R. Craig McLaughlin

Craig McLaughlin represents people who have been seriously injured or killed because of car wrecks, medical negligence, defective products, and safety violations in the workplace. He has been the lead lawyer for injured clients in over 40 jury trials. Craig joined Elk + Elk in 2005 and was named a partner in 2019.

Craig obtained one of the highest verdicts in Clermont County for a personal injury truck crash case.

Honors and Awards

Craig has been recognized as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” since 2009. He holds the highest AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™, which is a verified rating system of lawyers based on their legal ability and ethical standards as judged by their peers. Craig is also a member of the Multi-Million Dollar and Million Dollar Advocates Forum because of the results he achieved for his clients.

Settlements and Verdicts

$7.1 Million – Car Crash  – Indiana

Recovery for an Ohio woman who was rear-ended at high rate of speed and suffered serious injuries (brain injury, herniated discs, etc.) that prevented her from working in the future.

$3.5 Million – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for family of man who was killed in a multi-vehicle car crash on the highway.

$3 Million – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who died after being misdiagnosed at an urgent care and sent home.

$2.9 Million – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for man who was seriously injured (fractured hip and pelvis) when truck went left of center and hit him in a head-on collision that kept him from working.

$2.5 Million – Wrongful Death – Ohio

Judgment for the family of a woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in a motel parking lot.

$2.3 Million – Personal Injury – Ohio

Recovery for a customer at a store who suffered a fractured neck and other permanent injuries when merchandise fell on him while shopping.

$2.1 Million – Wrongful Death – Ohio

Our client was tragically killed in an industrial accident while on the job, leaving behind a surviving wife and children. The case involved navigating complex layers of legal liability, including claims for products liability, third-party negligence, and employer intentional tort. This settlement provides the family with the necessary resources and support while holding multiple parties accountable for the conditions that led to the preventable workplace fatality.

$1.25 Million – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a man who was seriously injured when a pick-up truck was negligently backed into a barn door and the door fell on him. He suffered a fractured back, fractured foot, multiple rib fractures, ruptured spleen, lacerated liver, and other injuries.

$1.1 Million – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Delay in diagnosing and treating cancer.

$1.085 Million – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a woman involved in a multiple vehicle crash on the highway. She suffered a lacerated liver, rib fractures, ankle fracture, bruised lung, abdominal compartment syndrome and other injuries in the collision.

$1.05 Million – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a man who was hit in a head-on collision by a speeding commercial truck. He suffered multiple fractures of his legs, lacerations to his spleen and kidneys, and other injuries in the crash.

$1 Million – Personal Injury – Ohio

Recovery for a man who suffered an Achilles tendon tear, fractured foot, and other serious injuries when a landscaping company negligently failed to secure the top step of decorative stone steps it built leading to a backyard.

$1 Million – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a woman who was hit by a semi-truck that pulled out in front of her. She suffered a fractured elbow, tears in her shoulder, and other injuries in the crash.

$1 Million – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who suffered a brain injury and then died when the doctor failed to come to the hospital or order appropriate medication after being informed of the patient’s declining condition.

$1 Million – Employer Intentional Tort – Ohio

Recovery for a factory worker who was scalped when his hair got caught on an unguarded rotating shaft on a machine. He lost part of one ear and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

$980,000 – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a woman who was hit by a semi-truck that failed to stop at a stop sign. She suffered a fractured wrist, broken leg, and a torn ACL, all requiring surgery and significant hospitalization.

$900,000 – Civil Rights / Wrongful Death – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a pretrial detainee at a county jail who died after her serious medical need was not handled appropriately by the jail nurse.

$875,000 Verdict – Medical Malpractice – Court of Claims – Ohio

A baby suffered brain damage when the doctor negligently performed a C-section. The mother had scar tissue from a previous abdominal surgery and the doctor negligently failed to remove scar tissue before cutting into the mother’s uterus to deliver the baby. The doctor also failed to have a second experienced doctor present to assist her during this difficult delivery. A verdict on the issue of liability only was won in the Ohio Court of Claims and then the case was resolved at a settlement conference.

$875,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who suffered brain and injury and then died after medical procedure went wrong.

$800,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for patient who suffered brachial plexus injury during birth after doctor encountered a shoulder dystocia and applied excessive traction.

$800,000 – Truck Crash – Ohio

Our client sustained a fractured ankle, broken ribs, and back fractures after colliding with a box truck that was negligently parked on a dark country road without hazard lights or reflective warnings. The impact also resulted in a significant aggravation of a pre-existing respiratory condition, requiring a settlement that accounts for both the acute injuries and long-term health needs.

