Manchester, MD Personal Injury Lawyer

Thousands of people get hurt every day. While some of those injuries truly are from “freak accidents,” many more happen because someone else was negligent, and the whole thing could have been avoided if people simply did their job. When that is the case, the whole ordeal can feel incredibly wrong and unfair – because it is.

However, there are actions you can take after you are hurt. You can take your case to court, fight for justice, and demand financial compensation from those who wronged you. To do that, though, you are going to need a lawyer.

Dial (410) 694-7291 and chat with Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s Baltimore personal injury attorneys about your claims today.

What is a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Manchester, MD?

A personal injury lawsuit is a civil claim where a plaintiff sues a defendant, alleging that the defendant’s negligent conduct caused their injuries. To be successful in a personal injury lawsuit, our personal injury lawyers must prove several things. First, they have to show that the defendant was not obligated to hurt you. Second, we must show that the defendant failed to meet that obligation. Third, the defendant’s failure to act reasonably directly caused you to get hurt, and finally, you must prove that you were actually hurt.

Once you show all the evidence to the jury, they decide whether the defendant is “liable” for your injuries. This is different from finding someone guilty in a criminal trial. The burden of proof is slightly lower, and being found liable in a civil trial does not necessarily mean that the defendant committed a crime. The jury also determines what you are owed in financial compensation.

Who Can You Sue in Manchester, MD Personal Injury Cases?

An important part of any successful personal injury claim is suing the correct parties. Throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at anyone you think may have had the slightest chance of causing your accident is both inefficient from a legal perspective and not likely to bring you success in your claim. However, you absolutely should consider using more than one party in your claim, especially if the evidence suggests that there are multiple sources of liability.

Negligent Drivers

A large number of personal injury claims stem from motor vehicle accidents. When motor vehicle accidents happen, it is virtually always correct to include the driver who hit you as a defendant in your claim. Drivers who speed, operate their vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or break other traffic laws can be held liable for your injuries and be compelled to pay you financial compensation.

Negligent Employers

You can also sue people’s employers under many circumstances. For example, if an exterminator’s van hits you on the way to a house they were going to fumigate, you can sue their employer. The reason for this is something called “respondeat superior,” which lets you sue employers for bad employee conduct when the employee is doing something related to their job.

You can also sue employers for things like negligent hiring or inadequately training their employees. For example, suppose a company hires someone to operate a forklift, says they will train that person, and then does not train that person appropriately, that company may be responsible for any injuries that an untrained employee causes.

Negligent Designers and manufacturers of Products

Sometimes, the goods we buy and things we use cause injury. If that injury happened because of a problem with the product, you may have a claim against that product’s designer or manufacturer. For a manufacturer or designer to be liable, their product has to be likely to injure someone during normal use. For example, if you plug in a new kitchen appliance and it short-circuits and injures you, there is a good chance that the product is defective, and you can sue the manufacturer or designer.

Damages You Can Seek in Manchester, MD Personal Injury Lawsuits

When you file your claim, you must also state the reasons you are seeking financial compensation. The goal of damages is to make the plaintiff “whole” again, or to place them back where they were prior to getting injured. Some things you can seek damages for in a personal injury lawsuit include:

Medical Expenses

Pretty much all personal injury cases will involve damages to offset the cost of medical care. Hospital bills, the cost of long-term treatment, and medication costs can all factor into what compensation you look to get in your claim.

Property Damage

Property damages can also factor into the damages you seek in court. For example, if you are in a car crash and your vehicle gets totaled, you can seek damages based on the cost of replacing your car.

Lost Wages

You can also get financial compensation for lost wages and opportunity to earn income. For example, if you had to take time away from work and were not getting paid when you were recovering, you could seek damages based on what you would have earned had you not been injured. Alternatively, you can get compensation based on a difference in income if you had to take a job that pays less due to your injuries. Finally, if your injuries are such that you are no longer able to work, you can get compensation based on projections of what you would have earned for the rest of your career.

Pain, Suffering, and Emotional Distress

You can also get compensation for things that are not immediately tangible. For example, you can be compensated for the pain you experienced because of your injuries, as well as the mental or emotional toll they may take on your person.

Punitive Damages

In some cases, the plaintiff may seek punitive damages, which are designed to punish defendants for particularly egregious actions. However, to get punitive damages, you must prove more than mere negligence on the part of the defendant, so you should talk with us about whether going after punitive damages is right for your claim.

Discuss Your Case with Our Manchester, MD Personal Injury Legal Professionals

Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s office can be reached at (410) 694-7291 for a free review of your claim from our personal injury attorneys.