Dayton Car Accident Lawyer

If you suffered injuries in a car collision, a Dayton car accident lawyer from The Fitch Law Firm may be able to help you with your case and recover compensation from the negligent driver. Our accident lawyers at the Fitch Law Firm can represent you and your family during this time and pursue financial recovery for your damages.

You can reach our team today for a free consultation and case review. We can explain your legal rights, how we may be able to help, and how our firm represents accident victims based on a contingency fee agreement. Our Dayton personal injury lawyer is ready to support you through this challenging time.

Types of Damages a Dayton Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You Pursue

Suffering injuries in a vehicle accident caused by someone else’s negligence could entitle you to recover compensation. You may be able to hold the at-fault driver accountable through an insurance claim or a civil court trial.

When preparing your case, our team will discuss what losses you’ve experienced and might experience due to your accident injuries. We will calculate a financial value for these losses, then use this estimate to pursue compensation on your behalf. Different types of damages may qualify you for compensation, such as:

• Current medical treatment costs and other medical expenses
• Future medical treatment costs, such as costs for therapy or long-term care
• Lost wages, including wages you might expect to lose if your injuries are long-term or permanent
• Reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Diminished quality of life
• Permanent disability or disfigurement, including scarring and burn marks

The exact types and amounts of damages you recover will vary. Our team can help ensure you do not leave any damages out of your claim or lawsuit.

Recovering Damages After the Loss of a Loved One

If the Dayton car crash resulted in your loved one’s death, you might qualify for filing a wrongful death lawsuit. This could allow your family to recover other types of damages, including:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of benefits and financial support from the deceased
• Mental anguish, which includes depression, grief, and psychological trauma
• Loss of consortium if you are the spouse of the decedent
• Loss of guidance and nurturing
• Loss of parental guidance if you are the child of the decedent
• Loss of inheritance
• Medical debts passed down from the decedent

For many individuals and families, recovering maximum compensation for their expenses and losses is critical for rebuilding their lives after a crash. It can relieve much of the financial stress that comes as a result of a significant accident. For example, it helps them manage their medical bills and choose suitable rehabilitation options.

Our legal team aims to be sensitive to this challenging period in your life. We can manage your case for you while you grieve with your family. Having an experienced personal injury law firm able to provide objective legal counsel throughout your journey can also protect you while you are emotionally vulnerable.

Our Dayton Car Accident Lawyers Want to Help You Fight For Justice

Beyond monetary payment, the value of a successful accident claim may come from the sense of justice achieved by holding the at-fault party accountable for their behavior.

Our Fitch Law Firm LLC team will talk to you about your accident today. We can start with a free, no-obligation, confidential consultation. If you decide to work with us, we can explain your legal options, offer advice based on the facts of your case, and provide a variety of services to help you. 

You will never have to worry about hourly lawyer rates. You will not pay us unless we recover money for you.

Why Choose The Fitch Law Firm LLC to Handle Your Dayton Car Accident Claim?

If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a car crash or motorcycle accident, discussing your case with a law firm may not be at the top of your to-do list. It may seem like a daunting task. However, it could be your first step in making a legal claim and returning to solid financial standing.

Having the help of an attorney from our team on your side could be highly valuable to you. We may be able to help you recover compensation for your losses, ease your financial burden, and get back on track. Some reasons why our clients say they chose the Fitch Law Firm LLC include the following:

• Proven effectiveness: Our case results can speak for us. Some of our case results for motor vehicle accident cases include a $1,450,000 verdict for a victim who suffered a leg injury in a car accident and a $1,150,000 verdict for a victim who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a truck accident.
• Experienced advantage: With over 30 years of experience in personal injury law, we know how to handle car accident claims and lawsuits. We know what to look for when reviewing insurance policies and what your rights are within Ohio’s personal injury laws.
• Publicly trusted: We have been recognized by legal organizations and the media. The Fitch Law Firm LLC’s attorneys have been listed as one of the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers and the Top 3 Personal Injury Lawyers.
• Contingency fee payment structure: You do not need to pay upfront or hourly fees. You also pay no attorney’s fees unless we obtain compensation for you. This is our contingency fee agreement. In addition, we take our costs and expenses out of your compensation reward, so you never have to pay out of pocket.
• Considerate consultation: Your initial consultation with us is free. You can speak with a team member and review any questions and concerns about the claims or legal process. Our representative will review your case and any evidence you might have, then explain the available legal options.
• Compassionate treatment: We do not want you to experience any unnecessary stress related to your claim. That is why we will work closely with you, answer your questions clearly, and communicate regularly about your case.
• Always accessible: You can call our office any time. You can also chat online with one of the representatives on our website.

