Beltsville, MD Personal Injury Lawyer

Most of us have probably experienced a painful accident and injury at some point in our lives, and some accidents may provide cause for legal action. The person or people responsible for the accident can and should be held accountable. Your injuries might have been very expensive to deal with, and you deserve fair financial compensation for everything you have gone through. An attorney can help you begin a personal injury lawsuit.

People sometimes resist beginning a lawsuit because they think it will be a very long time-commitment. While this is sometimes true, some cases are finished rather quickly. It all depends on the unique facts, evidence, and other circumstances surrounding your case. Speaking of evidence, we need as much of it as possible. Much evidence might come from the accident scene, but it might also be found in some surprising places. Where we find evidence depends on how your injuries occurred. Our team has handled various injury claims and is prepared to help you.

Call (410) 694-7291 and get a private review of your claims for no charge from our personal injury attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras.

How Long Do Personal Injury Cases Take in Beltsville, MD?

A big reason why so many injured victims refuse to sue for their injuries is because they are unsure about how long the case might take. Talk to a lawyer even if you are unsure about pursuing legal action. They can evaluate your situation and help make the most informed decision possible.

It may be hard to say exactly how long a personal injury claim might take to complete. It often depends on a complex combination of factors surrounding the case. One such factor is the facts surrounding your case. The more facts that can be concretely established, the shorter your case might be. Cases tend to drag on when facts are disputed, and each side must spend time coming up with evidence to prove the facts.

This brings us to another important factor: the evidence. If you have a lot of strong evidence supporting your claims, the case will likely end quickly, especially if the defendant knows they are fighting a losing battle. In some cases, defendants would rather privately settle quickly to avoid an embarrassing defeat in the courtroom.

Our personal injury lawyers must also consider each person’s willingness to cooperate. Perhaps you are open to a private settlement so you can put this whole mess behind you. If the defendant refuses to work out a deal and insists on going to court, your case may take longer. Additionally, we must think about the court’s schedule and caseload. If the court is very busy, your case might not be on the schedule for several weeks or months.

However long your case might take, it is important to speak with a legal professional soon, as your time to file a case is limited. According to the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Maryland, Md. Code Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art. § 5-101, plaintiffs only have 3 years from the date they are initially injured to file a claim.

How to Gather Evidence to Support Your Beltsville, MD Personal Injury Case

Evidence is the heart and soul of most personal injury lawsuits. The only way to succeed in court is to meet your burden of proof by proving the defendant’s negligence by a preponderance of the evidence. In short, this means we have to convince the trier of fact (i.e., the jury or judge) that the defendant is more likely than not liable. To do this, we need the sternest evidence possible.

Physical evidence may include objects you can pick up and show to a jury. Exactly what kind of physical evidence we need, if any is even available, depends on how you were injured. If a defective product injures you, we need the product as evidence. We should have it inspected to determine exactly what is wrong with it and why the defendant is responsible.

Witnesses are another incredibly important part of our evidence arsenal. While witness testimony sometimes gets a bad reputation for being weak or untrustworthy, strong testimony has been known to turn the tide in an injury lawsuit. Perhaps someone at the accident scene saw the whole thing and can testify to a jury about it. Maybe they know something about the defendant that is relevant to the case. The more witnesses we can find, the better.

Photographs and videos are another example of strong evidence common in personal injury cases. After an accident, people often take pictures of the damage and their injuries. These pictures might be extremely useful in court, especially if the defendant claims a very different version of events than the ones that actually transpired.

What if evidence is on someone’s private property? It is not unusual for defendants to be in control of certain pieces of evidence that can greatly help plaintiffs. Maybe you were injured on someone’s private property and want to return to the scene for evidence. We can request the evidence from the defendant, but if they refuse, we can ask the court to order the defendant to turn over the evidence.

Available Damages in Beltsville, MD Personal Injury Claims

Your damages should reflect your losses and injuries from the accident. They might be measured in money or by other more subjective qualities. Either way, your damages might be quite substantial, and an attorney can help you claim the full extent of your damages so you get the compensation you deserve.

Economic damages are based on the money you lost or spent because of your injuries. This may include, but is not limited to, medical bills, lost wages from missing work, property damage, and various other costs you might have incurred. If you are unsure about the extent of your economic damages, talk to a lawyer. People are often surprised that their costs add up to a larger sum than they initially thought.

Non-economic injuries are more subjective and usually based on negative personal experiences rather than money. Often, non-economic damages are unrelated to money and might not take an economic toll on plaintiffs. The toll is instead often mental or emotional. For example, you may claim damages for the intense physical pain from injuries and the mental anguish of surviving the accident. These damages may be very high in cases of very serious accidents and catastrophic injuries. Even so, they are not unlimited. According to Md. Code Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art. § 11-108(b), non-economic damages may be currently capped at $935,000, but this limit may increase by $15,000 in October of 2024 and each year after.

Get Help Now From Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Beltsville, MD

Call (410) 694-7291 and get a private review of your claims for no charge from our personal injury attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras.