Car accidents are devastating. Besides the emotional trauma of the accident, survivors are likely to endure great financial and physical losses. When someone else causes your accident, you may be eligible for financial compensation.
Before you start the claims process, learn more about the car accident laws in Ohio and how they could influence your injury settlement. Continue reading to learn more about the time limits for filing a car accident claim in court and what happens if you are partially responsible for the accident.
The statute of limitations refers to the time an injury victim has to file their claim within the Ohio civil courts. For car accident survivors, this is two years from your accident.
You must file your claim before the statute of limitations expires. If you cannot file before the deadline, your claim could be dismissed. Your lawyer will work diligently to ensure all deadlines are met.
Many injury victims refrain from moving forward with a personal injury lawsuit because they think sharing fault makes them ineligible for compensation.
Although sharing fault impacts your case, Ohio follows modified comparative negligence law, which means you can still be awarded compensation for your suffering. However, this is true only if you are less than 50 percent liable for causing the accident, and your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, John was driving to work without a seatbelt when a distracted driver hit him. John suffered a traumatic brain injury and filed a claim against the distracted driver. Because John failed to wear a seatbelt, the judge determined he was 10 percent liable. The jury awarded $250,000, but John took home $225,000 after the 10 percent deduction.
Your lawyer can give you a better idea of what to expect from your claim if you are partially at fault.
When you’ve been seriously injured in an accident and need a qualified Columbus car accident attorney to help you navigate Ohio car accident laws, contact Rafidi, Pallante & Melewski LLC. Contact us by calling 1-866-494-5387 or through the quick contact form on our website.