What to Expect From a Collaboration With a Car Accident Lawyer

When you reach out to a car accident attorney after a collision, you can take the opportunity to discuss the nature of your accident and how you’d like to react to it. Specifically, you can work with legal professionals to determine if negligence played a role in your losses and how you can address those losses via a civil complaint.

Specifically, our team can outline what information you’d need to bring forward if you wanted to submit a civil complaint to a local county clerk. In most cases, your car accident claim should detail:

• The identity of the party you believe to be responsible for your collision
• Evidence of negligence on the part of a liable party
• An estimate of the economic value of your accident
• Evidence of your financial losses and an estimate of your desired compensation

By collecting this information and presenting it to a county clerk, you allow a judge and other applicable parties to determine your right to civil action. If your claim gets approved, you can count on a car collision attorney to recommend a course of action that can lead you toward compensation, be that a settlement negotiation or a car wreck trial.

Typical Car Accidents in Dayton, OH

Even the safest drivers can suffer a car accident in Dayton. That’s because so many factors can play into a single incident. Some of the most common causes of car accidents in the area include:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Aggressive driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Failure to abide by traffic signs and signals
• Failure to yield right of way
• Following too closely
• Making improper turns
• Improper lane changes
• Road hazards, like debris or potholes

These causes of car accidents can affect how severe an accident is and the bodily injury and property damage an accident can cause.

Your Time to Act After a Dayton Car Accident Is Limited

You have only a small window of time to take legal action against the driver who caused your crash in Dayton. With limited exceptions, you generally have two years from the date of your car accident to file a personal injury claim, per Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10. If you are filing a lawsuit about your loved one’s wrongful death, Ohio Revised Code Section 2125.02 starts the two-year filing period on the date of the victim’s death.

When you seek help, we can help ensure you meet all applicable timelines and do not lose the right to sue. The sooner you reach out to our Dayton car accident lawyer, the more time we have to build your case and pursue your legal options for recovering compensation before time runs out.

Four Important Actions for Victims to Remember After an Accident in Dayton, Ohio

If you were the victim of a collision in the Dayton area, it might be challenging to remain calm and sensible. However, if you can do these four things, it may help your legal case later on:

Get Medical Attention

This should always be the first priority when someone is hurt in an accident, even if the injury appears relatively minor. Getting medical care could save you from a more serious medical condition later.

Further, from a legal standpoint, you may want to document your injuries and connect them to the accident by virtue of your medical records. Seeing a doctor immediately makes this easier. These records may be the critical evidence in your claim and, if necessary, the lawsuit to recover much-needed compensation.

You should also continue to seek medical treatment per your doctor’s orders. Continuing treatment can ensure you stay on track to recover or prevent further injury, illness, or other harm. This can help you maintain your health, reduce the likelihood of future severe treatments, and moderate future medical costs.

Document the Car Accident Scene

If your injuries allow, you should get information about:

• Which drivers were involved in the car accident
• All involved parties’ contact information
• All involved drivers’ insurance and driver’s license information
• Contact information of any eyewitnesses of the accident in case they can provide testimony

Do not forget to take photos or videos of the scene, including where each vehicle stopped, marks on the road, injuries, damage to your car, and any possible contributing hazards.

File an Accident Report With the Police

Officers will file a report about the crash if law enforcement responds to the accident scene. This document may be the critical evidence to support your injury claim. If not, you may need to file one.

If you were not able to retrieve a copy of the accident report, a lawyer from our firm might do so for you. We understand that many clients might have been too injured to document their accidents fully, so we are prepared to retrieve information for you if necessary.

