When Should I Contact a Lawyer After an Accident in Ohio?

If you’ve been injured in an accident, one of the most important things you can do is to be proactive about protecting your legal rights. Accident-related injuries can quickly become very expensive, and if you have a claim as a result of your accident, you may be entitled to just compensation for your medical bills and other losses. Being proactive about protecting your legal rights starts with contacting a Columbus personal injury lawyer who can help you.

But when should you contact a lawyer after an accident? When should you file a claim (and when should you seek experienced legal representation)? Here’s what you need to know:

You Should Take Action to Protect Yourself as Soon as Possible

If you have questions about your legal rights after an accident, you should contact a Columbus personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Simply put, there is no reason to wait. When you have been seriously injured in an accident:

• You need to preserve as much evidence as possible before it disappears;
• You need to avoid costly mistakes that could jeopardize your recovery;
• Your initial consultation with a lawyer is completely free and confidential;
• If you have a claim, you will not have to pay anything unless you win;
• If you have a claim, you need to make sure you do not settle for less than you deserve.

All of these are reasons to speak with a lawyer sooner rather than later. If you wait to contact a lawyer, or if you try to deal with your situation on your own, you could run into issues that either delay your financial recovery or prevent you from recovering the full compensation you deserve.

Speaking of the full compensation you deserve, personal injury claims are often worth much more than accident victims realize. This is yet another reason why it is important to contact a lawyer promptly after an accident in Ohio. The insurance companies are not going to calculate your losses for you, and if you don’t know how much you are entitled to recover for your present and future losses (including non-financial losses such as pain and suffering), you will leave money on the table.

Scenarios in Which a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

So, now you know that you should contact a Columbus personal injury lawyer as soon after your accident as possible. But what kinds of accidents do personal injury lawyers handle? At Malek & Malek Law Firm, we represent accident victims in cases involving:

Car Accidents

Car accidents are among the most common types of cases that personal injury lawyers handle. If you have an auto insurance claim as a result of your accident, a personal injury lawyer can deal with the insurance companies for you and help make sure you do not settle for less than you deserve.

Additionally, some car accident cases do not involve auto insurance claims. If the driver who hit you was working, if your accident was the result of a vehicle defect or maintenance issue, or if your accident was the result of an issue with the road, you may need to hire a lawyer to pursue a different type of claim on your behalf.

Motorcycle Accidents

Personal injury lawyers represent motorcycle riders after collisions and other accidents as well. Motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries, yet insurance companies still try to pay as little as possible. Your lawyer can help make sure you are not unfairly blamed for what happened, and your lawyer can fight for maximum compensation while you focus on getting better.

Truck Accidents

Truck accidents often result in serious injuries as well. Due to their size and weight, 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks are both difficult to drive safely and difficult to stop. However, truck drivers and trucking companies have a legal duty to ensure that they do not put other motorists at risk, and when they violate this duty, they deserve to be held fully accountable.

Seeking financial compensation after a truck accident in Ohio is very different from seeking financial compensation after a “normal” vehicle collision. There are different steps involved, and there are a variety of additional issues you need to consider when determining the cause of the accident and proving your right to just compensation.

Premises-Related Accidents

Along with motor vehicle accidents, personal injury lawyers assist victims of various other types of accidents as well. This includes premises-related accidents. Under Ohio’s premises liability laws, property owners and tenants can be held liable for customers’ and visitors’ injuries under a wide range of circumstances.

But, here too, experienced legal representation is essential. You need to preserve as much evidence of liability as possible, and you need to make sure you are seeking to hold the right party accountable. Premises liability cases typically involve insurance claims as well, and an experienced lawyer will be able to help make sure the insurance companies do not take advantage of you.

Work Accidents

Depending on the circumstances involved, a work accident may give rise to a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury claim or both. Regardless of which type of claim (or claims) you can file, it will be important to have an experienced lawyer on your side. Workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims involving work accidents present unique challenges as well, and if you don’t know how to deal with these challenges effectively, you won’t be able to recover the financial compensation you deserve. Once you hire a lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will be able to advise and represent you every step of the way.

Contact Us for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation with a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Do you have questions about hiring a lawyer after an accident in Ohio? If so, we strongly encourage you to contact us for more information. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer at Malek & Malek Law Firm, give us a call at 888-444-7440 or tell us how we can help online today.