Car crashes are among the most common and frequent sources of personal injuries in Ohio. Thousands of these accidents occur in the area every year, and a significant portion involve side-impacts.
These collisions can cause serious physical injuries to peoples’ necks, shoulders, ribs, and hips. In addition, a crash can leave a person with significant emotional traumas and affect their ability to work. A driver who is at-fault for these incidents could be held liable to provide compensation for all damage that they cause.
A Columbus side-impact car accident lawyer can help you pursue a claim against the negligent driver responsible for your harm. Our dedicated injury attorneys will take care of all the details from explaining your rights, to gathering essential evidence, to forming demand letters that ask for proper compensation.
Proving Negligence in a T-Bone or Sideswipe Wreck
Every driver assumes a duty whenever they get behind the wheel. They must follow all rules of the road and operate their vehicle in a safe manner so they do not place other people at an unnecessary risk of harm. A failure to uphold this duty that leads to an accident could leave the driver at-fault for the crash.
This concept is especially applicable in side-impact collisions. These crashes involve a vehicle being struck by another on the side. This can include T-bone style crashes where the front of one vehicle hits the side of another, or sideswipes where both vehicles were traveling in the same direction and the sides strike each other.
An injured plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s carelessness or recklessness caused the collision. A Columbus side-impact car accident attorney could help to gather the evidence necessary to demonstrate this concept in settlement talks or during trial.
What Compensation Can an Injured Party in Columbus Seek?
Proving defendant fault for a crash is an essential part of a side-impact car crash claim. However, just as important is being able to demonstrate how that fault affected a plaintiff’s life. It benefits all claimants to evaluate how the crash has inflicted not only physical injuries, but also emotional traumas and economic losses.
Side-impact car wrecks can place immense pressure on a person’s legs, hips, shoulders, ribs, and neck. Even low-speed crashes can separate joints, break bones, and sprain ligaments. More severe collisions can cause amputations or see a person become trapped in their vehicle. Defendants who are at-fault for these collisions may be required to provide payments for all medical bills.
If an accident leaves an individual unable to work while making a recovery, or if the impact inflicts a permanent disability, the defendant must provide payments for all lost earnings. A local attorney could also help to seek compensation for intangible losses suffered in a side-impact collision. This includes pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and decreased quality of life.
However, no matter how severe a person’s losses are, there is a limited time to file a claim for compensation.
Ohio Revised Code §2305.10 details Ohio’s statute of limitations. Under this statute, people who suffer personal injuries because of the negligence of others have two years from the date of loss to demand payment.
Reach Out to a Columbus Side-Impact Car Accident Attorney Today
Few experiences in your life can be as disrupting and devastating as a car accident. Side-impacts can be especially frightening as the resulting physical injuries can be substantial. Fortunately, a comprehensive claim could seek legal restitution for emotional traumas and economic losses.
However, pursuing these claims can be difficult on your own. Insurance companies will act to protect their profits and the reputations of their drivers. They may attempt to downplay the seriousness of your injuries or even deny liability altogether. A Columbus side-impact car accident lawyer can help you.
Contact our firm today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
