Truck accidents can be devastating, leaving victims with substantial financial losses, physical injuries, mental trauma, or worse. If you were in an accident with a large truck, a Cincinnati semi-truck accident lawyer from the Fitch Law Firm, LLC, is available to help you sue for compensation and potentially hold the at-fault party or parties accountable for their actions.
Call our Cincinnati office at (614) 545-3930 to find out what we can do for you.
Truck Accidents Can Have Serious Consequences
The Ohio State Highway Patrol maintains crash data on motor vehicle accidents that happen throughout the state. In Hamilton County, about 31,000 motor vehicle accidents occurred in 2019. Of these, approximately 2,000 crashes involved a commercial vehicle.
A crash with a semi-truck can be more damaging than a crash between two passenger vehicles due to the semi-truck’s larger size and weight. An accident victim might be left with disabling injuries that require expensive treatments or prevent them from supporting their family. In some cases, families might have to face the unthinkable: the death of a loved one. If you suffered such injuries or losses, you may qualify for compensation.
Please note that your lawsuit is subject to the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations restricts the amount of time a person has to seek damages after a harmful event. Per the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §2305.10, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to begin your lawsuit. Any lawsuit brought after the statutory deadline is not valid.
The statute of limitations makes it very important for you to begin your lawsuit as soon as possible. Call the Fitch Law Firm, LLC, for advice on how you can do this. Our phone number is (614) 545-3930. We have people standing by to take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A Lawyer Can Help You Determine and Calculate Your Damages
Multiple types of damages may be available for accident victims like you. The two main types are economic damages and non-economic damages. Between these categories, they should cover every injury you sustained because of the crash.
To qualify for economic damages, you must have suffered financially in some way. Examples include:
- Medical costs: You had to pay for appointments with a doctor or hospital, tests, prescriptions, physical therapy, or any other type of treatment.
- Related costs: You had to pay other people to handle your usual chores, such as housework or childcare.
- Loss of wages: You lost money when you stayed home from work to recover from your injuries or while your car was being repaired or replaced.
- Loss of earning capacity: Your injuries will keep you from reaching your full earning potential.
To qualify for noneconomic damages, you must have suffered physically or mentally. Examples include:
- Disfigurement: Your injuries left you with significant scarring.
- Pain and suffering: Your injuries took a physical and/or emotional toll on your health.
- Reduced quality of life: Your injuries impacted your ability to live as freely and independently as you used to live before the accident.
- Loss of consortium: Your injuries prevent you from having a healthy relationship with your spouse.
Once you list the ways your accident affected you, you must then “convert” each of your noneconomic damages into a specific amount of money. Generally speaking, the worse your injuries are, the more compensation you might be able to recover.
Our Law Firm Can Guide You Throughout the Litigation Process
Every lawsuit offers its own set of challenges. It is impossible to predict how your case will go or whether you will receive any compensation. What we can do is give you an idea of the steps your Cincinnati semi-truck accident lawyer may follow to help you with your lawsuit.
Investigate
To help you as best we can, we need to have a thorough understanding of your accident. Your lawyer may approach this step by visiting the accident scene and collecting documentary evidence, such as:
- Photos of the scene
- Your medical records
- Police reports
- Surveillance video
- Witness testimony
Communicate
We may serve as your representative throughout your case. If the liable party, their lawyer, or their insurance company wants to say anything to you or make any settlement offers, they can do so through us.
We can also notify the liable party about your lawsuit and file any necessary paperwork (e.g., the paperwork to schedule a trial). We can also communicate with you, providing regular updates about the progress of your case and advising you on your next-step options.
Negotiate
If you are fortunate, the insurance company will offer you a fair settlement right away. Unfortunately, insurance companies sometimes need to be pushed before they agree to pay what accident victims need. Your lawyer may collect evidence to support your side of the story and use it to argue your case when meeting with the insurance company representatives. If they prove how the other party or parties were at fault, they may be able to negotiate compensation for you.
Advocate
Sometimes, the insurance company might still resist your claims and refuse to offer you a fair settlement, no matter how much negotiating your lawyer does. If this happens to you, your lawyer can arrange for your case to go to trial. Trials can be lengthy and stressful, but your lawyer can handle all of the case management duties, including submitting evidence, finding witnesses, and delivering oral arguments.
The Fitch Law Firm, LLC, works on a contingency fee basis. Put simply, this means we will charge you no attorney’s fees unless we win compensation for you. Call our office at (614) 545-3930 at any time. Someone is always available to assess your case and explain how a Cincinnati semi-truck accident lawyer can be of service.