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Youngstown Car Accident Lawyer 

Have you suffered a serious injury caused by the recklessness of another? Contact a qualified car accident lawyer in Youngstown for help. 

The car accident claims process can be complex. Especially when you are still recovering from your injuries. But when you have a dedicated legal professional working on your case, you’ll be able to focus on recovering. Your Youngstown car accident lawyer will work behind the scenes to get you the compensation you deserve.

At Rafidi, Pallante & Melewski LLC, we are committed to advocating for our client’s rights. If we are able to take on your case, you can be sure we’ll do everything possible to ensure that the at-fault party is brought to justice. 

Cause and Fault in Youngstown Car Accidents

Figuring out who is responsible for causing your car accident in Youngstown is critical if you hope to be successful with your car accident claim. There are several parties who could have contributed to the cause of your accident. 

Let’s start out by examining the fault of the other involved driver. In many cases, the driver of the vehicle that struck you will be found liable for your injuries. This is usually because they were engaging in:

When a driver is driving in any way that is not considered safe, they are at risk for causing a serious car accident. If this happened in your case, the other involved driver will likely be responsible for compensating you. 

But there are other parties who could be at fault for your injuries. For example, maybe a car part on any of the vehicles involved in the accident malfunctioned or was defective in some way. If this is the case, then the automaker, vehicle parts manufacturer, parts supplier, maintenance technicians, safety inspectors, and other relevant parties could all be held accountable for compensating you.

There’s also the real possibility that the roads themselves we’re not safe to be driving on. Maybe there was a missing street sign, broken traffic light, broken pavement, unsecured road construction zone, or other problem on the roadway that caused the accident. 

In cases like these, the government agency responsible for maintaining the roads, such as the Ohio Department of Transportation, could be found liable for causing your injuries. Only after carefully reviewing the details of your case will your Youngstown injury lawyer know who is responsible for causing your car accident.

How the Insurance Company Influences Your Youngstown Car Accident Settlement

Ohio is a fault state when it comes to car accidents. This means that after you have been involved in a car accident, you need to file a claim with the liable party’s insurance provider. It is important to remember that the insurance company is not on your side here. By settling your claim, the insurance company will lose money. 

For this reason, it is safe to assume that the insurance adjuster will look for any reason they can find to reduce the amount they’re obligated to pay you. There are a couple of ways the insurance companies go about accomplishing this goal. 

For example, they may attempt to place more blame on you for causing the accident after taking your statement, or they could even make you a quick settlement offer. While this may sound like a great opportunity to obtain the compensation you need, the truth is that the amount the insurance company is offering you probably isn’t going to come close to what your damages are actually worth. 

With this in mind, it is more than likely in your best interests to have your car accident lawyer in Youngstown handle negotiations with the car insurance company. This way, you don’t have to worry about being taken advantage of in your time of need. 

Maximizing Your Youngstown Car Accident Settlement

Being awarded compensation for your suffering won’t magically cure all your problems. But it can go a long way in helping cover your financial cost both now and in the future. 

You can expect your lawyer to take into consideration every single way in which your life has been negatively impacted by the accident and the various ways it could be impacted in the future. This includes both financial and non-financial losses. Some of the most commonly sought after economic (financial) and non-economic (non-financial) damages include:

  • Lost quality of life
  • Pain and suffering
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Loss of companionship and love
  • Emotional distress
  • Lost wages
  • Scarring
  • Unexpected child care expenses
  • Property damage
  • Disfigurement
  • Household maintenance costs
  • Medical expenses and equipment 

These are just a few of the most frequent losses that injury victims endure after a car accident. If you have other financial or non-financial damages that should be included when your car accident lawyer in Youngstown is calculating the value of your claim, you can be sure that they will be included so your injury settlement is maximized.

Meet with a Car Accident Lawyer in Youngstown

To learn more about filing a claim, contact a qualified Youngstown car accident lawyer at Rafidi, Pallante & Melewski LLC by giving us a call at 1-866-494-5387. You can also submit the quick contact form provided below when you are ready to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

Youngstown Car Accident FAQ

We understand how overwhelmed you must be feeling having so much information to sift through. To ease your mind and provide you with the answers you’re actually looking for, we have provided the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions below.  If you have other questions that have not been addressed on this page, you can contact our office to further discuss the circumstances of your case. 

How long do I have to file my claim?

  The length of time you have to file your Youngstown personal injury claim is two years. This is referred to as the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits under Ohio law. If your claim is not filed before the state’s statute of limitations expires, you will lose the opportunity to bring the liable party to justice in civil court.    

 

What happens if I’m partly responsible for the accident?

Sharing fault for an accident is more common than you might think. Ohio’s contributory negligence law is based on comparative fault. This means that those who contributed to their accidents are not barred from obtaining compensation for their losses from the other liable party. However, it is important to note that if you do share fault, your percentage of blame will be deducted from your award. For example, if you were found to be 10 percent responsible for the accident, your award would then be reduced by 10 percent.

Can I file a claim on behalf of my child?

Absolutely. Children cannot advocate for themselves in civil court, so it’s up to you as their parent or guardian to take action on their behalf. Children have the same right to compensation after suffering considerable physical, financial, and emotional losses, so you can certainly pursue a civil lawsuit for their car accident injuries for them.