Bethesda, MD Personal Injury Lawyer

In many situations, our safety is in the hands of others. This is most apparent when we are passengers in a car, but we also rely on others to use the proper care and skill behind the wheel when we drive alongside them. Similarly, product manufacturers, doctors, and store and restaurant owners sometimes have our safety in their hands.

If these parties commit negligence and injure you, you may respond by suing them for damages. When preparing your case, our lawyers will estimate your total losses from the accident so that we are ready for settlement negotiations. Undervaluing your case could cause you to accept poor offers, and we can ensure a fair recovery on your behalf, whether that comes from a settlement or jury award. To get this compensation, you must file your claim on time, and we can also ensure this happens after taking on your injury lawsuit in Bethesda.

For help with your case, call the personal injury lawyers of Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.

Common Accidental Injuries Due to Negligence in Bethesda, MD

If you were involved in an accident and suffered injuries, you may be entitled to sue for your damages. These injuries can vary greatly depending on the specific accident you were involved in and the defendant’s negligent conduct. Our personal injury lawyers can help you file your lawsuit and seek compensation for many types of injuries, such as brain injuries, back, neck, and spine damage, broken bones, toxic exposure, cuts and lacerations, and asphyxiation, among others.

Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most serious injuries you could suffer from negligence. Victims of head injuries may sustain concussions in mild cases. Still, more severe injuries could leave victims with motor control issues, memory issues, cognitive issues, and other serious disabilities that may affect them for the rest of their lives. For example, victims with permanent brain damage might never be able to return to work at a livable earning capacity, entitling them to considerable compensation for long-term lost wages.

Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries

The spinal column is an important part of the body. The bones help support your body and protect the spinal cord, which transmits signals to and from the brain. An injury to your back or neck can cause ongoing pain and discomfort, which could be exacerbated by physical activity.

Misalignment, inflammation, and herniation of the tissue between your bones can put added pressure on the spine, causing nerve pain and more serious health conditions. Lastly, any injury to the spinal cord itself could be debilitating. These injuries could lead to permanent paralysis, loss of feeling, or pain in the extremities. Paralysis injuries often come with serious emotional distress for victims, and our lawyers can quantify these intangible damages for compensation claims.

Broken Bones

If you suffered a broken wrist or arm during a fall or other accident, you might face substantial pain. Many broken bone injuries heal within a few months, and victims can typically fully physically recover, but not after receiving intensive medical treatments.

For example, more severe broken bone injuries may require surgery or metal implants to reset the bone and support weight-bearing bones’ recoveries. Many of these injuries require ongoing medical care to ensure a full recovery, such as physical therapy sessions with specialists.

This can lead to substantial medical expenses for imaging, procedures, and medical devices and high damages for pain and suffering.

Toxic Exposure

Injuries from exposure to toxic substances can occur in your home, community, or workplace. Dangerous chemicals are used for everyday purposes, and while limited exposure might be fine, overexposure can cause negative health effects or ongoing conditions that could result in serious harm. Substances like asbestos, lead, benzene, and others commonly used in manufacturing and other industries can cause severe illnesses and long-term health complications.

If you were suffocated or exposed to certain chemicals, you may also face brain damage from lack of oxygen or other chemical interference. This damage might be permanent, requiring significant compensation from negligent parties.

Cuts and Lacerations

Many accidents cause simple cuts and minor lacerations that may require stitches. More severe injuries involving power tools, workplace accidents, medical malpractice, car crashes, and other accidents could cause more substantial cuts that require medical intervention. In severe cases, you could even suffer traumatic amputation from a serious cut or laceration or require surgical amputation later. Even the smallest lacerations could become infected if left untreated, so get medical attention for obvious cuts after an accident.

Asphyxiation

Going without oxygen can be incredibly dangerous. This commonly occurs in many birth injuries as well as injuries involving drowning or dangerous gases, such as smoke or toxic fumes. If you suffer a lack of oxygen, you could face serious brain injuries and other physical symptoms. Asphyxiation from a traumatic injury or strangulation can also cause external injuries that may require medical attention.

Available Compensation for Victims of Personal Injuries in Bethesda, MD

After an accident, you may be able to sue the responsible party for compensation. This can involve direct financial reimbursement for any medical expenses you incurred, wages you missed, or pain and suffering you faced because of the injuries. In some cases, insurance may be available to cover your injuries, but your case may be better compensated through a lawsuit.

