
Getting hurt in an accident with a large commercial truck can be a traumatizing, painful, and costly experience. Accident victims may experience disabling and catastrophic injuries, steep medical expenses, and other high out-of-pocket costs. If you or a loved one has been injured in a T-bone accident, you could have legal recourse.
However, timely action can be crucial as time is generally limited for filing personal injury lawsuits in Ohio. A Columbus T-Bone accident lawyer can determine if you have a case and advise you on your best course of action.
Contact a truck accident attorney from The Fitch Law Firm LLC today to schedule a consultation and learn more about the compensation you could receive from a claim.
Common Causes of T-Bone Truck Accidents in Columbus
The Ohio Department of Transportation has one of the largest safety programs in the country and has recently received more than $6 million in funding for traffic safety projects in Franklin County alone, focusing on historically dangerous locations like Wilson Road, and the intersection at Hague Avenue and Fisher Road.
The need for such projects speaks to the possible dangers that many motorists face on Central Ohio roads. Columbus is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, and the high volume of traffic that accompanies its expanding populations can create hazardous situations on the road. As a result, serious misfortunes like t-bone truck accidents can take place even when drivers are doing their best to practice safety.
Common causes of side-impact accidents include:
- Failure to yield at intersections
- Red-light violations
- Distracted driving
- Wide-turn accidents
- Speeding and other unsafe driving behaviors
If you were the victim of a trucking accident, filing a claim may be far from your top priority when dealing with the immediate aftermath of an accident. Gathering photos, taking notes, and collecting contacts may not be what your mind jumps to when you’re injured. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t build a strong claim.
Our Firm Has an Impressive Track Record
The Fitch Law Firm LLC has represented individuals and families throughout Ohio for over 30 years. We have helped many people recover settlements and awards in complex cases involving catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and negligent drivers.
We work on their behalf to recover compensation that helps them move forward with their lives after unfortunate events and losses. We also help truck accident victims pursue the awards they are due. We’ve delivered impressive case results for a number of severe and fatal truck collision victims, some of which include:
- $5,000,000 for a wrongful death truck accident
- $1,150,000 for a traumatic brain injury caused by a truck crash
- $1,000,000 for a traumatic brain injury caused by a truck crash
While results vary according to each case’s circumstances, we believe the awards we’ve delivered in the past show our commitment to improving the lives of our clients. If you or a loved one was in a truck accident, a Columbus T-bone attorney from our firm can meet with you via a free consultation.
The Last Thing You Should Worry About Is How You’re Going To Pay For Your Medical Bills.
Compensation You Might Receive From a Truck Collision Claim
The compensation you receive from a truck collision insurance claim or lawsuit can help you pay your accident-related bills and allow you the financial breathing room you need to recover from your injuries. A T-bone accident lawyer in Columbus can evaluate all of your losses and request the following damages:
- Medical bills
- Ongoing and future medical care costs
- Vehicle repair costs
- Lost wages
- Decreased future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Mental Distress
- Diminished quality of life
Unfortunately, securing the damages you need to recuperate from your accident isn’t as easy as asking for them. Your truck accident attorney must identify the liable and find evidence that proves they should be held responsible for your losses. While that might sound complicated, it shouldn’t be too difficult for our dedicated and experienced attorneys in Columbus.
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim After a Fatal Truck Accident
Losing a loved one in a sudden and violent car wreck can be incredibly traumatizing and painful. If you’ve lost a spouse or family member in an accident caused by a negligent truck driver, you deserve to collect compensation for the pain and financial obstacles you’re dealing with.
A wrongful death attorney from our firm can offer compassionate counsel and gently guide you through filing a claim for your deceased family member. If successful, your claim could yield compensation for any of the following losses:
- The decedent’s medical bills
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Lost income
- Lost inheritance
- Loss of services provided by the decedent
- Loss of companionship and consortium
- Mental anguish
A lawyer can also help you determine which of your family members is eligible to benefit from a wrongful death claim. Ohio allows the following parties to take legal action after the wrongful loss of a family member:
- Spouse
- Children
- Parents
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There To Help
You All The Way
Potential At-Fault Parties in a Columbus T-Bone Truck Accident Case
Transporting goods in a large commercial truck is a complicated process that involves many parties to complete correctly and safely. As a result, there could be various potential liable parties in a case, including but not limited to:
The Trucking Company
The trucking company is generally responsible for ensuring that the business, trucks, and drivers all operate according to federal and local state laws. A T-bone accident attorney in Columbus may hold the trucking company responsible if it:
- Hired truckers with bad driving records
- Failed to adequately train drivers
- Skipped maintenance and servicing of trucks
- Rushed and pressured drivers to meet unreasonable delivery quotas
A Third-Party Vendor
Trucking companies may outsource truck service, vehicle repairs, training, hiring, and other tasks to a third-party vendor. If this third-party business acted recklessly and negligently, it might be held responsible for your losses.
