Glenn Dale, MD Car Accident Lawyer

A car accident can happen to anyone. You never know when a negligent motorist or someone driving a defective vehicle is going to round the corner, come speeding directly at you, or do something else careless that ultimately ends up hurting you or someone you care about. When car accidents happen, people are often very badly injured. It is not uncommon for victims of car crashes to spend months or even years recovering from the injuries they sustained. In some cases, a recovery will never be 100%, and the victim will be dealing with their injuries for the rest of their days.

Since so much can go wrong after a motor vehicle accident, you need to make sure some things go right. We have handled many car accident lawsuits and represented many plaintiffs in these cases. We know all the tricks, and we will fight hard for the best outcome possible in your car accident claim.

Have our team of car accident attorneys review your claim when you call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Glenn Dale, MD?

You have a limited amount of time to file your claim after you get injured in a car crash in Maryland. A law called the statute of limitations puts a time limit on how long plaintiffs have to file their claims. Under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101, you have three years from when you get injured to file your car accident claim. One time is up; you cannot successfully file a claim or get awarded damages. For that reason, it is important that you consult with an attorney as quickly as you can following a motor vehicle accident.

Who Can I Sue in a Glenn Dale, MD Car Accident Claim?

Picking who you sue is crucial to the success of your claim. The law only lets you get damages from parties you hold liable in court, and you only can hold a party liable if they actually had a hand in causing your injuries. Making sure that you sue parties that are relevant to your claim gives you a stronger case, and our car accident attorneys can help you out with that process.

Other Drivers

Perhaps the most common target of most motor vehicle collision lawsuits is the negligent driver. You can prove that a driver was negligent in your case with a number of different things. First, if the driver was not following the rules of the road by speeding, driving drunk, or otherwise being an unsafe driver, you can allege they were negligent due to their inability to follow traffic laws. Additionally, if the driver was failing to act like a reasonable driver when on the road, you can allege they were negligent for that reason.

Employers

If a driver who hit you was working for a company when the accident took place, you may be able to sue their employer for the driver’s negligent conduct. The legal principle behind this is “respondeat superior,” or “let the master answer.” The idea is that employers are often better situated to compensate plaintiffs than their employees, so, as the ones responsible for them, employers can be held liable for what their employees do on their watch in court.

The ”catch” is that the employee must be doing something related to their job when the accident happens. For example, suppose a pizza delivery vehicle hits you on the way to deliver an order. You could sue the pizza place for the driver’s negligent conduct because delivering pizza is part of their job. However, now suppose that the pizza delivery driver takes their car to their friend’s house instead of delivering an order and hits you on the way there. In that case, you probably would not be able to hold their employer liable because the pizza delivery person going to their friend’s house is not part of their job.

Car Companies and Repair Shops

If an issue with the defendant’s car or with your own vehicle caused an accident, you can sue car companies and repair shops for defects in your vehicle. For example, suppose you take your car to a mechanic who installs new brakes. However, that mechanic screws up, and now your brakes do not work. At a crucial moment, you hit the brakes, and they fail you. Your car then crashes, and you end up seriously injured. Here, you could file a claim against the mechanic and the repair shop that tinkered with your vehicle.

Damages in Glenn Dale, MD Car Accident Lawsuits

If you are successful in your claim, you can get damages from the court to compensate you for the injuries you recieved. In car accident cases, damages are an attempt to rewind time for the plaintiff and place them how they were prior to getting injured.

The first category of damages in these cases is “compensatory damages.” This includes things like costs of medical care, property damage, and lost wages. It also includes more ephemeral things like physical pain, mental anguish, and lost enjoyment of life.

The other category is called punitive damages. These are a special kind of damages that are only awarded when the judge determines the defendant has done something particularly bad to warrant them. Instead of being based on your condition, they punish the defendant. It can be difficult to get punitive damages, but our lawyers are more than up to the task if you want to seek them in your claim.

Our Car Accident Attorneys From Glenn Dale, MD Are Ready to Help You With Your Case

Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s car accident attorneys can help you when you reach out to us at (410) 694-7291.