Pontiac Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were injured because of someone else’s reckless behavior, you can benefit from calling a Pontiac personal injury lawyer today. When another party is at fault for your injuries, you have a right to seek justice.

However, proving fault can be difficult on your own. A skilled attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. can prove to be a valuable ally through each step of the civil claims process.

Types of Pontiac Personal Injury Cases We Handle

At our firm, we handle all kinds of Pontiac personal injury claims, from car crashes to medical malpractice and slip and fall accidents. These include:

• Auto accidents — including crashes involving cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, and motorcycles
• Nursing home neglect and abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Recreational and sports injuries
• Boating accidents
• Medical errors or neglect
• Dog attacks
• Slip and fall accidents and premises liability claims

Get Help from a Pontiac Car Accident Lawyer

At Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., our Pontiac car accident lawyers help injured clients with all types of auto accident cases. These include:

• Rear-end crashes
• T-bone collisions
• Drunk driving accidents
• Bus crashes
• Tractor-trailer trucking accidents
• Motorcycle wrecks
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrians hit by cars and trucks

While auto accidents can happen on any road in Michigan, some high-traffic areas are more prone to wrecks than others. Major roads in the Pontiac area include:

• I-75
• BL I-75
• US 24
• US 24
• M-1 (Woodward Avenue)
• M-24 (Lapeer Road)
• M-59

According to information compiled by the Michigan Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, the most dangerous intersections for auto crashes in Pontiac are:

What are my Legal Options After a Pontiac Bus Accident?

If you were injured in a bus accident as a passenger, pedestrian, or other motorist, you have legal options.

Roadway accidents are one of the few things Michigan municipal authorities can be held liable for. Private companies can also be held liable for the actions of a negligent commercial bus driver.

SMARTbus, a service provided by the Regional Transit Authority, provides municipal bus transportation to residents of Pontiac. Greyhound and other private carriers also operate in the region.

Anyone who suffers harm in a wreck involving a commercial or public bus may have grounds for civil suit. A bus accident lawyer in Pontiac can help determine who may be liable for your injuries and work to pursue compensation on your behalf.

Seeking Help with a Medical Malpractice Case

In most cases, the medical professionals at Pontiac General Hospital, McLaren Oakland, and St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital provide quality care to every patient they see. However, mistakes and neglect still occur at even the most advanced hospitals, and impacted patients may suffer catastrophic harm as a result.

Medical malpractice can take a variety of forms, including:

• Misdiagnosis
• Failure to diagnose
• Surgical errors
• Neglect from hospital staff
• Anesthesia errors

Any scenario in which a healthcare provider fails to meet the applicable standard of care for their practice area may face civil liability.

Medical malpractice cases are much more complex than most other civil claims. In order for such a case to be valid, state law requires plaintiffs to submit an affidavit of merit and notify their intended defendants well before they actually file their case.

Because of these nuances, working with a Pontiac medical malpractice lawyer is often essential to seeking justice.

Filing a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

If you suspect your elderly loved one has suffered abuse or maltreatment as a resident at a care facility, reach out to a Pontiac nursing home abuse lawyer at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. today.

Nursing home residents in Michigan have numerous rights guaranteed to them under state law.

These include the right to confidentiality, the right to refuse treatment, the right to civil and religious liberties, and many others.

If any of a nursing home resident’s rights are violated, or if they experience neglect or abuse that causes them physical, emotional, or financial harm, they or their family can file a lawsuit for compensation.

Anyone whose family member was mistreated at Oakland Manor, American House, Elmhaven Manor, or any other long-term care facility should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Anyone who suspects abuse or neglect of a nursing home resident can also report that conduct through any of the following hotlines:

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

What Are My Legal Options After a Dog Bite in Pontiac?

Michigan state law holds dog owners strictly liable when their pet bites and injures someone else. According to MCL §287.351, dog owners bear strict liability for a dog bite — even if they had no knowledge of their dog’s aggressive tendencies. So, if you were harmed by a dog attack, you can sue the dog’s owner for your injuries and other losses.

However, there are certain exceptions to this strict liability that plaintiffs should be aware of. First, a dog bite victim may not be able to seek civil compensation if they were trespassing on the dog owner’s property at the time of the bite, or if they provoked or taunted the dog that bit them.

Second, if a dog injures someone through some means other than a bite, any ensuing civil litigation would have to be based on a traditional negligence standard. For example, if someone is hurt by a dog jumping on them, they would need to prove the dog’s owner recklessly or carelessly allowed that to happen in order to recover compensation.

