How Much Can Someone Sue for a Car Accident in Ohio?

When you or a loved one suffers harm in a crash, you may be entitled to seek damages through an Ohio car accident lawsuit. However, you typically only have two years to file a lawsuit against the negligent driver, making swift action important. The car accident lawyers at the Cincinnati office of Burg Simpson are here to help.

To schedule a FREE case review with one of our experienced attorneys, call Burg Simpson at 513-852-5600 today. Located in Cincinnati, we can assist with your Ohio car accident lawsuit no matter where in the state you live.

Car Accidents in Ohio

Every year, thousands of Ohioans find themselves forced to deal with the aftermath of a car crash. In 2024 alone, the Ohio State Highway Patrol recorded more than 63,000 injury crashes across the state, with nearly 1,100 fatalities resulting from traffic collisions. For many, these accidents result in lifelong injuries, long-term financial burdens, and untold amounts of physical and emotional discomfort.

Even a seemingly minor car accident can necessitate extensive medical treatment, time away from work, and ongoing pain and suffering. When someone else’s negligence causes the accident, you have the right to pursue an Ohio car accident lawsuit to recover compensation for your losses. This is, however, seldom a simple task.

How much you can sue for a car accident in Ohio depends on a wide range of factors. These include the severity of your injuries, the cost of medical treatment, your ability to return to work, and the emotional and physical toll your accident has taken on your life. Calculating these damages is part of what a car accident lawyer does. When you leave it up to insurance, you will very likely be offered much less than you need to make the best recovery possible.

At Burg Simpson, our award-winning team of Ohio car accident lawyers helps hurt drivers and passengers hold those responsible for their injuries to full account. We fight to recover full and fair compensation so that you can rebuild your life with all of the support you may need.

Life-Altering Injuries That Can Impact Your Ohio Car Accident Lawsuit

Severe injuries from car accidents can have permanent consequences. They often require surgery, rehabilitation, ongoing care, and substantial lifestyle adjustments. Tragically, depending on the type of injury sustained in the accident, full recovery may not be possible.

Catastrophic injuries common in car crashes include:

• Traumatic Brain Injury. TBI can result in cognitive impairments, memory loss, and permanent disability.
• Spinal Cord Injury. SCI often leads to paralysis (paraplegia or quadriplegia), requiring lifelong care, assistive devices, and home modifications.
• Amputations. Loss of a limb can impact mobility, employment, and daily activities.
• Severe Burns. Burns may require multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term physical and psychological therapy.
• Compound Fractures and Orthopedic Injuries. These can require invasive surgical intervention and result in chronic pain and limited mobility.
• Internal Organ Damage. Internal bleeding and organ damage may require emergency treatment and long-term medical monitoring. They also increase the risk of future health complications.

It may cost millions of dollars over a lifetime to address the long-term medical requirements of these injuries alone. Once issues like lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering are factored in, the actual costs are much higher. If you were not responsible for the accident that caused these damages, your compensation must take all of these things into account.

Through an Ohio car accident lawsuit, you can seek compensation reflective of the true extent of what you have lost. The experienced Ohio car crash lawyers at Burg Simpson are here to help you secure every penny you are due.

Ohio Car Accident Lawsuit Damages and Caps

You may be eligible to recover several types of damages through an Ohio car accident lawsuit, including:

• Economic Damages: Medical expenses, lost wages, future lost earnings, rehabilitation, property damage, home modifications, assistive technology, and all other out-of-pocket expenses.
• Non-Economic Damages: Pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment in life, and similar non-financial damages.
• Punitive Damages: Available in rare cases involving extreme negligence or intentional misconduct.

Collectively, economic and non-economic damages are known as “compensatory damages.”

There is no cap on economic damages in Ohio. This means you can seek dollar-for-dollar compensation for measurable damages like medical expenses and lost wages without statutory limits. The same cannot be said for other types of damages in an Ohio car accident lawsuit.

Under Ohio Revised Code §2315.18, non-economic damages in most personal injury cases—including car accidents—are capped at $250,000 or three times the amount of economic damages, whichever is greater. However, there is a maximum of $350,000 per plaintiff and $500,000 per occurrence.

There are some exceptions to Ohio’s non-economic damages cap. For example, if you have suffered a permanent and substantial physical deformity, loss of use of a limb, loss of a bodily organ system, or a permanent physical function injury that prevents you from being able to independently care for yourself, the cap does not apply.

Punitive damages are capped at twice the amount of compensatory damages in Ohio. If the defendant is a small employer or individual, the Ohio punitive damage cap is 10% of their net worth, up to $350,000.

Valuing the Worth of Your Ohio Car Accident Lawsuit

The value of your Ohio car accident lawsuit is calculated from your medical bills, future treatment costs, lost income, diminished earning capacity, impact on your quality of life, and more.

At Burg Simpson, we work with medical experts, economists, life care planners, vocational specialists, and other professionals to accurately calculate the full value of your claim. This allows us to identify what you have already lost and what you will need going forward, and to build a case that seeks compensation for all of your damages.

You Do Not Have to Handle Your Ohio Car Accident Lawsuit Alone

Seeking damages through legal action can result in more substantial compensation than working directly with insurance, but the process can be very complex. Your lawyer takes on the legal burden, allowing you to focus your efforts on healing.

The Ohio car accident lawyers at Burg Simpson can:

• Investigate the accident and determine fault through police reports, witness statements, surveillance footage, expert testimony, accident reconstruction, and more.
• Evaluate your damages with the help of financial and medical experts to get a full view of what you are owed.
• Handle all communications with insurance companies and opposing counsel to protect you from the predatory tactics they may use to try and force you to settle.
• Negotiate for a FULL settlement that accounts for expenses, needs, and personal suffering, now and throughout your lifetime.
• Take your case to trial if negotiations fail to result in fair and full compensation.

The attorneys at our Cincinnati location have earned national recognition for their success inside and outside of the courtroom. Bringing more than four decades of experience to every case, our firm has recovered more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements for victims of serious injury. We know what justice means. We are here to fight to ensure you are treated fairly, shown respect and care, and compensated for everything, tangible and intangible, that you have lost.

Contact Us for a FREE Ohio Car Accident Lawsuit Consultation

Do you have questions about your right to file a car accident lawsuit in Ohio? Contact Burg Simpson online or call our Cincinnati office to schedule a FREE and confidential case review where we can listen to your story, discuss your options, and help you decide the best way to seek the compensation you deserve.