Our Ann Arbor nursing home neglect attorneys frequently assist victims of nursing home neglect sue nursing homes for letting residents sustain a bed sore or pressure sore while in their care.  Although many residents are at risk for bed sores and pressures while in a skilled nursing facility, these are completely preventable with proper care, treatment, and monitoring.  When these sores do occur, the resident can file a lawsuit against the nursing home.

Bedsores, or pressure sores, are sores caused by prolonged pressure on an area of the body. They are common among the sick, elderly, disabled, and others who have difficultly moving themselves. The pressure from prolonged amount of time sitting or laying in the same position begins to cut off the supply of blood to an area of the body. The sores start as red irritations (stage 1), but can develop into blisters or ulcers (stage 2) and will eventually form a crater (stage 3) which indicates damage to the tissue below the skin.

Stage 4 bedsores are the most serious level of bedsores.  By the time, a stage 4 sore has formed; there has already been a craterous sore for some time. Stage 4 is the terminology used to indicate the crater has become so deep that there is damage to the muscle and bone underneath the skin. Often times, the muscle or the bone may actually be exposed, complicating treatment and causing a heightened risk of infection.

Infection seriously delays the healing of earlier stage bedsores but can be life-threatening at

Stage 4. Infection can penetrate the bone, causing osteomyelitis and requiring weeks of treatment. From there, the infection can spread into the blood stream, causing sepsis. This will also require weeks of treatment and skin grafting may be necessary. Skin graft operations, however, may not be successful in older or malnourished patients, which are two of the groups most likely to suffer Stage 4 bedsores. Even if a skin graft operation is successful, the infections may recur months or even years later.

By the time a sore reaches a Stage 4, the neglect has gone beyond the mere occasional omission and instead represents prolonged mistreatment. Stage 4 bedsores can occur anytime there is prolonged pressure on a part of the body, but they are especially common when a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, foster home, or other care facility fails to monitor its patients or residents over a prolonged period.

If you or a loved one has suffered physical damages due to a bedsore, you should contact a lawyer immediately. The top-rated Ann Arbor nursing home neglect lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. represent clients under our No Fee promise and handle these types of cases regularly. Call our office today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our experienced nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers about your case.

Our Ann Arbor nursing home fall accident lawyers handle cases involving fall injuries to residents of nursing home. Falls are very common among residents in nursing homes and can cause serious injuries and sometimes death among the victims.

Falling in nursing homes is common because people in nursing homes are generally older, have more chronic conditions, and have difficulty walking compared to other older adults living in the community. Additionally, nursing home residents also tend to have problems with thinking or memory, or have difficulty with the tasks of daily life causing the percentage of nursing home falls to be large.

The number of falls in nursing homes is significant and the injuries from those accidents are often severe and can sometimes cause wrongful deaths. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, about 1,800 elderly people living in a nursing home die from fall-related injuries. Other statistics on nursing home falls tailored by CDC include:

• About 5% of adults 65 and older live in nursing home, but nursing home residents account for about 20% of deaths from falls in this age group.
• Each year, a typical nursing home with 100 beds reports 100 to 200 falls. Many falls go unreported.
• About 10% to 20% of nursing home falls cause serious injuries; 2% to 6% cause fractures.
• As many as 3 out of 4 nursing home residents fall each year. That’s twice the rate of falls for older adults living in the community.

There are certain situations and circumstances that create a higher risk for a nursing home resident to fall. These include:

• Muscle weakness
• Gait or balance problems
• Environmental hazards (i.e., wet floors, poor lighting, incorrect bed height)
• Medication intake
• Difficulty moving from one place to another

Individuals who suffer injuries due to a fall in a nursing home do have legal rights. Many of times, the fall is caused due to the negligent care of the nurse or caregiver, not enough supervision, or environmental hazards such as incorrect bed height. If the resident falls due to those circumstances or any other negligent act from a nurse or caregiver in a Michigan nursing home, it can give rise to a Michigan nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuit.

If you or a loved one is injured due to a fall in an Ann Arbor nursing home, you should contact the lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. immediately. Our top-rated lawyers handle these types of cases frequently and represent clients under our No Fee promise. Call our office at (800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced nursing home fall accident attorneys about your case.

Our Ann Arbor nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers represent residents of nursing homes that have sustained physical injuries due to being mistreated. According to the Harvard Medical Practice Study done in 1999, over half of all injuries caused by medical mismanagement were preventable. In addition, another quarter of those incidents were caused by negligence. Victims of nursing home neglect and their family members do have legal rights to sue a nursing home facility in the event that negligent care caused an injury or death.

Nursing home abuse and neglect describe a situation in which a nursing home care provider or failed to treat a patient at a reasonable standard expected from a care provider under those conditions. In addition, that improper care must have caused some injury to the patient, which then must have caused some damages to the patient, as well.

