Novi Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, you have legal options and can benefit from consulting a Novi personal injury lawyer. However, if your injuries are severe, you might be overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed.

The process to pursue compensation is often difficult to navigate, especially if you are underrepresented and focused on your recovery. A compassionate attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. could help by answering your questions and shouldering the burdens of a claim.

Working with Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C.

For over 50 years, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. has been working to pursue compensation for injured individuals throughout Michigan. We represent each and every one of our clients with skill, compassion, and integrity.

We are proud to hold numerous titles and awards that demonstrate our experience and care. These include:

• The Best Lawyers in America
• Top Michigan Personal Injury Lawyers
• S. News Best Law Firms
• The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers
• Multi-Million Dollars Advocates Forum
• Best Attorneys in America

The Steps to Prove Another Party is At Fault

Many injuries are no one’s fault. However, other incidents are the result of a person’s careless or reckless actions. These include motorists, medical professionals, nursing care staff, and countless others. When this happens, an injured person might have grounds for a civil lawsuit. For this claim to be successful, it must be proven that:

• The defendant owed the injured claimant a legal duty of care—for example, each driver has an obligation to abide by the rules of the road
• The defendant breached this duty of care—if a person was speeding, driving under the influence, or texting, they would have breached their duty
• This breach of duty led to an accident—if a motorist was texting behind the wheel and rear-ended another car, for example
• This accident lead to the claimant suffering both economic and non-economic damages

These steps mean that, even when a person’s injuries are apparent, proving fault in court is a nuanced and complex legal process. A skilled Novi lawyer at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. could help with each step of a personal injury claim.

Forms of Recovery for Injured Claimants

It is essential for a claimant to calculate the full extent of their losses in order to request compensation. Naturally, medical bills are commonly requested damages, as well as the costs of physical therapy and other rehabilitation expenses.

However, there are many other losses that a claimant could calculate with the help of their personal injury attorney in Novi. These include, but are not limited to:

• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages from missed time at work
• Loss of consortium and companionship
• A decreased earning capacity
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Recovering After a Novie Car Accident

Travelers on major roads in Novi like I-96, I-696, I-275, and M-5 typically know well enough to follow traffic laws and not drive recklessly. Unfortunately, in 2018 alone, Oakland County as a whole saw almost 41,000 traffic accidents occur. Over 7,600 of these accidents resulted in an injury or fatality.

Per the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, the most dangerous intersections for a Novi car accident include:

• Beck RD at I 96
• Grand River Ave at S Wixom Rd
• M 5 at W 13 Mile Rd
• I 96 at Novi Rd
• Grand River Ave at Novi Rd
• Haggerty HWY at W 14 Mile Rd
• Novi Rd at W 12 Mile Rd
• Beck Rd at Grand River Ave
• Novi Rd at Twelve Oaks
• Crescent Blvd at Novi Rd

Anyone harmed in a car wreck in Novi may be able to recover compensation through various insurance policies.

Michigan is a no-fault car insurance state. This means that people injured in motor vehicle accidents can often make two types of claims.  The first claim is claim is for personal injury protection benefits (PIP) and most often made against the injured person’s own auto insurer.  Passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists have other options for making claims.

Under state law, PIP benefits generally cover:

• The costs of medical bills for injuries related to a collision
• Up to 85 percent of lost wages for three years following the accident
• Attendant care services
• $20 per day to replace lost household services
• Medical mileage or transportation to appointment expenses

The second claim is a personal injury claim against the negligent driver.  These claims demand settlements for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and disability.  Compensation payout amounts are based upon the severity of the injury, the type of medical treatment, and how the injury impacted your life.

Our Novi car accident lawyers will pursue all possible claims for compensation for you.  We charge no fees unless you get a settlement.

The Differences in Bike, Bus, and Truck Accident Claims

Skilled attorneys at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. could also help victims of bicycle, bus, truck, and motorcycle accidents seek compensation for certain types of losses. However, liability is often more complicated in these cases than in those dealing with crashes between two commuter cars.

Bicyclists and motorcyclists have to follow all the same rules of the road as other drivers, as well as some specific to their vehicles. Likewise, pedestrians must obey street signs and use crosswalks whenever available. Failing to follow these laws may impact a case and decrease the amount of compensation available to an injured plaintiff.

Comparative negligence is rarely a significant factor in commercial truck and bus accident cases. However, the best defendant to file suit against may vary depending on the circumstances.

An individual driver may be liable for behaviors like speeding, driving drunk, and driving while distracted, but their employer may be liable for negligent hiring practices or failing to abide by federal transportation regulations. Even mechanics may be liable for poor maintenance or upkeep, if a bus or truck wreck stems from a component failure.

A skilled motor vehicle accident lawyer in Novi will help an accident victim understand their legal options and pursue litigation against the appropriate party.

What do You Need for a Novi Medical Malpractice Case?

Civil lawsuits for medical malpractice are somewhat unique compared to other types of personal injury cases in Novi.  According to MCL §600.2169, malpractice lawsuits are not considered valid unless they are filed with an affidavit of merit signed by a medical professional with similar experience in the same field as the defendant. This affidavit demonstrates that the grounds for the case are legitimate.

