Statistics suggest that an average driver will be involved in three to four motor vehicle accidents during his or her lifetime behind the wheel. Over a quarter of accidents involve one injury or fatality. In other words, it is likely that most drivers will need the assistance of a car accident attorney at least once in their lives. A seasoned car accident attorney is essential in a number of situations, including when a person wants to create a strong legal defense to argue that he or she was not responsible for an accident. Our Hamilton, OH car accident attorneys will help victims obtain compensation from the party who caused their injuries.
The law firm of Kruger & Hodges has helped countless car accident victims in Hamilton fight for the compensation they deserve. If you have been impacted by a car accident, do not hesitate to contact our experienced Butler County personal injury attorneys to schedule a free consultation.
The Ohio Office of Traffic Safety reports that approximately 75,435 accidents occurred in the state in 2017 that resulted in least one injury. More specifically, in 2017, the following accidents occurred in Ohio:
These statistics all suggest that each year in Ohio, the lives of thousands of people are impacted by a variety of car accidents. Many of the people involved in these accidents are left needing the assistance of skilled legal counsel. The legal counsel at Kruger & Hodges can help obtain the best possible results for anyone who has been in a car accident in Butler County.
There are numerous ways in which people can be seriously injured in car accidents. Some of the most common types of injuries incurred in car crashes include the following:
Every case of injury that is caused due to negligent or reckless driving is capable of being pursued financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. The legal counsel at Kruger & Hodges fully understands how to create a strong legal strategy to obtain the compensation that accident victims deserve.
If you have been involved in a car accident, there are some important steps that you should remember to take:
Soon after a car accident, you will likely receive a call from an insurance adjuster who has been assigned to handle your claim. He or she will typically ask you to make a recorded statement about the accident. This may seem innocent enough, but you should not make any statements to the insurance adjuster. Remember that insurance companies want to settle cases as cheaply as possible. As such, they will use any information you give them against you later in order to diminish the value of your claim. For example, some injuries do not present themselves until days after an accident. If you make a statement within the first hours of an accident and tell the insurance company that you feel fine, but then two days later you find out that you are injured, you may have unwittingly hurt your claim. Be cautious and do not make any statements to the insurance company unless your Butler County car accident lawyer advises you differently.
Many factors will influence how long a car accident case takes to resolve. Generally, these cases take quite a long time to be handled properly. On the low end, a case could take about six months. On the high end, a car accident case can last years. The best way to maximize compensation is to properly treat and document any injuries sustained in the car accident. A personal injury case is typically not settled until medical treatment is finished, which can take many months. Once treatment is complete, then the number of necessary damages can be properly valued. If you rush to settle your case before you have completed treatment for your injuries, you may be leaving significant money on the table.
The responsibility for an accident does not always lie entirely with one party. In situations in which the responsibility for an accident is shared by the at-fault party and the victim, it might still be possible to obtain damages for losses sustained. In these situations, the rule of comparative fault applies in Ohio. Comparative fault allows a party to recover damages from another party but states that the compensation awarded must be reduced in proportion to the degree of a person’s fault. For example, if a person was 10% responsible for an accident, the amount of damages that person can recover is reduced by 10%.
In most cases, Ohio law allows injured passengers to pursue lawsuits against drivers who played a role in their accident. This is because Ohio drivers owe a duty of care to passengers as well as to anyone else traveling on the roads in Hamilton or any other part of Ohio. If you are a passenger who was harmed by a driver’s negligence, you will likely be able to pursue compensation for your losses.
Some cases can be settled without the need for a drawn-out lawsuit. However, others require formal litigation. In Ohio, the statute of limitations on a car accident case is two years. This means if the claim has not been settled within two years of the accident, then a formal lawsuit must be filed or your claim will be time-barred and you will not receive any compensation. In most cases, your personal injury attorney will help you ensure that you reach a settlement or proceed to trial well in advance of the statute of limitations running out. Our priority is ensuring that your rights as an accident victim are protected.
There are many variables to consider when valuing an injury claim. To name a few, insurance companies look at the severity of the injuries, the age of the injured party, the location and jurisdiction of the accident, the victim’s lost wages, past and future medical bills, and pain and suffering.
In Ohio, accident victims can also receive punitive damages if the party responsible for an accident acted with aggravated or egregious fraud or malice. Ohio law, however, places a cap on punitive damages. This means that a person cannot receive more than two times the compensatory damages in punitive damages. Regardless of how much a person receives in compensatory damages, the amount of punitive damages is also capped at $350,000.
It is critical that people injured in car accidents that occur in Hamilton or any other part of Ohio act promptly to pursue compensation. This means that you should notify your insurance carrier within 24 to 48 hours after an accident, because if you wait longer than this, there is a good chance that the company could end up denying your claim. In either case, you only have a period of two years from the date of your accident in which to pursue a civil lawsuit against the responsible party. If you attempt to pursue a lawsuit and more than two years have elapsed, you will likely be barred from obtaining compensation.
There are some personal injury law firms that quickly try to negotiate settlements for clients after car accidents occur. While their clients might receive compensation sooner rather than later, these settlements often do not add up to the full compensation accident victims deserve. At Kruger & Hodges, we will begin assisting you by analyzing each detail of your case. We will then quantify the full damages that you deserve and determine the possible ways to achieve the full amount of compensation. If we decide that it would be best to proceed to trial, we will not hesitate to take these steps. Contact our car accident attorneys in Hamilton, OH We represent injured parties throughout Butler County and Preble County as well, with car accident law offices located in Eaton, OH and Middletown, OH as well.
Kruger & Hodges Attorneys at Law is located at 220 S Monument Ave Ste 100, Hamilton. From Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) head northwest on KY-236 W and turn right onto the KY-212 ramp to I-275/KY-20. Then continue onto KY-212 E and turn left to merge onto I-275 W to merge onto I-275 W. Next, continue straight onto I-275 N (signs for I-74 E/US-52 E/Cincinnati) and keep left at the fork to stay on I-275 N, follow signs for Dayton. After that, take exit 33 for US-27/Colerain Ave/OH-126 and turn left onto OH-126 W/US-27 N/Colerain Ave. At 0.2 miles, take the OH-126 W/OH-128 exit toward US-27 S/Hamilton/Ross and turn right onto OH-128 N. At this point, use the 2nd from the right lane to turn right onto Pershing Ave. Finally, turn left onto Neilan Blvd and Kruger & Hodges Attorneys at Law will be on your right.
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