When you sue for medical bills, you can recover the cost of emergency treatment and any subsequent care related to the injury. This can include the cost of medical imaging, medical devices, doctor’s visits, rehabilitation, and other care costs.

If you missed work because of the injury, you can sue for past, present, and future lost wages. During your recovery, you may have to take time off work, but you could also face reduced wages now and in the future if your injury causes disabilities or limitations. These costs should also be reimbursed, and our personal injury lawyers can determine the difference in your earning capacities before and after the accident, with assistance from medical experts if necessary.

Lastly, pain and suffering damages may be available. These damages cover physical pain, mental suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, lost enjoyment, and other results of the injury that cannot be tangibly seen or calculated. Because of this, you will likely have to testify and have family and friends testify to prove your damages. Our lawyers may also involve mental health experts in your case, as these professionals can evaluate you and testify about your pain and suffering since an accident, including any signs of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder you have shown.

Timeline of Bethesda, MD Personal Injury Claims

As soon as possible after sustaining a personal injury, victims should contact our lawyers to launch their claims. We can immediately identify evidence to preserve and collect, write and submit complete complaints before the statute of limitations ends, negotiate a fair settlement, or prove the defendant’s liability in court.

Evidence Collection and Preservation

Our attorneys can begin collecting and preserving important evidence immediately after an accident. Starting this process quickly is crucial, as some of the most consequential evidence of negligence might get lost or degrade as time passes. Eyewitnesses who saw the defendant injure you might forget minor details about their conduct or your injuries at the scene. Footage of the accident filmed on nearby security cameras might get deleted, which might have otherwise shown the defendant being negligent and injuring you. The sooner we can begin investigating an accident, the better, as this will allow us to identify and preserve all relevant evidence before it is potentially lost.

Furthermore, our lawyers can collect all your medical records after an accident, as this evidence can prove the extent of your injuries and outline your required treatment. We can request records from hospitals and providers as they are generated, so we keep this information organized throughout your case. This will also help us keep track of your medical damages from negligence, which is necessary to calculate your total losses from an accident.

Complaint Preparation and Submission

We must then write the complaint to file in court. This will initiate your lawsuit against a negligent party, so it must contain the appropriate information. Injury complaints outline an accident’s circumstances and explain a defendant’s negligent conduct. They also outline a victim’s damages and contain compensation requests. Incomplete complaints might get dismissed by the court, requiring plaintiffs to refile, and our lawyers can help ensure this does not happen so your case is not unnecessarily delayed.

Most injury complaints must be filed in court within three years of an accident in Bethesda, according to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101. Any lawsuits not filed in this window may not be brought later unless a specific exception applies. For example, if a victim is injured as a minor, the statute of limitations will not begin to accrue until they turn 18. This gives minor victims until age 21 to file lawsuits in Maryland. Victims who do not notice their injuries immediately might get tolling for delayed discovery. This could happen when victims suffer internal injuries during falls or car accidents, as these injuries might lurk under the surface for some time before they become apparent.

Settlement Negotiations or Trial

After we file, the defendant will be notified of your lawsuit. Once this happens, the rest of your case could proceed relatively quickly, depending on both parties’ willingness to settle. When approaching settlement negotiations, it is important to appreciate your case’s true value. If you do not know your full damages, you could accept a lower settlement under the impression that it covers all losses from an injury. Then, in the coming months or years, you might realize your damages were far greater, leaving you with no alternative to recoup them. We can carefully monitor all economic losses from an accident and evaluate the intangible damages you have incurred before discussing a settlement with the opposing side.

Settlement negotiations take varying amounts of time, depending on the case. Many defendants want to avoid trials at all costs, so indicating we may proceed with one could lead to higher offers to keep the case out of court. When evaluating offers, we will do so with your best interest in mind, only advising you to accept settlements that appropriately cover your losses.

We can take your case to court to prove the defendant’s liability if necessary. When personal injury lawsuits go to trial, it is typically because the defense refuses to offer a fair settlement after staunch negotiations, and our lawyers can prepare for this possibility from the onset of your case.

Call Our Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Assessment in Bethesda, MD

Schedule a free case review by calling the personal injury lawyers of Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.