What to do after a crash
- Get medical care. Get checked promptly and keep your follow-up appointments.
- Report it. Call the police and keep the crash report number.
- Document it. Photograph the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries, and get witness names and numbers.
- Notify your own insurer. Report the crash to your insurance company.
- Talk with a lawyer. Do this before giving the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement or signing a release.
Dealing with insurance companies
The other driver’s insurance company does not represent you. An adjuster may ask for a recorded statement, broad access to your medical records, or a quick signature on a release. Having a lawyer present the claim, with the records and bills that support it, keeps those conversations off your plate.
If the driver who hit you has no insurance, or not enough, the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may apply if you carry it.
What a car accident claim can cover
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Long-term disruption to your work and daily life
Fault and deadlines in Ohio
Ohio reduces an injured person’s recovery by their share of fault, and bars recovery only when their fault is greater than the combined fault of the others involved (R.C. 2315.33).
A lawsuit for bodily injury generally must be filed within two years (R.C. 2305.10). There are exceptions, and evidence is easier to gather early.
Truck and motorcycle crashes
The firm also represents people hurt in collisions involving commercial trucks and motorcycles. See personal injury for how claims usually move, or wrongful death if a crash took someone from your family.