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In Ohio, thousands of car crashes happen each year. In 2022, the state saw 1,180 fatal collisions, with 110 deaths and 862 serious injuries in Cuyahoga County alone.
After an auto accident, you may face financial uncertainty with mounting medical bills, missed wages at work, and property damage expenses. If another driver caused the collision, you may be able to get compensation from their insurance.
Our Cleveland car accident attorneys at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy can guide you through the claims process. Our team can negotiate a fair settlement from the insurer to help pay for your accident-related losses and rebuild your life.
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Common Injuries and Medical Concerns Post-Accident
Injuries from car accidents can occur in various types of collisions, ranging from rear-end to side-impact crashes, affecting your well-being and quality of life. Typical injuries sustained after a collision include:
- Whiplash: This painful neck injury happens when the neck is suddenly snapped back and forth during a crash. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision. Whiplash can be a long-term condition, causing chronic pain, muscle spasms, limited neck movement, and difficulty sleeping.
- Sprains and Strains: These occur when muscles, ligaments, or tendons overstretch or tear, causing pain, swelling, tenderness, bruising, and limited mobility in the affected area. Medical complications can include persistent pain, joint instability, increased risk of future injuries, and arthritis development.
- Broken Bones: Fractures, ranging from minor cracks to complete breaks, cause severe pain, swelling, bruising, and inability to move the affected limb. These can cause lasting pain, stiffness, limited mobility, nerve damage, and the need for potential surgery or implants.
- Head Injuries: If a crash results in head trauma, it can cause concussions or more serious traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Symptoms can include headache, dizziness, nausea, and balance issues in the short-term, with complications like memory problems, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and personality changes impacting overall quality of life.
- Back Injuries: Spinal injuries can cause pain, stiffness, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the legs or arms, depending on the location and severity. Long-term effects can include chronic pain, limited mobility, nerve damage, difficulty performing daily activities, and potential for ongoing medical care and management.
- Internal Injuries: Bleeding in the abdomen, brain, or other organs can be life-threatening and require immediate medical intervention. Long-term effects depend on the severity and prompt treatment but can include organ damage, ongoing pain, and functional limitations.
Explanation of Ohio’s Car Accident Laws
Ohio’s car accident laws shape how collision claims are handled and resolved. If you’re seeking compensation, it’s important to understand the following legal elements that can impact your case:
- Insurance Requirements: In Ohio, drivers must have minimum liability insurance coverage. This includes $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage to ensure accountability and financial protection in accidents. The at-fault driver’s insurance policy limits can impact the amount you can receive in a claim.
- Comparative Negligence: Ohio follows a modified comparative negligence rule. If your actions contributed to the crash, you must be less than 51% at fault for an accident to receive compensation. If you meet this threshold, you can still win a settlement, but your percentage of fault may reduce it.
- Reporting Requirements: Ohio law mandates reporting any car accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage exceeding $500 to the authorities within six months. Reporting is required and provides official documentation of the incident for insurance and potential legal action.
- Statute of Limitations: Ohio sets a deadline of two years from the accident date to file a personal injury claim in court. Insurance claim deadlines can vary depending on the carrier but are typically much shorter, around 30 days to initiate a claim.
Why Should You Contact a Car Accident Lawyer?
Accidents can be both physically and financially devastating for car accident victims. Seeking guidance from an experienced Ohio car accident lawyer can help you understand the compensation you deserve for the damages you’ve suffered. If you’ve been injured through no fault of your own, you deserve compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
Without the help of an attorney, you could be taken advantage of by the insurance company. Remember, they’re in business to make money, not pay you a fair settlement.
Get an advocate on your side who has your best interests in mind. Consult Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy to discuss your legal options for compensation.
What to Do After an Accident
Were you recently hurt in a crash? Follow these four steps to protect your rights:
Even if you don’t think you’re seriously hurt, you should first seek medical attention after an accident. Some injuries take time to show up, and having a record of your condition from the day of your accident can be valuable evidence to support your case.
It’s important to call your insurance company as soon as possible after your accident to report the collision. However, be careful of what you tell your insurance company, and never sign anything without talking to an Ohio auto accident lawyer first. The insurance company may not always have your best interests at heart.
Depending on the severity of your accident, you may or may not have had the opportunity to collect contact information from witnesses and other parties involved in your accident. If you didn’t, it’s not too late. You can get a copy of the crash report through the Ohio Department of Public Safety or by contacting the agency investigating the crash.
Dealing with the aftermath of an auto accident on your own is more complicated and difficult than you think. Without the help of an experienced car accident attorney, you may be giving up your rights to the full compensation you’re owed.
