Cincinnati Speeding Accident Lawyers
Speed limits are designed to protect everyone on the road. Despite the careful evaluation and planning of speed limits, people frequently operate in defiance of posted signage when they are in a hurry, and they risk not only being issued a citation for a traffic violation but also possibly causing a severe injury accident.
You may very well know that another driver’s speeding was the cause of your car crash, but proving this can be challenging. Unless a law enforcement officer saw the speeding offense and cited the driver, it will likely be your word against that of the negligent driver.
If you suffered serious injuries or your loved one was killed in a motor vehicle accident caused by another driver speeding in the greater Cincinnati area, do not hesitate to seek legal representation. You are going to want the help of an experienced personal injury attorney in obtaining the compensation you need and deserve.
Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC has office locations in West Chester, Ohio, and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. You can have our lawyers assess all of your legal options when you call (513) 351-5997 or contact us online to receive a free consultation.
Do I Need A Speeding Accident Lawyer?
You are going to need to hire an attorney when you or a loved one have been injured or worse in a car accident caused by speeding. An experienced lawyer will know how to collect the evidence you need to prove that speeding caused the crash. The first thing an attorney will do is conduct an independent investigation of your collision to collect all of the relevant evidence.
When necessary, a lawyer can also work with accident reconstruction specialists to prove that speed was a factor in the crash. The most important task you need an attorney for is dealing with the other driver’s insurance company.
All insurance companies have a goal of settling these cases for as little as possible, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by denying claims entirely. Insurers will look for any way possible to pin as much blame on you as possible, and one of the primary ways this is accomplished is by getting victims to unknowingly make statements during recorded phone calls that damage their injury claims.
An insurance company may reach out to you soon after your crash and tell you that there is no need for you to hire a lawyer because they promise to take care of everything. Whatever lump sum settlement the insurer offers you to resolve your case is virtually guaranteed to be significantly less than what you are actually entitled to, and you will be forced to pay all future expenses out of your own pocket when you accept such settlement offers.
Why Choose Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC To Handle My Case?
Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC is an advanced firm that allows you to obtain a free, confidential consultation through video conferencing, chat, telephone, or email in addition to in-person consultations. We do not take every case, but we always pursue the best possible result in any case we accept.
Justin Lee Lawrence is licensed in Ohio and Kentucky and was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association. He is a member of Rotary International at the Florence Club, the Kentucky Justice Association, the Kentucky Bar Association, and the Northern Kentucky Bar Association. Pete Tripp, another partner at our firm, is also licensed in both Ohio and Kentucky, and a member of both the Ohio State Bar Association and the Kentucky Bar Association.
Our lawyers are experienced and ready to handle your case. You should also know that you will not have to pay anything to work with Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC because we handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that you do not pay anything until you receive a monetary award.
Types of Speeding Accident Cases We Handle
The Ohio Department of Public Safety notes that speeding is one of the most prevalent aggressive driving behaviors. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)notes that speeding increases all of the following risks of crashes:
- Distance traveled
- Distance needed to stop
- Risk of loss of control
- Energy involved in the crash
We often assume that speeding-related crashes are likeliest on highways with the highest speed limits, but the truth is that many speeding accidents also occur because of violations on local roads with lower speed limits. Some negligent drivers may be cited for speeding, but police officers who respond to crashes often missed the speeding offenses.
What should I do after a speeding accident?
You will want to contact the local law enforcement agency to make sure your crash is reported, but your immediate concern should always be getting medical attention. Go to a hospital, even if you do not think that you were harmed in a crash. While you are at the scene of your crash, try to take as many pictures as you can of everything involved in the scene of your accident. Also, look for other people who might have seen your accident and ask them for their names and phone numbers in case they are needed as witnesses. You should generally avoid discussing your crash with anybody until you have spoken to a lawyer, and be especially careful not to post anything about your accident or injuries on social media websites. Never provide a recorded statement to an insurance company.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit for a speeding accident?
Revised Code § 2305.10(A) establishes that an individual has two years from the date of a speeding accident to file a lawsuit. When a speeding accident victim is not able to file a legal claim, the statute of limitations may be tolled (or delayed) until the person is capable of taking legal action. A person who is mentally incompetent (like a person in a coma) could have two years from the date they become mentally competent again, and a minor would have two years to file from the date they turn 18 years of age.
What kinds of compensation can I recover for a speeding accident?
Many speeding accidents are going to be resolved through settlements, and insurance companies typically wait until the very last moment (often right before a trial is about to begin) to settle these cases. When a case does go trial, the speeding accident victim can be awarded numerous kinds of compensatory damages, which often include a combination of economic damages and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are calculable costs like medical bills, lost wages, and property damage while noneconomic damages are more subjective and may include awards for pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of consortium. Punitive damages are also possible in some civil actions but are relatively rare.
Speeding Accidents: How Frequently Do They Occur?
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), there were 380,545 speed citations issued in 2017, the most of any year since the 385,453 issued in 2014. There were 1,883,621 speed citations issued between 2013 and 2017.
The OSHP 2017 Operational Report stated that there were 40,477 aggressive driving citations issued by the nine districts in the state. Hamilton County has 405 aggressive driving citations.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 9,717 people were killed in speed-related crashes, which accounted for more than a quarter (26%) of all traffic fatalities. A NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts document using 2007 data reported that the 1,257 traffic fatalities in Ohio in 2007 included 277 speeding-related fatalities, of which 30 involved speeds of greater than 55 mph on interstates, five involved speeds of 55 mph or less on interstates, 133 involved speeds of 55 mph on non-interstates, six involved speeds of 50 mph on non-interstates, 22 involved speeds of 45 mph on non-interstates, six involved speeds of 40 mph on non-interstates, 38 involved speeds of 35 mph on non-interstates, and 26 involved speeds of 35 mph or less on non-interstates.
A March 2018 NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts document stated that 37,461 people were killed in 34,439 fatal crashes in 2016. Eighteen percent of the drivers involved were speeding at the time of the crashes while 27 percent of the people killed were in a crash involving at least one speeding driver. According to NHTSA, the 10,111 drivers who were speeding was 27 percent of the total drivers, the lowest percentage that continued a downward trend since 2010 when speeding accounted for 32 percent of crashes.
Contact a Cincinnati Speeding Accident Attorney Today
Did you sustain catastrophic injuries or was your loved one killed in a speeding crash in Cincinnati or another nearby community in Ohio or Kentucky? Take quick action to preserve your rights by contacting a skilled personal injury attorney. Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC has helped thousands of clients in Ohio and Kentucky. Call a Cincinnati car accident lawyer at (513) 351-5997 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