Additionally, at least 182 days before filing, a plaintiff seeking to pursue damages for malpractice must inform the defendant(s) in their case of their plans through a Notice of Intent to File. A skilled Novi medical malpractice lawyer at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. will ensure compliance with both these case requirements.

Get in touch with a knowledgeable legal professional if you were harmed by a healthcare provider’s negligence at the Novi Campus of Ascension Providence Hospital, Henry Ford Medical Center – Columbus, or any other clinic in Novi.

What is Nursing Home Abuse in Novi?

The Patient Bill of Rights is established in MCL §333.20201 for the State of Michigan. This statute guarantees a number of fundamental rights to residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Novi. Any violation of these rights may be considered grounds for an impacted resident or their family to file suit for negligence against an individual staff member, a facility administrator, or the facility itself.

These rights include:

• The right to personal and medical confidentiality
• The right to physical privacy and dignity
• The right to refuse medical treatment
• The right to be free of discrimination based on membership in any protected class
• The right to present complaints to nursing home staff and administrators
• The right to exercise civil and religious liberties
• The right to be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation

Anyone who suspects mistreatment of an elderly nursing home resident should ensure they remove that person from harm’s way as soon as possible. Organizations and government entities in Michigan operate several hotlines for reporting elder and nursing home abuse:

• Attorney General’s 24-Hour Health Care Fraud Hotline: 1-800-242-2873
• Bureau of Health Services Abuse Hotline: 1-800-882-6006
• Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Adult Protective Services Hotline: 1-855-444-3911
• Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services, Inc.: 1-800-288-5923

Once the mistreatment has been stopped, a nursing home abuse lawyer in Novi could work with the victim and their family to pursue civil litigation against any of the following facilities:

• The Manor of Novi
• Novi Lakes Health Campus
• Waltonwood Twelve Oaks
• Fox Run
• Rose Senior Living at Providence Park
• Brookdale Novi

Compensation may be available for both economic and non-economic damages, including pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, property damage, and medical bills for injuries sustained as a result of neglect or abuse.

Can I Sue a Dog Owner After a Bite in Novi?

In Michigan, MCL §287.351 allows for people bitten by domesticated dogs to hold the owner strictly liable for their injuries (under certain circumstances). As long as the person bitten did not provoke the dog and was not trespassing when they were attacked, strict liability applies.

However, this statute does not apply if the injury in question did not result from a bite. Under those circumstances, any ensuing civil case for damages can be based on the dog owner’s traditional negligence. A Novi dog bite attorney can help you pursue compensation after an attack.

Local Laws Related to Dog Ownership in Novi

Novi Code of Ordinances §5-2 defines any dog that displays any of the following behaviors as “dangerous or vicious”:

• Bitten or attacked a person without being provoked
• Approached or chased a person in a way that made that person reasonably afraid of an attack
• Killed or seriously harmed another animal while off their owner’s property
• Exhibited behavior that suggests they might attack another animal or person without being provoked
• Has done anything that should reasonably make its owner understand they are dangerous

If these actions are taken in self-defense, in defense of another animal or person, or due to provocation or a criminal offense, this section does not apply.

With relatively few exceptions, Novi does not allow the ownership of dangerous or vicious dogs. The only exceptions, as per Novi Code of Ordinances §5-16, are:

• Animals owed by military or law enforcement agencies
• Animals displayed for public exhibition, under certain additional conditions
• Animals meant to protect property, provided they are properly restrained and kept from having contact with the public or with legal property visitors

According to Novi Code of Ordinances §5-17, any owner of a dangerous or vicious dog that bites or injures a non-trespasser must report the incident to the police within 12 hours.

Important Deadlines for a Claim in Novi

Like all other states, Michigan enforces a statute of limitations that prohibit people from filing civil lawsuits after a certain date. For most personal injury cases in Novi, the applicable deadline is three years after the date on which the injury occurred, as per MCL §600.5805.

However, certain types of cases have different statutes of limitations. For example, the statutory period for medical malpractice cases ends only two years after the incident.

Various other circumstances, such as the plaintiff being underage when they were injured or the defendant leaving the state of Michigan afterwards, may serve as exceptions to these deadlines as well. A Novi personal injury attorney could discuss how these deadlines may apply to a particular case.

Call a Novi Personal Injury Attorney to Take Legal Action

When another person’s actions cause you to suffer physical harm, financial strain, and emotional trauma, you should not have to cover these costs alone. However, calculating the full extent of your damages and establishing that a person is to blame is a complex and nuanced legal process.

Instead of trying to file a claim on your own, a Novi personal injury lawyer can  help. A dedicated attorney will allow you to focus on your recovery and demand the compensation you deserve.

Schedule a consultation today by calling a legal professional at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C.

Information About Novi

Novi has a population of 59,715 and over 3,000 businesses. Nearly 90% of the workforce in Novi are white-collar professionals working in manager positions, many of whom work for companies and organizations like:

• John
• Novi Community Schools
• Ryder System
• ITC Holding, Inc.
• Intier / Magna
• Comau North America
• Cooper-Standard
• City of Novi

Novi is notorious for having some of the most expensive real estate prices in Michigan.

Novi Legal Resources

• Fire Station 1
• Police Department
  • File a Police Report
• 52nd District Court