Rules and Regulations for Dog Owners in Pontiac

Pontiac Municipal Code §18-5 prohibits city residents from keeping any animal that disturbs the health, safety, or comfort of the public, or which is a public nuisance in any way. Code §18-16 defines a dog making “frequent or long continued noise” as a public nuisance.

Anyone bothered by a dog qualifying as a public nuisance may notify the local animal welfare officer, who would then notify the dog’s owner of the complaint. If that owner fails to keep the dog from barking, howling, and/or intimidating neighbors following this warning, they may be charged with a misdemeanor offense.

Pontiac Code of Ordinances §6-23 allows a dog’s owner to be held responsible for whatever prohibited act a dog engages in, provided the owner knew or reasonably should have known about their dog’s likeliness to engage in that behavior. Prohibited behavior may include any of the following:

• Running at large in violation of Pontiac Code of Ordinances §6-24
• Chasing a vehicle in violation of Pontiac Code of Ordinances §6-26
• Injuring or annoying another person in violation of Pontiac Code of Ordinances §6-27
• Bringing a dog—controlled or uncontrolled—onto school grounds in violation of Pontiac Code of Ordinances §6-30

Pontiac Code of Ordinances §6-1 describes a dog’s “owner” in this regard as anyone who meets any of the following criteria:

• Possesses a right of property over the dog
• Keeps the dog on any property they own or occupy
• Knowingly allows the dog to remain on their property
• Has the dog in their custody or care
• A householder who knowingly allows a dog and their legal owner to reside on their property

Hiring a Pontiac Attorney

While some injuries are only minor, others can result in months or years of medical treatment, rehabilitation, and missed time from work. This can severely impact a person’s emotional and financial livelihood.

If these injuries were due to another person’s negligence, you have the right to request compensation in a civil lawsuit. However, insurance adjusters often try to undervalue claims.

By working with an experienced lawyer, you can help with each step of the claims process and ensure you are requesting full and fair compensation for your losses.

What is the Statute of Limitations in Pontiac?

There is an important filing deadline that anyone injured in Pontiac should know. If a personal injury lawsuit is not filed within a certain amount of time after an accident, civil recovery may be impossible.

MCL §600.5805(2) sets a statutory deadline of three years for most personal injury claims in Pontiac.

This means that a plaintiff must start their case no more than three years after their injury.

Certain cases have different applicable statutes of limitations, however. For example, medical malpractice and nursing home abuse cases must be filed within two years of the alleged mistreatment. On the other hand, the filing period is much longer for civil suits based on sexual assault.

A Pontiac personal injury lawyer could clarify what deadlines may apply to a particular case.

Calculating Losses for a Personal Injury Claim

Many people assume that the only source of compensation in an injury case is payment for medical bills. However, a personal injury lawyer in Pontiac could to recover the full extent of your damages. This can include:

• Medical bills
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages from missed time at work
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Seeking Assistance from Buckfire Law

At Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., our lawyers have been working to seek justice for people injured in Pontiac and throughout Michigan since 1969. As a result of our hard work, we have received countless awards, including:

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

Do I Need a Pontiac Personal Injury Attorney?

When a person or business causes an injury, they should be held responsible for the resulting costs. However, proving fault in a civil lawsuit is complex, especially as a potential claimant is in the process of recovering from their injuries and handling medical expenses and other accident-related damages.

A skilled personal injury lawyer in Pontiac could help if you or a loved one was injured in an accident that was not your fault.

By explaining your rights, conducting an investigation, evaluating your losses, a skilled attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. could pursue the compensation and justice you deserve.

There are no legal fees unless you win a settlement.  And, we pay all of the case costs and expenses.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Information About Pontiac

Pontiac is located in Oakland County, just north of Detroit. Pontiac is considered a medium sized city with about 60,000 residents. The main crossroads of the city are M-59 and Telegraph Road. Pontiac also has a number of lakes, including Sylvan Lake, Crystal Lake, and Galloway Lake.

Some of the top employers in the city are:

• General Motors Corporation
• Joseph Mercy Oakland
• County of Oakland
• HP Enterprise Services
• United States Postal Service
• Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital
• Skilled Trade Services, Inc.
• State of Michigan
• Michigan Bell Telephone Company
• Adecco USA Inc.

Pontiac Legal Resources

To help our clients in Pontiac, we have gathered a list of essential contacts relating to injuries or accidents.

• Pontiac Police Division
• Waterford Township Fire Department
• McLauren Oakland Hospital
  • Request Medical Records
• Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital
  • Request Medical Records
• Pontiac General Hospital
• Oakland County Animal Control
  • File a Bite Report
• Oakland County Medical Examiner
  • Request an Autopsy Report
• Oakland County Health Division