$800,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a woman who was a passenger in a van that was struck by a truck that failed to stop for a red light. She suffered a fractured neck and herniated disk and was unable to work again.

$795,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who died from a pulmonary embolism after having an unnecessary surgery.

$750,000 – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a female security guard who had her foot and ankle run over by a tractor-trailer driver during an inspection of the trailer. She was unable to work as a security guard again.

$750,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for patient who now has advanced stage kidney disease because the family doctor failed to review and respond to abnormal blood tests that had been ordered for many years.

$750,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who died from a heart condition days after being negligently discharged from the hospital by a doctor who failed to run the appropriate tests.

$750,000 – Premises Liability – Ohio

Recovery for a guest of a hotel who fell thru the tile floor in the bathroom. Guest suffered significant injuries to leg and ankle that left permanent scars and other limitations.

$725,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who suffered a brain injury and then died after she was permitted to pull her tubes out in the ICU after surgery and went without oxygen for 22 minutes.

$700,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a man who was hit from behind by a car while he was on a tractor driving down a country road. He suffered a fractured back and was unable to work again.

$650,000 – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a truck driver who was killed instantly when his truck was hit by another truck.

$650,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Wheelchair bound patient was run over by van and suffered a clavicle fracture and other injuries when van driver failed to use emergency brake.

$650,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Pedestrian was struck by a pick-up truck in parking lot and suffered serious injuries (fractured elbow, ribs, etc.).

$620,000 Verdict – Truck Crash – Ohio

Jury verdict for a man who was injured when a truck clipped another car during an improper lane change, causing it to spin out and strike the client’s car. He suffered two herniated disks in his lower back that required multiple surgeries and left him unable to return to work. The last offer from the insurance company before trial was $50,000.

$600,000 – Personal Injury – Ohio

Recovery for a student at a private trade school who suffered a serious and permanent injury when a board kicked back into the student’s groin because the teacher had negligently removed a required guard from a table saw.

$575,000 – Personal Injury – Kentucky

Recovery for a delivery truck driver who suffered a fractured ankle that required multiple surgeries when a tow truck operator dropped a heavy slab of granite during unloading of a flatbed trailer.

$525,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for an elderly woman who was being transported in a nursing home van and suffered a fractured neck when another car ran a stop sign and struck the van.

$525,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for the death of a 73 year old woman who was killed when her husband went left of center and crashed into another car. She died at the scene.

$500,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a veteran who went to the Cleveland VA Medical Center for hernia repair surgery. The surgeon perforated the client’s intestines during surgery then failed to detect the injury in a timely manner. The client died several months later due to complications from a sepsis infection.

$500,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a nursing home patient who was dropped by a private ambulance attendant during transport back from a dialysis session. He fell and hit his head and suffered a brain injury. He died one month later.

$500,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of a patient who died from a pulmonary embolism after joint replacement surgery. Surgeon failed to give patient blood thinners despite patient being at risk for the development of blood clots.

$500,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for the parents of their adult son who was killed instantly when a SUV ran a stop sign and crashed into his car at an intersection.

$500,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a woman who was hit head-on by a truck that went left of center. She suffered multiple fractures to her arms and legs, a very bad laceration to her leg, and other injuries.

$500,000 – Premises Liability – Kentucky

Recovery for customer at a restaurant who tripped and fell on a dangerous condition in the restaurant and suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

$500,000 – Personal Injury – Ohio

Recovery for a pipefitter whose foot was crushed when the operator negligently lowered outriggers on a mobile crane without warning.

$475,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a female senior citizen who was stopped and waiting to make a turn when she was hit from behind by a school bus. She suffered a fractured wrist, clavicle, multiple ribs, and other injuries in the crash.

$470,000 – Motor Vehicle Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a teenager who was a passenger in a car where the driver lost control and struck a utility pole. Client suffered a fractured skull, moderate brain injury, and other injuries in the crash.

$460,000 – Car Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a woman who was hit head-on by a car that crossed over the median. She suffered a fractured foot, neck injury, and bruised ribs.

$425,000 – Car Crash – Kentucky

Recovery for a young woman who was a passenger in a pick-up truck that rear-ended a slow-moving tractor on a dark country road that did not have appropriate lights and warning signs. She suffered a fractured nose, fractured wrist, fractured ankle, and other injuries.

$400,000 – Car Crash – Kentucky

Recovery for a man who was injured when another car ran a red light and struck his car while he was clearing the intersection. He suffered closed head injury, a punctured lung, bruised lung, and other injuries.

