Skip to content
   
Tap To Call

Ohio Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury lawyer paperwork, stethoscope, and glasses - Ohio personal injury lawyer

A personal injury can become a complicated, time-consuming, and stressful process. Recovering from serious injuries can require extensive and expensive medical treatment. Your injuries may keep you out of work. You may be unable to pay for your medical bills and your family’s other living expenses. It can be overwhelming, but you’re not alone. An Ohio personal injury lawyer can help.

When your personal injuries are caused by somebody else’s negligence, recklessness, or legally wrongful actions, you may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault party. That compensation would pay for your personal injuries, pain, suffering, and lost quality of life.

A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can help you seek maximum compensation in your case. At Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, our Ohio personal injury attorneys work tirelessly to help our clients. We aim to secure the financial recovery personal injury victims need and the justice they deserve. We believe in holding negligent parties responsible when they injure innocent people.

If you or a family member has suffered a personal injury caused by someone else’s negligent, reckless, or wrongful acts, contact Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, today. You will speak with an Ohio personal injury attorney about your legal rights and options, and you will learn how we can help you pursue financial recovery for your injuries and damages.

Types of Cases Our Ohio Personal Injury Lawyers Handle

At Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, our experienced personal injury lawyers help clients in a wide variety of cases:

  • Car accidents – We can help you recover compensation from the insurance company for a negligent driver who hit you or your vehicle.
  • Truck accidents – Our firm has the experience and resources to thoroughly investigate and review the complex evidence of personal injury claims.
  • Motorcycle accidents – Our attorneys help injured motorcyclists get the compensation they deserve even when negligent drivers try to blame the rider for the accident.
  • Slip and fall accidents – We can help you hold property or business owners liable for the personal injuries you suffer in a fall due to a dangerous or defective condition on the property you visit.
  • Dog bites – Our Ohio personal injury attorneys help you or a loved one get compensation for injuries caused by another person’s dog or pet.
  • Nursing home abuse and neglect – We strive to obtain financial recovery and justice when your loved one is abused or neglected at a nursing home facility.
  • Wrongful death – If you and your family have lost a loved one due to someone else’s acts or omissions, we can help you get the compensation and justice you need for closure.
  • Pedestrian accident – We can help to protect your legal rights and put you in a better position to pursue a compensation claim due to your pedestrian accident injuries.

What Do You Have to Prove in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

In most personal injury cases, the injured plaintiff claims a serious injury due to the negligent actions of another party.

To prove negligence in a personal injury case, these four elements must be established by personal injury lawyers:

  • Duty – An injured person (the “plaintiff”) must prove that the wrongdoer (the “defendant”) owed the plaintiff a duty to act in a certain way or refrain from some conduct.
  • Breach – The plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s actions or omissions breached the responsibility to the plaintiff.
  • Causation – A plaintiff must show that the defendant’s breach injured the plaintiff. In other words, the plaintiff must show the injuries due to the defendant’s
  • actions or omissions. The plaintiff must also show there was not another intervening cause more responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries.
  • Damages – Finally, the plaintiff must establish that they suffered compensable damages, such as medical expenses, lost income, or pain and suffering.

What Damages Can I Recover in an Ohio Personal Injury Claim?

If someone else’s actions or omissions have injured you or a loved one, you may be entitled to seek compensation for the damages you’ve incurred due to your injuries. Contact our Ohio personal injury attorneys for a free consultation.

The compensation from an Ohio personal injury settlement can cover:

  • Past, ongoing, and future medical treatment, including hospital bills, surgeries, and other medical procedures, prescription medication costs, mobility, and other medical equipment, and personal care assistance.
  • Lost wages and earning potential, if your injuries kept you out of work or disabled you from returning to your old job or taking another job.
  • Pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment or quality of life.
  • Loss of consortium, which compensates your spouse for the loss of your companionship and society.

In addition, if you also suffered property damage, you may be entitled to compensation for the cash value of your damaged property or the cost to repair it.

If the party or parties that injured you are found to have acted in an egregious manner that “shocks the conscience,” you may be entitled to punitive damages. Punitive damages are not intended to compensate you for any loss. Instead, those damages punish the at-fault party for the wrongful conduct and deter others from similar conduct in the future.

How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help with Your Case

Man and woman shaking hands with a lawyer

When you choose a personal injury lawyer at Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, to represent you in your injury case, our Ohio personal injury attorneys will help you recover maximum compensation on your claim by:

  • Thoroughly investigating the circumstances of your personal injury accident. We will recover the evidence that shows how your accident and injuries occurred and how the other party was responsible for your injuries and damages.
  • Use our engineering, medicine, and finance experts to build a strong, persuasive legal argument for your personal injury case. This will establish the other party’s legal liability and prove the extent of the damages for which you are seeking compensation.
  • Aggressively negotiating with insurance companies and defense lawyers. We will resolve your personal injury case as efficiently as possible while pursuing a fair and full settlement.
  • Preparing to take your case to trial. If we cannot settle on your behalf, we will take your personal injury case to court and fight to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.

