Cheverly, MD Car Accident Lawyer

Cheverly, MD, right near the border of Washington D.C., has many small-town streets and a few stretches of highway within its borders.  Accidents on these roads can be surprisingly serious, leading to long-term injuries and high damages.  Especially since there are a few nearby businesses involving trucking, many accidents might even involve large trucks, creating more serious outcomes for victims.

Our Cheverly car accident attorneys can help car accident injury victims file claims and lawsuits to get the compensation they need.  Never try to handle a car accident case on your own, as many insurance companies and drivers seek to settle claims for low values that will not address your needs.  Instead, rely on the help of an experienced attorney to guide you through evidence collection, filing, settlement negotiations, and – if necessary – trial.

For a free case review, contact the Cheverly car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras today by calling (410) 694-7291.

Who is at Fault for a Car Accident in Cheverly, MD?

To determine who is at fault for a crash, there are numerous things to consider.  First, there are the laws that govern car accident cases.  There are also general laws that govern how responsibility is divided in all types of civil injury lawsuits.  Finally, there are factors that the court will consider in applying all of this law.

Traffic Laws

In general, if there is a car crash between two vehicles where one driver was following all traffic laws and the other broke the law, the driver who broke the law will be at fault.  You can often determine fault in a crash by looking for common violations such as tailgating, running a red light, or driving under the influence.

Maryland’s traffic laws create many requirements that every driver will be familiar with.  Even violations involving failing to signal or making a rolling stop while turning right on red can put a driver at fault for a crash.  However, there are also some technical situations where the law is difficult to apply or where multiple drivers are involved, and simply looking for who broke the law is not enough.

Negligence Laws

In Maryland – and in most states – someone can be held liable for “negligence” in an injury case if you can prove that they caused your injuries by breaching some legal duty they owed you.  With car accident claims, the breach of duty is often a traffic violation, but not always.  Other unsafe driving issues might not cleanly fit into a specific traffic violation but are nonetheless unreasonable.  For example, arguing with a passenger or eating while driving might not specifically qualify as a distracted driving violation, but it is certainly unsafe.

Any driver who is found violating reasonable driving safety requirements can be held liable for a crash caused by those issues.  Under Maryland law, this can also lay blame on the victim.  It is vital to work with a Cheverly car accident lawyer on your case because any indication that you shared partial fault in causing the crash will block you from recovering damages in court.  An attorney can help disprove these issues and redirect blame to the proper parties.

How Courts Determine Fault

A jury – if there is one – will determine who is at fault in a case.  In “bench trials” without a jury, the judge takes on this role.  When determining fault, courts look at the totality of the circumstances, meaning that they look at all facts and claims in the context of your specific case.

It is only by looking at the whole picture that courts can make a call as to who is at fault.  Insurance companies do not use this same prudence and care in deciding fault, and they often deny claims or blame victims without enough weight of evidence to justify these kinds of denials.  That is why working with a Cheverly car accident attorney is vital to your ultimate success in your case.  Your attorney can bring your case to court and fight your case in a fair system with evidence and facts rather than hoping the insurance company will cooperate with you.

How to Get Compensation for a Car Crash in Cheverly, MD

When you are initially involved in a car crash, your first instinct may be to file a car insurance claim and rely on whatever money is paid through that system to pay for your injuries and vehicle damage.  In cases with only minor vehicle damage, this might be enough, but in cases involving serious bodily injury, an insurance claim is unlikely to pay what you need.

Maryland uses an at-fault insurance system where every driver is required to carry insurance to cover the injuries and vehicle damage they cause to other people.  The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration explains that the minimum car insurance you can carry must cover at least $30,000 per person for injuries ($60,000 per accident) and $15,000 for property damage.  However, insurance companies might not willingly pay full damages even if your accident is worth less than these limits.

That means that, for many car accident victims, the only option is to turn to a lawsuit.  In a lawsuit, your Cheverly car accident lawyer can present evidence of any and all harms you faced and work to get compensation for many areas of economic and non-economic damages related to the crash.  Many drivers carry higher insurance that can pay for higher damages, and getting insurance companies to pay even more than these minimum payouts often requires a court order.  If we are able to negotiate a fair settlement, that can save you the time and expense of trial and will ultimately be worth it when your medical bills and other damages are compensated.

Call Our Cheverly Car Accident Attorneys for Help

If you were injured in a car crash and are looking for a Cheverly car accident attorney to help with your case, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 for a free case review.