We are a team of trial lawyers. We know how to handle tough insurance defense teams, and we know how to approach your unique case. Please contact us today at 248-599-1607 to schedule a free consultation with one of our talented and caring lawyers.
Restoring Hope and Pursuing Justice for Families Facing Life-Altering Negligence.
When a devastating accident changes your life forever, you need more than just legal counsel. You need an advocate who stands by you, understands your trauma, and has the litigation strength to fight for the support you deserve. At Atnip & Associates, PLLC, we treat you like family. For others, it’s just another case. For us, it’s personal.
Schedule a Free Consultation | Call 248-599-1607 for Immediate Assistance
A catastrophic injury doesn’t just impact your physical health; it reshapes your family’s entire future. Suddenly, you are facing overwhelming medical bills, lost provider income, complex long-term rehabilitation needs, and severe emotional trauma.
Dealing with insurance companies that try to minimize your claims, dispute medical necessity, or deny vital Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits only adds to an already overwhelming situation. During this difficult time, your focus should be entirely on healing and recovery, not on wrestling with corporate insurance adjusters.
Atnip & Associates, PLLC provides a premium, boutique alternative to mass-market “TV lawyer mills.” We intentionally limit our caseload so we can dedicate intense resources, comprehensive preparation, and personalized care to every individual client.
We do not delegate your life-altering case to case managers or legal assistants. You will work directly with our highly skilled trial attorneys throughout your recovery. Our founder, Heather J. Atnip, brings over 20 years of dedicated trial experience and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for 13 consecutive years (2013-2025).
Multiple trial attorneys on our legal team began their careers in insurance defense, representing major national insurance carriers. We understand exactly how corporate insurers evaluate claims, identify the tactics they use to delay or deny benefits, and proactively leverage this insider perspective to build an unshakeable case on your behalf.
We prepare every catastrophic injury case as if it is heading directly to trial. This rigorous preparation and reputation as fearless litigators give us immense leverage at the negotiating table, forcing insurance companies to offer fair settlements before trial begins.
Our trial lawyers have successfully navigated complex personal injury, vehicle collision, and premises liability claims, securing multimillion-dollar results for clients statewide. We represent injured individuals and surviving families across all major catastrophic injury types. See our verdicts and settlements for examples of case validation.
Managing the complex, long-term cognitive and behavioral complications of brain trauma requires deep legal and medical understanding. Heather J. Atnip is a member of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan and regularly presents at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) on advanced federal court no-fault litigation. Learn more about traumatic brain injury claims.
A severe spinal cord injury often requires life-long specialized medical equipment, inpatient rehabilitation, and comprehensive home or vehicle modifications. We fight to secure complete, lifetime funding to cover these life-altering accommodations.
We pursue maximum compensation to cover multiple reconstructive surgeries, long-term prosthetic care, emotional counseling, and significant non-economic pain and suffering.
If you have tragically lost a loved one due to negligence, we provide compassionate and committed advocacy to seek justice, cover funeral costs, and secure financial protection for surviving family members. Our notable results include a $5.85 million settlement in a DDOT bus accident wrongful death case.
Navigating Michigan’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) system is more complex than ever following the 2019 no-fault insurance reforms. Our team possesses specialized, recognized expertise in litigating complex no-fault disputes in both state and federal courts.
We help you recover necessary lifetime medical expenses, wage loss (up to three years), and replacement services under your selected PIP policy limits, whether you have unlimited, $500,000, or $250,000 coverage.
If your catastrophic injuries were caused by a negligent driver, we pursue a third-party negligence claim against the at-fault driver for your excess economic damages, as well as pain, suffering, and loss of quality of life.
We believe that high-quality, elite legal representation should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy. That is why Atnip & Associates, PLLC operates strictly on a contingency fee basis.
There are absolutely no upfront legal fees, retainer costs, or out-of-pocket expenses. We cover all upfront case development costs, including expert reconstructions, medical evaluations, and court filing fees, and we only collect an attorney’s fee if we successfully recover compensation for your family.
In personal injury law, a catastrophic injury is any severe, life-altering injury that results in permanent damage, long-term disability, or significant disfigurement. Common examples include traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal cord damage causing paraplegia or quadriplegia, loss of limbs, and severe third-degree burns.
The 2019 reforms introduced capped PIP limits (e.g., $250,000 or $500,000). If your catastrophic medical expenses exceed your selected PIP cap, you must pursue the remaining medical costs through a third-party claim against the at-fault driver. This makes having a highly skilled attorney critical to navigate multiple insurance policies.
A third-party tort claim is a lawsuit filed against the negligent party who caused your accident. In Michigan, you can pursue a third-party lawsuit for non-economic damages (pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life) if your injury meets the legal threshold of “serious impairment of body function.”
We work on a contingency fee arrangement. This means there are no upfront costs, and you pay absolutely no legal fees unless we win a recovery or settlement for your case.
While many personal injury claims are settled out of court, catastrophic injury cases often involve significant amounts and face intense insurance resistance. We prepare every case for trial from day one, which often forces insurers to offer fair settlements before trial.
If you or a loved one is dealing with a catastrophic injury in Michigan, do not navigate this difficult journey alone. Contact the compassionate and experienced trial lawyers at Atnip & Associates, PLLC. Let us handle the legal battle while you focus on recovery.
If you were involved in a car accident, your no-fault auto insurance will cover medical expenses relating to your accident for life, and it will cover your lost wages for up to three years.
In almost all cases of serious injury, you should strongly consider filing a lawsuit, but you should speak with an experienced attorney first. At Atnip & Associates, PLLC, our attorneys have 85 years of legal experience. We handle personal injury claims and catastrophic claims from offices in Rochester Hills and Escanaba, serving metro Detroit and the UP.
Attorney Heather J. Atnip is a member of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. She understands how a catastrophic injury devastates a family and how difficult it is to secure the care that is necessary for the victim. Sometimes, family members end up giving the care. In that case, the family is losing two income streams.
You may still be able to file a third-party lawsuit against the negligent driver’s insurance company for additional compensation even if you have already settled a first-party claim for benefits from your own insurance company.
We will take on the fight for you. We will handle all legal aspects of your claim, and we will handle all communications with insurance companies on your behalf.
Our team will independently investigate your claim and collaborate with expert witnesses as necessary to build your best possible case for the full and fair compensation you deserve.
We are experienced with a variety of catastrophic injury claims, including:
We will perform an in-depth analysis of your case, gathering evidence to quantify the full values of your damages and losses, considering a litany of questions that will factor into your case value, including:
We are a team of trial lawyers. We know how to handle tough insurance defense teams, and we know how to approach your unique case. Please contact us today at 248-599-1607 to schedule a free consultation with one of our talented and caring lawyers.
