Damascus, MD Personal Injury Lawyer

Serious injuries are not something people plan for every day. This is true even for people who do activities like skydiving, BMX, or other extreme sports where there is a chance of injury and also for people who work more dangerous jobs like construction or manual labor. The reality is that accidents that cause serious injuries take victims by surprise and can leave them frustrated, upset, and wrestling with how they are going to go forward with their lives after getting injured.

After you are injured because someone else did not do their job, you need to speak with legal counsel as soon as possible. Our lawyers have the experience, professionalism, and passion for justice to fight hard for you in the legal system to get you the damages you are owed after an accident that injured you.

For a free case review, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at the number (410) 694-7291 to have a chat with one of our personal injury attorneys today.

Types of Accidents Our Lawyers Can Help You With

There are a lot of different kinds of accidents that we can help you with. Our lawyers have represented countless plaintiffs who were injured in a lot of different ways. If you were injured in one of the ways detailed below or under another set of circumstances, you should speak with our lawyers about your case.

Automotive Accidents

Car, bus, and truck accidents are a frequent source of personal injury lawsuits. Head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, and rear-end collisions can all lead to serious injuries like broken bones, brain damage, and even cuts and puncture wounds.

Premises Liability

Property owners have an obligation to keep their premises safe for people who may enter them. They must keep the property they own in good condition and make sure to warn people of any potential dangers that could cause injury. For example, stores need to let customers know about slippery or wet surfaces with a “wet floor” sign and then promptly clean up the spill. If they do not and someone hurts themselves slipping on the wet floor, the property owner could be liable for their injuries.

Medical Malpractice

If you were injured by a medical professional, you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. These lawsuits stem from medical negligence, like a botched surgery, incorrectly prescribed medication, or failure to diagnose an illness that should have been identified.

Products Liability

If something you bought injured you when you were using it as intended, you can file what is called a product liability lawsuit. These lawsuits allege that a certain product was defective and that defect injured the end-user. To be defective, a product has to malfunction or otherwise fail when it is used in the way it is intended. For example, a car with brakes that do not work when you hit the brake pedal can be considered defective. Similarly, A motorcycle helmet that is supposedly rated to protect one’s head but does not actually do so would be considered defective.

An important part of product liability cases is figuring out who is responsible for the defect in question. If the problem is with the item’s design, then you sue the designer. On the other hand, if repair or maintenance caused the problem that injured you, you may want to file against the mechanic shop or repair facility that you think is responsible. Speak to our lawyers to help identify who is responsible for the defect in your particular situation.

Negligence in Damascus, MD Personal Injury Lawsuits

To be successful in a personal injury lawsuit, you need to prove that another party was negligent. In law, “negligence” essentially means that someone did not act as a reasonable person would under the circumstances and, as a result, someone else got hurt.

In order to prove that the defendant was negligent, your case needs to establish four “elements,” or parts, of negligence. Our personal injury lawyers have explained each of these elements below so that you can have a better understanding of what needs to be done in a personal injury lawsuit.

Duty

The first element of negligence is called “duty.” In law, one’s duty is the obligation that one person/entity has to another. For personal injury lawsuits, the most relevant duty is the duty to act in a reasonable way that will avoid harming other people. For example, driving erratically goes against the duty of care because it is likely to hurt other drivers and pedestrians. Sometimes duties are more specific, such as the legal duty not to drive under the influence.

Breach

“Breach” refers to the actual failure to uphold one’s duty. So, continuing from the erratic driving example, the duty is to drive in a reasonably safe manner on the road. Driving erratically breaches that duty.

Causation

Causation is arguably the most important element of any negligence claim. To collect damages from the defendant in a lawsuit, you have to prove that they were the actual, proximate cause of your injuries. A proximate cause is a cause that is sufficiently related to your injuries for liability to attach. For example, suppose someone oversleeps because their alarm fails to go off and then speeds to try and get to work on time, hitting you on the way there. Technically, the alarm failing to work is a logical cause of your injuries, but any liability on that front is cut off by the fact that the driver was speeding and hit you.

Injury

Of course, you need to prove that you were actually injured in order to be successful in a personal injury lawsuit. Your injuries can be proved through photos, testimony, medical records, or other evidence detailing your experience.

Additionally, injury is not just limited to physical ailments. Mental anguish and property damage would also fall under this category.

Call Our Damascus, MD Personal Injury Lawyers Now

To speak with our personal injury attorneys about your case, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.