For cyclists, this week served as yet another painful reminder of the vulnerability that we face every time we roll out onto the roadway and the catastrophic harm that can be caused for ourselves and our families. While I trust most cyclists are careful, it is the distracted driver, the impatient driver, or the drunk driver that we have to worry about. Their actions (and reactions) are completely out of our hands.
I previously posted an article titled “What to do if You’re Involved in a Bicycle Accident” which you should check out first. What that article does not address is the steps you should take before an accident happens to protect yourself and your family afterwards. In other words, buy as much insurance as you can reasonably afford. While this is not a comprehensive discussion on the issue of insurance, or the available types, here are a few types of insurance that you should absolutely have if you’re a cyclist:
Read moreIf you were injured by the conduct of an employee or agent of a city, county, or other government entity, bringing a suit for damages can be difficult. Historically, individuals could not sue the government in tort as it was immune from liability. In 1985, however, the Ohio General Assembly enacted R.C. § 2744, the Political Subdivision Tort Liability Act, paving the way for political subdivisions of the State of Ohio to be sued in limited circumstances.
Read moreAccording recent statistics produced by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there has been over 41,000 accidents investigated in 2015 (just through August 9th). This is an increase from the 2014 statistics during the same time period. Despite this high number of accidents, most individuals do not know what to do at the scene of an accident or what information to obtain.
Here are some simple steps to protect yourself in the event you’re involved in an accident:
Read more It’s not uncommon to read in the news that an inmate was released from prison after new forensic evidence exonerated him. Unfortunately, we also see reports of inmates released after the prosecutor withheld exculpatory evidence. These individuals lost, literally, years of their life; they've missed births of their children, graduations, weddings, and funerals of loved ones
Recognizing the fundamental injustice that stems from being wrongfully deprived of one’s freedom, the Ohio General Assembly enacted R.C. § 2743.48 which provides a remedy for wrongfully imprisoned individuals. The statute allows recovery not only by persons who are officially exonerated, but also by persons whose convictions and prison sentences are vacated, dismissed or permanently overturned on appeal because of procedural errors during their trials. Presently, wrongfully imprisoned individuals are able to recover $40,330 per year in addition to lost wages, costs, and attorney’s fees.
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