Akron Personal Injury Lawyer | Gervelis Law Firm
Suffering an injury in an accident can completely derail your life. Serious injuries lead to piles of medical bills, extensive time off work, and uncertainty about the future. Unfortunately, accidents are all too common in Akron. You might have been injured in a car accident at the intersection of Route 14 and Route 44, suffered a dog bite at the park, slipped and fell because of a hazardous condition while dining on the canal, or suffered an injury at a worksite accident downtown. If you were injured by someone else’s negligence in Akron, you may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Legally Reviewed by:
Mark S. Gervelis, Esq.
Last Updated:
- October 7, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Why Should I Work With Gervelis Law Firm for My Personal Injury Case in Akron?
- Our Akron Personal Injury Attorneys
- What Happens if Both Parties Are At Fault for Personal Injury?
- What Types of Evidence Would Help in a Personal Injury Case?
- How Can the Personal Injury Attorneys at Gervelis Law Firm Help Me With My Case?
- How Do I File a Personal Injury Claim in Akron?
- What Damages Can You Get Compensation for in an Akron Personal Injury Case?
- Contact Gervelis Law Firm Today
Personal injury claims arise when someone’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness causes harm to another person. The injured person can then bring a claim under a theory of negligence. However, you shouldn’t represent yourself–insurance companies will try to trick you into accepting lowball settlement offers and use tactics to get you to do or say things that will harm your case. A lawyer can help you avoid these scenarios. At Gervelis Law Firm, our Akron personal injury attorneys in our downtown Market Street office are committed to fighting our clients’ personal injury cases and getting them the most compensation possible for their injuries.
Why Should I Work With Gervelis Law Firm for My Personal Injury Case in Akron?
Since 2000, Gervelis Law Firm has been protecting the rights of injured Ohioans and going to bat against predatory insurance companies. Our lawyers have extensive experience handling some of the most complicated injury cases in Akron, including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability cases, construction accidents, and wrongful death cases. We work diligently to stay updated on the state’s laws and legal resources.
When misfortune strikes, it’s critical to have an attorney on your side who understands the Summit County legal system and has a proven record of case results. Our attorneys have obtained significant settlements and verdict awards in countless personal injury cases, including the following:
- $3,499,000 for the family of a motorcyclist who died after he was hit by and became entangled with wires a cable company was installing across a roadway without warning signs posted.
- $900,000 for the family of a driver struck and killed by a semi-truck in a seven-car pile-up on a Fulton County highway. The semi-truck’s driver entered a construction zone and failed to slow for traffic, causing the pile-up.
- $750,000 for a driver who sustained permanent injuries in a collision with a semi-truck that had blocked a two-lane roadway while backing into a private driveway.
Our Akron Personal Injury Attorneys
Mark S. Gervelis
Firm founder Mark S. Gervelis is certified in trial advocacy by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. He has been practicing law in Ohio since 1976 and has been recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top attorneys in Ohio from 2007-2012 and 2014-2016. Mark’s areas of expertise include plaintiff personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability law.
David Michael Tschantz
A lifelong Ohio resident who grew up in Akron, David Michael Tschantz has been practicing civil litigation at Gervelis since 2011. He focuses on representing car, truck, and motorcycle accident victims, including cases involving complex orthopedic injuries, brain injuries, and wrongful death. David attended John Carroll University in Cleveland for undergraduate studies before receiving his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law. He was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2014-2016.
Stephanie M. Mehle
Before joining the Gervelis team in 2015, Stephanie M. Mehle studied political science and justice studies at Kent State University and received her J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law. She represents people injured in car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, including those with catastrophic injuries.
About our Akron Office
The Akron office of Gervelis Law Firm is housed in the Wallhaven Building, a satellite location known for its convenience and unique setup. This office is pet-friendly, and it offers a comfortable, welcoming environment with a lobby and restroom available to visitors. For those needing accessibility accommodations, a barrier-free meeting space can be arranged with prior notice. The office is equipped with security cameras for added safety, and all consultations are by appointment, ensuring timely and dedicated service. While there is no dedicated parking lot, visitors can park in front of the building and enjoy easy access to nearby amenities like Einstein’s Bagels and Robeks, located just steps away.
