Columbus Car Accident Lawyers

If you’re unsure what steps to take after being hurt in a car accident or would like some useful information for later use, there are steps you can follow to ensure your accident gets properly documented, analyzed and ready for claim litigation:

• Provided you’re able to move, remove yourself from the wrecked vehicle and check on other drivers. Although injured persons are rightfully upset that another driver harmed them, make sure to put that aside to help those in need.
• Take as many photos as possible, as quickly as possible.
• Phone law enforcement if they’ve not been called already. Stand next to your vehicle until they arrive. If you reported any injuries to 911 dispatch, they’ll dispatch an ambulance and fire truck.
• Once law enforcement has arrived, request an accident report. When giving this report, be as detailed as possible. Once done, the officer will attend to others and collect information from all witnesses to validate your claim.
• Accept medical attention immediately, even if injuries aren’t apparent. Some concussions, internal bleeding, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may have delayed reactions, so protect your body. If paramedics believe you should be taken to the hospital, the remaining steps will not apply.
• Wait for law enforcement to release you from the scene.
• Once released, get as much information from witnesses as possible, including names and phone numbers. They may be key witnesses later on.
• If the accident involved a semi or commercial vehicle, get its carrier name and/or vehicle or trailer ID number.
• Take more pictures. Try to capture witnesses, the wrecker taking your vehicle – everything.
• Phone your insurer. Report the accident but keep your dialogue to “information only.” Do NOT answer any questions that seem out of place and wait until you have an attorney before signing anything.

Once you are safe, make sure to phone a Columbus car accident attorney who can help you understand your rights and legal options.

The steps that take place next depend on your condition. If you escaped with only minor injuries or bone breakages, you’ll spend time healing while the accident attorney you phoned above will begin gathering evidence and building your case. Should you find yourself cooped up in some Columbus hospital but are stable enough to talk and eat, have a family member phone an attorney.

Car accident attorneys have one job: getting you compensated. Many steps must be taken prior to speaking with your insurer, most of it involving information gathering and a deep dive into your accident.

As you recover, your attorney will communicate any changes to your case by phone or email. If there’s enough evidence to win at trial, your attorney will attempt to negotiate your settlement based on that notion. If the insurer decided to fight back, expect your case to be tried and decided by jurors.

The amount you may be entitled to will be determined by your attorney’s calculation of:

• Noneconomic losses (pain and suffering, emotional turmoil, stress); and
• Economic losses (your inability to work, medical bills from the time of the accident until now, expected future medical bills, future earnings capacity, personal property damages).

Your attorney will take their calculation and submit it to the insurer in the form of a demand letter. If they refuse to offer a fair settlement amount for your claim, you may need to file a lawsuit and take your claim to court.

To qualify for compensation, courts must have evidence of:

• An accident;
• A negligent party with a duty of care;
• An injured party who was without fault and was injured by the negligent party’s conduct
• Evidence of “cause and effect” stemming from the negligent party’s breach; and
• Damages, which can be economic or noneconomic.

If enough evidence exists and the insurer is uninterested in engaging in a lengthy trial, the attorney will approach the insurer’s counsel to settle before trial. Once all parties sign off on that agreement, disbursement of funds will happen shortly after that, barring any unforeseen delays.

Courts require timely filings complete with facts, witnesses and any relevant information in your case. According to Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10, accident claims must be filed within two (2) years from the date the accident occurred. If the victim succumbed to their injuries, wrongful death actions must be filed within two (2) years of death OR when the action was determined to be wrongful.