SMDA, PC is proud to announce that one of our founding partners, Phillip Serafini, has once again been selected as a Super Lawyer for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Attorneys for 2022. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.…
Articles Posted in Auto Insurance
Court of Appeals Decision Represents Major Victory for Survivors of Catastrophic Crashes and their Families
SMDA is proud to report that survivors of catastrophic crashes and their loved ones, including a number of my clients at Serafini, Michialowski, Derkacz & Associates, PC, won a major victory in the Michigan Court of Appeals today. The Court issued its long awaited decision in Andary v USAA and…
Insurance, Part I
What does your auto insurance policy get you? Many people buy auto insurance because they have to, not because they want it. However, knowing what you are paying for is important to understanding if what you have actually meets your needs. It is important that you understand that portion of…
Why You Should Report All Drivers On Your Car Insurance
Everyone loves saving money, but it could cost you if your current means of doing so include not listing all drivers of your vehicle on your insurance policy. SMDA recently worked a case where the insurance company claimed they were entitled to deny no-fault insurance benefits to our client because…
One Step Closer to Justice for Grieving Family
SMDA is pleased to update the status of the victory in the trial win against the auto insurer of a grieving family of their minor daughter who was seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision. SMDA tried this case to verdict and successfully defended the case in the Court of…
Why Uninsured And Underinsured Coverage Is Important
ot many people know about uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage covers you when you are injured as a result of a driver who did not have insurance, a hit and run driver, or a driver of a stolen car. Uninsured motorist coverage is provided by your own…
Coordinating No-Fault Insurance with Health Care Insurance
The Michigan No-Fault law provides in pertinent part: An insurer providing personal protection insurance benefits shall offer, at appropriately reduced premium rates, deductibles and exclusions, reasonably related to other health and accident coverage on the insured. Case law supports that there was no intent by the Legislature when it mandated…
Paying for car damage after an accident
In Michigan, if you are involved in a car accident that was caused by another driver, you are entitled to recover up to $1000 from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. You must contact the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident and ask for the mini tort coverage.…
Who Pays For Vehicle Damage After A Car Accident?
If you are involved in a car accident that was caused by another driver, you are entitled to recover money for the damages. Michigan has a mini tort law in which a victim of a car accident can recover up to $1000 for damage caused to his/her car. This amount…
Auto Insurance, Part II
What do your premiums get you? It is important that when you purchase auto insurance that you have a discussion with your agent about uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist coverage and liability coverage. What does all this mean? Uninsured motorist coverage protects you if someone causes an accident who is…