$400,000 – Truck Crash – Ohio

Recovery for a female that was seriously injured when a commercial truck failed to stop at a stop sign and crashed into the car in which she was a passenger. She suffered a fractured nose, a fractured arm, fractured leg, multiple rib fractures, and other injuries.

$400,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for the family of an 82-year-old nursing home resident who was totally dependent on nursing home staff for all her needs but was left unattended on a portable toilet. She fell and hit her head and suffered a brain injury. She died two days later.

$350,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for elderly gentleman after an optometrist failed to diagnose open-angle glaucoma that resulted in permanent partial vision loss in both of client’s eyes.

$325,000 – Wrongful Death – Ohio

Recovery against the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections for the family of a 42-year-old inmate who was fatally attacked after the state negligently housed him with a high-risk, violent cellmate.

$325,000 – Premises Liability – Ohio

Recovery for an elderly female who tripped and fell going down steps to a business that did not comply with safety codes. She suffered a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, fractured right wrist, and other injuries.

$300,000 – Dog Bite – Ohio

Recovery for a young girl who was bitten on her face by a relative’s dog and suffered a torn tear duct.

$300,000 – Dog Bite – Ohio

Recovery for a teenage girl who was bitten on the nose by a dog while she was working as a vet tech and now has scars.

$300,000 – Personal Injury – Ohio

Recovery for a young girl who suffered a fractured skull when a neighbor gave his young son a golf club and ball to play with in the backyard and then left the children unsupervised while he went upstairs to take a shower.

$275,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for a veteran after doctors and nurses at the Cleveland VA Medical Center failed to remove surgical towels from the client’s abdomen after surgery to remove his cancerous kidney. The client became very sick, needed multiple surgeries to fix the problem, and missed significant time from work.

$250,000 – Personal Injury

Recovery for a client who suffered serious injuries in a workplace equipment incident involving a rented forklift that was serviced and maintained by an equipment rental company.

$241,000 – Personal Injury – Ohio

Recovery for a teenage female who suffered an avulsion of the patellar tendon in her knee and other injuries when a classmate stepped on her feet and knocked her to the ground during horseplay at school.

$225,000 – Dog Bite – Ohio

Recovery for a toddler who was bitten on the cheek by a friend’s dog at a Fourth of July party.

$200,000 – Medical Malpractice – Ohio

Recovery for a veteran after doctor at the Cleveland VA Medical Center performed surgical procedure negligently and then failed to call veteran back to discuss his complaints of pain and other concerns.

**All lawsuits are different and Elk + Elk makes no representation or promises that it can obtain the same results in other cases. These results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future legal matter. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.

In the News

Settlement reached with last defendant in jail death lawsuit October 26, 2023

Lawsuit over SEORJ inmate death to move forward after appellate court decision June 29, 2023

Piqua man’s family sues Ohio prison system over his murder by cellmate May 1, 2020

Cleveland VA Medical Center Settles Lawsuit For $500,000 Jan 03, 2013

Veteran gets $275,000 after doctors at Louis Stokes VA Medical Center leave 2 towels inside him during surgery December 14, 2011

Client Reviews

Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Client Review – Brittany N.

Craig and Michelle are absolutely AMAZING. They kept me updated on every part of my case. They did everything in their power to make sure I got the best outcome. I am extremely pleased with the results and how kindly they treated me and my family. They truly care about their clients and go above and beyond for them.

Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Representation Review – Ashley W.

I couldn’t be happier with the service I received from Elk & Elk law firm. From the very beginning, Craig McLaughlin and Michelle Duncan were professional, caring, and attentive with our very sensitive case. They always kept me updated, explained everything clearly, and made me feel at ease during a stressful time. I truly felt like they had my best interests at heart and they both were great representation of Elk & Elk. I highly recommend Elk & Elk to anyone who needs reliable and compassionate legal help.

Personal Injury Attorney Review – Jarrod W.

Elk and Elk treated me and my family great during the hardest time of our lives. They worked diligently to help with anything we needed. I couldn’t recommend them enough. Craig McLaughlin and the paralegal Michelle Duncan were absolutely instrumental in helping us with our case. We could not have made it through without them both!

Dog Attack Settlement Review – Albert C.

I really appreciate the work that Craig McLaughlin and Michelle Duncan did for my dog attack case. They were able to get me a fair settlement.

Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Case Results – Michael H.

