Cincinnati Car Accident Lawyer

Car accident lawsuits in Cincinnati are subject to Ohio’s two-year filing deadline for personal injury cases. While this may seem like a long time, winning your lawsuit can become more difficult the longer you wait to file. 

Evidence from the accident, especially eyewitness testimony, becomes more difficult to collect as time passes, and you may mistakenly miss crucial filing deadlines. To avoid these difficulties, contact our personal injury attorneys to get started on your case today.

If your child was hurt in a car accident in Ohio, it's possible for you as their parent or guardian to file an injury lawsuit on their behalf. If the lawsuit ends in a settlement, a judge must approve the settlement, and all parties involved must appear in court.

The statute of limitations for lawsuits involving the injury of a minor does not start until the minor turns 18. This means you can file on the minor’s behalf any time before their 18th birthday. An underage injury victim has until two years from the date of their 18th birthday to file, no matter when the injury occurred.

If your child's settlement is $25,000 or less, it may be paid directly to you as the child’s representative. If the settlement exceeds $25,000, the court will determine whether you can access the money and must approve how you plan to use it for the child's benefit.

There are a few types of compensation available to you after a car accident in Cincinnati:

• Economic damages: Cover financial losses, including past, present, and future medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity
• Non-economic damages: Compensate you for non-financial harms, such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of companionship
• Punitive damages: Are rare and are only awarded at a judge's discretion. They may apply in cases where the defendant behaved recklessly or maliciously in causing harm to the injured party. Punitive damages are intended to deter the defendant from harming others in the same way in the future.

Ohio law requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance, but this doesn't mean all drivers do. In 2022, Ohio was ranked as the state with the 10th-highest rate of uninsured drivers, with roughly 17 percent of all Ohio drivers not carrying the minimum auto insurance.

Getting into a collision with an uninsured driver can leave victims with unexpected expenses. The other driver's insurance policy typically pays for the accident victim's damages in Ohio. When an uninsured driver is responsible for your accident, your insurance can cover your costs.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, or UM/UIM insurance, is a policy you can purchase in addition to standard liability insurance. UM/UIM insurance coverage is a form of protection that can pay for damages you suffered after a crash with an uninsured driver. 

If you get into a crash with an uninsured driver, Lawrence & Associates can help. Our attorneys have significant experience handling UM/UIM cases and can help you determine your legal options.

Ohio is an "at-fault" state for car accident cases, meaning the person deemed most responsible for the accident is liable for all damages. 

It's possible to be found partially at fault for your damages after a car accident due to a legal concept called contributory negligence. In Ohio, plaintiffs who are partially at fault for their damages can still receive compensation if they are responsible for 50 percent or less of the total damages incurred. 

If the victim is found partially liable for the crash, their damages will be reduced by the proportion of fault assigned to them. For example, if you were involved in a crash and a judge found you 30 percent at fault for your injuries, you would only be compensated for 70 percent of the damages calculated.

Did You Know?

“Ohio usually writes citations to the at-fault driver. If you pay the citation, that can also be used as proof that you were at fault in a lawsuit for money damages. Fight the citation if you don't think you were really at fault. On your insurance, the med pay (usually $5,000) can be paid no matter who was at fault, but you have to prove someone else was at fault to get any other part of an auto policy.” - Justin Lawrence, Founding Partner

Billable hours and retainer fees at other firms add up fast, especially when you're already coping with the financial strain of a car accident. The attorneys at Lawrence & Associates operate exclusively on contingency. This means we don't charge anything upfront, and you don't pay unless we win your case.

Your lawyer will fight to ensure you receive the best settlement possible in your case. We offer free consultations for all potential clients to determine the right legal path for you.