Nursing home abuse and nursing home negligence can occur in a number of types of situations. These include:

• Failure to turn or move immobile patients
• Failure to bathe patients
• Failure to supervise patients in baths and showers
• Failure to monitor nutrition and hydration/dehydration
• Verbal abuse of residents
• Failure to supervise patients
• Reduced staff-patient ratios

Some results of the above scenarios include:

• Pressure Sores
• Bed Sores
• Infections
• Unexplained falls resulting in broken bones
• Medication errors
• Fractures
• Decubitus ulcers
• Sepsis
• Residents wandering away from the facility

Every state has variations on the law, but Michigan has very specific laws and rules on suing a nursing home for neglect or abuse. The failure to follow these exact rules can prevent a claim from being filed or can result in a lawsuit being dismissed. Nursing home neglect and abuse cases are considered medical malpractice cases. In order to have a nursing home neglect case one must be able to prove a care provider or facility was negligent, and their negligence lead directly to your injury. The process is very complex and requires an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer.

If you or a loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact a lawyer immediately to learn your rights before it is too late. The experienced lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. represent clients under our NO FEE promise and handle these types of cases all the time. Call our office today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top-rated Buckfire lawyers about your case.

Riding a bicycle in Ann Arbor is quite common, for both exercise and commuting to work and class. However, some obstacles on the road such as potholes, uneven portions of cement, and even rudely patched potholes with loose gravel can prove to be quite hazardous.  These hazards can cause a bicyclist to lose control of the bike and fall to the pavement.  The injuries from bicycle falls and accidents are often very serious.

The government is responsible for maintaining roadways in reasonable repair. Michigan has several statutes that relate to a governmental agency’s duty to properly maintain roadways. A bicyclist injured due to a defective road condition or pothole can file a claim against the government agency for accident related injuries.

MCL 691.1402 says in pertinent part “. . . each Governmental agency having jurisdiction over highways, shall maintain the highway in reasonable repair so that it is reasonably safe and convenient for public travel. A person who sustains bodily injury or damage to his or her property by reason of failure of a Governmental agency to keep a highway under its jurisdiction and reasonable repair and in condition reasonably safe and fit for travel, must recover the damages suffered by him or her from the Governmental agency.”

To assert this type of claim, the injured bicyclist is required by law to provide written notice to the government agency responsible for maintaining the roadway where the injury occurred. The written notice must be served within 120 days of the injury, with very few exceptions, or the claim will be forever barred.  The notice must include the date of the injury, the precise location of the injury, the nature of the defect, and the names of any known witnesses.

In the event that a bicyclist is injured due to a road defect in Ann Arbor, it is essential that an experienced Michigan bicycle accident lawyer be contacted as soon as possible after the accident.  This will insure that the matter is properly investigated and the required notice be sent to the governing agency to preserve the claim. 

Our bicycle accident Buckfire lawyers will interview witnesses, take photographs and measurements of the defective condition, and obtain government records of road repairs in the area of the accident.  Without this prompt and detailed investigation, it may be later impossible to prove and win your claim.  Time is of the essence for preserving these claims.

If you or someone you know sustained serious injuries due to a bicycle accident involving a pothole, contact an attorney immediately to learn your legal rights. The experienced lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. handle these types of cases every day and represent clients under our NO FEE promise. Call our office today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top-rated Buckfire lawyers.

Our Ann Arbor trip and fall injury lawyers represent injury victims in cases involving uneven sidewalks and raised sidewalks.   A person carefully walking on a public sidewalk can suffer very serious and permanent injuries from this type of defect.  These injuries occur even in daylight because the average pedestrian is looking straight ahead as they walk, rather than straight down at the ground.

A person injured from an even sidewalk or raised sidewalk can make a legal claim for injuries suffered due to a fall caused by this defective condition.  Under Michigan law, a claim due to the city’s failure to maintain the sidewalk can be made when the municipality violates required by Michigan Statute MCL 691.1401, et. seq.

Currently, under Michigan law, a discontinuity defect of less than two inches in a sidewalk, trail way, crosswalk, or other installation outside of the improved portion of the highway designed for vehicular traffic raises a rebuttable inference that the municipal corporation maintained the area in reasonable repair for purposes of the highway exception to immunity.  MCL 691.1402a. This means that the condition is presumed safe if the there is less than a two inch defect in the walkway, but a claim is not necessarily barred if the drop-off is less than two inches.

In order to prove a claim against a governmental entity, it must be shown that the governmental entity had notice of the defect and that it existed for at least 30 days.  Once an injury occurs as a result of the sidewalk defect, the injury victim must provide written notice to the governmental entity within 120 days. The failure to provide notice within that time frame will forever bar an injured victim’s claim for money damages. The notice shall specify the exact location and nature of the defect, the injury sustained and the names of the witnesses known at the time by the claimant. MCL 691.1404.

