For 30 years, our truck accident attorneys have fought hard for victims of catastrophic Ohio truck accidents. Through that work we have gained experience with and knowledge of Ohio trucking laws and we bring that experience and knowledge to bear every time we represent an Ohio resident.
Managing Partner Michael J. Leizerman passed the Ohio bar in 1994, and has been named an Ohio Super Lawyer multiple times. He is a member of the Toledo Bar Association as well as the Lucas County (Ohio) Bar Association.
Last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released safety data from 2011, including the following: One-third of truck occupant fatalities occurred when occupant was not wearing a seatbelt; 64% of large truck fatal crashes occurred on rural roads; … [Read more]
Read more >Five people including a pregnant woman were injured when their SUV slammed into a parked tractor trailer at a rest area on Interstate 76 in Edinburg, OH, on Wednesday, May 2. According to RecordPub.com, the SUV failed to slow as … [Read more]
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I am honored that West Thompson—the world’s largest publisher of legal books—asked me to write this multi-volume book on truck accident law in 2004. I had already begun the project for my own reference as a truck accident lawyer. My book includes the federal regulations that are the same in each state for interstate tractor-trailer crashes, as well as state law that differs in areas, like whether there are monetary limits or “caps” in the lawsuit, whether you can receive punitive damages, and the varying technical requirements for filing a lawsuit.
I have handled cases across the country. I am licensed in several states, and have local counsel in many states who I trust and work with closely. Select your state to learn more:
Whether conducting in-state or inter-state commerce, trucks play an enormous role in the safety on Ohio's roadways. Our state boasts busy toll roads, high-traffic interstate freeways, and miles of two-lane country highways, making truck traffic throughout Ohio common. Major cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo attract tractor trailers, semis and tanker trucks from all parts of the country. Highways such as the Ohio Turnpike, Interstate 75, Interstate 70 and numerous other freeways serve as major arteries for trucks that are only passing through Ohio. Unfortunately, that high traffic leads to frequent truck accidents.
In recent years, more than 4,500 fatal and non-fatal truck accidents have occurred in Ohio annually. Thousands of people are injured and hundreds more are killed every year. If you or a family member has suffered from a truck accident, you need a legal representative who has experience in holding trucking companies, carriers and brokers accountable. Toledo truck accident attorney Michael J. Leizerman has spent more than three decades building his reputation as an authority on truck accident cases involving truck driver negligence. He is often called on to assist attorneys across the country with truck accident-related litigation.
Despite his national acclaim, Michael is proud to call Ohio home, and he continues to focus his expertise toward the benefit of Ohioans who have suffered as a result of a truck accident. Contact Michael today for a free consultation and discuss your potential case with an attorney who has a track record for defending truck accident victims against the drivers and carriers who should be held responsible.
Or contact me online. All information is kept confidential. I will not accept a case in a state where I'm not ethically permitted under the circumstances.
I am a Toledo, Ohio-based attorney who will fight for you. I have tried and won truck accident cases across the country, working as co-counsel with top-notch local attorneys screened for quality, knowledge and results. Contact me for a free consultation.
Michael Leizerman regularly engages in continuing legal education presentations around the country, including the following events in or near Ohio:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.
There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Bath may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382, 383, 384, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, and 399 of the federal regulations.
Your truck accident case may be larger than you think. My experience often enables me to maximize awards, well beyond what the co-counsel originally expected. My book Litigating Truck Accident Cases, published by West Publishing, is considered the definitive work on handling truck accident cases. Contact me if you are seeking co-counsel on your case.
Fatal Truck Accidents: 147 per year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 4,428 per year
Accident Locales: 52% (Rural), 48% (Urban)
Carrier Fact: 46% of Ohio truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not OH.
In 83% of Ohio truck accidents, weather conditions were NOT a factor.
Ohio Turnpike: Officially named the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, the Ohio Turnpike is a 241.26 mile-long, limited-access toll highway that serves as a primary route to Chicago and Pittsburgh. The turnpike runs east-west in the northern section of the state, from the Indiana Toll Road to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Interstate 70: I-70 starts at Cove Fort, Utah and its terminus is in Baltimore, Maryland. The 255 miles of the highway that cross Ohio pass through Columbus, Dayton, Springfield and Cambridge.
Interstate 71: I-71 starts in Louisville, Kentucky and its terminus is in Cleveland, Ohio. The 247 miles that run through Ohio have interchanges at the major cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, Seville, Strongville and Mansfield.
Interstate 75: I-75 starts in Hialeah, Florida and its terminus is in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan at the Canadian border. The 211 miles that run through Ohio pass through Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo.
Interstate 76: The 82 miles of I-76 that run through Ohio travel from Interstate 71 south of Cleveland to the Pennsylvania state line south of Youngstown and constitute the easternmost section of the Ohio Turnpike.
Interstate 77: I-77 starts in Columbia, South Carolina and its terminus is in Cleveland, Ohio. The 162 miles that traverse Ohio pass through the cities of Canton, Richfield, Brecksville, Independence and Akron.
Interstate 80: I-80 enters Ohio with I-90 from the Indiana Toll Road and becomes the Ohio Turnpike. The two Interstates traverse northwest Ohio and proceed south of Toledo. In Rossford, Ohio I-80 intersects Interstate 75 forming the "Crossroads of America", one of the largest intersections of two interstate highways in the country. I-80 later splits from I-90 and travels south of Cleveland before continuing east to the north of Youngstown, and entering Pennsylvania.
Interstate 90: The Indiana Toll Road turns into the Ohio Turnpike as it enters Ohio where it follows the Ohio Turnpike before splitting just west of Cleveland and heading north near the shores of Lake Erie. In Cleveland, I-90 converges with traffic from Interstates 71 and 77 and passes through a section known as "Dead Man's Curve" due to a near 90-degree turn that is responsible for a high rate of accidents.
Contact me for a free consultation about your case.
