When Should You Hire a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer?
Accident-related injuries can cause severe pain and emotional trauma. They can also lead to significant financial losses. Many accident victims struggle to get through the recovery process, and during the process, they end up incurring more expenses than they can afford.
If you are dealing with an accident-related injury, it may be worth talking to a Columbus personal injury lawyer about your legal rights. Depending on what happened, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your financial and non-financial losses. It costs nothing to learn about your legal rights, and if you have a personal injury claim, you can hire a lawyer at no out-of-pocket cost.
7 Questions: When to Talk to a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer
When should you talk to a Columbus personal injury lawyer? If you answer “Yes” to each of these questions, you should schedule a free, no-obligation consultation:
Question #1: Were You Injured in an Accident?
Personal injury lawyers help people who have been injured in all types of accidents. Whether you were injured in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, slip-and-fall, or dog attack, you may be entitled to financial compensation—and a personal injury lawyer may be able to help you.
Personal injury lawyers also help people who have suffered all types of accident-related injuries. Concussions, whiplash, broken bones, soft tissue damage, nerve damage and herniated discs are all common injuries for which lawyers can help accident victims seek just compensation. But even these are just examples. If you are dealing with any type of accident-related injury, you should consider scheduling an appointment with a local lawyer.
Question #2: Do You Have Reason to Believe that the Accident May Have Been Someone Else’s Fault?
Filing a personal injury claim after an accident requires evidence that the accident was someone else’s fault (or at least partially someone else’s fault). When you hire a Columbus personal injury lawyer, your lawyer will work quickly to gather this evidence before it disappears.
You don’t need to know for certain that someone else is to blame (or at least partially to blame) for your injury—in fact, you won’t know for certain until you hire a lawyer to conduct an investigation. But, if you accidentally injured yourself and no one else was involved, then the odds that you have a personal injury claim are relatively slim.
Question #3: Has It Been Less Than Two Years Since the Accident?
Ohio has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. In most cases, this means that you must file your claim in court within two years of the date of your accident. If you have waited longer than two years to take action, then it may be too late for a personal injury lawyer to help you. However, if it has been any less than two years, you still have time to file, and your lawyer will be able to take all necessary steps to protect your legal rights.
Question #4: Do You Have Ongoing Treatment Needs?
Due to the time, effort and costs involved, it often won’t make sense to pursue a personal injury claim for a minor injury. If you went to the doctor and got sent home without the need for additional medical care, then filing a personal injury claim might not be worth it. Conversely, if you have ongoing treatment needs, your medical costs will begin to add up very quickly, and filing a successful personal injury claim could be essential for maintaining your financial stability both during and after your recovery.
Question #5: Are Your Injuries Impacting Your Life in Other Ways?
When you file a personal injury claim in Ohio, you are entitled to seek (and should seek) just compensation for your financial and non-financial losses. As a result, beyond your medical bills and loss of income, it is important to think about how the accident is impacting your life in other ways as well.
Are you constantly in pain? Do you think about the accident on a daily basis? Do your injuries prevent you from spending meaningful time with your family and enjoying life? These are all losses that can increase the value of your claim—and that can increase the importance of speaking with a Columbus personal injury lawyer.
Question #6: Are You Wondering How Much You Are Entitled to Recover?
When you are dealing with the financial and non-financial impacts of a serious accident, knowing how much you are entitled to recover can help you make an informed decision about asserting your legal rights. If you are wondering how much you are entitled to recover, an experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to provide a comprehensive assessment of the value of your claim.
Question #7: Are You Prepared to Work with Your Lawyer to Recover Just Compensation?
Finally, while your lawyer will fight for just compensation on your behalf (if you have a claim), your lawyer will need you to remain actively involved during the process. If you are thinking about hiring a Columbus personal injury lawyer, you should make sure that you are prepared to do your part to recover the financial compensation you deserve.
What if your answer to each of these questions isn’t “Yes”? Lots of accident victims have more questions than answers. If you aren’t sure what happened, if you aren’t sure about your long-term treatment needs, or if you have any other questions related to your accident, it will be worth speaking with a Columbus personal injury lawyer. Again, your initial consultation is completely free (and fully confidential), and an experienced lawyer can help you make informed decisions about your next steps.
Request a Free, No-Obligation Consultation at Malek & Malek Law Firm
If you have questions about your legal rights after an accident in Ohio, we encourage you to contact us promptly for more information. To request a free, no-obligation consultation with a Columbus personal injury lawyer at Malek & Malek Law Firm, please call 888-444-7440 or send us a message online today.