Due to the complexities involved in defective sidewalk cases, including the notice provision, it is very important to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer who has won many of these complex cases and choose your Ann Arbor accident lawyer as soon as possible after your injury.

If you or someone you know suffers serious injuries due to an uneven sidewalk, contact an attorney immediately to learn your rights. The top-rated lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. win their clients the highest possible settlements, and represent them under a NO FEE promise. Contact us today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our experienced Ann Arbor uneven sidewalk fall accident attorneys.

Our Ann Arbor trip and fall lawyers represent clients who have sustained injuries due to falls. Surprisingly, many of these victims suffer these injuries due to broken sidewalks. Sidewalks many times have potentially dangerous cracks, holes, or uneven slabs that present serious fall hazards to pedestrians. It is not uncommon for someone to accidentally stumble and trip due to these defects and receive a serious injury.

A person injured from a broken sidewalk can make for injuries suffered due to a fall caused by this defective condition.  Under Michigan law, a claim due to the city’s failure to maintain the sidewalk can be made when the municipality violates required by Michigan Statute MCL 691.1401, et. seq.

Currently, under Michigan law, a discontinuity defect of less than two inches in a sidewalk, trail way, crosswalk, or other installation outside of the improved portion of the highway designed for vehicular traffic raises a rebuttable inference that the municipal corporation maintained the area in reasonable repair for purposes of the highway exception to immunity.  MCL 691.1402a. This means that the condition is presumed safe if the there is less than a two inch defect in the walkway, but a claim is not necessarily barred if the drop-off is less than two inches.

In order to prove a claim against a governmental entity, it must be shown that the governmental entity had notice of the defect and that it existed for at least 30 days. Once an injury occurs as a result of the sidewalk defect, written notice must be given to the governmental entity within 120 days. Failure to provide notice will preclude an injured victim’s claim for damages. The notice shall specify the exact location and nature of the defect, the injury sustained and the names of the witnesses known at the time by the claimant. MCL 691.1404.

Due to the complexities involved in defective sidewalk cases, including the notice provision, it is very important to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer who has won many of these complex cases and choose your Michigan accident lawyer as soon as possible after your injury.

If you or someone you know sustains serious injuries from a broken sidewalk, you do have legal rights and should contact a lawyer immediately. The experienced Ann Arbor lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. handle trip and fall cases frequently and represent clients under our NO FEE promise. Call our office at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of top-rated attorneys about your case.

The top-rated Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. handle cases involving victims of medical negligence. We find it important for victims to know that the attorney they hire to handle their malpractice claim must have the experience, and expertise in these types of lawsuits to ensure they get the settlement they deserve. Also, medical malpractice claims are difficult lawsuits to handle and many of times take years to settle. This is why it is important to have a top-rated Buckfire lawyer on your side.

According to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, 1.3 million Americans are injured every year due to some form of medical malpractice. These injuries were preventable and were caused due to the negligence and errors of doctors, hospitals, and physicians.

Many of times, a patient suffers a significant illness or injury, and even death, even though a doctor has treated a patient properly. A lawsuit can only be filed when there is medical error or mistake that caused your injury. Our award winning medical malpractice lawyers in Ann Arbor perform a detailed analysis of your treatment to determine whether you have been the victim of medical malpractice. We will discuss your case with you, review your records, and advise you whether you have a legitimate claim for medical negligence.

Our experienced Ann Arbor medical malpractice Buckfire lawyers handle cases for victims of malpractice against doctors, hospitals, clinics, surgeons, and nurses. We have earned the highest possible rating in the legal profession for ability and integrity by the top internet lawyer rating service and have significant experience handling these types of cases throughout the State of Michigan,

We can help you if you believe that you or your family member was the victim of medical malpractice in Ann Arbor. The negligent provider may be liable for significant damages for the failure to provide appropriate treatment, especially when the injuries and the damages caused by the improper treatment are substantial.

Our top rated Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers have obtained significant settlements for victims of medical malpractice. We have listed some of these settlements below:

• 3,750,000 Settlement for hospital negligence
• $500,000 Settlement for anesthesia wrongful death
• $400,000 Settlement for failure to diagnose frostbite
• $300,000 Settlement for bariatric surgery malpractice
• $290,000 Jury verdict for hospital bedsores

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in Ann Arbor due to medical malpractice, you should contact a lawyer immediately. The skilled lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. handle these types of cases all the time and represent clients under our No Fee promise. Call our office today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top rated Ann Arbor medical malpractice attorneys.

