Parkville, MD Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents have this nasty habit of happening when you least expect them. In the ensuing chaos and confusion, your legal rights might not be the first thing on your mind. You should speak with a lawyer about your rights to fair compensation.
Of course, your first step after a car accident should be to get help. Once you have gotten to a hospital and been treated by a doctor, you should contact a lawyer about potential legal action. Your injuries might be severe, making it impossible to handle your case alone, and a lawyer can guide you through the complex legal process. Damages might be considerable, including damages for monetary losses and emotional injuries. Generally, the other driver’s insurance should pay for your damages, but this is not always the case. If the other driver is uninsured, you might rely on your own insurance, or we can make the other driver pay out of pocket by suing them. Proving your claims and getting the compensation you need might require a combination of strong evidence, persuasive arguments, and legal strategy.
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras to schedule an appointment with our car accident lawyers for a free case evaluation at (410) 694-7291.
Why You Should Hire a Lawyer After a Parkville, MD Car Accident
People sometimes think hiring a lawyer will only complicate matters, but this could not be further from the truth. The matter is likely already very complicated, and a lawyer can help you navigate the legal procedures to get compensation much easier.
Injured victims often want to pursue legal action but are too badly hurt to do so on their own. In such cases, an attorney may step in and do the legal heavy lifting while you focus on recovering. Often, accident victims are so badly injured that if they waited until they fully recovered to take legal action, their deadline to file their lawsuit would expire.
You should also hire a lawyer because taking legal action is infamously complicated. You cannot get your case into court without adhering to complex rules and rigid procedures. Deviation from these rules and procedures, which even seasoned attorneys have trouble with sometimes, could result in your case being rejected or dismissed.
You might have more legal options than you realize, and an attorney can help you explore all possibilities before deciding which one is right for your case. For example, you and your attorney might discuss how an insurance claim or settlement agreement might affect your case. If you would rather file a lawsuit, your lawyer can help determine if more than just the other driver should be held liable.
Your Damages for Your Parkville, MD Car Accident Case
Damages in many personal injury claims, including those for car accidents, usually fall into one of two broad categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages reflect monetary losses, while non-economic damages focus on emotional or psychological distress. Identifying all potential damages in your case is crucial to getting full and fair compensation.
Since car accidents tend to involve a lot of physical injuries and property damage, they are known for being very expensive. Medical bills are often the main focus of many injured drivers but are only the tip of the iceberg. Costs to repair or replace damaged vehicles and other property can also be significant. On top of all that, you might need time away from your job to recover, and your employer might not cover this time off. Even worse, you might have to leave your job because you are physically unable to return to work. Your lost income should be accounted for among your economic damages.
Non-economic injuries and damages are based on how the car accident affected you emotionally or psychologically. This might include diagnosable mental health conditions but does not necessarily have to. For example, emotional anguish and psychological distress are common after car accidents, especially severe ones. Depending on how the accident happened, you might also experience deep humiliation or damage to your reputation.
Who Pays Compensation for a Parkville, MD Car Accident?
Compensation is important in lawsuits and is often necessary for plaintiffs to make ends meet. You might be wondering where it comes from and who pays for it. The answer varies from case to case, but the defendant or their insurance company usually foots the bill.
An insurance claim is often the first step injured drivers take to recover compensation or damages. Unfortunately, insurance is not always sufficient, as it might be limited by policy terms. It might also be flat-out denied, sometimes for very unfair reasons. When you file a lawsuit against the other driver, their insurance company is still on the hook for your damages, even if the same insurance company previously denied your claim.
While all drivers in Maryland are legally required to have auto insurance, some drivers do not comply. This makes getting fair compensation extremely difficult. If you have supplementary insurance policies, like MedPay or an uninsured motorist policy, you might be able to file a claim with your own insurance and get coverage. If not, our car accident lawyers can help you sue the other driver and make them pay for your damages out of their own pockets.
What to Do to Prove Your Claims in a Parkville, MD Car Accident Case?
To prove your claims and get compensation for your grievous damages, we need evidence, persuasive arguments, and an effective legal strategy. How these three factors come together depends on your specific situation, and an attorney can help you figure out the best way to approach your case.
Evidence might include photos from the accident scene, witness testimony, security camera or dashcam footage, and details from police reports. Keep in mind, police reports are often inadmissible hearsay, but we can use them to obtain other evidence uncovered by law enforcement.
Developing an effective strategy requires legal skills and creativity. For example, suppose we have evidence so powerful that victory is nearly certain. In that case, we might urge the defendant to simply pay all your damages in a settlement agreement and avoid a lengthy trial.
Another possible strategy is filing pretrial motions to limit the evidence the defense can bring to court, especially when their evidence is unreliable or does not adhere to strict evidentiary standards.
Call Our Parkville, MD Car Accident Attorneys Right Away
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras to schedule a free review of your legal claims with our car accident lawyers by calling (410) 694-7291.