Fruitland, MD Personal Injury Lawyer

Collecting damages from an at-fault party is possible when victims pursue personal injury claims after accidents in Fruitland.

If another person’s negligence leaves you at all injured, you should document those injuries with medical professionals. Victims can do this by going to the emergency room. Physicians can diagnose apparent injuries and injuries victims might not immediately recognize, like whiplash and internal injuries. As you do this, we can begin tracking your damages, the bulk of which may come from medical treatment. Victims who cannot return to work might incur lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses that are compensable in their claims. In addition to economic damages, victims may get non-economic damages from negligent parties. This can compensate victims for emotional distress and mental anguish, which often accompany serious personal injuries.

To get a free and confidential case assessment, call the Salisbury personal injury lawyers of Rice, Murtha & Psoras now at (410) 694-7291.

When and How to Document Personal Injuries in Fruitland, MD

Victims should document injuries due to negligence, regardless of how serious those injuries appear initially. Latent injuries are common in certain accidents, and some victims might not notice the severity of their injuries immediately without medical intervention.

For example, if a negligent driver rear-ended you, you might sustain whiplash injuries. Whiplash is a soft tissue injury, and initial symptoms include pain or discomfort in the neck. Whiplash can worsen if not treated and is one of the most common auto accident injuries. Doctors might diagnose whiplash by performing physical exams or running tests like X-rays and MRIs. Physicians might use similar methods to diagnose more severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) or internal injuries.

Victims are at risk of sustaining internal injuries during various incidents, including car crashes and falling accidents. With such injuries comes the risk of internal bleeding, which might cause permanent damage. The best way to identify such injuries and ensure you get the necessary treatment is by going to the emergency room. If you need transportation to the hospital and urgent care at the scene, you should call 911 and wait for paramedics to arrive.

Waiting days to get treatment for any injuries, whether they are soft tissue injuries like whiplash or potentially permanent injuries like TBIs, could lead to a lack of medical documentation for your claim. Because of this, victims should prioritize their physical health and recovery above all else and go straight to the emergency room following an accident due to negligence.

Recording Economic and Non-Economic Damages from Personal Injuries in Fruitland, MD

While victims document their injuries after accidents, our lawyers can begin recording their economic and non-economic damages. This will enable us to assess your case’s value before filing. Any financial damages from the accident, like medical bills or lost wages, are compensable. As are victims’ non-economic damages, up to a limit.

Damages from Medical Treatment

Victims often incur many economic losses due to negligence, and our personal injury lawyers can help identify damages and add them up. We may start with your losses from medical treatment, as these are often the most impactful to victims. One emergency room visit could be enough to cause considerable financial distress for victims that might only worsen when they need additional treatments or procedures from specialists. While you get care, we can obtain records and copies of bills from providers to show your damages from treatment. We will consider all medical expenses when doing this, including greater costs, like surgeries and long-term physical therapy, and potentially lesser costs, like prescription medications.

Jury awards or settlements should also cover future medical damages, and we can get physicians to testify about upcoming treatments you may need down the line.

Damages from Lost Income

Victims who have to stay in the hospital for several days or weeks following an accident or who have sustained severe injuries might miss time from work. This translates into lost wages, which are compensable in injury lawsuits. That said, victims must prove their lost wages, which our lawyers may achieve by presenting employment records and tax returns confirming their previous income.

Some injuries permanently alter victims’ earning capacities, preventing them from ever returning to the same level of employment or income. In such cases, our lawyers may request compensation for future lost wages and support those requests with your medical records and statements from medical experts and treating physicians.

Damages from Pain and Suffering

Non-economic damages aim to compensate victims for pain and suffering due to negligence. These are intangible damages, so quantifying them is often harder than calculating economic losses. Serious injuries might cause physical pain and suffering, which is also compensable. It is important to note that Maryland limits non-economic damages to $935,000. This represents that most victims may recover from mental illness or emotional distress, but this is not guaranteed.

Our lawyers may suggest several tactics to prove your pain and suffering, like keeping a journal to document your struggles dealing with injuries and the aftermath of the accident. Talking with mental health professionals can help victims cope with their anxiety, depression, or other difficulties and can lead to expert testimony our lawyers may use to prove your non-economic damages in court. Giving personal accounts of how the defendant’s negligence has affected you might be prudent, depending on the case.

Damages for pain and suffering are harder to get in settlements and are rarely included in initial settlement proposals from defendants. To get a fair settlement without going to court, our lawyers may leverage various pieces of evidence against the opposing side, like expert testimony and your medical records, to convince them to compensate you for your pain and suffering.

Call Our Injury Attorneys in Fruitland, MD Today

Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’ personal injury lawyers at (410) 694-7291 to get a free case assessment.