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Our Dearborn personal injury lawyers help victims injured in all types of cases. You need a top-rated law firm on your side.

Severe accidents can have a significant and devastating impact on your life. Along with physical harm, an injury can result in a pile of medical bills, an inability to work, and emotional trauma. When the careless actions of another person caused your injuries, a Dearborn personal injury lawyer can help.

Our firm prides itself on securing numerous awards in the legal industry. These include:

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

An attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., will help you file a civil lawsuit to hold the negligent party or parties responsible.

Navigating the legal system is complex, but our legal team will take care of everything from start to finish.  Contact us now to start your case.

Can a Dearborn Lawyer Help with My Personal Injury Claim?

A Dearborn personal injury lawyer can help with each step of a personal injury claim. This includes collecting evidence and calculating damages, to pursuing a claim in court.

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to the negligence of another person, a dedicated attorney will help negotiate with insurance companies and request full and fair compensation.

Steps to Take After an Accident in Dearborn

After suffering an injury, many people feel overwhelmed and confused about their legal options. Of course, the most important thing for an individual to do is to seek medical treatment. This can be essential for a person’s well-being, and can also help with a personal injury case.

No matter the circumstances of an injury, having a record of medical care can help to substantiate a person’s injuries. This is true for:

  • Auto accidents — including car and truck accidents, motorcycle wrecks, and bus crashes
  • Medical negligence
  • Animal attacks
  • Slip and fall injuries
  • Defective products
  • Nursing home neglect and abuse

When filing a claim, a potential claimant will have to deal with a defendant and their insurance company. Unfortunately, without proper legal guidance, many injured people will be tricked into accepting settlements that undervalue the full extent of their claim.

Because both economic and non-economic damages can be included in a civil lawsuit, it is vital for a person to take the time—and seek a knowledgeable attorney’s help—to calculate the scope of their injuries. A personal injury lawyer in Dearborn could help with every stage of this process.

Who is Liable in a Dearborn Personal Injury Case?

For a successful injury case, a claimant must be able to demonstrate fault. In cases involving intentional violence (such as assaults), liability is often clear. However, how blame is assigned for accident cases is often more complex.

To prove negligence, the following elements must be proven:

  • The defendant owed a legal duty of care,
  • This duty was breached, and
  • This breached caused an accident that injured the claimant.

For example, if a driver was intoxicated behind the wheel and hit a pedestrian, motorcyclist, trucker, or other motor vehicle, they would be deemed negligent.

However, according to Michigan Compiled Laws §600.2959, fault could also be assigned to the injured claimant. If a person is found to be partially to blame for their own injuries, their damages could be reduced. Because of this, it is important to hire an experienced Dearborn lawyer who can help to determine fault in a personal injury claim.

Dearborn Car Accident Lawyers

According to Michigan State Police data, Wayne County (including Dearborn) saw more car accidents in 2018 than any other county in the state. This accounts for more than 20 percent of total car accident injuries statewide. According to the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, the most dangerous intersections in Dearborn include:

  • Michigan Ave at M 39
  • Ford Rd at Mercury Dr
  • Ford Rd at Telegraph Rd
  • Michigan Ave at Military
  • Hubbard Dr at M 39
  • Ford Rd at M 39
  • Michigan Ave at Telegraph Rd
  • Mason at Michigan Ave
  • Ford Rd at Schaefer Rd
  • I 94 at Michigan Ave E

Clinton Township Intersections Crashes Injuries
1. Michigan Ave at M 39 77 16
2. Ford Rd at Mercury Dr 72 30
3. Ford Rd at Telegraph Rd 63 19
4. Michigan Ave at Military 47 10
5. Hubbard Dr at M 39 47 8
6. Ford Rd at M 39 41 16
7. Michigan Ave at Telegraph Rd 40 9
8. Mason at Michigan Ave 40 7
9. Ford Rd at Schaefer Rd 40 5
10. I 94 at Michigan Ave E 38 8

In order to file a personal injury lawsuit for any auto accident in Dearborn, it is important to know which parties may be liable and how liability is applied.

In most motor vehicle accident cases, the defendant is usually the negligent driver who caused the accident. This might arise if a motorist:

  • Drove while intoxicated
  • Failed to follow traffic laws
  • Sped
  • Drove recklessly or carelessly
  • Was distracted while driving
  • Was otherwise neglected traffic laws

A Dearborn car accident  lawyer could help to determine who could be held liable in a claim.

If the instigating vehicle in a wreck was a commercial truck or bus, however, the company that owns or operates the bus may be the primarily liable party. Whether an employer is vicariously liable for the negligent actions of their employer, or was negligent in their own right, a qualified attorney could help.

Dearborn auto accident attorneys can also provide assistance to bicyclists and pedestrians struck by negligent drivers.

Taking Action After a Doctor’s Malpractice

Whether you receive treatment at Beaumont Hospital, the Henry Ford Medical Center in Fairlane, or anyone of the smaller medical clinics and offices around Dearborn, you likely trust that your healthcare provider will act reasonably and promptly to provide you with the best medical outcome possible.

Unfortunately, medical negligence harms far too many Michigan residents each year. If not addressed in civil court, malpractice can leave patients struggling with both additional physical harm and significant financial expenses.

Under Michigan Compiled Laws §600.2169, all medical malpractice cases in Dearborn must be accompanied by an affidavit of merit, in which a medical professional with the same skillset and experience as the defendant must confirm that the injury claim is based on valid grounds.

In other words, that there was a breach of the applicable standard of care by the defendant doctor. Furthermore, at least six months before a case is even filed, a malpractice victim or their attorney must send a Notice of Intent to File to all defendants they plan to sue.

