Ohio Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney
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Cleveland, OH Personal Injury Attorneys for Accident Victims
A serious car accident can be devastating, both financially and physically. Fortunately, you don’t have to face the consequences of your motor vehicle accident alone. Our skilled Ohio car accident lawyers at Joseph Law Group help motor vehicle accident victims get the financial compensation they require to successfully recover, receive fair compensation, and put their auto accidents behind them.
Our Ohio car accident lawyers are familiar with the immediate and future effects that a serious injury can have on you and your family. That is why our car accident attorneys offer dependable and aggressive representation for individuals looking to pursue a car accident lawsuit.
The personal injury attorneys at Joseph Law Group will stop at nothing to get car accident victims the economic recovery they deserve. We offer every car accident victim a free consultation to ensure all victims of careless and negligent drivers know their rights and understand their legal options. We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we charge you nothing unless we successfully recover damages on your behalf.
Let our Cleveland motor vehicle accident lawyers help you get the justice you want and the financial compensation you are entitled to.
Why Do I Need an Ohio Accident Lawyer?
The skilled Ohio accident attorneys at Joseph Law Group know first-hand how destructive a motor vehicle accident can be. Being involved in one can change someone’s life and force them to cope with serious, and sometimes permanent, injuries. An experienced car accident attorney at Joseph Law Group is ready to help you in any way we can. Our law firm offers car accident victims support through every step of the legal process. A personal injury lawyer can also help accident victims by:
- Providing a free consultation with a skilled and well-versed personal injury attorney.
- Ensuring victims obtain the highest degree of medical treatment to help them recover from serious injuries.
- Keeping victims up-to-date on any developments in their case.
- Making ourselves available to answer all questions and address any concerns.
- Thoroughly investigating accidents and collecting every bit of evidence that supports a client’s side of the story
- Providing an effective and skillful negotiation to recover compensation for damages.
- Dealing with insurance adjusters and insurance claims so victims can focus on their recovery.
- Seeking the maximum compensation available to help injury victims properly recover.
What if You Share Fault for the Accident?
Ohio is a modified comparative negligence state. This means you could still be eligible for financial compensation as long as your percentage of fault is not greater than 50%.
This is because you still need to be held responsible for your portion of the liability. The courts accomplish this by lessening the amount of your settlement. For example, if you were 10% at fault for the accident because you were going ten miles an hour over the speed limit when you were broadsided at an intersection, then the courts will decrease your award by 10%.
Auto Insurance in Ohio
Dealing with insurance companies and an insurance adjuster is an irritating but important part of the Ohio car accident claim process. Motorists are required to carry a predetermined amount of auto insurance. They also have the option of showing proof of financial responsibility, meaning they have enough money to pay for any damages, although that is much less common.
Drivers in Ohio are required to carry a minimum of:
- Bodily injury coverage: $25,000 per person
- Bodily injury coverage: $50,000 per accident
- Property damage coverage: $25,000 per accident
Ohio drivers are not required to carry:
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Rental car coverage
- Gap insurance
- Personal injury protection
- Uninsured/Underinsured bodily injury coverage
- Uninsured/Underinsured motorist property damage coverage
Knowing your auto insurance requirements is important because Ohio is a fault state for vehicle accidents and insurance. If you are involved in a car accident, you will have to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Do I File a Claim or a Lawsuit?
Insurance companies are only bound to the largest amount of your policy. So, if the at-fault driver carries only $25,000 in bodily injury coverage but your medical bills are six times more than that, the insurance company is still only required to cover $25,000.
So how do injured victims cover the rest of their losses? They could choose to file a claim with their own insurance company, but that will most likely increase the price of their insurance policy.
Another option is to file a claim in civil court. Insurance companies are not only held to the dollar amount of a policy, but they also only reimburse crash victims for property damage and medical expenses. The other damages they have sustained are just as important but compensation is only available through a car accident claim.
A reliable Ohio car accident lawyer has experience negotiating with auto insurance companies and will be able to seek maximum compensation. We do everything in our power to protect your settlement, help you recover compensation, and make sure you are not taken advantage of.
When another person is responsible for your serious injuries, you are entitled to compensation for all the ways your life has been adversely impacted by the motor vehicle crash and your subsequent injuries.
Pursuing compensation involves your car accident lawyer determining how much your case is worth. To accomplish this, we need to identify all the ways your life has been affected and separate them into one of two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Types of Ohio Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents can happen at any place and at any time. Regardless of whether your motor vehicle accident was a low-speed fender bender or a catastrophic head-on collision, you and your passengers can be seriously injured. These accidents can include anything from the average passenger car to commercial truck accidents, truck crashes, motorcycle accidents, and more.
Our experienced Cleveland car accident lawyers help injured car accident victims receive financial recovery in the form of compensation for damages, medical expenses, as well as pain and suffering. The car accident attorneys at Joseph Law Group have successfully handled a wide variety of car accident cases. Some of the most common kinds of Ohio auto accidents that we see include:
Rear-End Collisions
A rear-end collision occurs when a vehicle crashes into the rear of the vehicle in front of it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that rear-end accidents are the most common form of a car accident. Factors that frequently contribute to this kind of automobile accident include inattentive driving, following too closely, driver fatigue, and driving under the influence.
Head-On Collisions
This type of automobile accident occurs frequently in rural areas and happens when the front ends of two cars traveling in opposite directions collide. About 60% of all accident-related deaths happen due to head-on collisions.
