What can you do when you’re injured in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence? You shouldn’t have to pay expensive medical bills or deal with lost income from missed time at work.
The driver whose negligence caused your injuries should pay for them. You can hold that driver accountable by filing a personal injury claim with the help of a skilled car accident lawyer.
Oliver Law Office serves Mansfield and other towns in the Columbus, Ohio, area. We represent car accident victims seeking compensation for their injuries, and we pride ourselves on our tough but compassionate approach to personal injury cases.
We offer a free consultation so you can get a lawyer’s opinion on your case. Call Oliver Law Office today at (614) 220-9100 to pursue the compensation you deserve.
Mansfield, Ohio, is no stranger to car accidents. I-71, just east of Mansfield, is where many of these accidents occur, but accidents also happen on Ohio 13 and on streets located all over the city. In June 2024, the Richland Source reported two people seriously injured and one killed in an accident on Ohio 13.
What causes these accidents? All too often, the answer is negligence, defined by the Ohio Department of Insurance as the failure to exercise due care, resulting in injuries to another person. When a driver is negligent, their failure to take appropriate care can become a life-changing disaster for another person. This is true whether their negligence was a decision to drive drunk, to drive when they didn’t have enough sleep, or simply to drive too fast.
What should you do if you are injured in a car accident in Mansfield?
If you’re in a car accident, you may be unable to do anything immediately. If you’re unconscious or badly hurt, you may have no choice but to wait for emergency responders to come to your aid before you try to do anything.
However, if you can move, you should first get off the road and call 911. Once help arrives, tell the responding police officer what happened and seek immediate medical attention. Take photos of your injuries, the damage to your vehicle, and the accident scene. Speak with eyewitnesses if you get the chance and get their phone numbers so your lawyer can call them later.
After you get the medical care you need, the next step is to contact a car accident attorney so you can file a personal injury claim. If your injuries are severe, a personal injury settlement or award may be your only way to afford the treatment you’ll need. Even if your injuries are not catastrophic, you still shouldn’t have to pay for them on your own when the accident was the other driver’s fault.
The expenses from a car accident are often much more significant than they appear at first. There are not only medical bills to deal with but lost income as well.
 Over time, those medical bills and bills for rehabilitation treatment can start to add up, as can the lost income caused by taking time off work or not feeling up to going for a promotion.Â
A personal injury claim can help you recover your losses and get back on track.
Car accidents can happen for many reasons, but negligence is often a factor. Some of the types of car accidents we have dealt with include:
Distracted driving accidents, where a driver is texting or otherwise not paying attention to the road
Drowsy driving accidents, where someone chooses to drive even though they know they haven’t had enough sleep to be safe on the road
Drunk driving accidents, where a driver gets behind the wheel despite being under the influence of alcohol
Head-on collisions, usually caused by a driver going the wrong way
Rear-end collisions, when a driver fails to stop in time and slams into another driver from behind
T-bone or side-impact collisions, often caused by a driver running a red light or ignoring the right of way
Speeding accidents, when a driver loses control while exceeding the speed limit
Hit and run accidents, where a driver tries to dodge accountability by fleeing the scene after hurting someone
Rollover accidents, when the impact is so severe that the vehicle is knocked on its side or even thrown end over end, often resulting in catastrophic injury
Whatever the cause of the accident, if the negligence of the other driver caused your injuries, then you probably have a solid personal injury claim.
Typical car accident injuries include:
Whiplash, caused by the violent jerking of the head on impact
Fractured or dislocated vertebrae
Other back or neck injuries
Broken bones
Concussion or other traumatic brain injuries
Soft tissue injuries
Burns
Internal injuries
Psychological injuries such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Some of these injuries may heal relatively quickly, although they may still require expensive treatment. Others may not heal for months or years, and some injuries will never completely heal. Catastrophic injuries may need lifelong nursing care and may require modifications to your home.
If you’re injured in a car accident in Ohio, you can file a personal injury claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If the insurance company doesn’t offer you a fair settlement that covers all your losses, you can file a lawsuit for damages. Under Ohio law, these include:
Lost wages and lost earning potential
Current and future medical expenses
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
If the insurer or the court determines that you were partly responsible for the accident under Ohio’s comparative negligence system, your damages will be proportionally reduced. For example, if you were 15% responsible, then the court would reduce your damages by 15%. The insurance company will obviously want to pay you as little as possible, so their attorneys are likely to claim that you were at least partly at fault. However, a skilled car accident attorney can build a strong case to hold the other driver fully liable.
Don’t wait to contact an Ohio personal injury lawyer. The statute of limitations in Ohio allows just two years from the date of the accident for an injured party to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. After that, you will no longer be able to recover damages in court.
Oliver Law Office is an experienced car accident law firm serving Mansfield and other nearby communities. Attorney Jami S. Oliver was named Columbus, Ohio’s Lawyer of the Year for 2024. She has a well-earned reputation for being compassionate to her clients but tough when dealing with insurance companies.
We’re located just 62 minutes from Mansfield, but if it’s easier for you, we’re happy to come to your home so you don’t have to drive out to meet with us. If you prefer, we can even meet you by video call instead. If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Mansfield, Ohio, contact Oliver Law Office today at (614) 220-9100.
From the North:Â
Take I-71 S towards Columbus
Take exit 108A for Main St
Turn right onto E Main St
Turn right onto S 4th St
Turn left onto E Town St
Destination will be on the left
From the South:
Take US-23 N towards Columbus
Turn right onto E Main St
Turn left onto S 4th St
Turn left onto E Town St
Destination will be on the left
From the East:
Take I-70 W towards Columbus
Take exit 102 to Cole St
Turn right onto Kelton Ave
Turn left onto Main St
Turn right onto 4th St
Turn left onto Town StÂ
Destination will be on the right
From the West:
Take I-70 E towards Columbus
Take exit 100 B to W Livingston Ave
Turn left onto S. 4th Street
Turn left onto E Town St
Destination will be on the left
