Cecil County Personal Injury Lawyer

The legal term “Personal Injury” describes harm to an individual’s body, mind, or well-being. Personal injury lawsuits resolve conflicts where one or more parties’ conduct resulted in the physical damage or financial loss of another.

The long-term physical and financial consequences of an injury could be significant. When you have suffered harm due to the negligent behavior of another person or entity, you should not have to bear the full mental and economic burden. Our Cecil County personal injury lawyer will fight for your proper compensation. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation.

Types of Personal Injury Cases in Cecil County, MD

No two personal injury lawsuits are the same and the circumstances from which they arise are just as varied. Rice, Murtha & Psoras has represented people injured under many different circumstances. the following are just a few of the types of cases we have filed.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Often, people walk away from a car accident without a scratch. However, many unlucky crash victims suffer life-altering injuries. Reckless and negligent driving leads to crashes involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buses. Sometimes, the cause of an accident is not the behavior of another motorist. Defective or poorly maintained roads and signage could contribute to motor vehicle accidents throughout Cecil County.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals make mistakes. When those errors are unjustifiable or due to negligent decisions of actions on the part of doctors or nurses, they could be held accountable for the potential negative medical consequences that occur.

Slip and Fall

The “classic” personal injury suit is the slip and fall. While parodied in film and television, the injuries sustained from unexpected falls can be severe. Every day, people are harmed when they encounter unforeseen hazards on another’s property. When a property owner neglects to maintain their premises in a safe condition, they could be held liable for any injuries that occur.

Products Liability

When people purchase or use a product, they have a reasonable expectation that it will not only accomplish its purpose, but it will also be safe to use. When an item is poorly manufactured, has a defective design, or fails to include proper instructions, it could present an unreasonable danger and give rise to a personal injury claim.

Premises Liability

Missing railings, uneven steps, and poorly lit stairwells could contribute to an accident. When a property owner fails to keep their premises in a safe condition, they could be held responsible if someone is injured.

Animal Attack

Maryland has strict liability laws, typically holding pet owners responsible for any harm inflicted by their animals. Often, these incidents are resolved through a personal injury lawsuit.

Intentional Torts

When a person purposefully harms another, then the injured party could pursue both civil and criminal remedies.

Finding Fault in Personal Injury Lawsuits in Cecil County

The most important part of a personal injury claim is determining which party, or parties, were at fault. Once a party’s conduct is determined to be the legal cause of the injury, they are liable and have to compensate the harmed party for any damages they incurred.

Fault in every personal injury claim is highly dependent upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the injury. At Rice, Murtha & Psoras, our attorneys will analyze the facts and evidence related to your accident. By using eyewitness testimony, expert opinions, medical reports, and examining the physical site, we will work to establish who was at fault.

Sometimes determining fault is challenging, especially if there are several parties involved. For example, someone is ascending a dimly lit staircase when another person running down the stairs bumps into them. Both individuals lose their balance and fall through a broken railing, sustaining severe injuries. In this instance, the fault could lie with the property owner and the person recklessly running down the staircase.

Negligence in Personal Injury Claims

Liability in a personal injury claim usually requires establishing that the injury was caused by someone’s negligent conduct. Our Cecil County lawyers will have to prove four elements.

  • A duty of care
  • A breach of that duty
  • Causation
  • Damages

Contributory Negligence in Carroll County, MD

A difficult facing every personal injury attorney in Maryland is the legal doctrine known as “contributory negligence.” Maryland is one of the few states that adhere to this doctrine, under which a person who is found to have contributed to an accident is unable to collect compensation from any other party involved.

Using the example above, a jury could find that the property owner was 40% responsible because the railing was not properly maintained. the same jury could attribute 50% of the fault to the person running recklessly down the staircase. Finally, the jury might find that the individual who was run into shared 10% of the blame for climbing a dark stairwell. In this instance, neither injured party could collect compensation from the property owner. Additionally, the person running recklessly down the stairs would be free from having to pay the person they ran into any compensation.

It is critical to hire an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney who is familiar with this doctrine. In preparing your case, our attorneys will also formulate arguments to counter any claims the defense may raise to shift the fault.

Call Our Carroll County Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation

When you are injured because of the negligent conduct of another, you need the representation of our Carroll County personal injury attorney. A severe injury could have long-lasting medical and financial consequences. Our dedicated personal injury attorneys have over thirty years of experience fighting for compensation for injured people. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation.