Lanham, MD Personal Injury Lawyer

Accidents happen all the time, but you do not have to accept your injuries and costs just because the other person involved did not mean any harm. They should be held accountable for their negligence and have to cover your damages. Beginning an injury lawsuit can be challenging, but you do not have to do it alone. A lawyer can assist you with your legal action while you focus on recovering from your injuries.

Personal injury cases cover a wide spectrum of injuries and claims, but the one thing all these cases have in common is bodily injuries to the plaintiff. Damages might be substantial, and plaintiffs are often surprised to learn how much their case is worth. Remember, if you do not take action, you will have to cover these costs on your own. To begin, you need to file your claims before the statute of limitations runs out, which is only 3 years in Maryland. As you prepare your case, your lawyer can help you find evidence to support your claims in court.

Contact our personal injury attorney at Rice Law to get a confidential case review for no charge by calling (410) 694-7291.

How To Tell if You Have a Personal Injury Claim in Lanham, MD

If you are familiar with personal injury claims, you might know that they cover a broad range of cases, claims, and accidents. Common examples include car crashes, accidents at work, defective products, injuries at amusement parks, and so much more. Since personal injury cases can vary so greatly, you must find an attorney with experience handling claims like yours.

Before determining what kind of injury claims you have, our personal injury lawyers need to determine whether you have a personal injury claim at all. Many people who experience some sort of loss (often a financial loss) believe they can file a personal injury claim, but this is not always so. A personal injury claim must include some form of bodily harm to the plaintiff. If you experienced a loss but suffered no physical injuries, you can still sue, but you might have an entirely different type of claim.

Recoverable Damages in Lanham, MD Personal Injury Cases

Your damages reflect your injuries, costs, losses, and experiences surrounding your accident. For some, damages are not terribly significant, and obtaining justice and closure is what is important. For others, their damages are so incredibly high that they cannot possibly afford them, and a lawsuit is necessary to cover these steep costs.

Non-Economic Damages

Perhaps the most challenging damages to asses are non-economic damages. Rather than monetary costs, these damages are based on your subjective personal experiences. Generally, these experiences are in some way traumatic or painful and, even though they might not technically cost money, deserve fair compensation.

Some examples of non-economic damages include emotional distress from the accident, physical pain from your injuries, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of your life, and diminished quality of life. These damages are often assessed based on their overall impact on your day-to-day life. The bugger the toll these damages take, the greater your damages.

According to Md. Code. Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art. § 11-108(b), non-economic damages are capped at a certain amount. Currently, non-economic damages in Maryland are capped at $935,000. However, this limit is increased every year on October 1st by $15,000. So, by October of 2024, the limit will be $950,000.

Economic Damages

Your economic damages constitute the losses and injuries that cost you money. Again, these damages will vary based on your specific circumstances and injuries, but they are known to be quite high, especially when severe injuries are involved. Many plaintiffs claim substantial economic damages for medical bills and treatment for their injuries. These damages might be very high if you need more extensive or long-term care.

Economic damages come from other sources, too. For example, you may claim the value of lost or damaged property. In a car crash, you might claim the loss of your vehicle, which could be a lot. You may also claim costs related to the wages you lose because you cannot return to work while you recover.

How Quickly You Should File a Personal Injury Case in Lanham, MD

Once you know you have been injured because of someone else’s negligent behavior, you should speak to a lawyer immediately, as your time to file a lawsuit is limited. Keeping track of this time limit is important because if you do not file your case on time, you might be barred from filing it at all, barring very special circumstances.

The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Maryland is under Md. Code Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art. § 5-101 and imposes a strict 3-year limitation period. In most cases, this limitation period starts running on the day you are injured, so the clock starts counting down almost immediately. While 3 years might seem like more than enough time, plaintiffs are often surprised to find that preparing a lawsuit is time-consuming, and it is very easy to miss the deadline. The sooner you start working with a lawyer to prepare your case, the better.

Collecting Evidence to Prove Your Personal Injury Claims in Lanham, MD

To fully prepare your case, we need evidence of the defendant’s negligence. Evidence is unique to each case, and we should begin looking for it right away. If you wait too long to get started, important pieces of evidence might disappear.

Physical evidence may be important if your accident or injuries are directly connected to an item or object. For example, if you were hurt by someone wielding a weapon, we should get the weapon to be introduced as evidence. If you were hurt because a defective product malfunctioned, we need the defective product as proof of the manufacturer’s negligence.

Medical records might also be helpful to establish the extent of your injuries. Medical records are sometimes difficult to collect, especially if you were treated by multiple doctors in different hospitals. Our team can help you get the records you need to prove just how badly you were hurt and how much treatment cost you.

Contact Our Lanham, MD Personal Injury Attorneys for Support

Contact our personal injury attorney at Rice Law to get a confidential case review for no charge by calling (410) 694-7291.