What Is the Statute of Limitations of a Personal Injury Case in Ohio

Under Ohio law, you have a limited period, known as the statute of limitations, to file a personal injury lawsuit. Ohio’s statute of limitations requires you to file suit within two years of the date your claim accrues.

Personal injury claims typically accrue on the date the personal injury occurs. However, suppose a defective medical device, dangerous drugs, or hazardous chemicals harmed you. In that case, the claim accrues on the date of your diagnosis or the date you reasonably should have discovered the personal injury or illness.

Please file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires to allow the court to dismiss your lawsuit permanently. That means you lose your right to seek compensation from those responsible for your injuries.

How to Protect Your Legal Rights After a Car Accident in Ohio

After you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by someone else, these steps are crucial if you decide to pursue a legal claim for compensation against those responsible for your personal injury accident:

  1. Report your accident. You should report your accident and injuries. If you were hurt in a car accident, report the accident to local law enforcement or state police. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, report it to the property or business owner. Noting your accident creates a written record and helps establish that the accident occurred.
  2. Document the accident scene. Take photographs or videos of the accident scene. Include details of whatever may have caused your personal injury accident. Capture the lighting and (if applicable) weather conditions and other information relevant to your accident. If you suffered visible injuries, photograph those as well. Photographs or videos of the accident scene can help establish how the accident occurred and who may have been at fault.
  3. Seek medical attention. Even if you don’t feel as though you were injured in your accident, follow up with your primary physician or your local hospital. The shock of an accident may mask pain and other personal injury symptoms, which may not appear for hours, days, or even weeks after your accident. A medical professional can examine you and diagnose your injuries. Follow all the treatment instructions and recommendations. If you do not, the at-fault party may argue that you were not as injured as you claim.
  4. Talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer. Finally, speak with a personal injury lawyer about your case. The attorney will help you understand your legal rights and options. You can also discuss pursuing compensation for your personal injury accident.

Common Types of Catastrophic Injuries After an Accident

At Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, our Ohio personal injury lawyers often see these serious injuries in clients who were hurt by another person’s careless or reckless conduct:

  • Broken bones
  • Burns
  • Organ damage and internal bleeding
  • Head trauma
  • Eye injury

Catastrophic injuries frequently require extensive or long-term treatment. All too often those injuries leave accident victims with permanent disabilities and other physical or mental difficulties.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio Personal Injury Cases

Personal Injury

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim?

Generally in Ohio, you have two years to file a lawsuit after an automobile accident. Now, there are plenty of exceptions to that rule. If you have a minor involved or if there’s an intentional action, there’s a variety of things. So not every case is to yours. So please contact us and we’ll talk through it and let you know what it is.

How Soon After an Accident Should I Contact an Attorney?

You should consult an Ohio personal injury attorney immediately after sustaining injuries in a car accident. If you wait too long, crucial evidence could go missing, witnesses’ memory of the events may diminish, and strict deadlines could pass. You could jeopardize your chance of recovering compensation if you don’t seek the necessary legal representation and guidance needed to pursue a case against the at-fault driver.

Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law helps accident victims in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and surrounding areas in Ohio. Contact us for your free consultation and to learn more about your legal rights and options.

What Happens if I Can’t Pay My Medical Bills?

A personal injury lawyer in Ohio can explain your options if you are having trouble paying your medical bills. For example, your lawyer may be able to prepare a letter of protection to your doctors. This is a written document between your attorney and medical providers promising payment of your treatment once there’s a settlement from the insurance carrier or favorable jury verdict.

Health Insurance vs. Auto Insurance in Ohio: Who Pays First?

If another driver is at fault for the accident, their auto insurance company should compensate you for your incurred costs. However, that does not happen until you reach a settlement agreement. Most medical providers require payment for their services upfront.

You could avoid these bills going to collections by having your health insurance carrier pay first. Your health insurer may be reimbursed for their coverage following your settlement. Your auto insurance company could also pay for medical treatment and other expenses if you have MedPay or UM coverage.

How Can an Attorney Help Me After a Car Accident?

An Ohio personal injury attorney can review the circumstances of the accident to determine who is at fault and the potential value of your claim. A PI attorney will also investigate the crash, gather evidence, file a claim, and pursue a fair settlement on your behalf. They can also file a lawsuit and take your case to court if necessary.

