Toledo Injury Attorney

When someone else’s negligence or recklessness causes an accident, the injured party can collect compensation from the at-fault party by filing a personal injury lawsuit against that individual in court. These types of cases cover everything from car crashes and animal attacks to surgical errors and bicycle accidents and are often the only way that an injured party can pay mounting medical bills and household expenses. Unfortunately, filing a claim can be difficult, especially for those who are severely injured, making it particularly important for these individuals to contact a Toledo personal injury lawyer who has the experience and resources necessary to help them hold the responsible party accountable.

Personal Injury Claims

In many cases, when people think about personal injury claims, they imagine a car accident or even a medical malpractice suit. While it is true that these types of accidents do cause thousands of serious injuries every year, these types of claims can actually cover a wide range of accidents, including:

• Truck crashes;
• Workplace accidents;
• Construction accidents;
• Bicycle accidents;
• Dog bites and other animal attacks;
• Nursing home negligence;
• Surgical/anesthesia errors;
• Swimming and boating accidents;
• Defective consumer products;
• Slip and fall accidents; and
• Pedestrian accidents.

Regardless of the type of claim in question, plaintiffs who file a personal injury suit must be able to demonstrate that:

• The defendant was legally obligated to use ordinary care;
• The defendant breached that duty; and
• The defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff to suffer an injury.

Fortunately, even when an injured party was partly to blame for an accident, he or she will not necessarily be barred from recovery. This is because Ohio is a comparative negligence state, which means that rather than being barred from collecting compensation, injured parties who contributed to their own accidents can still recover damages, although the amount will be reduced by their own percentage of fault. If that percentage exceeds 50 percent, however, recovery isn’t permitted.

Recovering Damages

Injured parties who are able to meet the necessary burden could be eligible to collect a variety of damages compensating them for some or all of the following costs:

• Past and future medical expenses;
• Lost wages;
• Loss of future income; and
• Property damage.

In addition to these economic damages, injured parties can also collect non-economic damages, which are intended to compensate victims for losses that are more difficult to quantify, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of companionship, and disfigurement. However, only plaintiffs who file their claims within the time allowed under Ohio law will be permitted to plead their case. Otherwise, the injured party may miss out on the only opportunity to collect compensation for their losses.  

Meet With a Toledo Injury Attorney Today

To speak with an experienced Toledo injury lawyer about your own accident-related injuries, please contact Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott, LLC at 419-241-5500 today. A member of our legal team is standing by to help you with your case.