Lucas County Injury Attorney

Residents of and visitors to Lucas County and other cities in Ohio have a legal obligation to ensure that their conduct does not expose others to an unreasonable risk of injury. Those who fail to fulfill this responsibility can be held liable for any injuries resulting from their actions. Unfortunately, filing this type of claim can be difficult, especially for those who do not have legal representation, so if you sustained an injury or suffered vehicle damage in an accident in Lucas County that was not your fault, it is important to consult with an injury attorney who has the experience and resources necessary to aggressively represent your interests.

Types of Personal Injury Claims

Lawsuits that involve the negligent or reckless conduct of an individual or entity fall under the category of personal injury claims. These types of suits stem from a wide range of accidents, including:

• Traffic accidents, involving passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists;
• Surgical error, misdiagnosis, or negligence on the part of a medical professional;
• Accidents caused by defectively designed, manufactured, or assembled consumer products;
• Slip and fall accidents resulting from a property owner’s failure to keep its premises clean, safe, and generally clear of hazards;
• Swimming and boating accidents;
• Dog bites and other types of animal attacks caused by an owner’s failure to restrain or properly contain his or her animal;
• Workplace accidents caused by an employer’s failure to keep the environment free of hazards, a failure to provide adequate training or general negligence; and
• Accidents caused by negligent nursing homes.

While car accident claims can often be settled out of court by the parties and their insurers, filing a suit in court is sometimes an injured party’s only method of collecting compensation to cover medical bills and other losses, in which case, the plaintiff will need to provide evidence of the defendant’s fault.

Demonstrating Fault

In Ohio, accident victims can only recover compensation for their injuries if their accident was the result of another person or entity’s reckless or negligent actions. This requires proof that:

• The defendant owed a duty of reasonable care to the plaintiff;
• The defendant breached that duty; and
• The defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff’s injury.

Fortunately, just because a plaintiff also contributed to his or her accident in some way, does not automatically mean that he or she will be barred from recovery. This is because Ohio implements the legal theory of modified comparative fault, which means that injured parties who contribute to their own accidents can still recover damages, as long as they were not responsible for more than 50% of the accident. However, the amount that they are able to recover will be reduced in proportion to their degree of fault. Finally, all plaintiffs who file negligence-based claims in court must do so within two years of the date of their accident or risk having their case barred by the court.

Contact Our Legal Team Today

To speak with an experienced and compassionate Lucas County injury attorney about collecting compensation for your own accident-related injuries, please call Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott, LLC  at 419-241-5500 today.