Practice Areas

Injury Lawyers Representing Victims in Traverse City, Detroit, and Grand Rapids

It can be challenging for an ordinary person to navigate the legal system alone. After a car accident, for example, you may be undergoing a series of complicated treatments and shouldering a substantial financial burden. Similarly, if you are facing prosecution, you may not be familiar with all of the rights that protect criminal defendants. In these situations and others that can shape your future, seeking legal guidance can be a vital step to take. Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Traverse City injury attorney Kelly Neumann is dedicated to advocating for people throughout the West Side of Michigan. In addition to helping accident victims, she also handles matters related to criminal defense, real estate, estate planning, family law, collections, and mediation. Ms. Neumann grew up in Grosse Point, Michigan, and she is proud of her ties to the community. At the Neumann Law Group, we are ready to help you thoroughly explore your options and pursue any form of legal action that may be appropriate.

Personal Injury

Many of the accident cases that we handle arise from motor vehicle collisions, work injuries, construction accidents, nursing home negligence, boating accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. We also can pursue compensation for victims of sports accidents, day care injuries, sexual assaults, aviation accidents, pedestrian accidents, and defective products, among other forms of harm.

Most accidents are the result of negligence, which arises when a person or entity fails to act with the appropriate degree of care in a certain situation. To prove negligence, a plaintiff will try to establish that the defendant needed to comply with a certain duty of care and failed to do so, thus breaching the duty. The other two elements to prove are causation and damages. Causation means that the victim’s injuries must have directly resulted from the defendant’s carelessness, such that he or she would not have been hurt otherwise. Damages must be actual and quantifiable, but they can provide compensation for both objective and relatively subjective forms of harm. Some common examples include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, out-of-pocket expenses, mental anguish, and pain and suffering.

Sometimes careless or reckless actions lead to a tragic loss of life. When this happens, the family members of the victim may be able to bring a wrongful death claim against the defendant that was responsible. A wide range of damages may be available in these cases, ranging from the medical and funeral expenses caused by the fatal accident to damages based on the victim’s relationship to his or her loved ones.

Criminal Defense

If you have been charged with a crime, no matter how minor it may seem, you should not delay in consulting an attorney. In Michigan, crimes may be classified as misdemeanors or felonies. Misdemeanors usually involve less serious injuries, lower property value, or a lesser quantity of drugs. There are three classes of misdemeanors, with High Court misdemeanors being punishable by more than one year because of the gravity of the offense. Generally, however, felonies are more serious crimes than misdemeanors. They are all punishable with more than one year in prison. There are eight classes of felonies, with Class A felonies being the most serious felonies, and Class H felonies being the least serious. A criminal conviction may have a substantial impact on your future in many ways, possibly affecting housing, educational, and professional opportunities. A dedicated defense attorney can help you fight to have the charges reduced or dropped.

Real Estate

The most important and complex transactions of your life may involve the purchase or sale of a home. There are many rules that must be followed during this process so that it flows smoothly. For example, a seller of residential real estate is required to disclose certain aspects of the property’s condition to prospective buyers under the Michigan Seller Disclosure Act 92 of 1993. The disclosure requirement is fulfilled by completing a standardized written form and providing it to a prospective buyer before the purchase agreement is signed. The form requires sellers to disclose the condition of aspects of the property like the roof and basement, and to disclose known problems that affect the property, such as pending litigation or environmental concerns. A buyer can potentially terminate a purchase agreement if the disclosure statement is presented later. In some cases, sellers may fail to disclose certain problems, which may entitle an unwitting buyer to bring suit for fraud later. When any of these situations arises, or when any other dispute develops, a real estate attorney can help a buyer or a seller protect their interests.

Estate Planning

If you would prefer to control how your property is handled upon your death, you should consider creating a will or trust or both. Trusts are arrangements whereby somebody you designate, known as a trustee, holds legal title to property for the benefit of someone else (the beneficiary). Often, people designate themselves as trustees for their trusts and their spouse or children as beneficiaries. A living trust is one that is created while you are alive, and the advantage of it over a will is that it allows your family to avoid probate, which is an expensive and long process.

Family Law

Family law matters can be heated and emotional, particularly if children or large sums of money are involved. In Michigan, individuals can get divorced without showing that their spouses did anything wrong. This is known as a no-fault divorce. The parties will have to show the court there has been a breakdown of the marriage so that the purpose of marriage has been destroyed, and there is no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be fixed. In most cases, spouses disagree about some aspect of divorce, whether it is property distribution or child custody. It is usually helpful for each party to have his or her own family law attorney.

Collections

If you need to collect a debt, it may be necessary to file a collections lawsuit. When a debtor fails to respond to a complaint within the appropriate time frame, you may be able to obtain what is known as a default judgment. Getting a judgment allows you to start collecting the debt by taking other steps such as seizing property, filing judgment liens, or garnishing a debtor’s bank account or paycheck. However, there may be ways for a debtor to try to set aside a default judgment. Generally, the debtor will have to show that there is a good reason for failing to answer and that there is a meritorious defense to the action.

Mediation

Mediation is a form of dispute resolution that empowers two parties to a lawsuit to resolve their differences short of litigation. A neutral third party known as a mediator facilitates it. In many cases, it is more effective and a more amicable process than going to court. The Neumann Law Group also provides mediation services and can help you decide if this is a good option for you.

Consult an Injury Attorney in Grand Rapids, Detroit, or Traverse City

At the Neumann Law Group, Traverse City, Detroit, and Grand Rapids injury lawyer Kelly Neumann provides trustworthy, experienced legal representation to victims and other individuals throughout the West Side of Michigan. The Neumann Law Group represents accident victims in cities such as Flint, Detroit, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Wyoming, Saginaw, Midland, Muskegon, Holland, Ann Arbor, Warren, Dearborn, Petoskey, and communities throughout the Upper Peninsula. Contact personal injury and wrongful death lawyer Kelly Neumann at (231) 221-0050 or use our online form to set up a free consultation.