Side-Impact Accidents
Side impact automobile accidents take place when the front end of one vehicle makes contact with the side of another. Also known as broadside or T-bone accidents, these most often take place at intersections when a car fails to yield at a red light or stop sign.
Left Hand-Turn Accidents
When a motorist pulls out in front of oncoming traffic and causes an accident, it is known as a left-hand-turn accident. These are almost always the fault of the turning driver, however, there are some situations where the other driver may be held liable.
Causes of Ohio Vehicle Accidents
In spite of modern advances in automobile safety technology, like rear-view cameras and crash avoidance systems, car accidents still happen daily. The Ohio State Highway Patrol has stated that over 1,000 people were killed in Ohio motor vehicle accidents in 2020. Even though some car accidents are unavoidable, many could be prevented if drivers would take basic safety precautions and uphold their duty of care. Some of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents in Ohio include:
Speeding
A recent review of collision data determined that 67% of all vehicles traveling on rural roads, city streets, and state highways exceed the legal speed limit. When drivers choose to speed, no matter what the reason, they are putting themselves and those around them at risk for injury and death.
Driving Under the Influence
Roughly 30% of all traffic-related deaths are caused by impaired or drunk driving. Drugs and alcohol significantly impair a person’s ability to accurately judge the speed, distance, and anticipated movement of other vehicles. It also hinders their ability to react to hazardous road conditions.
Distracted Driving
Responsible for close to 15% of all car accidents, distracted driving takes place when drivers take their focus off the road. Anytime a driver is trying to multitask by texting, talking, drinking, eating, tending to a child, or reaching for an item, their chances of being involved in a serious car crash are substantially increased.
Driver Fatigue
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association has estimated that more than 50,000 drivers are injured, and nearly 1,000 are killed every year as a result of sleep-deprived drivers. A tired motorist’s ability to react to other vehicles or road conditions is seriously impaired. In extreme cases, drivers fall asleep at the wheel, drift into oncoming traffic, and cause a head-on accident.
Reckless Driving
Motorists who are reckless or aggressive often make poorly timed lane changes, tailgate other vehicles, and swerve in and out of traffic, in addition to violating numerous other traffic laws. These careless drivers openly disregard common sense and driving laws, endangering themselves and others on the road.
Inexperienced Drivers
A new study discovered that 16 and 17-year-old drivers are three times more likely than those 18 and older to cause an accident.
Dangerous Road Conditions
Driving a car is dangerous. When road conditions are unsafe, it adds a heightened degree of danger. Poor road design, maintenance, construction, debris in the roadway, and inclement weather all contribute to thousands of Ohio car crashes every single year.
What Compensation is Available for My Injuries?
Being injured in an auto accident often forces victims to deal with serious injuries and devastating financial obstacles. Even a seemingly insignificant car crash can result in major damages. If the other driver caused the accident, you are entitled to pursue financial compensation for your damages.
Each car accident case is unique. Based on your individual circumstances, you could be entitled to compensation for one or all of the following:
- Current and anticipated medical bills
- Lost income
- Lost or reduced earning capacity
- The cost to replace or repair your vehicle
- Rehabilitation costs, like occupational and physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Permanent handicaps
- Disfigurement
- Decreased quality of life
- Wrongful death
- Loss of consortium
What Do I Do After an Ohio Automobile Accident?
The minutes that immediately follow a serious accident can be frightening. You might be experiencing a great deal of pain and be in shock. After an accident, there are steps you can take to protect your rights and ensure your safety.
Seek Medical Attention
Oftentimes, the shock of being in a car accident can disguise serious car accident injuries. This is why it is essential to get medical attention whether or not you think you are injured. A complete examination by a physician will ensure that any injuries are identified and appropriately treated.
Call the Police
When the police arrive, be sure to give an accurate account of what took place before, during, and after the accident. Make sure you get a copy of the police accident report for your records. It contains important information about the people involved, the crash site, and any citations that were issued.
Gather Evidence
It is always a good idea to start collecting evidence as soon after the accident as possible. Reliable evidence includes things such as eyewitness accounts, pictures, and video of the accident scene as well as any damage to the vehicles. As you are documenting the scene, pay attention to traffic and weather conditions, debris in the roadway, skid marks, and damage to property.
Speak With an Ohio Accident Attorney
We strongly urge you to reach out to an Ohio car accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident, especially before you speak with the other driver’s insurance company. An experienced Ohio motor vehicle accident attorney will manage all communication with the insurance adjuster along with any other third parties.
Contact the Ohio Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers at Joseph Law Group Today
Being injured in a car accident is often a traumatic life event. Dealing with insurance companies while also trying to recover from severe injuries can be both overwhelming and frustrating. Let the experienced Ohio car accident attorneys at Joseph Law Group get started on your personal injury claim and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.
To speak with a car accident lawyer and to receive a free case evaluation call (216) 522-1600. We have offices in Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, Toledo, and Cincinnati.
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Eliminate Your Worry & Ease Your Mind
The insurance industry is built on the avoidance of making any payments on claims. They see claims as liabilities, and initially deny, defend, and delay a claim to limit that liability and save money for the company. Ultimately, it is the job of the attorneys at Joseph Law Group to advocate on behalf of our clients and to give the insurance companies and adjusters enough reason to pay an amount of money that is fair under all circumstances. When you hire Joseph Law Group to represent your claim, you are getting a full-service team of dedicated attorneys and paralegals who will be committed to pursuing the best outcome for you from day one until trial.
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