If you’ve been injured as a result of the negligence of another person, then there is a possibility that your injury qualifies for a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims provide the possibility of recovering some of the medical expenses and other costs caused by someone else’s reckless negligence. Columbus, Ohio based personal injury lawyers handle many different types of personal injury cases, including the following:
A personal injury lawsuit is the result of a tort, or civil wrong. The aim of tort law is to provide relief for damages incurred and deter others from committing the same harm. Millions of people are injured in accidents each year in their cars, at work, or outdoors. In many instances, someone else is at fault and the victims have a right to seek compensation. Although personal injury law is complicated, the process of making a claim can be straightforward with an experienced Columbus personal injury attorney by your side.
Personal injury law is based on the concept that you have the right to hold people or organizations accountable for harming you. This is one of the most basic concepts of justice and a principle that has upheld human society since before anyone wrote down a law.
Under modern statutes and court procedures, individuals who suffer personal injuries can file insurance claims or civil lawsuits to receive compensation and other kinds of monetary damages. Some forms of personal injuries also entitle victims to demand restitution and reimbursement.
Here, the Columbus, Ohio-based personal injury lawyers with the Jones Law Group answer five of the questions we hear most often about this area of law. We welcome additional questions and offer no-cost case consultations to potential clients. Feel free to call us at (614) 545-9998 or to request an appointment online by completing this contact form.
The legal term for an injury that gives a person the right to seek compensation and damages is “tort.” Many types of torts exist, but a useful general definition is that a tort is a loss of health, life, function, money, property, or reputation caused by another’s negligence, recklessness, or fraudulent activity.
People and organizations are considered negligent when they fail to meet their duties to protect people from harm. Such duties often exist by law or contract, so violating an applicable law or contract provision constitutes negligence.
For instance, a driver who commits a traffic violation and causes a crash is negligent. Dog owners who do not keep their pets properly fenced, leashed, or vaccinated against rabies are negligent. And a store that fails to mop up a spill or fails to secure heavy boxes on high shelves is negligent.
When a person or organization behaves in such a way that injuries or death seem inevitable, that is recklessness.
In some instances, reckless behavior has a legal definition. Even then, though, some degree of judgment is usually applied. A good example of this is Ohio’s reckless driving statute, which cites “wanton and willful disregard” of safety but gives no specifics. Actions that often get treated as reckless operation of a motor vehicle are exceeding a speed limit by 25 mph, crossing into the path of oncoming traffic, and passing on a highway shoulder.
As noted, victims of a personal injury can demand compensation, other damages, and, when appropriate, restitution and reimbursement.
Compensation and damages come in two forms: economic and non economic. Economic compensation damages include payment of medical bills, replacement of wages lost while out of work and recovering, covering the cost of rehab, and setting up a fund for long-term care. Non economic damages cover physical pain and emotional suffering, permanent disability, and loss of companionship.
In cases of fraud, victims can ask for the return of their money with interest and, sometimes, product repairs or replacement. When an act of fraud leads to a physical or emotional injury, the victim can take legal action on both grounds.
Some personal injury cases also give victims the legal right to seek punitive, or exemplary, damages. Drunk and drugged drivers often face claims for punitive damages, and so do people or companies that commit fraud. Both of those are crimes, but punitive damages would be awarded separately from any criminal fines and fees.
Consulting with a knowledgeable Columbus, Ohio, personal injury lawyer will help victims understand the grounds on which they can file insurance claims or pursue lawsuits. The attorney will also clarify what kinds of compensation and damages are warranted, and then estimate the size of a fair and adequate settlement offer.
Personal injury victims can rely on a lawyer to collect, organize, and present evidence on their behalf, deal with insurance company representatives and represent them in court. Most of all, hiring a Columbus personal injury attorney will give a victim a legal ally who has only his or her best interest at heart. Enlisting the advice and services of such a person will help the victim navigate what can be a long, confusing, and frustrating process in which it seems like every other party is working against the victim.
Jones Law Group in Columbus, Ohio serves personal injury victims in the most efficient and professional manner possible. Our skilled personal injury attorneys are dedicated to helping injured clients recover physically, emotionally, and financially from their injuries. Call (614) 545-9998 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation and determine whether you have a justifiable claim.
After an accident or injury occurs, write down the details of what happened because your notes will be more accurate than relying on your memory.
Protect evidence from a personal injury accident and try to find witnesses who can help prove your claim.
Get copies of your medical records because they may become a key element in your personal injury case. For example, the extent of your injuries may be in dispute, or you may need to prove that your injury wasn’t caused by a previous medical condition.
If you want to file a personal injury claim, you must let potentially responsible parties know that an accident occurred at a certain time and place, you were injured, and you intend to file a claim.
JLG Attorney Rob Flaugher to Speak at Litigation Seminar on 7/31/15
Jones Law Group Attorney Rob Flaugher will be a featured speaker at the National Business Institute litigation CLE seminar “Dirty Litigation Tactics: How to Deal with the “Rambo” Litigator” at the Hilton Garden Inn Columbus Airport on July 31, 2015. For more information go to: http://www.nbi-sems.com/Details.aspx/R-69518ER%7C?ctname=SPKEM
READ MORE →A special thank you to Jones Law Group attorneys Kevin Larrimer and Nick Kolitsos for helping me with my STRS disability claim. They are both very competent and well versed in Ohio STRS disability law and were able to succeed in my claim where I was unable on my own. I want to believe that […]
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