Ohio Personal Injury FAQs

Commonly Asked Personal Injury Questions

If you’ve been injured due to the other party’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim. At Joseph Law Group, our personal injury attorneys are solely focused on recovering compensation for injured victims, which means we know everything there is to know about Ohio personal injury claims. Below, we’ll answer some of your frequently asked questions regarding personal injury. To learn more, give us a call at (216) 522-1600 for a free case evaluation today.

Personal Injury FAQs
Personal injury law protects people who have suffered physical and mental injuries as a result of someone else’s carelessness or negligent actions. Listed below are common types of personal injury claims that our law firm handles:

Car Accident Claim

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you need the skilled Cleveland car accident lawyers at Joseph Law Group to handle your case. We have handled thousands of successful personal injury cases for our clients all across Ohio.

Other Motor Vehicle Accident Claims

Motor vehicle accidents are among the most common personal injury cases in the U.S. Such a claim may include a:

Serious and Catastrophic Injury Claim

Serious and catastrophic injuries are basically injuries that cause long-term, permanent damage. Not only does the victim suffer long-term due to being severely injured, but so do the friends and relatives that have to care for them. As such, a number of people involved typically suffer physically, mentally, and financially and should be properly compensated for all of these losses and damages.

Industrial Accident Claim

Industrial accidents are common among construction workers and those who consistently work around heavy machinery. These types of workplace injuries can be the result of unsafe working conditions, co-worker negligence, or just pure accidents. Whatever the situation may be, you need a Cleveland industrial accident injury lawyer on your side.

Premises Liability Claim

Every property owner owes a certain duty of care to anyone who steps foot on their property. If someone suffers an injury due to the property owner’s breached duty of care, they may face an Ohio premises liability claim. Often these claims involve slips and falls or trips and falls due to dangerous or hazardous conditions. For example, a business that has known water or liquid on its floor may be liable for injuries to customers that injure themselves due to slippery conditions caused by the water.

Dog Bite Injury Claim

According to Ohio dog bite laws, an injured victims can sue dog owners if:
  • The dog’s actions caused the injury;
  • The victim wasn’t trespassing or attempting to trespass on personal property at the time of the attack;
  • And the victim wasn’t angering the dog through abusive or teasing behaviors.
In many dog bite situations, the injured victim does not need to prove that the other party, or dog owner, was negligent. This is called “strict liability”.

Workplace Injury Claim

Unfortunately, in far too many workplace injury cases, insurance companies or employers will dispute a workers’ compensation claim, award an insufficient amount of compensation, or even delay someone’s compensation and the settlement process as a whole. That’s when a Cleveland workers’ compensation attorney from our firm can help.

Medical Malpractice Claim

Medical mistakes can result in life-threatening consequences, lifelong disability, and expensive medical malpractice lawsuits. At Joseph Law Group, our Cleveland medical malpractice lawyers have handled multiple types of medical negligence incidents and are prepared to handle yours, as well.

Wrongful Death Claim

Wrongful death cases arise when a person suffers a severe personal injury due to someone else’s negligence that ultimately leads to their death. While our Cleveland wrongful death attorneys can’t undo the lasting grief you suffer, we can seek to ensure that you’re appropriately compensated for your loss. The Cleveland personal injury attorneys at Joseph Law Group are passionate about fighting for fair compensation for all injury victims. We have a vast range of legal resources available to assist clients with any and all types of personal injury cases all across the state of Ohio. Give our skilled Ohio lawyers a call and we’ll start investigating your personal injury claim today.

If you have been injured by someone else’s neglect or wrongful actions, an experienced personal injury lawyer from Joseph Law Group can investigate and represent your claim. Though the law allows for you to pursue compensation on your own, having an experienced professional helps to ensure the success of your claim and a fair settlement or court award. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney from our firm can guide you through the complicated legal process and serve as your voice, leaving you free to concentrate on recovering from your injury or loss.

Before hiring a lawyer, every client should learn about the law firm’s reputation and credentials. Ask questions about the lawyer’s education, training, and legal experience. Find out if the lawyer has handled cases similar to yours. Make sure you understand how you will be expected to pay the law firm’s fees and costs. What happens if your case is not won? Who will do the work on your case and what will be expected from you? Of most importance, every client should feel comfortable with their attorney and staff. The attorney-client relationship you are about to embark upon should involve mutual respect, trust, and confidence.

At Joseph Law Group, we are well-versed in all personal injury and wrongful death claims and have an advanced track record to back us up. We have founded our organization on compassion for our clients and remain current in a dynamic legal climate. By design, our offices have chosen attorneys and staff that have a passion for justice and meeting all clients’ legal needs. Our attorneys have decades of combined personal injury experience and training in negotiating settlements of these types of claims. We also know how to deal with the insurance companies and we know how to gather evidence to present your claim in order to obtain maximum value. Even more importantly, our Ohio personal injury attorneys are trained trial lawyers and have built a reputation of trying cases before a jury in the event that your claim does not settle. Often, the real threat of putting your case before a jury of peers by experienced trial lawyers is enough to make the difference of your case settling or not.

First, you must have suffered damage or an injury to your person. Second, it is important to prove that your injury was due to someone else’s fault or as a result of another person’s negligence. For example: in a car accident case, a driver who caused the collision may have behaved negligently or carelessly by speeding, texting while driving, or driving while intoxicated. In such situations, that driver may be liable for your injuries.

