Personal Injury. Personal Injury Lawyers in Cleveland

What to Do If You Are Injured as a Result of Negligence

People who are injured due to someone else’s careless, reckless, or intentional actions have the right to take legal action against the negligent party. A personal injury claim seeks financial compensation for injuries, medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses suffered as a result of the incident.

Pursuing a personal injury claim or lawsuit is also a powerful way to hold negligent individuals and entities accountable for the harm they cause and work to ensure that similar harm does not befall others.

If you have a question about an injury or disability you suffered as a result of an accident or medical mistake, we welcome you to contact our Cleveland personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation. The Mellino Law Firm has spent almost 40 years fighting for the rights of injured individuals and their families.

Contact The Mellino Law Firm today at (440) 333-3800 to request a free, no-obligation consultation with our team of personal injury lawyers.

Representation for Severe & Catastrophic Injury Cases

Our firm, led by Attorney Mellino, only represents clients who’ve suffered severe, debilitating, and permanent injuries, such as nerve damage or paralysis. By limiting the number of cases we accept, we are able to provide each and every one of our clients with the personalized guidance and one-on-one attention they deserve.

Our firm handles serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving:

• Car accidents
• Catastrophic injuries, such as burn injuries
• Child injuries
• Commercial vehicle accidents
• Drowning accidents
• Electrocution accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
• Pedestrian accidents
• Product liability, including defective medical devices
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Truck accidents

If you have questions about an injury, Ohio’s statute of limitations, or whether you have a personal injury lawsuit worth pursuing, we welcome you to contact our office today for a free consultation.

How You Can Benefit from Filing a Personal Injury Claim

When you’re injured, there are a lot of costs you incur, and not all of them are monetary.

There are the obvious medical bills and prescription costs, but what about the less tangible items, like your pain and suffering, the toll your injury has taken on your family, and the effect your injury has had on your ability to work? A personal injury claim can seek to compensate you for all of these losses and more.

For example, a personal injury claim can help you recover compensation for:

• Current medical bills and treatment costs;
• Future medical and health care expenses;
• Lost wages for time spent away from work;
• Lost earning capacity, if your injury will affect your ability to work in the future;
• Mental anguish, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life;
• Permanent disability or disfigurement, if your injury will require permanent lifestyle changes. This could include costs for home renovations for wheelchair accessibility, in-home care or nursing, and more;
• Loss of consortium, if the injury has caused a loss regarding the emotional or physical aspects of a relationship, including loss of affection, companionship, sexual relations, comfort, and more;
• Property damages; and
• Funeral and burial costs, in the event of death.

If you’ve suffered an injury at the hands of someone else, you deserve compensation. Contact The Mellino Law Firm to discuss your options with an attorney and get started on your personal injury claim today.

Determining the Value of Your Personal Injury Case

When a personal injury attorney makes promises that seem too good to be true, they probably are.

The outcome of your lawsuit is dependent on a number of different variables, and it’s both misleading and inappropriate for an attorney to attempt to “guarantee” the amount of financial compensation you can recover, particularly if these kinds of guarantees are made before all of the facts have been brought to light.

You should also be wary if your attorney promises you that your case will be settled in a relatively short time, like a few months. While it’s true that some cases can be settled quickly, if your injuries are significant, you’ll need to wait for your injuries to heal before you can have a full understanding of your long-term medical costs.

Remember: Once you accept a settlement from the insurance company, that's it. That's all you'll get.

When an attorney promises you a specific amount of money during your initial consultation, you should get up and walk out the door. No attorney can pinpoint the amount of your recovery, and even the most experienced attorneys can only approximate how much you’ll be awarded after they have read through all of the facts.

What Evidence Is Necessary in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

If you suffered catastrophic injuries or lost a loved one as a result of someone else's negligence, you can trust our firm to help you build a strong case for a fair personal injury settlement. The evidence that is crucial to your case will depend on the facts of your accident, but it would benefit you to gather the following:

• Photographs of the accident scene, property damage, and any visible injuries;
• Bills or receipts for treatment, prescriptions, and rehabilitation equipment;
• An affidavit from your employer to prove that your injuries caused you to miss work;
• Contact information for witnesses who can help establish fault; and
• A copy of the police report, if one was taken.

Insurance companies have attorneys, so you should, too. One of the first questions some adjusters will ask when a serious personal injury claim comes in is, "Who is representing the plaintiff?” Since this information is important to the insurance company, it should also be important to you.

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

When someone else’s carelessness or negligence causes you or a loved one to be catastrophically injured, you may find it necessary to hire an experienced personal injury attorney, particularly since the insurance company’s main goal is to minimize the amount of compensation to which you’re entitled.

An experienced trial lawyer can help you when:

• The statute of limitations is running out in your case;
• Your injuries or disability may lead to long-term rehabilitation;
• You face future medical costs and/or lost wages that you don’t feel are being compensated;
• The other liable party doesn’t have insurance or only has minimal coverage;
• The insurance company is pressuring you to agree to a quick settlement; and
• There is a dispute as to who was at fault for the accident.

Not every accident will merit a lawsuit. For instance, bruises and minor injuries won’t justify the cost of hiring an attorney. On the other hand, if you’ve suffered debilitating injuries or lost a loved one, it’s important to act quickly in order to protect your rights. Contact our Cleveland office with any questions you may have.

How to Find the Right Personal Injury Attorney

There are many questions you should ask before hiring a Cleveland personal injury lawyer. First and foremost, you should ask about experience. If you hire your sister’s divorce lawyer rather than someone who specializes in your type of case, you may not receive all of the compensation to which you may be entitled.

In addition to experience, you should ask the following questions:

• What is your opinion of my case?
• What documents will you need me to provide?
• What legal organizations are you actively involved in?
• Have you earned any professional honors or awards?
• What settlements and verdicts have you achieved for other clients?
• Are you willing to take a case to trial if the other side doesn’t offer a fair settlement?
• Have you ever gone to trial?
• Will you be the attorney handling my case?
• How will we communicate – by phone or email?
• What happens if I lose my case?

It’s also important to ask a personal injury attorney about their fees, so you won’t face any surprises when your case concludes. If your lawyer charges a contingency fee, he or she won’t get paid unless you get paid. If he or she charges by the hour, you should know this up front. Take advantage of free consultations, during which you can ask the questions listed above and get a feel for how the attorney may be able to help you.

Call The Mellino Law Firm Today for a Free Consultation

In 1997, Chris Mellino and his former partner made the cover of Ohio Lawyers Weekly‘s supplement “Largest Verdicts & Settlements″ after being awarded the largest verdict in the state. Five years later, Plain Dealer columnist Sarah Crump wrote that they had “set the standard for big medical malpractice lawsuit payouts.” Chris Mellino is respected for his ability to dig below the surface to make sure no fact is overlooked.

Our firm depends on word-of-mouth testimonials from clients like you. Call today to see how our specialized medical knowledge, extensive trial skills, and vast negotiating talent can help you and your family.

We can be reached online or by phone at (440) 333-3800. Contact us today for a free case evaluation with one of our personal injury attorneys in Cleveland.