Have you been injured in a car accident in Vermilion, Ohio? You may be entitled to compensation for your lost wages, medical treatment costs, and more. Call Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers at (440) 967-6136 and explore your legal options. Our experienced Vermilion car accident lawyers will help you maximize your recovery.
Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers has been a trusted advocate for crash victims and their families in Vermilion and throughout Ohio for decades. As nationally recognized trial lawyers with over 181 years of combined experience, we’ve forced insurance companies, manufacturers, and governments to pay our clients over $100 million in damages.
Don’t settle for less than your car accident case is worth. Trust our top-rated legal team to help you get every cent you deserve. Your initial case evaluation is free, so contact our Vermilion, OH, law office today.
How Can Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers Help You After a Car Accident in Vermilion, OH?
Someone else was careless. Now you’re struggling with serious physical injuries, unnecessary financial stress, and emotional trauma. They have to be held accountable, but that’s often easier said than done. You’ll face resistance at every turn, especially when you’re dealing with a powerful insurance company.
Force the results you deserve by trusting our Vermilion personal injury lawyers to fight for you.
Choosing Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers means working with accomplished Ohio trial lawyers who are recognized for excellence in personal injury law by Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. For decades, we’ve helped everyday people stand up to powerful corporations and demand justice after life-changing accidents. The results: millions of dollars in privately negotiated settlements and jury verdicts.
We want you to have the time you need to recover from your crash-related injuries and move forward with your life.
That’s why we’re prepared to handle every aspect of your legal claim for you:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into your car accident
- Evaluate crash reports, medical records, cell phone records, photographs, dash cam footage or other video recordings, property damage, witness statements, and other important pieces of evidence
- Determine liability for your crash-related injuries and damages
- Collaborate with forensic specialists, accident reconstructionists, vocational rehabilitation professionals, medical specialists, and other experts as we build your case
- Strategize the best ways to deal with allegations of contributory negligence
- File your car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company and the local court clerk
- Aggressively seek a substantial settlement agreement for you during negotiations
- Force the defense to take on our passionate Ohio trial attorneys in court if they refuse to make you a fair settlement offer
Our law firm will represent you on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we win compensation for your car accident claim.
Your initial case evaluation is free, so contact our car accident attorneys in Vermilion to get started today.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Hiring an experienced car accident lawyer in Vermilion as your advocate is one of the best things you can do after a wreck.
Here’s why:
- The insurance company loses any advantage it might have had, which forces the adjuster to handle your claim in good faith and engage in productive settlement negotiations
- You’re more likely to win your car accident claim when you’re represented by an attorney
- Insurance companies tend to pay more to settle claims when an attorney is involved
- You’ll be able to make informed decisions about whether to accept or reject a settlement offer because you’ll know what your claim is worth
- You won’t have to stress about meeting filing deadlines or satisfying other procedural requirements because you’ll be able to trust your attorney to take care of that for you
Car accidents are stressful. You deserve compensation. Hiring an attorney is the best way to give yourself time to recover and increase the odds of a meaningful financial recovery.
Your choice of attorney matters, which is why Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers should be your first call for help. Our Vermilion car accident attorneys have been fighting for car crash victims in Ohio for more than 70 years. Now, we’re here to invest our considerable experience and resources into your fight for justice, too.
How Much Money Is My Car Accident Case Worth?
There’s no standard value for car accident claims in Ohio. Every car wreck – and every related claim for damages – is different. At the end of the day, a variety of factors will play a part in determining how much money you might be able to recover through a car accident insurance claim or lawsuit.
- What type of car accident were you involved in?
- Did the airbags deploy?
- Were you wearing your seat belt?
- What physical injuries did you suffer?
- Is contributory negligence a factor?
- Can you still work?
- Has your income changed?
- How old were you at the time of the accident?
- Has your life expectancy changed?
- What out-of-pocket costs have you had since the accident?
- Has the accident affected your quality of life?
- Did the crash aggravate a pre-existing medical issue?
Certain things – like catastrophic injuries and disability – will increase the value of your car accident claim. Other factors – like shared fault or a failure to mitigate your damages – can limit how much money you’ll be able to recover from an insurance company or a liable third party.
Maximize your recovery by choosing Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers to handle your case. Our experienced and passionate car accident lawyers in Vermilion have helped clients win over $100 million in damages. Now, we’re here to help you recover the true value of your car accident claim, too.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim?
You’ll typically have two years from the date of your car accident in Vermilion, Ohio, to file a legal claim for damages.
