Dealing with a serious injury is never a positive experience. However, if that injury was caused by someone else being careless, it adds another layer of hurt. Being left to handle the financial, physical, and mental toll when this happens is an insult.
That’s where personal injury lawyers come in. If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s actions, a personal injury attorney may be able to pursue the at-fault person or organization for monetary compensation.
Of course, this doesn’t erase your injury. However, when you hire a personal injury attorney in Columbus, OH, residents like you can begin to get your lives back. Here’s what you need to know about personal injury cases in Columbus.
In Columbus, personal injury lawsuits are handled by the Civil Department of the Municipal Court Clerk’s Office of Franklin County. However, before filing a claim on your behalf, your Columbus personal injury lawyer must be able to prove the following:
This means that the other party had a duty to act in a way that would prevent injury to you. These are some common examples:
Determining duty of care can be challenging, but remember that you don’t have to prove it yourself. At your consultation, an attorney can review your case and tell you whether the other party had a duty of care to you.
This means the other party didn’t act according to that duty of care. For instance, if a driver is intoxicated and speeding down I-70, they are not exercising due care to others on the road.
Your lawyer must prove that the other person’s actions resulted in your injury. For example, suppose a dog has a history of biting people, the owner doesn’t contain it, and it bites you when you visit. In this situation, the owner’s breach of their duty of care directly resulted in your injury.
The next thing to prove is that you suffered some loss because of the injury. These are some examples of losses:
In cases where the other party’s actions were especially negligent or reckless, a judge may award punitive damages. That means the other person is ordered to pay additional compensation because of their conduct.
Personal injury is a comprehensive category of law. Often, people looking for a Columbus work accident lawyer, a lawyer who handles car accident cases, or a dog bite lawyer will all seek a personal injury attorney. These are some of the cases we can help you with.
Car accidents are among the most common personal injury cases in Ohio. While other drivers are often at fault, there can be other at-fault parties, including government organizations that maintain roads and road signs, trucking companies, and road work crews.
You should contact a workers’ comp lawyer if you are hurt at work. Columbus, OH, has a workers’ compensation system designed to compensate you for workplace injuries that were genuine accidents. If your injury was a direct result of your employer’s negligence, you may also be able to file a personal injury claim.
For example, say that you trip and fall on the stairs at work. When this happens, a workers’ compensation claim would likely cover your injuries (and a Columbus workers’ compensation lawyer may be able to help if your claim is denied).
Alternatively, suppose an employer fails to repair a broken step, and you’re hurt because you fall through it. In that case, you may be able to file a personal injury claim with the help of a Columbus work injury lawyer.
Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are free from dangerous defects. If a particular product injures you, the manufacturer might be liable for any damages you suffer.
Dogs may be man’s best friend, but some dogs bite — and it’s up to owners to stop them from biting visitors and the general public. Even “minor” dog bites can lead to serious medical complications, and negligent owners should be held accountable.
We trust nursing homes to take care of vulnerable older populations. However, some nursing homes and individual caretakers neglect their duties, causing substantial medical issues. If a negligent nursing home has harmed your loved one, we can help.
These are often called “slip and fall” cases. If you’re a visitor on public property, a customer at a business, or a guest on private property, the property owner must maintain a safe environment. If you’re injured due to hazardous conditions, a Greater Columbus personal injury lawyer may be able to help you recover compensation.
Sadly, many injured people miss out on the legal representation they deserve because they believe it’s too expensive. However, personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you pay nothing unless you win your case. If you win, your lawyer will be paid a portion of the money you’re awarded.
Your initial consultation with an injury attorney is free of charge. If we take your case, we will discuss the details of the contingency fee agreement with you during your consultation.
In many personal injury cases, neither party is 100% at fault. For example, you could be badly injured in a car accident by a negligent person, but your injuries were made worse because you were speeding. In this situation, you may be considered partially at fault.
Fortunately, Ohio is known as a “comparative negligence” state. This means that as long as the other party was at least 51% at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages — but your percentage of fault will reduce those damages.
Here’s an example. Imagine you were involved in a car accident, and you were determined to be 40% at fault. A court awards you $100,000, which is reduced by 40%. As a result, your total award will be $60,000 instead of $100,000.
When you’ve been injured because someone else was negligent, you need a personal injury lawyer who will fight for you. Oliver Law Office has been advocating for injured people in Ohio since 2000.
We are a women-led firm, and founder Jami Oliver was voted 2024’s Columbus Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability by Best Lawyers. Whether you’re looking for an Ohio workplace injury lawyer or a lawyer who handles other kinds of personal injuries, we can help.
If you’re suffering in the aftermath of a serious injury and don’t know where to turn, call our Columbus office at 614-964-9425. If you prefer, you can get in touch via our online contact form. Let’s see what we can accomplish together.
