Accidents can leave the victims asking a lot of questions and with very few answers. A Glen Burnie personal injury lawyer can help get you the money you need to pay medical bills and compensate you for lost time from work, as well as the pain and hassle after an accident.
At the start of your case, we can estimate your deserved recovery, so you know the value of your lawsuit and the damages you should seek. Such damages will include any economic losses you incurred since the accident. We will keep track of these losses with bills, invoices, and statements so we can tally your economic damages and prove them in court. We will also monitor your non-economic losses, making sure to anticipate any contributory negligence arguments from the defendant to ensure your full recovery and prevent the court from barring it.
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras for a free case evaluation at (410) 694-7291, and speak to our personal injury lawyers today.
Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Accident in Glen Burnie
While there are many injury lawyers in Glen Burnie, not all of them put their clients first. When choosing an attorney to represent you through your financial recovery, there are a few key factors to look for. For example, a good attorney will have the experience and qualifications necessary to guide you through the recovery process and be willing to take your case trial if necessary.
Speaking with former clients, reading reviews, and asking detailed questions during your free case evaluation with our attorneys can give you the information you need to feel comfortable moving forward with your case. While quickly initiating your case is important to preserve evidence and avoid missing the statute of limitations, so is choosing an attorney you trust, so do not rush this process in Glen Burnie.
Seeking Damages in Glen Burnie Personal Injury Claims
Damages awarded or obtained through settlements in personal injury cases are intended to make the plaintiff “whole” again, putting them in a similar situation as they were in before the accident. Typically, damages are awarded for things such as past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, wrongful death, and punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded solely as a punishment to the defendant, while economic and non-economic damages are meant to compensate the victim.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are uncapped in Glen Burnie personal injury claims, allowing victims to seek compensation for all financial losses they have incurred. Our lawyers typically begin with calculating victims’ medical expenses, as these are often the most consequential. You can recover the cost of emergency medical care at the hospital as well as any long-term treatments you have received, like physical therapy sessions. If you need transportation accommodations to and from doctor visits because your injuries prevent you from driving, we can also seek compensation for those damages.
Suffering a broken leg, concussion, or other hard-to-heal injury could prevent you from going back to work right away, if ever. Concerning your lost wages, our lawyers will refer to recent income statements and tax returns so that we can show your previous income before the accident and how your earning capacity has been impacted.
Inform our personal injury lawyers about any other expenses that you have incurred since an accident, even if they seem unrelated to the at-fault party’s negligent conduct. For example, if your family has incurred childcare costs because you need help with your kids after suffering a serious injury, our lawyers can request relief for those expenses in your compensation claim as well.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are hard to put a dollar amount on, as no sum will make the pain and suffering you have experienced go away or bring back a loved one who died from negligence. That said, our lawyers can consider various factors, such as the circumstances of the accident and the type of injuries the plaintiff sustained, to estimate a victim’s deserved recovery of non-economic damages. We can also enlist mental health experts to evaluate plaintiffs before trial so they can prepare statements about the mental anguish and emotional distress they have observed.
Maryland limits non-economic damages in personal injury claims under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 11-108(b)(2). The cap increases by $15,000 annually and currently stands at $950,000. There is a different limitation on non-economic damages for medical malpractice lawsuits, which our lawyers can explain if it applies to your case.
Punitive Damages
At the beginning of your case, our attorneys can assess the defendant’s conduct to see if it rises to the level of gross negligence. This could open the door to punitive damages, which are unlimited in Maryland and depend on a jury’s assessments. For example, drunk drivers could demonstrate gross negligence and reckless indifference toward the safety of others by getting behind the wheel intoxicated. Seeking punitive damages in your initial injury complaint is important to your recovery, and our lawyers can do this if we believe the defendant’s conduct surpasses ordinary negligence.
Dealing with Contributory Negligence Rules in Glen Burnie Personal Injury Claims
Maryland is one of the few states with a pure contributory negligence rule. Contributory negligence occurs when a victim also acts somewhat negligently and contributes to an accident. Defendants might launch contributory negligence defenses when personal injury lawsuits go to trial, as plaintiffs found liable for contributory negligence are barred from receiving any compensation.
For example, suppose you were texting while driving when a reckless driver sped up and attempted to merge into your lane, sideswiping you. The defendant might contend that your texting and driving stopped you from being able to avoid the accident and injuries, making you partially liable. If the jury agrees, it could block you from recovery because of Maryland’s strict contributory negligence rules.
There are some cases where contributory negligence does not apply. For example, the failure to use a seat belt does not make a victim partially liable for their injuries, and they can still sue an at-fault driver. Since this law is extremely complex, it is best to talk to our Baltimore personal injury attorneys about whether contributory negligence will be an issue in your claim so we can make a plan to prepare and protect your financial recovery.
One of the best ways to refute contributory negligence arguments from liable parties is with eyewitness statements. For example, after car crashes, our lawyers will quickly obtain and read police accident reports to learn eyewitnesses’ contact information. In other situations, victims might already know these details, having spoken to witnesses at the scene themselves. Eyewitnesses who can recount each party’s actions before, during, and after an accident can significantly strengthen personal injury lawsuits, especially those threatened by contributory negligence rules in Maryland.
Time to File Your Personal Injury Lawsuit in Glen Burnie
You will not have indefinite time to write and submit an injury complaint to the court in Glen Burnie, and our lawyers can prioritize your case so you do not miss the statute of limitations.
Maryland sets the statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits at three years, according to § 5-101. The clock begins to count down on the date of injury, barring any tolling exceptions. Victims could get tolling if they were minors when injured or if they did not discover their injuries immediately, among other reasons our lawyers can explain if they apply.
There is a different statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits, which could complicate matters, especially if you did not notice your injuries right away. Tell our lawyers if this is the case and we can confirm your filing deadline under § 5-109.
Victims should take the statute of limitations for their claims seriously. Otherwise, they could miss the deadline, which would leave them with no path to recovery in Maryland. While three years may seem like plenty of time, using all of it may be necessary depending on the complexity of your case, the available evidence, and the depth of our investigation.
Our Glen Burnie Personal Injury Lawyers Here to Help
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to have our personal injury lawyers review your case for free.