Do I Need Underinsured Motorist Insurance?

Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is a type of auto insurance that accident victims can turn to if the at-fault driver does not have sufficient liability insurance to cover their damages. State law does not require drivers to purchase this type of coverage. However, it could protect you if you are severely injured in the accident and the other driver only has minimum liability coverage. If you file a UIM claim, you make the claim with your own insurance provider.

Will the Insurance Company Pay My Medical Bills?

If you weren’t at fault for the traffic accident you were involved in, the negligent motorist’s auto insurance carrier should cover your medical bills, but they will only do so if you make a claim with them and they approve the claim.

Liability coverage is required by state law and covers a range of losses suffered by motor vehicle accident victims. It covers present and future medical expenses, such as hospitalization, physical therapy, prescription medications, and surgery that are necessary because of the crash.

However, neither the at-fault party nor their insurance provider is required to directly pay your medical bills as you incur them. Instead, you file a claim with the insurance and a portion of any settlement you receive goes to cover your medical expenses. A car accident lawyer in Ohio can file the insurance claim and negotiate for the maximum available settlement on your behalf.

Is PIP Required?

Motor vehicle owners and operators in Ohio are not required to obtain PIP insurance.  However, if you are involved in an accident in another state where PIP insurance applies, you may be eligible for this coverage.  Nearby states Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New York have PIP coverage. If you are an Ohio resident involved in an accident out of state, PIP coverage may apply under your policy. Please contact us to provide an analysis of your situation.

What Is Personal Injury Protection?

Personal injury protection (PIP) is a type of auto insurance that pays for expenses stemming from a car accident, regardless of who is at fault. It covers the accident victim’s reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to the limit listed on the policy, as well as lost income and substitute services if you are unable to perform everyday tasks at home.

How Much is my Personal Injury Claim Worth?

The value of your claim is based on two things, the nature of your injuries and the extent of your treatment. If you’re injured and you don’t get the appropriate treatment for your injuries, you’re not going to get the appropriate outcome for your injuries either.

What Should I do After a Car Accident?

Everybody wants to know; “what do I do after an accident”? The first thing you need to do if you’re injured is; go to the emergency room and get treatment. After that, we can worry about other things like who’s responsible for the accident, and what the police report says. Once we get those, we’ll be able to evaluate the claim and contact the necessary parties in order to help you out and get your case started.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

That’s the biggest question we have. And that’s what we’re here for to answer that question. In order to have a case you need three things, you need an accident, you need an injury, and you need insurance coverage. When you contact us, we’ll go through all of those things to make sure all those boxes are checked and to take care of you.

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case if I’m Not Hurt?

A lot of times people will call us soon after the accident, and they’ll tell us they’re not feeling any pain. Well, it’ll take 24 to 48 hours sometimes after an accident to really feel those injuries. So, if you’re injured in the accident, please give us a call. Another time people worried that they’re not injured in the accident if they had a pre-existing condition. You have to remember that, you can get a recovery for aggravation of that pre-existing condition. That’s different than what you had before the accident.

How do we determine how much a case is worth?

Unfortunately, no magic formula exists to determine the value of your injuries. We must consider various factors – for example, the nature of the injuries, the extent of the medical treatment or the available insurance coverage – before we can start discussing the value of a claim.

As an example, we had a client who was in an accident and broke her arm. She required a cast, but after the cast was put on, she disappeared and did not communicate with our office. When she finally resurfaced, we found out she had not seen any other doctors to examine her injury. In fact, she took the cast off with a hacksaw. Unfortunately, that case did not resolve for the amount it could have because the client didn’t get the proper medical treatment or stay in touch with us.

That is why we always follow up with our clients about their medical treatment. We want them to get better. We want to present the best case we can and obtain the best result.

What Should I Do When an Insurance Adjuster Calls After a Car Accident?

When an adjuster calls, the most important thing to do is listen, get their name, get their telephone number, get the claim number and the policy number. Remember, the insurance adjuster works for the insurance company. They’re in business for the insurance company. They’re not in business to help you get the information you need from them, then relay that when you speak to your personal injury attorney.

What Are Damages?

There are two main types of damages in automobile accidents. There’s property damage, that’s the damage that’s done to the vehicle. And then there’s bodily injury damage. That’s the damage that’s done to you. What that means is you’re entitled to recover for your injuries, as well as your pain and suffering. Those are called economic and non-economic damages, which we can get into deeper, but that’s how they break down. You’re entitled to your medical bills, as well as your pain and suffering.

