2025 Year in Review: Key Insights for Auto Accident Victims in Ohio
We publish several free resources for auto accident victims in Ohio every year. Each Columbus personal injury lawyer at our firm regularly represents accident victims who have suffered serious injuries, and we know that seeking just compensation for these injuries presents numerous challenges.
But we also know how important it is for auto accident victims to recover the financial compensation they deserve.
This is why we want to help make sure accident victims are as informed as possible. If you have been seriously injured in an auto accident, you may have a personal injury claim, and you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. The following resources provide important information about filing a personal injury claim after an auto accident resulting from another driver’s negligence:
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Distracted Driving
Driving distractions are among the leading causes of auto accidents in Ohio. In fact, if you got hit by another driver, there is a roughly one-in-eight chance that the other driver was distracted at the time of the collision.
Distracted driving is negligent driving under Ohio law. As a result, if you got hit by a distracted driver, you can—and should—seek just compensation for your injuries. While texting behind the wheel is specifically against the law in Ohio, auto accident victims can file claims based on all types of driving distractions.
Filing a personal injury claim based on distracted driving requires proof that the other driver was distracted. From traffic or surveillance camera footage to the distracted driver’s phone records, several forms of evidence may be available to prove your right to compensation. The key is to conduct a thorough investigation, which is why it is important to hire an experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer as soon after your accident as possible.
What if you were distracted at the time of a collision?
If you were distracted when you got hit by another driver, whether you can file a personal injury claim depends on your percentage of fault in the crash. As long as you were not primarily at fault, you still can—and should—file a claim.
Learn more: Driving Distractions: How Can Texting Help (or Hurt) Your Car Accident Claim in Ohio?
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Drunk Driving
Drunk driving accidents are also far more common than they should be. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there have been nearly 70,000 drunk driving accidents in Ohio since the start of 2020. Approximately five percent of these accidents have been fatal, while far more have resulted in life-altering injuries.
Just like distracted driving, drunk driving is negligent driving under Ohio law. When drunk drivers cause serious and fatal accidents, they can—and should—be held accountable. Several forms of evidence can be used to prove that a driver was drunk at the time of a collision, and, even if it isn’t possible to prove that a driver was intoxicated, speeding, weaving, swerving, and other common hallmarks of distracted driving can all serve as grounds to file a personal injury claim on their own.
Ohio law requires all drivers to carry liability insurance, which covers drunk-driving accidents. So, if you need to seek financial compensation for a drunk driving accident, you should be able to file an insurance claim. But, there are other options as well—including the option of filing a claim against a bar or restaurant under Ohio’s “dram shop” law in some cases.
Drunk driving accidents often have devastating consequences. They can leave victims and families facing substantial losses, and even if the drunk driver gets convicted in criminal court, this does not mean that the drunk driver will be held financially accountable. Seeking financial compensation involves filing a personal injury claim, and this can be essential for securing the financial resources (and closure) that victims and their families need to move on.
Learn more: Filing a Claim for a Drunk Driving Accident in Ohio.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Fatigued Driving
Studies have shown that fatigue and low-level alcohol intoxication can have similar effects on drivers’ capabilities behind the wheel. This means that fatigued driving can be extremely dangerous, and it can also provide clear grounds to file a personal injury claim under Ohio law.
Just as alcohol intoxication impairs drivers’ visual, manual, and cognitive capabilities, fatigue does as well. All of these impacts can significantly increase a driver’s risk of causing a collision. Whether a driver has tunnel vision, is unable to respond to an emergency on the road, or is unable to make safe decisions behind the wheel, if fatigue is a factor, a personal injury claim may be warranted.
Here, too, seeking just compensation usually means dealing with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. But employers can also be held liable for their employees’ fatigued-driving accidents in some cases. If the fatigued driver who hit you was working at the time of the collision, his or her employer could be fully liable for your accident-related losses.
How do you prove that a driver was fatigued? If the driver admitted to being fatigued on the side of the road (or on social media), you may be able to use the driver’s admission to file a personal injury claim. But there are other ways to prove driver fatigue as well, including eyewitness testimony, the driver’s GPS, and “black box” data.
Learn more: Fatigued Driving: Proving That the Driver Who Hit You was Drowsy Behind the Wheel.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for a Rideshare Accident
If you were injured in a rideshare accident caused by driver negligence, you have clear legal rights in this scenario as well. This is true regardless of the specific type of negligence involved and whether the rideshare driver or another driver was at fault in the collision.
Just like other drivers, rideshare drivers are required to carry liability insurance in Ohio. Uber and Lyft also have liability insurance policies that cover their drivers’ accidents in many circumstances. As a result, if a rideshare driver is to blame for your injuries, insurance coverage should be available to you.
Rideshare passengers (and rideshare drivers) can also file insurance claims when another driver is to blame for their injuries. For example, if you got hit by a distracted driver while riding in (or driving) an Uber or Lyft, you will want to talk to a Columbus personal injury lawyer about filing a claim. If you have a claim, your lawyer will be able to help you seek just compensation for your medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Learn more: Filing a Claim for an Uber or Lyft Accident in Ohio.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim for a Commercial Truck Accident
Truck accidents often have serious or fatal consequences, and they are often the result of truck drivers’ negligence behind the wheel. Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) show that driver error is the leading cause of commercial truck accidents, followed by mechanical issues such as brake failures and tire blowouts.
All of these issues can provide grounds to file a personal injury claim under Ohio law.
If you are facing losses after a serious or fatal truck accident, it will be important to conduct a comprehensive investigation as soon as possible. You will also need to be careful to avoid making any mistakes that could jeopardize your claim. An experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer can help you—as long as you schedule a free consultation in time.
In 2025, we published a few articles focused on providing essential information to truck accident victims and their families. If you need help after a serious or fatal truck accident in Ohio, we encourage you to read the following:
Do You Have a Personal Injury Claim?
Finally, in all scenarios, protecting your legal rights after an auto accident requires informed decision-making. This includes informed decision-making about whether to take legal action. There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to take legal action, and we strongly recommend working with an experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer who can help you make the right decision.
Learn more: Do You Have a Personal Injury Claim? 10 Key Questions After an Accident in Ohio.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer at Malek & Malek Law Firm
At Malek & Malek Law Firm, we are passionate about fighting for accident victims and their families. If you need help after an auto accident in Ohio, we strongly encourage you to contact us right away. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer as soon as possible, call 888-444-7440 or tell us how we can reach you online now.