Personal Injury Attorneys in Ohio
Getting into an accident can have major consequences, including medical bills, injuries, pain, and more. Hiring a personal injury attorney can help you get the compensation to pay your bills while you focus on getting better. When you decide to hire one, make sure to following some basic tips to finding a good attorney. Finally, make sure to understand the laws regarding personal injury cases.
NOTE: The content of this website is intended solely for informational purposes. It is not a source of legal advice and should not be used as such.
Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney
A personal injury attorney can be a major asset to getting you the appropriate compensation after an injury-causing auto accident. You may find that a personal injury lawyer is especially helpful when:
- You have serious injuries, extended hospital visits, or high medical bills resulting from the accident.
- Your insurance settlements are lagging or too low to cover your bills.
- You've experience pain and suffering or other non-economic losses.
- Fault for the accident is shared and/or unclear.
Tips for Hiring an OH Personal Injury Lawyer
It's extremely important to make an educated decision when you go to hire your Ohio personal injury attorney. The way to make sure you do this is to ask questions of the attorney BEFORE hiring/during your consultation. Make sure to ask about at least the following:
- Education and experience.
- Track record and cases won.
- Opinion of your case.
- Working process and method of contact.
- Fees and payment options.
Ohio Laws on Personal Injury
Statute of Limitations
Each state has specific time limits for how long a person has to go to court and file a lawsuit. This time period is called the “statute of limitations" and it varies for the kind of lawsuit and by state.
In Ohio, the statue of limitations for personal injury is 2 years.
Make sure that you hire a personal injury attorney in time to get a lawsuit filed within this window if you are thinking about going this direction.
Shared Fault in Ohio
Accident investigations do not always find that one driver is 100% at fault. In fact, in many cases fault may be shared amongst more than one driver.
For example, say you were T-boned by another driver, but because you rolled through the stop sign, you were found to be 30% at fault. You and the other driver are both partially at fault. Each state has rules that govern how damages are provided when fault is shared.
Ohio uses the modified comparative negligence rule. This means that your compensation will decrease according to your percentage of fault.
So, if total damages for the accident were $100,000 and you were 30% at fault, you could collect $70,000.
HOWEVER, if you are 50% or more at fault, you will not be able to recover any damages at all.
This rule may come up in your discussions with insurance company. Personal injury attorneys in Ohio are also well-versed in this rule and can explain to you how it plays into your case, if at all.
