Hiring a personal injury lawyer is the first meaningful step toward recovering compensation for negligence-based injuries, and you should do it as soon as possible to make the most of the statute of limitations and build a strong case.
In addition to filing the complaint that initiates your lawsuit, our lawyers can obtain the necessary evidence to prove your medical expenses, lost wages, and non-economic damages, which can be especially difficult to calculate. We can also enlist expert witnesses, identify eyewitnesses who may testify in support of your case, and prepare you to testify about your injuries and pain and suffering if your case goes to trial.
Call Rice Law at (410) 694-7291 for a free case analysis from our personal injury lawyers.
When Should You Get a Personal Injury Lawyer in Greenbelt, MD?
If you suffer injuries because of someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct and need compensation, you should immediately get a personal injury lawyer who can calculate your damages and pursue them.
Our personal injury lawyers can also help victims who are unsure whether someone else is liable for their injuries and, if so, who that liable party might be. If you think it is a possibility that your injuries were caused by negligence, you should see whether you have a case.
What is the Personal Injury Statute of Limitations in Greenbelt, MD?
The statute of limitations dictates how long you have to bring a claim for a personal injury. In Maryland, plaintiffs typically have up to 3 years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit.
When the statute of limitations expires, so does your right to bring a compensation claim, so do not wait to start a lawsuit. Once you file your case, you no longer need to worry about the statute of limitations, and the lawsuit might take any amount of time to resolve.
Are There Any Exceptions to the Personal Injury Statute of Limitations in Greenbelt, MD?
In certain scenarios, a tolling exception to the statute of limitations may apply and pause the clock for personal injury plaintiffs in Maryland.
One of the most common tolling exceptions is for cases involving minor victims. You cannot bring a claim by yourself as a minor, so the 3-year statute of limitations tolls until you turn 18, and only then does it start to run.
There are other tolling exceptions for delayed discovery, fraudulent concealment, and mental incompetency.
How Do You Initiate a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Greenbelt, MD?
You must take specific steps to initiate a personal injury lawsuit in Maryland, and our lawyers can handle them so your case is not dismissed or compromised.
We can begin an official personal injury lawsuit by drafting and filing a formal complaint petition with the court. This petition will summarize the accident and your cause of action, identify the defendant as the liable party, and outline your damages, both economic and non-economic.
Will Your Greenbelt, MD Personal Injury Case Settle?
Most personal injury lawsuits settle without a trial. Even if a trial begins, it may end prematurely through a settlement, resolving the case.
Tell our personal injury lawyers if your goal is a fast and fair out-of-court settlement or if you are more open to going to trial. Plaintiffs have different goals when starting personal injury claims, and knowing yours helps us achieve the right results.
What Happens if Your Personal Injury Case Does Not Settle Out of Court?
Some personal injury plaintiffs file lawsuits expecting to settle. While many lawsuits are resolved out of court, plenty go all the way to trial, so plaintiffs should prepare for either outcome.
If your lawsuit goes to trial, our lawyers will present our case to the jury by introducing evidence and questioning witnesses. Both sides have the chance to present their case, question one another’s witnesses, and file motions throughout the trial, at the end of which the jury will decide liability and award damages.
What Medical Evidence Do You Need for Your Personal Injury Case?
You need enough medical evidence to prove you sustained the injuries outlined in your personal injury claim and establish the cost of medical treatment.
We can collect and use medical records detailing
- Ambulance rides to the hospital
- Trauma care upon arrival at the emergency room
- Surgeries or other treatments at the hospital
- Physical or occupational therapy sessions
- Follow-up appointments with physicians
- And more,
You need thorough medical records, so do not jeopardize your case by neglecting your physical recovery or missing appointments.
How Do You Prove Lost Wages in a Personal Injury Case?
Recovering lost wages is essential if you can only work at a limited capacity or not at all because of personal injuries. Our lawyers can prove your lost wages using tax returns, bank account statements, pay stubs, and other income records and documentation.
We can also use testimony from vocational experts to strengthen our lost-wage claim for damages, as well as your medical records to show your injuries are disabling enough to prevent you from working.
What Are Common Non-Economic Damages from Personal Injuries in Greenbelt, MD?
Non-economic damages are another type of compensation you can recover from a personal injury lawsuit. While economic damages are far more concrete, non-economic damages are subjective and based on the victim’s personal physical, emotional, and mental experiences because of an injury.
Common non-economic damages from personal injuries include mental suffering, physical pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, reduced quality of life, and other intangible harms our lawyers can help you identify and pursue.
Do You Need a Lawyer to Calculate Non-Economic Damages in a Personal Injury Case?
Calculating economic damages can be relatively straightforward and involves tracking and adding up all medical bills, lost wages, and any other out-of-pocket expenses. Calculating non-economic damages is much more challenging and requires a lawyer’s help.
