Were you recently injured in a car accident involving a large commercial truck in Columbus, OH? Crashes involving semi-trucks and big rigs can be extremely dangerous. They can also be difficult to prove. An experienced Columbus truck accident lawyer at Mani, Ellis & Layne, PLLC can help you fight to recover every available dollar.
We’ve developed a proven track record of success that you can trust. We put over 71 years of legal experience to work in every case we take on–and we’ve already used our skills to recover hundreds of millions in compensation awards for our injured clients.
You may deserve substantial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more. Contact our law offices in Columbus, Ohio, or call (614) 587-8423 to schedule your free consultation with a Columbus truck accident attorney.
How Can Mani Ellis & Layne, PLLC Help Me Recover Compensation After a Truck Accident in Columbus?
Personal injury claims involving large trucks can be complex in Columbus, OH. They may involve federal trucking regulations. Multiple parties can share legal responsibility even if the truck driver is clearly at fault. The truck company’s insurers will force you to prove every element of your case.
You need a team of Columbus personal injury lawyers with enough skill and experience to fight back successfully. At Mani, Ellis & Layne, PLLC, our lawyers have been recognized as Super Lawyers year after year. We’ve also earned the highest Martindale-Hubbell rating possible and are listed as AV-Preeminent lawyers.
You can count on our team to:
- Collect and evaluate all evidence to establish liability and causation
- Identify all parties who are legally responsible for your damages
- File your insurance claims and handle all paperwork
- Work with leading trucking industry experts and specialists
- Defend against any blame-shifting allegations
- Document your damages and calculate your case value
- Negotiate for the highest insurance settlement possible
- Fight to protect you in court if necessary
Without an experienced attorney, you risk taking a lowball settlement. Call our Columbus truck accident attorneys to get the legal advice you deserve today.
How Common Are Accidents Involving Large Trucks in Ohio?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps track of crashes involving large trucks across the United States. According to FMCSA data, 3,969 accidents involving large trucks were reported in Ohio during 2022.
At least 1,769 people were injured in those truck crashes. Unfortunately, another 140 people lost their lives.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, most of those crashes were likely to occur on I-75, I-70, and I-80.
What Is My Columbus Truck Accident Case Worth?
The value of a personal injury case depends on many different factors. However, the severity of the injuries tends to be the most important. More serious injuries tend to be more expensive. They also impact a victim’s life in more dramatic ways.
While that’s broadly true, our Columbus truck accident attorneys evaluate a variety of different issues when calculating the value of a personal injury claim, including:
- Your medical treatment costs and other expenses, considering likely future costs
- Your property damage and vehicle repair costs
- Any loss of earnings during your recovery
- Your prognosis for making a full physical recovery
- Whether you’ll be able to return to work in the same capacity
- Your need for ongoing rehabilitation and medical care
- Your physical pain, emotional trauma, and other intangible losses
- The overall circumstances, including whether shared fault is an issue
Trucking companies typically carry commercial insurance. Policy limits may be higher, but the insurance company is also likely to fight your claim harder. Remember that they have tricks up their sleeves that can be used to undervalue your case.
It’s critical to know how much your personal injury claim is worth. Contact our lawyers in Columbus today for more information.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Truck Accidents in Ohio?
Damages are grouped according to whether they compensate a victim for economic or non-economic damages.
Truck accident victims are often entitled to economic damages for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Property damage
Non-economic damages vary from victim to victim.
Some examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium and damage to personal relationships
To get a fair deal, it’s important to take some time and identify all of the losses you have suffered because of the accident and injury. An attorney can help with the process. We can also help you put a dollar value on your personal and non-financial losses.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer in Columbus?
Your bill for attorneys’ fees will depend on the value of your settlement or verdict. We don’t charge any upfront fees for our services. Instead, we work on a contingency fee arrangement where we take our fees as a percentage of your settlement or verdict.
Contingency fee arrangements are common in personal injury law firms. Most firms charge between 33% and 40% of the victim’s final compensation. That way, you don’t have to worry about legal expenses while you’re still recovering from your injuries.
How Can Ohio Shared Fault Laws Impact My Right to Compensation If I’m Being Blamed for a Trucking Accident?
You could walk away with a reduced settlement or nothing at all. You lose your right to compensation under Ohio’s comparative negligence law if the insurance company can prove you were at least 51% responsible for your injuries. If your share of fault is less than 51%, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Truck Accident Injuries
Because commercial vehicles are so large and heavy, they have the potential to cause severe damage to occupants of passenger vehicles.
At Mani, Ellis & Layne, PLLC, we often handle truck accident claims where victims have suffered:
- Crushing injuries
- Facial injuries
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
Trucking accidents also have the potential to be fatal. Our wrongful death attorneys in Columbus are here to fight for justice if you lose a loved one in a fatal accident.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Columbus, Ohio?
While multiple factors can play a role in any crash, some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Fatigued truck drivers or ignoring FMCSA hours-of-service rules
- Tailgating
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to account for wide turns and longer stopping times
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Drug use
- Inexperienced semi-truck drivers
- Problems with connecting the truck’s tractor and trailer
- Hazardous cargo or failure to secure the truck’s cargo
- Failure to maintain the truck
- Hazardous road conditions
Truck drivers must obtain a commercial drivers’ license (CDL) in Ohio. As we all know, however, merely obtaining the CDL doesn’t mean the driver is a safe driver. In fact, most accidents happen because of driver error.
What Do I Have to Prove to Recover Damages After a Truck Accident in Ohio?
You’ll have to establish the legal basis for your truck accident case. Most of the time, truck accident claims are based on negligence. Drivers are negligent when they fail to exercise the degree of care that a reasonable person would use under the circumstances.
The four basic elements of the claim are:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
You’ll also have to identify the parties who were responsible for the crash. In truck accident cases, the at-fault party may very likely be someone other than the driver.
For example, parties who may share blame include:
- Trucking companies
- Maintenance companies
- Companies responsible for a truck’s cargo
- Manufacturers of defective truck parts or safety equipment
- Government agencies tasked with oversight
- Third-party drivers
A large trucking corporation often employs truck drivers. If that’s the case, the corporation itself can be liable for the truck driver’s negligent driving.
What Types of Evidence Do I Need to Prove My Case?
Many types of evidence can be relevant, including:
- Police reports
- Data from the truck’s black box recorder
- Eyewitness statements
- The truck company’s records
- Information about the driver’s hiring procedures
- The driver’s qualifications and safety records
- Alcohol and drug test results
The trucking company will send investigative teams to the scene quickly–especially if the injuries are severe. Our lawyers can help you level the playing field and search for the evidence you need. Contact us right away to get started.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in Ohio?
The statute of limitations in Ohio is two years. If you don’t file a lawsuit within two years of the accident, you lose your right to damages.
Contact a Columbus Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
If you were injured in a truck accident in Columbus, OH, you may have questions about your legal options. A Columbus truck accident lawyer can offer answers. Call Mani, Ellis & Layne, PLLC, to schedule your free case review today.
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