The two-year statute of limitations has few exceptions, most notably involving situations where a child is injured in a crash. In these situations, the statute of limitations is tolled until their 18th birthday, giving them until they turn 20 to seek crash-related damages.
You must file your car accident claim before the statute of limitations runs out. Once the time expires, you’ll lose the right to seek damages from an insurer or an at-fault party.
What Damages Can I Get After a Car Accident?
Two types of compensatory awards are generally available to crash victims in the state of Ohio: economic and non-economic. Each is intended to help victims deal with different types of losses and experiences after a traffic accident.
Economic Damages
Getting into a car accident can be costly. Economic damages are designed to offset the financial burdens that a victim might experience after a wreck, including:
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Present medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Nursing care
- Property damage
- Funeral expenses if a car accident in Vermilion is fatal
Economic awards are limited to the losses you can verify or project, as supported by invoices, receipts, wage statements, and other documentation.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are designed to help victims cope with hard-to-value trauma related to a collision, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Disfigurement
- Physical scarring
- Embarrassment
In limited situations, an Ohio jury can also award punitive damages. When a car accident lawsuit goes to trial, punitive damages are appropriate when there’s compelling evidence that a defendant acted with gross negligence or tried to cause harm intentionally.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Car Accident Attorney?
Car accidents are expensive and stressful. Hiring a personal injury attorney in Vermilion to help you secure a much-needed financial award shouldn’t add to the pressure you’re under. That’s why Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers represents crash victims in Vermilion on contingency.
We are so confident that we can help you recover compensation that we’ll only recover a fee if we win your car accident case.
No win, no fee. That’s our promise to you right now.
When we win compensation for you, our fee (typically between 33 and 40 percent) comes right out of your financial recovery, less any case-related expenses.
Learn more about the benefits of working with our award-winning car accident attorneys in Vermilion by calling our law office today. Members of our team are always available to help – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Can I Recover Compensation If I Share Some of the Blame For My Car Accident?
It depends. Ohio’s modified comparative negligence statute applies to civil car accident claims. Under the law, you cannot recover compensation from a third party if you’re 51 percent or more at fault for a wreck.
You can recover some compensation if your liability is equal to or less than half. Damages are reduced based on fault.
Let’s say you’re injured in a rear-end collision at an intersection in Vermilion. Your case is valued to be worth $100,000. However, you’re assigned 50 percent of the blame for the collision because you were distracted. As a result, your maximum financial recovery is limited to $50,000. Your settlement or jury award is cut in half because of your contributory negligence.
It’s important to prepare yourself for victim-blaming tactics. The insurance company won’t hesitate to point fingers and try to shift liability for the wreck. If you do nothing, these tactics could severely limit your financial recovery or prevent one altogether.
Our Vermillion car accident attorneys will anticipate these tactics and have a strategy in place to limit how much – if any – proportional fault is assigned to you.
Will My Car Accident Case Go to Trial?
It’s unlikely. Only about 4 to 5 percent of car accident lawsuits get to that stage. However, there’s always the possibility that your case will defy the odds and end up in front of a jury.
Several factors can influence whether your case is settled privately or goes to trial:
- Has the insurance company handled your car accident claim in good faith?
- Has the insurance company made you a settlement offer?
- What does your attorney believe your damages are worth?
- Is liability being challenged?
- How far apart are the parties in terms of valuation?
The best way to force the insurance company’s hand and get a meaningful settlement offer is by hiring a respected Ohio trial attorney to handle your car accident claim. When you make it clear that you’re not afraid to go the extra mile and take your car accident lawsuit to a jury, the insurance company will be more inclined to try to settle your dispute.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Vermilion?
The things you do in the minutes, hours, and days after your car accident will have a serious impact on your ability to recover compensation through an insurance claim or car accident lawsuit.
Set yourself up for a successful legal claim by:
- Calling 911 to report your car accident right away
- Staying at or near the scene of the wreck while you wait for police and other first responders to arrive
- Exchanging insurance information with other parties
- Refusing to acknowledge fault or accept blame for the crash, even if you think you’re responsible
- Taking pictures and documenting the scene of the accident
- Getting to the closest emergency room to you in Vermilion for prompt medical treatment
- Resisting the urge to accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer, particularly if you haven’t consulted an attorney
- Refusing to provide the insurance company with a recorded statement (unless explicitly directed to do so by your lawyer)
- Hiring an experienced Ohio car accident attorney in Vermilion to represent you
Accidents are anything but convenient. That’s why Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers has staff standing by to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Vermilion law office to speak with our team about your car accident case today.
