Ohio Civil Litigation Attorneys

Civil litigation is a wide-ranging area of law that includes most non-criminal court cases. Whether you want to file a personal injury case against a driver who hit you, defend your medical practice against claims of malpractice, pursue a collection case against a tenant who left without paying rent, or sue the manufacturer or a drug that made you sick, you’ll want an experienced civil litigator at your side.

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The attorneys at Plevin & Gallucci have dedicated their careers to civil litigation. Their experience includes:

Employment litigation
Litigation of workers’ compensation claims
Medical malpractice litigation
Personal injury cases
Wrongful death suits

Our attorneys have represented both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation, and have handled cases ranging from relatively small personal injury claims to being part of the trial team that secured hundreds of millions of dollars for Ohio counties in opioid litigation. Through decades of Ohio litigation, our attorneys have developed deep knowledge and extensive skills in all areas critical to successful litigation, including:

Identifying all possible claims and responsible parties to maximize the possible recovery in a case
Making effective use of the discovery process to secure important information from the opposing party
Using pre-trial motions, objections, and other strategies to keep unfavorable information out of evidence and away from the jury
Taking witness depositions to gather information and lock down the record before trial
Selecting and working with expert witnesses to provide critical information about complex issues such as drug interactions or structural engineering
Selecting and working with expert witnesses to value claims in a manner a jury can understand
Making the most of jury selection to ensure that you have the “friendliest” jury possible within the bounds of the law
Choosing and preparing exhibits to clearly and strongly convey your side of the story to the jury
Negotiating with opposing counsel before, during, and perhaps even after the trial preparation process to see whether a favorable settlement is possible
Presenting your case to a jury
Monitoring the evidence submitted by and actions of your opponent to ensure that no evidence is improperly admitted, improper questions asked or other rules violated
Making opening and closing arguments to help the jury see how the evidence fits together in support of your claim or defense

If you’re in need of an Ohio civil litigation attorney, schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys right now. Just call 855-4PLEVIN or fill out the contact form on this page to learn more about how we can put our litigation skills to work for you.

When Do You Need a Civil Litigation Lawyer?

If your claim is small enough and simple enough that you could fully pursue it in small claims court and you are an individual or a sole proprietor, you may not need an attorney–though it’s possible that working with an experienced lawyer could improve your chances of success.

For larger, more complex civil litigation, though, it’s virtually always best to work with a seasoned litigator. An individual who chooses to represent themselves in litigation may have a very difficult time, and risks having their case dismissed. That’s because while individuals have a right to represent themselves in Ohio courts, they don’t get any special breaks because they are not attorneys. In other words, someone representing themself in Ohio civil litigation would be expected to:

Know how to draft a complaint with all required information and allegations and properly serve the respondent in the case (or, if the respondent, to know how to file an answer to the complaint and any relevant counter-claims within the time allotted)
Understand the Ohio Rules of Evidence and know how to properly authenticate and build a foundation for any evidence they wish to present
Know what is and is not permitted in questioning a witness and be prepared to follow those rules and to make proper objections when the opposing attorney violates them
Know how to prepare and file pleadings according to the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure and local court rules
Be prepared to draft discovery requests such as interrogatories and requests for production of documents in compliant form and properly serve them
Be prepared to respond properly to such requests from opposing counsel
Identify, hire, work with, and know how to establish the qualifications of expert witnesses as needed to establish or rebut the claim before the court

If you’re a business owner or executive, you may find yourself in an even more difficult position. While the court still won’t cut you any slack for being unrepresented, you will be limited in what actions you can take on behalf of the company. Since you are only a representative and not the legal entity being sued, some actions that might be necessary to pursue your claim or defend your company could be considered the unauthorized practice of law.

Don’t Put Your Case at Risk – Talk to an Attorney

Most types of civil litigation are challenging–not just for individuals and businesses, but even for attorneys who are unaccustomed to litigation. Litigating a product liability case or a class action based on alleged minimum wage violations is very different from preparing and filing a bankruptcy case or drafting a contract. An attorney who lacks trial experience may not be prepared to provide full, effective representation in a civil litigation matter. Worse, some attorneys who lack trial experience may want to settle your claim for less than it’s worth (or to pay out more than you are fairly responsible for) in order to avoid going to trial.

If you are in need of representation in an Ohio civil case, whether it’s an employment discrimination case, a product liability claim or something else, take a look at the results we’ve achieved in Ohio civil cases. Then, give us a call at 855-4PLEVIN and schedule a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.