You also may be entitled to things like lost wages for when you couldn’t go to work, or if you had to hire someone at your house to do jobs that you normally had to do like mow the lawn or get the leaves out of the gutters. There’s a lot of things that you’re entitled to recover for that the insurance company is never going to tell you about.

Do Pre-Existing Conditions Limit My Recovery?

I get asked; “If I had a pre-existing condition to my back and I’m in an accident and I hurt my back. Does that eliminate any chance of recovery?” The answer is no. The best way to explain it as this is if you were a 5 out of 10 in pain before the accident, and after the accident, you’re an 8 out of 10. The other party is responsible for the 5-8, so you are entitled to recover. It’s our job to figure out what your injuries were at before and to find out what level you are now after the accident.

If I am Partially At-Fault, Does That Limit How Much I Can Recover?

Well, what if I’m partially responsible for the accident? Does that eliminate my opportunity to recover? The answer is no. As long as you’re not more than 51% responsible for the accident in the state of Ohio, you’re not subject to what they call comparative negligence. If you’re more than 51% negligent, then you get no recovery.

What is a Release?

When you sign a release, that’s it. Adios. So long… Farewell! You’ve given up your rights to pursue the other party for anything they did wrong in the event of an accident. Beware, sometimes insurance companies will send you a check that acts as a release. Don’t sign it, don’t cash it, call us and we’ll talk you through it.

How Long Will it Take to Get Your Personal Injury Settlement Money?

It used to be that you had to come into the office and sign the papers and we had to photocopy them and give you the check, etc. Now with technology, we can do a lot of things over the internet and direct deposit your check right in your account. So you don’t need to come into the office in order to get your money.

How Do I Pay my Medical Bills After an Accident?

This is where we can really help you. There are a lot of tools available to you to pay your medical bills, your health insurance, your automobile insurance, medical payment benefits, letters of protection. No one case has one solution. There’s a lot of different solutions for a lot of different injury cases and we can help you out in getting those medical bills addressed by using the best tools that you have to do it.

Will I Get Paid for Lost Wages After an Injury?

When you’re in an accident you’re entitled to recover for the time you’ve missed from work. However, it’s very important you let us know that at the beginning of the case so we can put the necessary people on notice. A lot of times people own their own business and they don’t do such a good job of keeping records. That’s why it’s important for us to know that at the beginning of the case, so we can create the paper trail in order to get you the necessary compensation for your lost wages.

What Happens if I am Hurt While Driving on the Job?

A lot of times automobile accidents happen while you’re working for your employer. What happens then? Well, you’ve actually got two claims. You’ve got a workers compensation claim, and you got a personal injury claim. Although these claims are not the same, they’re almost like cousins. They sound alike, but they’re not the same. We can help you find the necessary representation for a worker’s compensation claim, if necessary.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Well, no, you don’t need a lawyer if you’re comfortable dealing with multibillion-dollar corporations that are in business to pay you as little as possible. Otherwise, hire a lawyer. When you hire a personal injury lawyer, I work on a contingency fee which means I don’t get paid unless you get paid. So you understand I’ve got some skin in the game. I want you to get as much as possible.

Why Should I Hire the Amourgis Law Firm?

You should hire us because we have the knowledge, experience and resources in order to get the get you the resolution you need. We’ve been practicing law since the 20th century and we’ve grown to understand that we need to provide real solutions for real people. And that’s exactly what we want to do for you.

How does a contingency fee work?

When we work for you on a contingency-fee-basis, we do the work upfront. We get all the information. We front all the expenses to get the medical records. We hire the experts, pay the court fees and cover other costs of your case. If we are successful, we receive a percentage of the total compensation we obtain for you as our fee. If we are not successful in getting compensation for you, we don’t get paid at all.

That’s why we ask our clients so many questions upfront. We want to determine if they have a good case. Remember, it costs nothing to call us and find out.

Talk to an Experienced Ohio Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injury lawyers from Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at LawIf you or a loved one has been injured through no fault of your own in an accident or other incident, schedule a free, no-obligation initial consultation with a personal injury attorney from Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law. Having an experienced personal injury attorney on your side can maximize your chances of securing the most favorable outcome possible in your case.

We have Ohio offices conveniently located in Akron, Cincinnati, Independence (Cleveland), Columbus, Beavercreek, and Canfield (Youngstown). We are ready to discuss the details of your accident and injuries. We can help you understand your legal rights and options. We can help you pursue compensation for your personal injury.

Associations & Awards
  • bbb accredited business logo
  • Expertise award best truck accident lawyers in akron
  • lawyers.com logo
  • ohio state bar association logo
  • super lawyers logo
Six Locations To Meet You
Akron
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Beavercreek
Youngstown