Royal Oak Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have suffered a personal injury because of the actions of another party, you have legal options.  This includes cases for Royal Oak car accidents, medical malpractice, dog bites, and wrongful death.  Personal injury cases demand compensation and settlements from the negligent person or entity that caused the injuries.

When your medical bills, lost wages, or other expenses are not your fault, you should not have to cover the ensuing costs alone. With the help of a Royal Oak personal injury lawyer, you can pursue compensation for your losses.

An experienced injury attorney will explain your rights, investigate your options, and work to get you the justice you deserve.

Choose The Buckfire Law Firm For Personal Injury Cases

At Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., we handle all types of personal injury cases in Royal Oak and throughout Michigan, from dog attacks to nursing home neglect and abuse. These include:

• Car crashes and other auto accidents
• Sexual abuse
• Medical neglect
• Fatal accidents
• Traumatic injuries, including TBIs, spinal cord injuries, and burns
• Birth injuries
• Slip and fall accidents
• Cerebral palsy cases
• Defective products

What is the Statutes of Limitations in Royal Oak?

Every civil case pursued in Royal Oak must adhere to a known as the statute of limitations. However, the specific deadline applicable to a case varies depending on what that case is about.

For most cases, MCL §600.5805(2) sets a statutory deadline of three years following the discovery of an injury.

This means that anyone who wants to recover compensation for a personal injury has to file suit within three years of when they realized they were hurt, or when they reasonably should have realized they were hurt.

Certain types of cases have different applicable statutes of limitations. For example, cases involving medical malpractice have a filing deadline of two years, as per MCL §600.5805(4). Conversely, civil cases based on injuries sustained from sexual assault can often be filed more than three years after those injuries occurred.

An experienced personal injury lawyer in Royal Oak could help an injured individual meet their filing deadlines.

Seeking Legal Assistance from a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Royal Oak is home to many high-quality hospitals and clinics that provide dedicated service to local residents.

Major facilities in the area include Beaumont Hospital – Royal Oak, Henry Ford Medical Center – Royal Oak, and Merrillwood Pediatrics.

While these healthcare providers are usually dependable, mistakes can still happen. The most common sources of medical malpractice in Michigan include errors during surgical procedures, misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose a medical condition, and preventable injuries during childbirth.

In some cases, major injuries may result from a doctor or nurse failing to read a test result or scan properly, such as a mammogram or biopsy slide. Prescription drug errors can also cause grave and sometimes fatal harm to patients.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are more complicated than most other personal injury lawsuits. State law requires a valid case to include an affidavit of merit, proper notification of defendants, and more.

By working with a Royal Oak medical malpractice lawyer, you could have assistance navigating this complex process.

Can I Sue for Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home residents in Royal Oak have various rights guaranteed to them under Michigan state law.

Among these are the rights to:

• Request and refuse medical treatment
• Maintain personal relationships and social lives
• Keep their health and financial records confidential
• File grievances against the facility they live in

Any Royal Oak nursing home that violates any of the rights guaranteed under MCL §333.20201 may file suit for damages, or have a family member do so for them. Likewise, anyone who suffers intentional or inadvertent abuse or neglect can sue for compensation.

A Royal Oak nursing home abuse lawyer can help file suit against an individual staff member, a nursing home administrator, the company that owns and operates a nursing home, or a third-party contractor responsible for harm done to a resident.

Working with legal counsel can be crucial to achieving a successful outcome in a case against any of the following facilities in the Royal Oak area:

• Royal Oak Assisted Living Community & Memory Care Facility
• Greenfield Rehab & Nursing Center
• Waltonwood Royal Oak
• Chester Street Residence
• Cherry Oak Inn

Get Help from a Royal Oak Car Accident Lawyer

A knowledgeable Royal Oak car accident lawyer from Buckfire Law can help with any kind of motor vehicle accident, including but not limited to:

• Head-on car crashes
• Side-impact wrecks
• Rear-end car collisions
• Motorcycle accidents
• Commercial truck crashes
• Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
• Drunk driving wrecks

While serious auto accidents can occur on virtually any kind of street, certain roads are more likely to see crashes than others. Particularly high-traffic routes in the Royal Oak area  for car accidents includes I-75, I-696, and M-1 (Woodward Avenue).

According to information compiled by the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, the most dangerous intersections in Royal Oak include:

Should I Call a Lawyer After a Bus Accident in Royal Oak?

If you were injured in a bus accident as a passenger, pedestrian, or other motorist, it is critical to work with a knowledgeable auto accident lawyer.

Injuries from bus accidents can lead to particularly complex civil cases. While state law allows bus crash victims to file suit against municipal authorities, it can be hard to win this kind of case without help from a legal professional.