Our Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers assist victims of malpractice in suing hospitals that have been negligent and committed serious errors while treating patients. Hospital errors are not uncommon, as they attribute to 225,000 deaths per year. However, the number may even be larger than that, as 80 percent of hospital errors go unreported by hospital employees, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Hospital errors are a form of medical malpractice and when a patient is injured or dies due to errors in a Michigan hospital, it gives rise to a Michigan lawsuit against a hospital. Some of the most common hospital errors include:

• Wrongful Death
• Misdiagnosed cancer (lung cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer)
• Birth Injuries/Cerebral Palsy and shoulder dystocia
• Misread x-rays and pap smears
• Emergency room error
• Medication error
• Surgical error
• Anesthesia error
• Severe Bedsores
• Hospital-based infections

Research done by HHS also found that most hospitals where errors were reported rarely changed their policies, and practices to prevent repeated errors. Policies need to be in place to ensure that this does not happen. Medical errors can be prevented.

We can help you if you believe that you or a family member was the victim of medical malpractice in Ann Arbor. The negligent hospital may be liable for significant damages for the failure to provide appropriate treatment, especially when the injuries and damages caused by the improper treatment are substantial. Our skilled Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers handle all types of hospital error cases against hospitals and their staff members, including doctors, surgeons, and nurses.

If you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice, you should contact an attorney immediately to assist you in your attempt to sue the negligent hospital. The experienced lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. represent clients under a NO FEE promise and win the highest possible settlements. Contact our office at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top-rated medical malpractice lawyers.

The Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. assist victims of medical malpractice in filing malpractice lawsuits. Unfortunately, most medical malpractice victims never recover a dime because they do not know they are victims of medical negligence. In fact, it is estimated that there were 225,000 deaths from medical malpractice, but nearly two percent of people who have suffered an injury from malpractice ever file a claim.

Medical malpractice, also known as medical negligence, is the term used to describe a wrong committed by a doctor or other medical professional who caused the bodily harm. Medical malpractice is much more than the hospital, physician or other health care provider making a simple mistake. Medical malpractice occurs when a health care provider improperly treats a patient or performs a treatment in a negligent manner. Many times, a doctor or hospital fails to use appropriate treatment methods or neglects the patient. The results of this inadequate and inappropriate care can cause significant permanent injuries and even wrongful death.

Commune medical malpractice includes:

• Misdiagnosis
• Failure to identify the cause of illness in time
• Surgical errors
• Failure to follow up with the patient to see how they are doing
• Anesthesia errors
• Wrong prescription

In order to make a claim from an act of medical negligence, the medical negligence attorney has to prove that negligence had taken place, and the injury suffered due to the negligence could have been avoided. Our Michigan medical malpractice attorneys will help you if you believe that you or a family member was the victim of medical malpractice in Michigan. The negligent medical provider may be liable for significant damages for the failure to provide appropriate treatment, especially when the injuries and damages caused by the improper treatment are substantial.

Our experienced Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers handle cases for victims of malpractice against doctors, surgeons, hospitals, clinics, and nurses. Individuals injured by a medical malpractice in Michigan, should contact a malpractice attorney immediately to discuss your case. Call our office now at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top-rated Ann Arbor medical malpractice lawyers.

Suing someone or an insurance company following a motorcycle accident can tend to be quite complicated. This is why it is important to have a top-rated lawyer assist you after sustaining injuries due to a motorcycle crash. The skilled lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. have represented victims of motorcycle accidents for years and winning clients the highest possible settlements.

According to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts for 2008, one out of every 10,208 persons in Michigan was killed in a traffic crash; one out of every 134 persons was injured. Victims of motorcycle accidents and their family members do have legal rights to sue the at-fault driver in the event that they are indeed the at-fault driver and you have sustained a “serious” injury due to the crash.

In order to file a successful Ann Arbor motorcycle accident lawsuit one must have sustained a serious injury due to the car accident. Some serious injuries include but are not limited to:

• Fractured and broken bones
• Back and neck injuries, like herniated and bulging discs
• Nerve damage
• Injuries that require surgery or substantial treatment
• Closed head and traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Knee injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Road rash requiring significant skin grafts
• Burn injuries
• Amputation injuries
• Psychological injuries, like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Injuries which cause disability from work and other daily activities

In order to have an Ann Arbor motorcycle accident injury case one must be able to prove that the other driver is the at-fault driver in the accident and that you sustained a serious injury due to the crash. The process for this kind of lawsuit is complex and requires an experienced motorcycle accident attorney.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an Ann Arbor motorcycle accident, you should contact an attorney immediately to learn your rights. The experienced motorcycle accident lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. handle these types of cases frequently and represent clients under our NO FEE promise. Call our office today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top rated Ann Arbor motorcycle accident attorneys.