Ohio’s roads are only as safe as its drivers. Unfortunately, modern advances in automotive manufacturing have integrated more distractions than ever into the average car. When you combine those distractions with drivers’ deliberate negligence, you have a recipe for dangerous accidents. Fortunately, car accident lawyers in Westerville can help survivors recover.
Cooper Elliott has spent over 30 years advocating for car accident victims. The efforts of our Westerville personal injury lawyers have helped Buckeyes recover over $700 million in damages. Let us lend our knowledge of the law to your pursuit of damages today. Your first case consultation is free of charge.
What Causes Today’s Car Accidents?
The majority of today’s car accidents stem from driver negligence. That negligence can take the form of:
- Distracted driving
- Driving over the speed limit
- Failing to read roadway signs
- Intoxicated or drugged driving
- Driving unsafely in marked construction zones
Unfortunately, you can’t control how other people behave on the road. However, if you notice someone driving negligently or you get into an accident because of that negligence, we recommend that you document the other party’s misconduct. Thorough documentation can make it easier for you to recover from a negligence-based collision financially.
For a free legal consultation with a car accident lawyer serving Westerville, call 614-481-6000
When Can You File a Car Accident Claim?
You can file a car accident claim against a bad actor when you have enough evidence of their negligence to meet or exceed Ohio’s burden of proof. You’re not required to gather that data on your own time. You can meet with a car accident lawyer in Westerville, OH, to discuss what means you can use to collect:
- Physical debris
- Evidence of environmental damage
- Photos from before and after your collision
- Videos of your accident
- Witness statements
- Electronic data relevant to your collision
The evidence you gather must help Ohio courts understand that the party that you name is liable for your losses owed and violated their duty of care.
When Should You Contact a Westerville Car Accident Lawyer?
If you want to collaborate with a Westerville car accident attorney, we recommend you reach out for a free case consultation well before Ohio’s statute of limitations comes knocking. The state’s two-year statute of limitations is strict and can prevent you from receiving compensation if you try to file after it expires.
Fortunately, Cooper Elliott’s doors are always open. You can even contact us after you think your statute of limitations expired to discuss what exceptions, if any, you may use to extend your filing deadline.
Can You Hold Someone Criminally Accountable For a Car Accident?
You are a private citizen. Private citizens cannot independently hold someone criminally accountable for a car accident. However, the police officers who responded to your accident may have charged a bad actor with violating Ohio’s roadway laws.
Officers may request your testimony as they build a case against a bad actor. It’s worth it to communicate with officers as their case evolves, both to get justice and to streamline your time in civil court. If Ohio’s criminal courts convict your liable party of roadway misconduct, you can submit that conviction as evidence of a driver’s negligence.
Criminal roadway convictions may not win your case alone, but they make powerful assertions of negligence.
Westerville Car Accident Lawyer Near Me 614-481-6000
What’s the Average Car Accident Settlement in Westerville?
Our attorneys do not refer to a pre-calculated “average” when establishing the value of car accident settlements in Westerville. No two cases look alike, making it difficult to establish a concrete average. Instead, we account for the independent value of your economic and non-economic losses. Those losses may include the following:
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Emergency medical care
- Long-term injuries and essential treatments
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Accident-related stress
- Temporary or permanent disabilities
How Can You Prepare For a Car Accident Trial?
Many car accident survivors don’t want to pursue a personal injury claim because they’re concerned doing so will force them to go to court. This is not the case. You do not have to go to trial to get compensated for your car accident losses.
If you’re willing to meet with a bad actor face-to-face, you can ask a Westerville car accident attorney to arrange settlement negotiations between the two of you. Our lawyers can mediate those negotiations and recenter ongoing conversations on the value of your case that we establish in your free case consultation.
However, car accident trials tend to lend structure to complicated or emotionally charged accident cases. If you’re struggling to make a liable party take you seriously, then it’s time for civil litigation.
Click to contact our Westerville Personal Injury Lawyers today
Cooper Elliott Offers Free Car Accident Case Consultations
You don’t have to pay a dime to meet with our lawyers the first time. You can call us immediately after a car accident to discuss your legal options. We can candidly discuss the process of filing an insurance claim and weigh the pros and cons against those associated with today’s personal injury claims.
Cooper Elliott wants to put money back into your hands after a car accident. That’s why we work on contingency and why we’ve spent the last 30 years advocating for Buckeye families. We don’t require deposits or mid-case payments from our clients. Working with us makes it easier for you to alleviate your financial stress while getting justice for your recent crash.
Are you ready to learn more? Book a free case consultation before your car accident statute of limitations expires.
Call or text 614-481-6000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form