Royal Oak currently receives public bus service from RideSMART, and recently proposals have been made for Royal Oak to operate its own regional bus service. Additionally, Royal Oak residents who are over the age of 60 can schedule senior transportation from 9:15 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday, through a service funded by SMART Municipal and Community Credit as well as Beaumont Health.

If you were hurt in an accident involving a commercial or public bus, you may have important legal options at your disposal. Get in touch with a Royal Oak bus crash lawyer to learn more.

Can I Get Compensation After A Dog Bite in Royal Oak?

Dogs can cause a great deal of harm when they attack another animal or person, especially when their target is elderly or a minor. Under MCL §287.351, victims of dog bites can hold the owner of that dog strictly liable for the harm done to them.

Strict liability is different from traditional legal negligence. Because of this legal principle, a dog owner in Royal Oak could be held responsible for damages even if they had no idea their dog was aggressive.

There are only two exceptions to strict liability when it comes to dog bites in Michigan.

If the victim of a bite provoked the dog into attacking them, or if they were trespassing at the time they were bitten, they cannot file suit for compensation.

If a dog causes injury by jumping on someone or doing something other than biting them, traditional negligence rules apply. This means the victim would have to prove the dog’s owner was careless or reckless in controlling their dog in order to recover monetary damages.

Local Rules and Regulations for Royal Oak Dog Owners

Royal Oak Code of Ordinances §195-23 defines a “dangerous dog” as one that either bites or attacks another person at any time, or that seriously injures another domestic animal on the property of the injured animal’s owner.

Under this section, dogs being used for official law enforcement purposes, protecting their owner or owner’s property, or responding to torment or pain cannot be considered dangerous.

This same section defines a potentially dangerous dog as one that does any of the following:

• Causes a non-serious injury to another domestic animal
• Chases or menaces another domestic animal or person without being provoked
• Acts aggressively towards passersby while within an enclosure that it reasonably looks like they could escape from
• Gets impounded by animal control while running at large three or more times within 12 months

Owners of dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs must notify local police within 24 hours if their dog has escaped their control, attacked another person, been sold, died, or will no longer primarily live in Royal Oak.

Under §195-31, dangerous dogs in Royal Oak may be confiscated by law enforcement under any of the following circumstances:

• The dog’s owner does not maintain liability insurance for the dog, take the dog to obedience classes, and/or keep the dog enclosed as per §195-25
• The dog is not registered with the City in accordance with §195-27
• The dog is not restrained by their dog as dictated by §195-30 at any time

This statute also gives law enforcement the same authority to detain a potentially dangerous dog if the owner violates any aspect of §195-26, §195-27, or §195-30 regarding the containment and registration of potentially dangerous dogs.

Any violation of any these statutes is a misdemeanor offense in Royal Oak punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to §195-34.

Do I Need a Royal Oak Personal Injury Lawyer?

If you were injured due to another person’s negligence, you should reach out to a Royal Oak personal injury lawyer for help.

Whether a claim is being filed for a car crash, doctor error, trip and fall, or faulty product, having a local attorney on your side can prove to be essential.

A skilled attorney at Buckfire Law can help with each step of the claims process. We can answer your questions, explain your rights, and help you pursue.

What Buckfire Law Can Do to Help

For over 50 years, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. has worked to get justice for thousands of people who have suffered personal injuries.

Because of our continued dedication, we have received numerous awards from some of the top professional law organizations, including:

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

Call a Royal Oak Personal Injury Attorney for More Information

When another person’s negligence causes your injuries, you should not have to cover the ensuing costs alone. By taking legal action with the help of a Royal Oak personal injury lawyer, you could better understand your legal options and decide whether or not to pursue a claim.

However, there are important deadlines and other legal nuances that must be considered for any civil lawsuit. To schedule a consultation and begin taking legal action, call a legal professional at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. today.

Information About Royal Oak

Royal Oak is a small town in the Detroit metropolitan area. This city has a population of about 59,000 residents. Many of them like to enjoy the local farmer’s market that features produce from local farms. Major employers in the area include:

• William Beaumont Hospital
• City of Royal Oak
• Royal Oak Public Schools
• Oakland Community College
• Consumers Energy
• Flex-N-Gate
• Detroit Zoo
• Holiday Market
• HHI- Formtech

Royal Oak Legal Resources

• Royal Oak Police Department
  • Request a Police Record
• Royal Oak Fire Department
  • Request Fire Report Records
  • Purchase an Accident Report 
• Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak
  • Request Medical Records
• Henry Ford Medical Center – Royal Oak
  • Request Medical Records
• Royal Oak Animal Shelter
• Oakland County Medical Examiner
  • Request Medical Examiner Records
  • Request an Autopsy or Toxicology Report
• Oakland County Health Division
  • Report a Public Health Concern
• 44th District Court
  • Look up a Public Case