Our lawyers can use appropriate methods to calculate your non-economic damages, such as the per diem method and the multiplier method. We may use both methods in your case, see which yields more non-economic damages, and then pursue that amount in your lawsuit.
How Do You Find Expert Witnesses to Testify in a Greenbelt, MD Personal Injury Case?
Expert witnesses can add a great deal of credence to your personal injury case and convince a jury of the defendant’s liability or the severity of your injuries. Our attorneys can identify and retain vocational, medical, mental health, accident reconstruction, and other experts that may benefit your case.
Finding expert witnesses to strengthen your case may lead the defendant to believe they will be found liable at trial, potentially prompting a large out-of-court settlement offer that helps avoid a trial altogether.
How Do You Get Eyewitnesses to Testify in a Personal Injury Case?
If your case goes to court, having eyewitnesses testify about events they witnessed firsthand can be extremely compelling to a jury and may lead to a favorable verdict. Our lawyers can identify eyewitnesses after your accident, interview them, and prepare them to testify during an upcoming trial.
We may identify eyewitnesses from photos and information you gathered at the scene or a police report, if you called 911 about your injuries. Do not be discouraged if you did not see or talk to eyewitnesses after your accident, as that does not guarantee they do not exist or that we cannot find them.
Will You Have to Testify if Your Personal Injury Case Goes to Trial?
If your personal injury case goes to court, our lawyers may suggest that you testify about your pain and suffering, as well as any negligent conduct from the defendant that you witnessed firsthand. Your testimony is valuable, especially regarding your subjective damages.
If your case settles, you will not have to worry about testifying in court, but you may have to give depositions, during which the opposing side’s attorneys can ask many different fact-finding questions. We can prepare you for a deposition just as thoroughly as we would for in-court testimony.
Can You Still Sue if You Share Fault for Your Personal Injury in Greenbelt, MD?
Maryland has very strict rules surrounding contributory negligence. While some states allow plaintiffs who share fault for their injuries to recover some damages, Maryland does not.
You are completely barred from recovery if you at all contribute to your personal injuries in Maryland. Because the rule is so strict, refrain from saying anything after the accident to an insurance company or during the lawsuit that could be construed as you accepting liability, including apologizing immediately after.
Can You Recover Future Damages in a Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury lawsuits are not just for compensating victims for damages they have already incurred, but also damages they anticipate incurring in the future, long after the personal injury lawsuit is over.
You can get compensation for
- Future medical expenses
- Future lost wages
- Ongoing non-economic damages.
Future damages are most common for long-lasting and permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Recovering them in your lawsuit should be a top priority so that you do not have to cover future damages yourself when they arrive.
When Can You Get Punitive Damages in Greenbelt, MD?
Punitive damages are additional non-compensatory damages awarded by juries to punish defendants for injuries due to actual malice.
You must prove through clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with actual malice when they injured you. Gross negligence alone is not enough to get punitive damages in Maryland, which only come from trials and cannot come from settlements.
What Kinds of Damages Are Capped in Greenbelt, MD Personal Injury Claims?
Maryland caps only non-economic damages in personal injury claims. The limit adjusts and increases annually, and our lawyers can determine which years’ cap applies to your case.
For a cause of action that arises on or after October 1, 2026, the cap on non-economic damages in Maryland is $980,000, up from $965,000 the year before. In October of 2027, the cap will increase by $15,000 again for causes of action that arise during that year, and so on.
There is a different cap on non-economic damages for medical malpractice claims, so keep that in mind if a negligent physician caused your injuries.
What Kinds of Damages Are Not Capped in Personal Injury Claims?
Unlike non-economic damages, Maryland does not cap economic and punitive damages, allowing for sizable recoveries.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are not capped in Maryland personal injury claims. We can request compensation for all medical expenses, lost wages, and additional out-of-pocket expenses, and we may receive it through a settlement or a jury award.
Punitive Damages
Maryland also does not cap punitive damages. This greatly benefits victims, as a jury can award whatever amount they deem appropriate in punitive damages.
How Long Can Personal Injury Cases Take?
Every personal injury case is different, and many factors influence case length, such as the severity of the injury, the amount of damages, and each party’s willingness to resolve the case out of court.
As a result, some personal injury cases settle within weeks of filing, while others take months to negotiate and eventually go to trial. We cannot guarantee how long your personal injury case will take, but we can keep you updated on its progress so you always know where you stand.
How Can You Speed Up Your Personal Injury Case?
For many personal injury plaintiffs, the top priority is a speedy financial recovery. Our lawyers may speed up your personal injury case so that you receive compensation as soon as possible and get relief for any financial stressors associated with the injury.
Gathering strong evidence and leveraging it during settlement negotiations can speed up a personal injury case, especially if a defendant believes they will be found liable in court or have to pay punitive damages.
Seek Help with Your Personal Injury Case from Our Greenbelt, MD Lawyers
Rice Law’s personal injury lawyers can review your case for free when you call us today at (410) 694-7291.