To find the office, head to the Wallhaven intersection, where W. Market, Exchange, and S. Hawkins converge on the west side of Akron. The office is located between Einstein’s Bagels and Robeks, with its entrance right in between the two. Once inside, simply go up the first flight of stairs and you’ll find the Gervelis office. The building is easily accessible via the I-77 White Pond exit or through Akron Metro public transit, with a bus stop directly across from the building.
What Happens if Both Parties Are At Fault for Personal Injury?
Ohio operates under a modified comparative negligence rule, allowing accident victims to recover damages if they are 50 percent or less at fault for their injuries. However, their recoveries are reduced in proportion to their share of the fault. If a party is more than 50 percent at fault for an accident, they cannot recover damages.
To determine the parties’ respective shares of fault for an accident, insurance companies will investigate the factual circumstances, review police reports, and consider what a reasonable and prudent person would have done in the situation. Therefore, hiring a skilled and experienced lawyer who can investigate and gather evidence to counter those findings is crucial to maximizing your recovery.
What Types of Evidence Would Help in a Personal Injury Case?
A litany of evidence may be relevant to a personal injury claim, including the following:
- Medical bills
- Medical records and reports
- Police reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Accident scene photos
- Surveillance video
- Accident debris and property damages
- Expert opinions
After a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, time is of the essence. The longer you wait, the faster evidence starts to disappear. You need to start building your case right away. Gervelis Law Firm has a Rapid Investigation Team that knows what evidence to look for. We will be on-site within 24 hours to dig deep and preserve critical evidence.
After an accident, it is also important not to create evidence the other side could use to undermine your case. Therefore, avoid posting on social media about what happened—insurance companies and their lawyers could try to use that against you to deny your claim or minimize your compensation.
How Can the Personal Injury Attorneys at Gervelis Law Firm Help Me With My Case?
The attorneys at Gervelis Law Firm have over 25 years of experience fighting for personal injury victims. We know Akron and have been part of your community for decades. We’re here for you when you need us most.
In a personal injury case, our attorneys can investigate and collect evidence that would’ve otherwise been difficult to get your hands on, such as city surveillance footage or additional information from police. The lawyers at Gervelis Law Firm will also help you determine the statute of limitations for your case—usually two years under Ohio law, but there are exceptions. We will negotiate with insurance companies and at-fault parties to maximize your recovery. If we are unable to reach a settlement, we’ll file suit and advocate for you in court.
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing unless and until we win your case. So you can focus on healing without worrying about paying us.
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How Do I File a Personal Injury Claim in Akron?
The first step in filing any personal injury claim in Akron is contacting our firm for a free consultation with no obligation. A personal injury attorney can investigate, build your case, and engage in settlement negotiations. Most personal injury cases end with an insurance settlement negotiated outside of court rather than going to trial.
To prepare for the claim, gather all available medical records, police reports, and insurance information at your disposal.
What Damages Can You Get Compensation for in an Akron Personal Injury Case?
When filing a personal injury claim in Ohio, you can seek compensation for multiple types of damages, including economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
Economic Damages
These compensate for direct financial losses like medical bills, lost wages from being unable to work, or funeral costs and estate expenses in the case of wrongful death.
Non-economic Damages
These compensate for the effects on the victim’s life that are harder to objectively quantify, such as disfigurement, disability, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. Ohio law caps non-economic damages at the greater of $250,000 or three times the economic damages, with a maximum limit of $350,000 per plaintiff and $500,000 per accident. However, these caps do not apply in certain cases, including those involving catastrophic injuries, serious physical deformities, and permanent injuries that prevent victims from independently caring for themselves.
Punitive Damages
These damages are designed to punish the at-fault party and deter future misconduct. A court may award punitive damages if the defendant’s actions showed “malice or aggravated or egregious fraud” or the defendant knowingly “authorized, participated in, or ratified actions” such malicious or egregious conduct.
Contact Gervelis Law Firm Today
At Gervelis Law Firm, we work tirelessly to earn our clients’ trust by keeping them informed, handling every case with integrity, and sticking to our guiding principle—clients’ needs always come first.
We offer personalized attention from when you call us until the completion of your case, and we’ll always keep you informed every step of the way—that’s the Gervelis Guarantee.
Contact our personal injury attorneys today online or by calling 866-622-4096 for a free consultation–let’s work together to get you the compensation you deserve.
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