It is also important to be aware of the cap applicable to non-economic damages in Dearborn medical malpractice claims, which goes up yearly based on inflation.

An experienced lawyer at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. can explain these and other aspects of medical malpractice cases to anyone in Dearborn who wishes to pursue a claim.

Protecting Elderly Loved Ones from Neglect and Abuse in Nursing Homes

There are several nursing home and similar assisted care facilities that call Dearborn home, including:

  • Heartland Health Care Center-Dearborn Heights
  • Henry Ford Village
  • Imperial, a Villa Center
  • American House

While these and other elderly care facilities look to provide customized and compassionate care to all their residents, abuse does occur in Michigan nursing homes.

The loved ones of residents need to be particularly aware of these risks, as many nursing home residents cannot (or do not want to) speak up when they fall victim to neglectful or abusive treatment.

While Michigan has laws and organizations in place to protect vulnerable nursing home residents.  Family members should also keep an eye out for potential signs of mistreatment.

These signs include, but are not limited to:

  • Inexplicable bruises, welts, lacerations, or other signs of physical harm
  • Sudden changes in a loved one’s mood, including anxiety, depression, and paranoia
  • Signs of poor upkeep in living facilities, like unchanged sheets or unkept medical supplies
  • Aggressive or belittling behavior from staff members, even if not directed at their loved one in particular
  • Unexplained activity and/or changes in a resident’s personal finances

Anyone who suspects nursing home abuse should notify Adult Protective Services within the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, as well as the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service.

Following that, a Dearborn nursing home abuse lawyer could work with a harmed resident and their family members to take appropriate legal action against a liable individual or facility.

Dog Bite Cases in Dearborn

Both local and state laws address how dog owners in Dearborn should restrain and control their animals. They also address how civil cases can proceed following a dog bite.

At the local level, the Dearborn City Code establishes that dogs may be considered either “dangerous” or “vicious” based on prior aggressive behavior.

A dog could be considered dangerous if it acts aggressively enough to frighten a reasonable person, or cause a non-serious injury by biting someone else. Similarly, a dog could be considered vicious if it has caused serious or fatal injury to another person.

Owners of dangerous dogs in Dearborn must microchip, spay or neuter, and participate in training with their pet. Vicious dogs require unique insurance and constant confinement, as well as signage around the owner’s property identifying their dog as vicious. If a vicious dog attacks someone, a Dearborn court has the right to order euthanization.

At the state level, Michigan Compiled Laws §287.351 establishes that dog owners bear strict liability for their dog biting someone else and causing injury. This is true even if the dog had no prior history of aggressive behavior. However, they may avoid liability if the injured person provoked the dog before being attacked, or if that person was trespassing at the time.

A Dearborn dog bite lawyer can help you pursue compensation against a negligent pet owner.

What are the Deadlines for Dearborn Personal Injury Cases?

The deadlines for filing a personal injury claim in Dearborn depend on the specific type of case. For the majority of claims, the statute of limitations is three years from either the date an accident occurred, or on the date when the plaintiff discovered—or reasonably should have discovered—their injuries, according to Michigan Compiled Laws §600.5805.

However, for medical malpractice cases, the statute of limitations is only two years. Additionally, specific circumstances allow for this deadline to be delayed temporarily.

A Dearborn lawyer at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. will help you determine the statute of limitations for their personal injury claim.

How a Dearborn Personal Injury Lawyer Might Help

Were you injured because of the negligence of a person, business or entity? Contact a Dearborn personal injury lawyer at our firm today.

Our legal team can investigate your case, negotiate with insurance companies, and answer all your questions. By working with a dedicated attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., you could rest assured that you have a valuable ally on your side.

Because of the deadlines attached to filing every injury claim, it is best to begin working on your case as soon as possible.

To schedule a consultation and begin taking legal action, call a legal professional at our firm today.

Information About the City of Dearborn

Dearborn is located in Wayne County, Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, which is home to 5.3 million people. As of 2014, Dearborn’s population was 95,535.

Dearborn was the home of Henry Ford, and the city’s largest employer to this day is the Ford Motor Company. Other significant employers in the Dearborn area include:

  • ADP
  • Automotive Components Holdings (Ford/Visteon)
  • Oakwood Health System
  • Severstal (now AK Steel)
  • Percepta
  • Dearborn Board of Education
  • Auto Club of Michigan
  • EP Management Corporation
  • United Technologies Auto (Lear)

Dearborn Area Legal Resources

As a resource for our Dearborn personal injury clients, we are providing you with a list of important contacts for accidents and injuries in Dearborn. You can obtain reports and other information from these places. If you choose us for your Dearborn personal injury attorneys to handle your case, we will get all of the information for you.

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Free Consultation Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. – Michigan Personal Injury Lawyers 29000 Inkster Road Suite 150 Southfield MI 48034 (800) 606-1717

Client Description: My experience was a pleasant one, considering the circumstances. I was injured by a drunk driver in a hit-and-run accident 3 ½ years ago. Before I found I was told by another popular firm here in Michigan that my injuries were not severe enough for a case. I was fortunate enough to find Buckfire & Buckfire on the internet. I met with Daniel Buckfire during my first visit. He treated me like a human being and not as if I was a dollar sign. All of my following visits with the law firm were very professional and my attorney was easy to talk to. The process from start to finish was not easy but the drunk driving attorneys at Buckfire & Buckfire were with me every step of the way, getting my case resolved in a very timely manner. I’m pleased with the outcome and would like to thank the entire staff at Buckfire & Buckfire. I show my appreciation by recommending their services to friends and family.

Rating: ★★★★★ 5 / 5 stars