The Truck Manufacturer
T-bone truck accidents can happen due to manufacturing defects or defective truck parts. When this occurs, a manufacturer could potentially be on the hook for the medical bills and other losses you’ve endured.
Your lawyer may call on expert witnesses with specialist technical expertise to help identify issues with the truck and its components. The evidence that the expert finds can be used to hold the at-fault manufacturer liable.
How The Fitch Law Firm Can Help
If you were t-boned in a truck accident, our personal injury team can handle your case so that you can focus your energy on recovery. We understand how overwhelming it can be to navigate the complexities of the legal field after an accident, especially if there may be more than one party at fault. That’s why we are committed to helping accident victims like you assert their rights and pursue justice and compensation.
We can help your t-bone truck accident case by:
- Launching a full investigation into your trucking accident’s circumstances
- Identifying all liable parties
- Collecting evidence like crash reports, logging data, and surveillance footage
- Calculating damages for medical expenses, lost income, and future care needs
- Managing communications with the at-fault driver and/or other responsible parties
- Handling negotiations with insurance carriers
- Providing litigation support if other parties refuse to settle
Trucking accidents can often produce serious injuries that require extensive and long-term treatment. In Columbus, there are numerous medical institutions whose high quality care can help community members like you achieve recovery, including:
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
- OhioHealth Grant Medical Center
- Mount Carmel Health System
But at The Fitch Law Firm, we also understand that extensive medical treatment can be costly for the average person, and facing mounting medical costs when you’re forced to take time off work can easily feel overwhelming. That’s why our legal team helps injury victims pursue their claims and alleviate the financial burden that comes with getting adequate medical care by obtaining a fair and reasonable settlement on your claim. Because we believe in making justice and fair compensation accessible, we work on a contingency-fee basis, which means that you’ll pay nothing unless we secure compensation for you.
Focus on taking care of yourself; we’ll handle your legal needs.
How a Columbus Truck Accident Lawyer Can Hold the At-Fault Party Liable
Since the insurance company won’t simply take your word for it that the trucking company or their driver caused the accident, your attorney must collect evidence, prove fault, and demand that the guilty party compensate you.
Here’s what your Columbus T-Bones accident attorney can do to hold the at-fault party liable:
Gather Evidence
Evidence is one of the most important parts of your claim. Without it, your attorney wouldn’t be able to prove how the accident happened or who caused it. If you hire a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, they can help gather crucial evidence before it has a chance to disappear.
After your accident, you may still be able to retrieve traffic camera footage from the accident location and request a copy of any police report made by the Columbus Division of Police or other local law enforcement. A Columbus truck accident lawyer can help you manage your accident claim from the very first step and pursue all liable parties so that you can recover the full damages you’re owed.
Your lawyer will gather the following pieces of evidence to build your case:
- Eye-witness statements
- The trucking company’s records
- The driver’s record and background
- The truck’s maintenance records
- Photos of the accident scene
- Footage of the collision
Prove Your Injuries and Damages
Victims of truck accidents can struggle with assessing all their damages, including potential future medical expenses. A truck accident attorney knows how to calculate economic as well as non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.
They can help you with collecting proof of your losses, including the relevant medical statements, receipts for out-of-pocket costs, and evidence for lost wages. Once they’ve gathered sufficient proof, they’ll likely be able to convince insurers or a court that you deserve maximum compensation for the financial and emotional hardships you’ve been burdened with.
Represent You in Court
While most personal injury claims are resolved with out-of-court settlements, you may need to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your losses. However, with our team on your side, you won’t need to worry about this. A T-bone accident lawyer from our Columbus team can protect your legal rights and fight for the verdict you deserve.
Filing Deadline for Truck Accident Claims in Ohio
One of your Columbus T-bone accident lawyer’s most important jobs is making sure your lawsuit is filed on time. That’s because the state of Ohio has a statute of limitations for personal injury suits that must be adhered to.
According to Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10, you have two years from the date of your collision to submit a civil suit. If your filing deadline has passed, it might be difficult to obtain the compensation you deserve, but you should still consult an attorney.
Call A Columbus Truck Accident Attorney for Help Now
Truck accident cases can be difficult to manage. Luckily, our truck accident attorneys know how to find evidence, prove negligence, and fight for ample compensation. They’ll work tirelessly to secure the damages you need to get back on your feet.
The Fitch Law Firm LLC can handle every aspect of your claim and fight for your rights to justice and compensation while you are recovering. Contact a Columbus T-bone accident lawyer from our team today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.