Columbia, MD Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury in the country. Driving is one of the most dangerous activities most people will perform on any given day, but it is still necessary for millions. If you are involved in a car accident and sustain injuries because of another driver, there is no reason that you should be left to pay for these injuries yourself and suffer alone.

At the beginning of your case, our lawyers will identify how the at-fault driver breached their owed duty of care, causing the accident. Common examples of negligence include driving over the speed limit, failing to yield, and being generally reckless behind the wheel. We will closely watch your economic damages as they grow so that our final calculations are accurate. These calculations will guide us when evaluating settlement proposals to ensure a fair financial recovery on your behalf.

Call our car accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291 for a free case assessment from Rice, Murtha & Psoras.

Suing for Car Accident Injuries in Columbia, MD

When you are injured in a car crash, you may have options for proceeding with your case. Victims commonly understand that they can file a car accident claim with their insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company when involved in a car crash. However, that might not always be the best way to handle your case. Instead, filing a lawsuit and taking your case to court might yield greater damages.

All drivers in Maryland are required to carry car insurance. This insurance must cover at least $30,000 in injuries per person, $60,000 in injuries per accident, and $15,000 in property damage per accident. However, the limits under these policies may not cover all victims’ damages from an accident. For instance, medical bills may only be covered up to a certain percentage, and you may be on the hook for the rest of the damages. If the other driver caused your damages and injuries, they should cover them in full.

You can seek this result by filing a lawsuit. Commonly, car accident lawsuits involve damages for the victim’s medical bills and lost wages related to the accident. This should cover the cost of any medical treatment related to the accident, including physical therapy and rehabilitation. If your injuries kept you from work, those losses should also be paid in full.

Another feature of filing a lawsuit instead of an insurance claim is that you may be able to claim damages for pain and suffering. Most auto insurance policies do not cover pain and suffering damages, but these damages can be one of the biggest parts of your car accident injury lawsuit. These damages are paid in addition to any other damages and are meant to directly reimburse you for the physical pain and mental suffering you faced from the injuries. Our lawyers can use the appropriate methods to quantify these intangible losses, which will help you appreciate the true value of your case before filing and negotiating a settlement.

Grounds to Sue for a Car Accident in Columbia, MD

When victims are injured in a car crash, they typically have the right to sue the at-fault driver for their injuries. These cases are typically based on a “negligence” claim, which accuses the driver of failing to use the proper care or skill required of them. To build your case and prove your claim in court, your attorney must satisfy four elements.

We must first prove that the other driver owed you a duty of care. This may be a general duty of safe driving or a duty to follow specific traffic laws.

Next, we must prove that the other driver breached that duty. Drivers might breach their duty of care by speeding, failing to yield, or driving too fast for the road conditions.

The third element we must prove is that the driver’s breach caused the accident and your resulting injuries. This proves that the other driver was directly responsible for the injuries and can be held financially accountable.

The fourth and final element we must prove is that the accident caused you real damages. This means we must prove you incurred damages such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages by providing testimony and records of these costs.

For example, consider a car crash where the other driver runs a red light and hits your car. Our attorneys would point to the driver’s duty to stop at the red light and their failure to do so to prove the duty and breach elements. Proving that the driver caused the accident might be simple enough if no other cars were involved, which only leaves proving the damages you faced. Photos of the accident, medical records, hospital bills, pay stubs, and the victim’s testimony about pain and suffering are some of the most valuable evidence our lawyers use to prove damages from car accidents.

There are many traffic laws that drivers in Maryland violate every day. These laws are intended to keep other drivers safe, so when drivers violate these laws, you may be able to hold them liable if their violation causes injuries. However, the defendant will likely attempt to point to errors you made during the accident to evade financial responsibility. If the jury finds you contributed to the accident, your recovery may be blocked because of Maryland’s pure contributory fault rules. Because of this, it is very important to strategically present your case and avoid unnecessarily exposing yourself to blame, and our car accident lawyers can work to protect your case as we prepare it.

Monitoring Common Economic Damages from Car Accidents in Columbia, MD

As we organize and prepare your compensation claim, we must monitor the damages from the crash. Emergency and long-term medical expenses are often the most concerning for victims, who may incur other costly damages because of negligent drivers.

Hospital Expenses

Before you even get to the hospital, paramedics might arrive at the crash site for urgent care and to transport you to the emergency room in an ambulance. These costs can be extreme in and of themselves, and our car accident lawyers can obtain records and copies of bills from emergency medical services to recoup them in your claim.

Car accidents might cause deep lacerations, broken bones, head injuries, or back injuries, all of which require ongoing medical attention. Though the treatment victims receive may vary depending on their injuries, our lawyers can monitor all medical costs regardless to ensure accurate compensation requests in future complaints.

Victims who suffer nerve damage, broken bones, or spinal cord injuries may need months or years of physical therapy, as well as other treatments in the future. To ensure your lawsuit covers these upcoming medical costs, our lawyers may have your treating physicians give statements or testify in court. This can assure juries that victims will incur additional medical damages for which defendants are liable.

Property Damage Costs

Serious car accidents cause more than just physical injuries and emotional distress for victims. After an accident, getting your vehicle assessed for property damage is important so our lawyers can include those expenses in compensation requests. Preserving photos of property damage is also vital, as these images can indicate each driver’s speed, direction of travel, and other crucial details to accident reconstruction experts, enabling them to determine a crash’s cause.

Missed Income

Car accidents are often physically and emotionally shocking for victims. While receiving medical treatment and recovering, victims could be unable to work. Some injuries, like severe head or back injuries, might limit a victim’s occupational abilities, preventing them from earning the same income as before the collision. When considering your damages from a crash, we will evaluate your lost wages, likely by reviewing recent paychecks and information from your employer. Permanently disabling injuries might require compensation for future lost wages, and our lawyers can seek these damages when appropriate.

Miscellaneous Expenses

There are many miscellaneous economic damages from car accidents that victims might not consider without our lawyers’ assistance. For example, suppose you suffered a spinal cord injury that prevents you from driving and requires you to use a wheelchair or other mobility accommodation device. In that case, you may need special vehicle accommodations, particularly to get to your medical appointments for the injury. Suppose you have incurred additional regular expenses, such as childcare costs, from being unable to look after your children in the same way immediately after a crash. In that case, our lawyers can offer proof as to why the defendant is liable for these damages as well. Considering all the economic effects of a car accident is crucial. Otherwise, victims’ compensation requests might be inaccurate, or they could risk accepting unfair offers during settlement negotiations.

Quantifying Non-Economic Damages After a Columbia, MD Car Accident

While Maryland limits victims’ non-economic recoveries from car accidents, our lawyers can seek compensation for your intangible damages after quantifying them.

According to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 11-108(b), Maryland’s current limit on non-economic damages is $950,000 for car accident cases. This is the cap, not the guaranteed amount victims recover, so proving you have incurred intangible damages is necessary.

To achieve this, our lawyers may suggest that you document your emotional distress or general pain and suffering by keeping a journal or speaking to a therapist. Mental health experts’ assessments can help us quantify victims’ non-economic damages, and their testimony often carries significant weight with juries. Victims and their friends and family may also testify in court so the jury clearly understands how a defendant’s negligence has affected all areas of their lives.

Call Our Columbia, MD Lawyers to Discuss Your Car Accident Case Now

Call our car accident lawyers to get a free case analysis from Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.