Types of Car Accident Claims We Handle
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we’re passionate about fighting for crash victims in Vermilion. Backed by 181 years of collective experience, our top-rated car accident attorneys are known for successfully advocating for clients who’ve been injured in all types of car accidents, including:
Rollovers
Rollover car accidents tend to happen when a vehicle’s tire “trips” on a hazard on the road surface or when a vehicle makes a sharp turn at a high rate of speed. In these collisions, the vehicle flips to its side, onto its roof, or rolls over completely one or more times. Nationally, rollovers account for about 30 percent of all auto accident fatalities.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are most commonly seen at intersections and while vehicles are in stop and go traffic. While these types of accidents have low fatality rates, they can still inflict serious injuries – including whiplash, soft tissue injuries, and head trauma.
Head-On Crashes
Head-on crashes can occur when two vehicles collide head-on or when the front end of one vehicle strikes a fixed object. These accidents are known for being deadly, accounting for one out of every 10 car accident fatalities each year.
Side Impact Collisions
Side impact collisions – which can include broadside accidents, T-bone accidents, and sideswipes – tend to happen when drivers make risky left-hand turns and run red lights at intersections. Since the sides of vehicles have very little to absorb the force of a collision, these types of accidents can be quite serious. Statistically speaking, about 27 percent of all crash fatalities are caused by side impact collisions.
Who Could Be Liable For My Car Accident?
Liability refers to a party’s financial responsibility for property damage, injuries, and/or deaths resulting from a motor vehicle accident. Under Ohio law, liability extends to anyone whose negligent or wrongful actions contribute to a wreck.
Depending on the specific circumstances of your car accident claim, liable parties might include a:
- Driver of another passenger vehicle
- Motorcyclist
- Truck driver
- Pedestrian
- Bicyclist
- Uber or Lyft rideshare driver
- Bus driver
- Transportation company
- Vehicle manufacturer
- Vehicle mechanic
- Government agency
- Property owner
You may also have the right to sue a negligent party’s employer if they’re vicariously liable for the wreck. In Ohio, employers are responsible for their employee’s conduct. So, if you’re injured by a negligent truck driver, you might have a legitimate claim against the trucking company they work for.
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents can inflict a wide range of injuries. Several factors will influence the types of injuries you’re most likely to suffer and how serious they might be.
Where were you sitting in the vehicle? Was your seatbelt engaged? How fast was your vehicle moving at the time of the collision? Did the airbags deploy? What type of car accident were you involved in?
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we’re here to help you seek compensation for any trauma you’ve suffered because of a car accident in Vermilion, including:
- Nerve damage
- Crush injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Head injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones
- Chest injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Thoracic injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Eye injuries
- Leg injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a family member
Don’t hesitate to contact our law office in Vermilion to discuss your car accident case. You’ll have a limited time to seek compensation for your crash-related injuries, so reach out to set a time for a free consultation now.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?
Car accidents in Vermilion tend to happen because someone is negligent. Negligence involves a deviation from accepted standards of care.
In the context of a car accident, this might involve:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Drowsy driving
- Speeding
- Following too closely
- Road rage
- Illegal turns
- Improper passing
- Failing to signal
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Rolling stops
- Running red lights
- Vehicle defects
- Road defects
When someone else’s carelessness causes a wreck, you may have the right to hold them accountable for the harm you’ve experienced. Discuss your crash with our award-winning car accident lawyers in Vermilion today.
Vermilion Car Accident Statistics
Located on picturesque Lake Erie in the northern part of Ohio, Vermilion is centralized in one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations. As the city’s population surges, traffic can pose a challenge for motorist safety.
Not surprisingly, dozens of car accidents are reported in Vermilion, Ohio, every year.
According to state crash data, the Vermilion Police Department responded to 54 car accidents in 2023. At least 12 percent of these collisions caused an injury.
Call our Vermilion Car Accident Lawyer For Help Today
You should not have to struggle with the consequences of a recent crash in Vermilion, Ohio, on your own. Whether another driver was texting at the wheel, drunk, or simply driving too fast for road conditions, they have to be held accountable for your injuries, trauma, and costs. Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers is passionate about helping you make things right.
Our Vermilion car accident lawyers are backed by over 181 years of collective experience and an unrivaled record of success. We force insurance companies to do the right thing, and the results speak volumes.
We’ve successfully recovered over $100 million in verdicts and settlements. Now, we’re prepared to help you maximize your recovery, too.
Get started by calling our law office in Vermilion today. There is no charge for your initial case evaluation.