What Types of Damages Can I Claim in an Ohio Personal Injury Case?

What types of damages can I claim in a personal injury case in Ohio?

Ohio law allows victims of the negligence or recklessness of another to seek two basic types of harm in personal injury cases. These are damage for economic loss and damage for non-economic loss. In certain circumstances, a person who has suffered personal injury may also seek punitive damages.

Before going into any explanation of what constitutes economic and non-economic loss, it must be established that compensation for these losses can be sought in all types of personal injury and in cases of death.

This means that the victim, surviving family member, or legal enforcer can seek compensation after injury or death

• A car, truck, or motorcycle accident;
• A pedestrian accident;
• A bicycle or scooter accident;
• A truck accident;
• A slip or fall, a category that includes drowning, drowning, electric shock, and electric shock;
• A dog bite or an animal attack;
• Medical malpractice;
• Neglect or abuse of nursing homes;
• A medication mistake;
• An anesthetic mistake;
• A defective or dangerous product; or
• An attack that courts and lawyers describe as an intentional tort.

Definition of economic and non-economic losses

At Heit Law, we focus on vehicle and pedestrian accidents, bus crashes, and dog bites. If a customer hires us, we seek compensation for that person in accordance with the general provisions of Section 2315.18 of the Revised Ohio Code.

This state law defines economic and non-economic losses. First, economic loss includes “any wages, salaries or other compensation lost as a result of an injury” and “expenses for medical care or treatment, rehabilitation, or other care, treatment, services, products, or accommodation as a result of an injury. “Expenses for travel, repair and replacement of vehicles as well as other activities necessary for recovery after the accident can also be claimed.

The law then lists noneconomic damage as “pain and suffering, loss of society, consortium, camaraderie, caring, assistance, attention, protection, counseling, guidance, counseling, instruction, training or education, disfigurement, emotional distress and other intangibles” Loss.”

Most of the terms are not self-explanatory. For example, “consortium” means “sex with a spouse or domestic partner”. A disfigurement can be a permanent scar or an amputated limb. It is important to understand that each relates to having and enjoying the best parts of life, such as physical comfort, emotional security, livelihood, maintaining relationships, maintaining friendships, keeping a family together, and raising children.

A note on punitive damages

Punitive damages are typically only available to Heit Law clients if a drunk or drugged driver caused their injuries. Punitive damages are not criminal fines imposed by a civil litigation jury to punish reckless behavior and to serve as role models to potentially reckless people. Any award of punitive damages is separate from and in addition to damages for economic and non-economic losses.

The actual damage that a personal injury victim can claim, as well as the amount of compensation that can be received, will vary depending on the circumstances. Consulting an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney in Ohio is the best way to resolve the matter.

You can speak to Corey Heit of Heit Law in Westerville by calling (614) 898-5300 or connecting with him online. Corey is available to people in Columbus and across central Ohio. The first discussion is free.