Ohio Professional Liability Law: Your Advocates For Justice
At Zagrans Law Firm LLC in Columbus, we understand the gravity of professional liability and the impact it can have on individuals and businesses throughout Ohio and across the country. With over 45 years of legal experience, attorney Eric Zagrans has established himself as a valuable ally in professional liability cases.
We are committed to providing you with excellent legal services characterized by the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. Attorney Zagrans’ extensive experience with complex litigation issues in both state and federal courts ensures that, no matter how complicated your case, you have a highly experienced litigator at your side.
Understanding Professional Liability
Professional malpractice occurs when a professional fails to perform their duties to the standard required by their profession, leading to harm or loss. This can be a devastating experience, and it’s crucial to have an attorney who knows the courtroom and can fight for your rights effectively.
At Zagrans Law Firm LLC, we can help you with a variety of malpractice claims, including:
- Accountant and auditor liability
- Legal malpractice
- Medical malpractice
Our dedication to advocating for our clients is unwavering. We work tirelessly to help you overcome the legal obstacles you face, whether through litigation or alternative dispute resolution methods.
Representing You In Complex Medical Malpractice Cases
Medical malpractice can be more than a simple medical mistake. Every doctor and healthcare professional owes a duty of care to their patients. When they breach this duty, whether through a missed diagnosis or a surgical error and cause a new or worsened injury, the injured patient may have a valid medical malpractice claim.
Our seasoned attorney has years of experience in complex medical malpractice cases. We have worked with experts in a wide range of medical fields to provide the complete representation seriously injured patients deserve. Whether you suffered from brain damage, a birth injury, or now face long-term complications or illnesses, you can trust us to help hold negligent health care providers accountable.
Legal Malpractice Can Have Serious Impacts On Your Case
Lawyers make mistakes. Most of the time, the mistake can be corrected or resolved. But, there may be times when the error is so serious that the damage can destroy a client’s case. That is when the mistake becomes a legal malpractice case. Even excellent lawyers in large and well-respected firms can commit malpractice, overcharge and are more likely to find themselves in conflict of interest situations.
There are many different ways in which malpractice can occur and it covers every single area of law. Sometimes the nature of the malpractice is clear. For example, an attorney misses a critical statute of limitations and the client’s case is lost forever. Usually, though, it is not quite that simple; the wrongful conduct is more subtle and almost always requires expert legal witnesses to establish the malpractice.
Whether the malpractice is distinct or complex, when a lawyer’s conduct has lost or caused damage to a client’s case, it becomes necessary to not only prove that the lawyer was negligent, but also prove what the outcome of the case would have been in the absence of the lawyer’s negligence. Often, this requires trying the underlying case in the trial of the legal malpractice case. This is one of the reasons why lawyer malpractice cases are both difficult and expensive.
Accountant And Auditor Liability
Zagrans Law Firm LLC is one of the most experienced law firms in the United States at handling cases involving accounting and audit issues. For over 45 years, we have been successfully representing clients in professional negligence lawsuits.
We regularly take on the most complex, cutting-edge accounting cases. With over 45 years of experience, we not only have sufficient knowledge to understand these issues, but we also know how to break them down and explain them so that a judge and jury can understand them too.
Common Questions Asked About Professional Liability In Ohio
We answered the frequently asked questions about Ohio laws regarding professional liability.
What are the specific time limits for filing a professional malpractice lawsuit in Ohio?
Ohio has specific time limits for filing professional malpractice lawsuits. You must file a medical or legal malpractice lawsuit within one year. For medical malpractice claims, the clock starts from the date the professional relationship for that issue ended or the date you discovered the injury. For legal malpractice claims, the one-year limit similarly begins when you discover the mistake or when the attorney-client relationship ends.
A four-year repose applies to both types of lawsuit, which means you cannot pursue a case once four years have passed since the action occurred. However, this does not include individuals who are minors or deemed of unsound mind when the error occurred. It also excludes cases involving a foreign object left inside the body.
Meanwhile, cases involving accounting or auditor malpractice generally have a four-year statute of limitations.
Does Ohio place caps on the damages that can be recovered in a professional malpractice case?
Yes, but this only applies to noneconomic damages. These refer to subjective losses that account for your mental anguish, loss of quality of life and permanent disfigurement. For standard cases, you may recover $250,000 or three times the amount of economic damages, with a maximum of $350,000 per plaintiff. If you sustain permanent physical deformity, the financial cap increases to $500,000 per plaintiff.
Meanwhile, Ohio does not place a cap on economic damages. These include your countable, out-of-pocket expenses for medical bills and lost wages.
What is the “Continuous Representation Doctrine” in Ohio legal malpractice cases?
The Continuous Representation Doctrine stops the clock on Ohio’s statute of limitations for legal malpractice. The deadline does not start as long as the attorney continues to represent you on the same specific topic where the alleged mistake happened. The time limit resumes when the attorney-client relationship has ended.
This rule gives the attorney a fair opportunity to fix their mistake before you can sue them, and ensures the situation does not force you to disrupt an ongoing case by suing your current lawyer.
If you have other concerns, we are more than happy to address them in detail.
Helping You Pursue Justice Against Negligent Professionals
If professional negligence has affected you or your business, take the first step toward justice. Contact Zagrans Law Firm LLC by calling 440-452-7100 or completing our online contact form. Let us be your champions in the legal arena and help protect your rights and interests.