Top Rated Car Accident Lawyers Columbus, Ohio
A car accident can be a traumatic, difficult experience for anyone to deal with. Our Columbus-based car accident attorneys are here to help you through the aftermath and get you the results you need.
OHIO CAR CRASH STATISTICS
Automobile Accidents are very common in Ohio. In fact, more than 250 people are injured in car accidents daily. One person is hurt in a car accident every 5.7 minutes. Every day, 3.4 people are killed in an auto accident in Ohio. In Franklin County alone, there were over 53,000 motor vehicle accidents in which over 12,000 people were injured or killed.
If you were hurt in a car accident, let the experienced and knowledgeable Columbus car accident lawyers at SELPH LAW, fight for you. Our Columbus car crash lawyers have more than 25 years of combined experience assisting injured car accident victims receive the recovery and compensation they deserve. We have fought for our clients and recovered millions of dollars for car accident victims in Franklin County. Our Columbus car collision lawyers also guarantee you will not pay anything in fees until you recover first. Never settle for less.
WHAT TO DO AFTER AN AUTO ACCIDENT
- First, and most importantly, make sure everybody’s physical health and safety are fine. If anybody in the vehicle has more than bumps or bruises, you should call 911 and seek emergency medical attention immediately.
- Take photos of the accident scene if it is safe to do so. Sometimes, once the vehicles are moved, stories may change and the at-fault party may change the facts of the accident in an attempt to avoid responsibility. Photos will help prove the reality of what happened and who is ultimately responsible.
- Move your vehicles to the side of the road if it is safe to do so. After you confirm the physical safety of all occupants of your vehicle and snap a few photos from the driver’s seat of your vehicle (or outside the vehicle if it’s safe), move your vehicle out of the road.
- Obtain personal contact information of any witnesses that have stopped at the scene. Many people will stop at an accident to confirm nobody was seriously hurt. If the witness stops and confirms they saw the accident but are unable to stay for the police, ask if they would be willing to share contact information so the police can contact them and obtain a statement about the facts of the accident. Eyewitnesses are another important factor in proving who is responsible for the accident.
- Contact the police. Whether anybody was injured or not, it is important to file a police report. Either call 911 or local police non-emergency number and ask for an officer to come to the scene of the accident.
- Collect information of the other driver. Obtain as much information as possible from the other driver, including their name, address, phone number, and insurance information. You can even take pictures of the license plate of the other vehicle, the insurance card, and the other driver’s license. More information is always better.
Whether you followed these steps or not, it is still important that you contact a Columbus car accident lawyer. At SELPH LAW we understand it can be difficult to follow these steps precisely. The time immediately after an accident can be confusing, frustrating, and painful, all at the same time. If you were seriously injured and taken to the hospital, you likely did not have an opportunity to speak to the police, witnesses or the other driver. Our Columbus car accident attorneys can help gather this information after the fact. We will thoroughly investigate the accident including working with experts such as an accident re-constructionist when necessary. Never settle for less than the best.
COMMON CAUSES OF OHIO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Accidents can happen at any time, in the blink of an eye. No matter how careful you are, someone else’s negligence and dangerous actions can result in you being involved in a car accident, and possibly seriously injured.
What are some of the most common causes for traffic accidents?
- Following too closely—assured clear distance ahead (ACDA)
- Reckless driving—failure to control
- Failure to yield
- Driving over posted speed limit
- Speeding over what is appropriate for conditions
- Improper lane change
- Drunk or impaired driving
- Drowsy driving
- Driving wrong way—left of center
- Poor weather
The underlying cause of your accident matters for many different reasons. If you are uncertain about the cause of your accident, contact the Columbus auto accident lawyers at SELPH LAW to discuss car accident liability and who may be at fault in your accident.
COMMON INJURIES IN MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
Some car accidents are minor and lead to few injuries. However, even minor accidents can lead to serious, life-changing injuries. As you may be experiencing now, many auto accidents cause severe and debilitating injuries to the victims. Some common car accident injuries include:
- Whiplash or neck injury
- Lumbar, thoracic, or cervical sprain and strain
- Soft tissue injury
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Lacerations and abrasions
- Broken bones
- Concussion
- Mild, moderate, and severe brain injury
- Traumatic brain injury or TBI
- Spinal cord injuries including paralysis and nerve damage
- Psychological damage and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Many accident victims do not feel any pain until several days after a car accident. If you are suffering from any of these conditions, or any other issues not listed above, it is important you call a Columbus car accident lawyer from SELPH LAW. Our Columbus car accident lawyers have vast experience dealing with a wide range of motor vehicle accident injuries ranging from minor to catastrophic. Our Columbus car crash lawyers will closely and thoroughly review your case, including all effects of the accident, to obtain the best result for you. Let the big guys of SELPH LAW get the big results you need.
COMMON INSURANCE ISSUES after a car accident
Insurance companies and adjusters are trained to reduce the value of your claim. Sometimes insurance claims go smoothly. Other times you may experience problems with the insurance company that require attorney attention and intervention. These may include:
- Insurance denial: If your claim was denied and you believe that denial was wrongful, consult an Ohio car accident attorney immediately.
- Low ball offer: Insurance adjusters are trained to reduce the value of your claim. The insurance company often tries to settle claims quickly and cheaply which is oftentimes far below what your actual claim is worth.
- Bad faith: Ohio insurance companies are required to treat you fairly and act on your claim within a reasonable amount of time and in good faith. If you believe your insurance company treated you unfairly or unlawfully, call the Columbus car crash attorneys and SELPH LAW to discuss if you have additional legal claims against your insurance company.
- Comparative negligence: Ohio has a comparative negligence law where the value of your claim may be reduced by the value of your negligence. Many times, insurance companies attempt to arbitrarily reduce your claim based on its own notion of your comparative negligence. If your car accident claim has been reduced unfairly contact the car accident attorneys at SELPH LAW to review the facts of your accident.
- Uninsured driver or underinsured driver: While Ohio law requires all drivers to be insured, it is a sad fact that many people on Ohio’s roadways are driving without insurance or with not enough insurance to compensate accident victims. If you had an accident with an uninsured driver or an underinsured driver, you may need to file a lawsuit against that person to recover full compensation.
If you feel like an insurance company has not treated you fairly, you need to speak with an attorney to make sure your rights are being protected. Let the Ohio car accident attorneys at SELPH LAW get you the compensation you need. Never settle for less.
FATAL CAR ACCIDENT CLAIMS
If you have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident, please do not hesitate to contact our Columbus-based car accident lawyers at SELPH LAW to discuss the accident and the damages you are entitled to recover. We will review the details of the accident with you and determine if you or the family should file a wrongful death suit against the other driver. If you are a surviving spouse, child, parent, grandparent, or sibling of a deceased victim you may have the right to recover any of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Funeral and burial costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of inheritance
- Loss of decedent’s financial contributions
- Loss of love and companionship
- Loss of the decedent’s services
LET OUR OHIO MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS WORK FOR YOU
If you were injured in a car accident, let the experienced and knowledgeable Columbus car accident attorneys at SELPH LAW assist you. We will fight to get you the compensation you need for the injuries and losses you suffered as a result of your car accident. You need the big guys of SELPH LAW to get the big results you need. Never settle for less.
