road puts heavy trucks on roads shared with passenger cars. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399) layer onto Michigan tort law, and the carrier's logs, ELD data, and maintenance records become discoverable. See our Detroit truck accident lawyer guide.
• Premises liability. Westland's aging retail centers, apartment complexes, and big-box stores frequently have maintenance issues: cracked walkways, icy winter lots, and poor lighting. Post-Kandil-Elsayed v. F&E Oil, Inc., 504 Mich. 132 (2023), the old "open and obvious" defense no longer automatically bars slip-and-fall claims. Read our Detroit slip and fall lawyer guide for the full post-Kandil-Elsayed framework.
• Rideshare accidents. Uber and Lyft activity along Ford Road and to and from Detroit Metro Airport creates layered-insurance cases; coverage depends on the driver's app status at impact. See our Detroit Uber and Lyft accident lawyer guide.
• Pedestrian and bicycle injuries. Ford Road's speed and width make it dangerous for people on foot, especially near SMART bus stops. Pedestrians and cyclists struck by motor vehicles carry full No-Fault PIP under MCL § 500.3115. See our pedestrian and bicycle accident guides.
• Dog bites. Michigan's strict-liability statute, MCL § 287.351, makes owners liable even for a first bite; recovery usually comes from homeowner's or renter's insurance. See our Detroit dog bite lawyer guide.
• Nursing home abuse and medical malpractice. Westland and the surrounding western-Wayne communities are served by several hospital systems and long-term care facilities. See our nursing home abuse and medical malpractice guides.
• Wrongful death. The personal-representative framework under MCL § 600.2922 controls. See our Detroit wrongful death lawyer guide.

Wayne County Court System for Westland Cases

Personal injury lawsuits arising in Westland are filed in the Third Judicial Circuit Court (Wayne County Circuit Court), with the main courthouse at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, for claims exceeding $25,000; smaller claims proceed in the 18th District Court in Westland. For cases involving government defendants (the City of Westland, Wayne 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 Westland 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 Westland 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. Insurers routinely try to shift blame onto the injured person to push their fault above 50%; thorough discovery preparation defeats these tactics.

Why Westland Injury Victims Choose Koussan Law

Westland is a community that works for what it has, and when a negligent driver, a careless property owner, or an insurance company tries to deny fair compensation, you need a firm that works just as hard. 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 Dearborn Heights office on Ford Road is minutes from Westland.

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: Westland Personal Injury Lawyer

Q: How long do I have to file after a Westland 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 Westland 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 Westland case be filed? The Third Judicial Circuit Court (Wayne County Circuit Court) in Detroit for claims over $25,000, or the 18th District Court in Westland for smaller claims.

Q: I was hurt in a crash on Ford Road. What should I do first? Get medical care the same day, make sure a UD-10 police report is filed, photograph the scene and vehicles, get witness information, and avoid giving the other driver's insurer a recorded statement before speaking with counsel.

Q: I slipped and fell at a Westland 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 and your percentage of comparative fault.

Schedule Your Free Westland Case Evaluation

If you have been injured in Westland, on Ford Road, at the I-275 interchange, at a local commercial 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

• Wayne County Personal Injury Lawyer
• Dearborn Heights Personal Injury Lawyer
• Livonia Personal Injury Lawyer
• Dearborn 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 Bicycle Accident Lawyer Guide
• Detroit Dog Bite Lawyer Guide
• Michigan Personal Injury Case Value Guide