Our Cleveland car accident lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy can protect your interests during claims negotiations, ensuring your settlement reflects the true extent of your losses.
How We Investigate Car Accident Cases
Investigating the cause of an auto accident takes meticulous evaluation. When you call us after the crash, our accident investigation team will visit the accident scene immediately to preserve critical evidence.
This can include:
- Taking photographs or videos of evidence that could help your case, such as skid marks, debris, and weather conditions.
- Documenting facts about the accident scene, such as traffic signal cycles, lane configurations, and visual obstructions at the intersection, such as trees or shrubbery.
For a thorough investigation, our team can also use the following techniques depending on the negligence factors involved:
- Alcohol and Drugs: After the crash, we’ll consult professional toxicologists who can determine if intoxication due to alcohol or drugs was responsible for your crash. We can also seek witness statements from those who may have seen the driver’s behavior or receipts from local establishments that show they were drinking before the collision.
- Speeding: If you were the victim of a speeding-related crash, our investigation team will work to prove how speed was a factor in your accident. This may involve analyzing traffic camera footage and consulting accident reconstruction experts.
- Distracted Driving: As your car accident lawyer, we hold distracted drivers accountable by proving they weren’t focused on the road before the accident. This can include reviewing cell phone records, dashboard camera recordings, and eyewitness accounts.
- Defective Products: Not all crashes are caused by negligent drivers. Sometimes, they’re caused by negligent auto manufacturers or defective products. We can look for evidence such as recall notices and engineering expert analysis to prove liability and hold them accountable.
How Our Cleveland Car Accident Lawyers Help Clients
Choosing a qualified car accident attorney is essential for winning fair compensation for your injuries. Our lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy have a winning track record for getting our clients the recovery award they deserve. Here are a few notable cases:
- Truck Accident Jury Verdict: Our firm won a $34.6 million verdict for a victim of a traumatic brain injury resulting from a truck underride accident. This verdict, one of the largest in the county’s history, compensated for economic and non-economic damages due to the victim’s injuries.
- Rear-End Settlement: We helped a client receive a $9.75 million settlement for a severe spinal cord injury from a rear-end accident in Kansas City, Missouri. Our team used expert testimonies, including healthcare providers and an economist, to win compensation covering the extensive future care costs and the client’s reduced life expectancy.
TBI Damage Settlement: Our firm secured a $6.3 million settlement for a client’s family in a severe auto accident. Through strategic litigation, we obtained a pre-trial settlement covering the brain damage and physical impairments suffered by the plaintiff. It also compensated the family for her husband’s decision to leave his job to care for their children.
Car Accident FAQs
The first thing you should do after an auto accident is seek medical attention. Even if you don’t think your injuries are severe, sometimes it takes time for injuries to present themselves. Without a doctor’s opinion from the beginning of your case, it may be hard to prove your injuries are accident-related.
You should call your insurance company to report the crash, but be careful not to divulge too much information. Your Ohio car accident lawyer can advise you on who to talk to, who not to talk to, and even what to say.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in Cleveland, you may need to seek the help of a lawyer if:
1) Your car accident resulted in severe injuries.
2) You had (or are still having) substantial medical treatment (treatment that extends beyond more than a few visits to a doctor).
3) You have suffered permanent injury that resulted in scarring, the need for surgery, or a permanent disability.
Experienced car accident attorneys know the law and the process of filing an injury claim. They’ll handle investigations, demand letters, paperwork, depositions, settlement negotiations, and other steps required in a car accident claim.
We can’t determine if your case will go to trial until the at-fault party makes an offer. If you and your lawyer believe the offer is satisfactory, we can settle your case out of court. If you and your lawyer believe the offer is unfair, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Get Experienced Legal Representation with Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy
When you’re hurt in a crash and you need money to move forward with your life, call the Cleveland car accident lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy. For more than 90 years, our firm has helped injured car accident victims across Ohio.
We have the experience to get you the compensation you’re entitled to, and we spare no expense to help you get the best possible outcome for your case. Contact us now to get started with a free consultation. Our team of car accident attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and administrators is here to handle your case.
Resources for Car Accident Victims in Ohio
Want to learn more after your crash? These resources can provide valuable information to you during this difficult time.
- State of Ohio
Visit Ohio.gov to find resources on education, employment, tourism, recreation, and more.
- Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)
Get answers to your vehicle-related inquiries, such as requesting a Crash Report and obtaining a driver’s license or vehicle registration.
- Ohio Department of Public Safety
Find out how the state of Ohio is protecting public safety at the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
- Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
Keeping travelers safe on Ohio’s roadways is the objective of the ODOT. - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Learn more about national laws and regulations at the NHTSA.
- U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
Find out more about how the DOT is ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system.