A severe car crash can change a person's life forever. There are physical injuries, emotional trauma, property damage and other ways victims suffer in the time following an accident. Because of all the ways that a motor vehicle accident can disrupt a person's life, an...
Ohio Legal Issues Blog
Who can be held responsible for negligence in a commercial trucking accident?
After getting hit by a semi on an Ohio interstate or highway, you and your family could be suffering from severely disabling injuries. The cost of treating those injuries could be sky-high, and you might not be well enough to go back to work for weeks or months -- if...
What is Ohio’s statute of limitations for car accidents?
After another motorist hit your vehicle, you might have filed a personal injury claim through their insurance company. Likely, you assumed that it would provide you adequate compensation for your injuries. Yet, your payout might not have covered your medical expenses....
The top 3 overlooked injuries after a motor vehicle accident
Being involved in a car wreck is a massive jolt to your system. When everything comes to a stop, most people are just happy they can still get out of the vehicle under their own power. You may even be grateful that you have no obvious injuries, like broken bones or...
OVI refusal ends in acquittal
Recently, Rittgers & Rittgers attorney Neal Schuett won an OVI trial where the client was acquitted on all charges, including possession of marijuana. The client was pulled over at a rest stop off 71 near Lebanon, Ohio at approximately 4am. The Ohio State Patrol...
Golf Cart Injuries: Who is Responsible?
Golf carts are now frequently being used off the course. We see golf carts used in neighborhoods, airports, malls, beaches, and schools, but manufacturers are making and selling tens of thousands of golf carts per year without essential basic safety features.Limited...
When an Accused is Charged With a Crime, is the State Permitted to Introduce Evidence of the Accused’s Prior Bad Act at the Trial to Attempt to Show the Accused is Likely to Commit Bad Acts and is Therefore Guilty of the Crime in Question?
No. Ohio Rule of Evidence 404(B) outlines a limited set of circumstances during which a prosecutor can attempt to introduce prior bad acts. A prosecutor cannot use a accused's prior bad act to show the accused has a tendency to act wrongfully and from that, attempt to...
Staying Healthy Together: Making sense of Miami University’s Pledge, the City of Oxford’s mass gathering ordinance, and COVID regulations
Are gathering of more than 10 people allowed in at Miami University? Maybe. Since the University released its Healthy Together Pledge (see my previous blog post here) in the summer of 2020, the City of Oxford has passed its own ordinance governing gatherings. On...
Can a Defendant Sentenced to Prison Get Jail-Time Credit for House Arrest After Sentencing?
According to the Ohio Supreme Court, the answer is "no." This month, the Ohio Supreme Court issued its decision in State v. Reed, Slip Opinion No. 2020-Ohio-4255. In Reed, the defendant was found guilty of a felony and given five years of community control with a...
If I’m on Social Security benefits and I die, is my family entitled to my benefits?
The answer is yes. Certain family members are eligible to receive the benefits of a deceased Social Security recipient, including: Your widow, if aged 60 or older Your widow who is aged 50 or older and becomes disabled within 7 years of your death Your widow who is...