Contact an Accident Attorney in the Dayton Area

Enlist the help of our Dayton car accident attorney and let your lawyer speak for you. Insurance adjusters, representatives of the at-fault party, and others may try to do anything they can to undermine your case. If your injuries are serious, do not sign anything or accept a settlement from the insurer without speaking with a lawyer first.

Consulting an attorney before accepting a settlement or giving any statement can protect your right to recover fair compensation and eliminate the risk of accidentally taking the blame for the accident. It can also help you avoid accepting a settlement offer that is too low. 

We can guide you through every step of the process, provide sound legal advice, and represent you to other parties as necessary.

Filing a Car Accident Complaint Allows You to Demand Compensation For Your Losses

The car accident claim that an attorney can help you file does more than allow you to seek justice for your losses. These claims give you a platform on which you may discuss the losses you endured due to someone else’s negligence and why the law dictates that you might deserve compensation for your financial stress.

That said, you need to specifically detail the expenses tied to your car accident if you want to hold a liable party financially responsible for your recovery. Specifically, you should work with an attorney to determine if you qualify for any of the following economic and/or non-economic damages:

• Medical expenses and/or future care
• At-home assistance throughout the recovery process
• Property restoration/replacement
• Lost wages and/or opportunities for employment
• Emotional distress
• Stress
• PTSD and accident-related mental health conditions
• Pain and suffering

As mentioned, you can further discuss your right to compensation for a loved one’s wrongful death should your car accident prove fatal. While only certain parties can pursue wrongful death claims on a loved one’s behalf, doing so can help you contend with the expense of a funeral as well as that death’s impact on your income.

Our Dayton Attorneys Can Advise You Throughout Your Car Accident Case

Putting a fair settlement value on a case is rarely straightforward, and many victims do not know that it is more complex than it seems. Not only are there future and intangible damages to value, but there are also complicated questions to answer, such as:

• What if it was partly my fault?
• What if the accident caused problems with an old injury?
• Will my insurance cover my rental car? What about parking at the doctor’s office?

Our experienced car accident lawyers can help you answer these questions and more. Hiring a lawyer ensures you have someone on your side who knows what to expect and what to do. For more information about your right to a civil claim after a car accident, you can contact the Fitch Law team online or over the phone and schedule a case consultation.

FAQs On Motor Vehicle Accident Cases in Ohio

How Much Money Can I Get in a Car Accident Claim?
The Driver Who Hit Me Was Uninsured Or Underinsured. How Do I Get Paid?
My Loved One Died in a Dayton Car Accident. What Legal Actions Can I Take?
My Dayton Automobile Accident Happened Years Ago. Can I Still Make a Claim Now?

Q: How Much Money Can I Get in a Car Accident Claim?

A: There is no single answer to this, as your compensation depends on your accident’s circumstances. This includes the severity of your injuries, the wages you lost, your non-economic damages, and other damages. Your age at the time of the accident may also impact how much compensation you could receive.

Q: The Driver Who Hit Me Was Uninsured Or Underinsured. How Do I Get Paid?

A: Your first option could be your uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This is an optional insurance policy in Ohio. It guarantees that your insurer will cover your costs if an uninsured or underinsured driver hurts you.

If you have not purchased UM/UIM insurance, your other option could be to sue the uninsured or underinsured driver. If the driver has different insurance policies that cover assets, you may be able to look into those options.

Q: My Loved One Died in a Dayton Car Accident. What Legal Actions Can I Take?

A: When a person dies due to someone else’s negligence, their family may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. Close surviving relatives, such as a parent, spouse, or child, may make a claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company. You may also consider filing a wrongful death lawsuit if the settlement offer is inadequate or the insurance company refuses to pay.

Q: My Dayton Automobile Accident Happened Years Ago. Can I Still Make a Claim Now?

A: It is vital to act immediately when pursuing compensation for a distracted driving accident. States have specific laws called “statutes of limitations.” These laws set general time limits for filing a personal injury lawsuit. In Ohio, with limited exceptions, you must bring a personal injury case or wrongful death case within two years after the date of injury or death.

If you were a minor when your Dayton accident occurred, the statute of limitations might not have started on the date of your injury. Your car accident lawyer from the Fitch Law Firm LLC can help you understand how the statute of limitations applies to your case under these circumstances.