Maryland Limo Accidents + Injury Lawyer
Limousines are often far more dangerous than people might assume. While some limos are stock vehicles produced by the auto manufacturer, some stretch or super stretch limos are actually made from a car that is cut in half and welded back together, making the vehicle’s structure surprisingly unsafe. Many limo accidents are also caused by drivers and limo companies who put dangerous vehicles on the road, even after they failed inspections or caused other accidents in the past.
If you or a loved one was injured in a limo accident, our experienced Maryland limo accident and injury lawyers might be able to use details like this and other proof of negligence to hold the limo driver and the limousine company responsible for your injuries. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today to discuss filing a limo accident lawsuit in a free legal consultation. Our number is (410) 694-7291.
Common Injuries and Damages from Limousine Crashes in Maryland
Limo accidents can cause very serious injuries. Many highly publicized limo accidents in the past few years have involved not only substantial injuries to the passengers in the limo but also death for limo passengers and severe injuries and death to drivers and passengers in other cars.
Most car accidents involve property damage only, but serious crashes can cause a variety of injuries for those involved, ranging from mild to life-altering to deadly. On the mild side, car accident injuries can include cuts, scrapes, and bruises, some of which might require medical care or first aid. Moderate injuries can involve more severe cuts and abrasions, broken bones, and moderate concussions. These injuries often require some level of medical care at a hospital. Lastly, the most severe injuries humans can survive are often the kinds of injuries resulting from serious car accidents, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputation, severe internal bleeding, and other trauma.
In most car accident cases where someone else caused the crash, you are entitled to damages for the medical care, lost wages, and pain and suffering that results from these injuries. As a passenger in a limo, there is almost no way you could be held accountable for your own injuries, so you can usually sue either the limo driver and the limo company or the other driver and their insurance for damages to cover these injuries.
In some cases, limo accidents can become deadly. If you lost a loved one in a limo accident, you might be entitled to sue for their death, claiming damages for burial and funeral expenses, lost wages, lost companionship, lost household services, loss of consortium, and other harms you and your family face because of the death.
Whom to Sue for a Limo Crash in Maryland
Who is at fault in a car accident is usually decided by looking at who violated traffic laws to cause the crash. This means that if either driver ran a stop sign, drove over the speed limit, failed to yield, followed too closely, or committed other traffic violations, they might be held accountable for the crash. In addition to the drivers of the vehicles that were involved in the crash, the limo company might share fault for the injuries their driver caused.
Fault can actually be divided among many at-fault parties. This means that passengers injured in a limo accident can actually sue both the limo driver and the other driver and let the court work out who pays them. If you were injured as a limo driver or as the driver or passenger in another vehicle involved in the crash, you might have to prove that the other driver was responsible, as Maryland law does not allow victims who were even partly at fault for their own crash to claim damages.
The limo company can also be included as one of the at-fault parties in a lawsuit. the limo company can be held vicariously liable for their driver’s errors since the driver was working within the scope of their duties as an employee for the limo driver when the crash took place. the limousine company or transportation company can also be held liable for their own fault. This can include issues related to vehicle safety if they put a dangerous vehicle on the road or issues with driver safety if they hired a driver who did not meet commercial driver’s license standards or had medical issues or past legal issues that show they would be a dangerous driver.
Ultimately, the parties that pay for damages in a limo accident will usually be the insurance companies. Limo companies usually carry high-dollar insurance policies, potentially covering up to $1 million in damages to anyone their drivers injure on the road. In many cases, these insurance policies will kick in to cover damages, and there is no need to file a separate lawsuit against the insurance company. the other driver will often have an insurance policy too, if you have a need to sue that driver as well.
However, insurance policies are usually limited in how much they will actually pay out. Most insurance policies do not cover payments for noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering, and they may pay only a percentage of the total cost of medical bills and lost wages. If you suffered high-value damages, you might need to sue in court to receive full compensation from the limo company.
Call Our Maryland Limousine Accident Victim Lawyers for a Free Legal Consultation
After a limousine accident, you and other passengers might face very serious injuries that require intensive medical care, or you could have suffered a death in the family. For help seeking compensation for the harm you and your family faced, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s Maryland limo accident and injury lawyers today at (410) 694-7291. Our attorneys offer free legal consultations on new cases. Call quickly, as the statute of limitations on your case might limit how long you have to sue.