I chose Craig and Elk and Elk as my lawyer and it was the smartest choice I could have made. Craig is a kind, caring, diligent, hard working and professional lawyer. He has a lot of experience and with that comes a lot of confidence that makes you feel like everything is going to work out. He takes time to listen, and he also explains everything very succinctly and clearly. His team made me feel like family and you won’t regret getting them to help you achieve the goals of your family. Craig truly is an extraordinary lawyer. The entire time he was helping me I could feel as though it was going to be all right. He’s very persuasive in his mediations, very carful with his words, has a calm demeanor, and knows how to navigate the very difficult and complicated legal world. Anytime I needed him I could text him or email him and he would always promptly respond and answer my concerns and often times talk me down from being so nervous and worried. You won’t need to look anywhere else if you have stumbled on this page because his proof is in his results and he achieved concrete results for my family and the future of my son. I could never thank him enough for his hard work, his dedication to his craft, his eloquence and compassion and the brilliance of the entire team at Elk and Elk. Trust me, this is one decision you won’t regret. These guys are champions and they will be be there for you the entire way and the confidence Craig has will spill into your own belief in him and his team. Welcome home. Google Review

Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Representation Review – Tami S.

We were so thankful for our attorney Craig McLaughlin and his incredible team. They kept us informed and had our best interest at heart. Our attorney was honest and spoke straight with us through each process. We are incredibly thankful for how they helped us in an extremely difficult time in our lives. Thank you Google Review

Injury Case Settlement Review – Melissa R.

I had a great experience with Elk and Elk. My lawyer Craig Mclaughlin did a wonderful job with my case. He explained every step of the way and asked the numerous questions I had. He was able to settle my case with the best possible outcome. I would definitely recommend anyone to use their firm for their legal needs. Google Review

Dog Bite Injury Attorney Review – Sarah M.

I would definitely recommend Elk + Elk to anyone for a personal injury. My son was bitten by dog and the first person I called was Jay Kelley. He referred Craig McLaughlin as the best dog bite Attorney in town. They were very professional and helped us get through a difficult time in my sons life. Google Review

Car Accident Settlement Review – Melissa B.

Craig McLaughlin was instrumental in helping us navigate our car wreck case. We are so grateful that a friend referred us to Craig! He was able to stop harassing/harsh calls. Craig was honest and worked on our behalf for a long time to take us through a very overwhelming process. We can finally breathe and move on with our lives thanks to the case and delivery Craig put together for our family! Google Review

Personal Injury Client Review – Sherry

Personal Injury Lawyer Review – Macey

Personal Injury Case Review – Carolyn & Sam

Personal Injury Claim Review – Rhonda

Sometimes the law doesn’t seem very fair. My circumstances were very unusual. Craig fought for me when others wouldn’t. He was able to see my pain, and he was able to use the law to its literal meaning. My case was more than a resolution, it was a vindication as to what had happened to me. Because of how he handled my case, so personally, he understood and was able to express my pain and suffering. The resolution made me feel vindicated. Thanks to him, I am now able to put the past behind and move forward with my life. Craig McLaughlin and his paralegal, Michelle, were wonderful to work with through the entire process. I appreciate their hard work and kind ears when they were needed.

Accident Injury Settlement Review – Wendy

This past year since the accident has been physically and mentally exhausting. Craig McLaughlin and his paralegal, Janell, took on my case, worked hard for me, and were prompt and kind. Thank you for making this whole process so easy. A huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

Accident Injury Representation Review – Deborah

I chose Elk & Elk, because, after my husband’s accident, my mailbox was flooded with legal teams wanting our “business.” My husband is a person, my person, not someone’s business. This was not an experience I wanted to have, but it was better with Craig’s help. We did not feel like just another paycheck. We were important in every way.

Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Attorney Review – Alexis

Craig is an excellent lawyer in many ways. He was always there to answer any and all questions and they were always answered thoroughly. I couldn’t have chosen a better lawyer or law firm for my case! I definitely recommend Elk & Elk and even more recommend Craig!

Injury Law Representation Review – Ariel

Craig is efficient, friendly, thorough and dedicated. He keeps an open line of communication and he’s very reliable. Even if there was no new news on my case he still made it a point to keep me in the loop and I appreciate that.

Work-Related Injury Attorney Review – Terry

Mr. McLaughlin represented me in a work-related injury. He was very committed to detail and showed a high level of personal commitment to me, as well as all aspects of the litigation. He was also available to me on short notice, when I needed his counsel as I thought about the overall case at times. He was always punctual and would answer and explain different nuances as they arose as the case progressed. I consider him a real professional at several levels. And there is no mistake that he is very confident within himself and displays a wonderful legal prowess and the ability to get things done. In short, I was very comfortable and confident with Mr. McLaughlin and would highly recommend him!