Oxon Hill Car Accident Lawyer

If you are struggling with overwhelming medical bills and other expenses after a car accident in Oxon Hill, filing a lawsuit might provide you with the compensatory damages you need.

The first step in the recovery process for your car accident in Oxon Hill is determining who is at fault for your injuries. Next, we can help you bring your compensation by the filing deadline, which is three years in Maryland. To do this, you must submit a complaint to the court naming the defendant, explaining your accident, and requesting your damages. After you initiate your claim, you might engage in settlement negotiations or go to trial. Filing a car accident lawsuit, though intimidating to some, can ultimately help you recover the compensation you need following a crash.

Call our Oxon Hill car accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291 for help with your case from Rice, Murtha & Psoras.

Who to Sue for a Car Accident in Oxon Hill

In the aftermath of a chaotic auto accident in Oxon Hill, victims might be unsure who acted negligently, causing their injuries. This is especially common in multi-car collisions.

After agreeing to take on your case, our car accident lawyers will begin by determining fault for your injuries. While some auto accidents only involve two drivers, others involve several cars. For example, one driver rear-ending another might start a chain reaction, roping in multiple vehicles. For these types of accidents, our lawyers will review evidence to trace the sequence of events back to the original negligent act. If you were hurt in a single-car accident because of a pothole or other hazard on the road, the local government might be liable for your injuries.

Claims involving vehicles other than normal passenger cars, like trucks or rideshare cars, can be more complicated. For example, if a negligent truck driver hits you, the driver’s employer could share fault for your injuries because of vicarious liability. If you were hurt as a rideshare passenger, you could not sue the parent company because the driver is most likely an independent contractor. We will seek to identify all parties involved in your crash and hold them accountable accordingly.

When to Sue for a Car Accident in Oxon Hill

In addition to identifying who to sue, you must learn when to file your car accident claim in Oxon Hill. Otherwise, you might lose your opportunity to recover damages caused by a motor vehicle crash.

According to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101, the deadline to file an auto injury claim is three years in Oxon Hill. While the statute of limitations can be tolled in certain cases, that typically only applies to victims who experienced delayed discovery. This means that they were unaware of their injuries until sometime after the crash. This exception to the statute of limitations rarely applies to car accident claims in Maryland.

In general, it is best for victims to bring their claims soon after the accidents that caused them injury. Otherwise, collecting certain evidence or meeting the standard of proof may be harder for victims.

How to Sue for a Car Accident in Oxon Hill

Once you have decided to file a motor vehicle accident lawsuit in Oxon Hill, it will be time to initiate your case in court. Our attorneys can help you do this so that no important information is left out of your claim petition.

Lawsuits are filed in court. This means that you will have to draft and submit a formal complaint. To do this, our attorneys will complete a document that includes any pertinent information regarding your case, such as your name, the name of the defendant, your injuries, the circumstances of the crash, and your desired damages.

After the defendant is served and made aware of the lawsuit, you might be approached regarding settlement negotiations. During this time, the defendant might put forth a settlement offer. Carefully reviewing this offer will be necessary so that you do not accept a bad settlement in Oxon Hill. Should that happen, you might not be properly compensated. If settlement negotiations do not progress or you are unhappy with the settlement amount offered to you, you can take your case to trial.

Reasons to Sue for a Car Accident in Oxon Hill

The main reason why victims in Oxon Hill should sue following car accidents is to recover compensation for the various damages they have incurred because of a defendant’s negligence.

When you sue for a car accident in Maryland, you can recover compensation for any financial losses related to the at-fault driver’s negligence. This will include medical expenses for treating your injuries as well as compensation for your lost wages. Victims in Oxon Hill can also recover compensation for their pain and suffering. The current limit on recovery of non-economic damages in personal injury claims in Maryland is $935,000, according to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 11-108(b). This limit increases annually. Economic damages are not capped for car accident victims.

Suing also presents the opportunity for victims to recover punitive damages. For example, suppose you were struck by a drunk driver in Oxon Hill. The intoxicated driver’s actions could constitute gross negligence, entitling you to punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded by juries, meaning they are only recoverable if victims go to court. Juries do not have to abide by damage caps when awarding punitive damages to victims in Maryland.

Furthermore, filing a lawsuit allows victims to hold negligent drivers accountable and ensures that victims are not financially responsible for covering costs associated with a car crash in Oxon Hill.

Call Our Attorneys About Your Car Accident Claim in Oxon Hill

To have Rice, Murtha & Psoras analyze your case for free, call our car accident lawyers today at (410) 694-7291.