Nearly any type of accident claim can be brought against a negligent party when that
party’s negligence caused the injury. An Ohio Personal Injury lawyer can provide you with more information about some of the particular kinds of cases brought under a theory of negligence.

Every state has certain time limits called “statutes of limitations” which govern the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. In some states, you may have as little as one year to file a lawsuit arising out of an automobile accident. If you miss the deadline for filing your case, you may lose your legal right to recover damages for your injury. Consequently, it is important to talk with a lawyer as soon as possible after you suffer or discover an injury, death, or loss.

The statute of limitations in Ohio depends on the type of case you are dealing with. Under Ohio law, most personal injury cases have a two-year statute of limitations. However, medical malpractice claims are handled differently, and thus, have a one-year statute. If you have any questions about the timeframe of your particular situation, please contact one of the personal injury attorneys with the Joseph Law Group today.

As a citizen of the state of Ohio, you have the right to have a personal injury attorney represent you in a court of law, you also have the right to seek appropriate compensation for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of another. This includes the right to seek money for past and future medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, emotional distress, past and future loss of enjoyment of life due to the inability to perform daily activities as well as past and future loss of income. Joseph Law Group is here to thoroughly explain all of your legal rights as a victim.

If you are injured in an accident, the most important thing you can do is collect and keep any available evidence that might show what happened. Obtain the names, addresses, and phone numbers of both the at-fault party as well as any witnesses, take photographs, and make a journal of exactly what happened. This evidence can be crucial to presenting your case. Police reports, medical records, business records, or other information can also be useful. If you need medical attention, make arrangements to get treatment as soon as possible. Make sure to tell your health care provider how you were injured. You should also consider consulting with an attorney as soon as possible to help preserve any evidence and present your case.

Believe it or not, there is not an exact formula for determining what your personal injury settlement is worth. Every accident and injury is different. Case value can depend on the manner in which you were injured or the extent of your injuries or impairment, degree of pain and suffering, amount of past and future lost wages, and medical expenses. Only after a complete investigation can we assess the compensation that you may be due and assign a monetary value to your case. The team at our law firm reviews each unique case to determine its reasonable value. If the defendant’s insurance company is not willing to pay that reasonable amount, we will confidently take your case to trial and expertly present it to a jury of your peers. You should be skeptical of anyone who gives you a value of your case before all information is considered and especially before you are completely healed or have finished medical treatment.

Depending on the extent of their injury, accident victims are entitled to certain damages following an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. The other person’s insurance coverage may be required to pay for any of the following:

  • Medical bills
  • Physical therapy
  • Property damage
  • Lost income
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Permanent disfigurement or disability
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental distress
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of guardianship
  • Loss of companionship
  • And more

Ohio imposes caps on personal injury damages, which are restrictions on the amount of compensation accident victims can receive for damages related to their accident. Non-economic damages are subject to these restrictions, but economic damages are not. For instance, there is no limit on recovering medical expenses following a car accident, but when it comes to the less-defined non-economic damages such as pain and suffering resulting from the accident, Ohio imposes a restriction. The state sets a maximum limit of $250,000, which if the economic damages are sufficient can increase to three times the economic damages up to $350,000 per person or $500,000 per accident.

A contingency fee is essentially an attorney fee. When a law firm works on a contingency basis, this means they only receive compensation if they are able to receive a fair settlement on behalf of an injured person. Typically, this is a percentage of the settlement or court award won. The contingency fee basis can be further explained during your free consultation with an attorney at Joseph Law Group.

There are generally two types of damages which can be sought as a result of a claim.  Economic damages consist of medical bills, lost wages, and other damages that have a specific value.  Most other things will fall under non-economic damages.  These can include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of use, loss of enjoyment of life, to name a few.  In short, if a specific value cannot be assigned, that is likely considered to be non-economic damages.

Contact a Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyer at Joseph Law Group Today

If you believe that your injuries and financial losses were caused by negligence, the attorneys at Joseph Law Group can help. We will represent you and your best interests and work to recover the compensation you deserve from the negligent party. We never recover a fee unless we are successful in helping you recover compensation. To learn more about your legal options, call (216) 522-1600 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We represent personal injury clients throughout Ohio and will travel to meet with you at a convenient location.

INTEGRITY

We believe integrity is our most valuable asset at Joseph Law Group. By upholding the highest ethical standards, we have earned our longstanding reputation for excellence.

HONESTY

Our attorneys are very real with our clients. If your situation does not require a lawyer, we will tell you. However, if you have a legal claim that we believe we can win, we will set realistic expectations at the beginning of each case. While it is our goal to obtain the maximum amount of compensation each of our clients is entitled under the law, we are careful not to over-promise results. We also do not take a fee unless we recover compensation for you, thereby eliminating any financial risk to you in hiring us.

EXPERIENCE

With decades of combined experience and a solid working knowledge focused exclusively on personal injury law,we are uniquely equipped to serve victims who have been hurt in a variety of circumstances. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators, familiar with the ever-changing laws associated with presenting personal injury claims to insurance adjusters, and have the necessary tools and resources to present your case to a jury if necessary.

COMPASSION

We understand the physical, emotional, and financial impact that an injury has on a person and their family. Our aim is to provide caring and compassionate service to help you regain control over your life so that you can build a better future.

TENACITY

Our attorneys are skilled in the art of evidence, procedure, and litigation. We command respect in the courtroom and advocate aggressively to ensure the best legal outcomes possible. If you hire our law firm to represent you, our attorneys are not afraid to litigate your case and fight the insurance companies vigorously to get you the best outcome possible.

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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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