Prince George’s County Personal Injury Lawyer

When you suffer an injury due to another’s actions, or their failure to act, you have the right to seek financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. the harm you sustained could be physical or mental. Depending on the seriousness of your injury, you could find yourself overwhelmed with medical bills and a reduced income. You need our Prince George’s County personal injury lawyer fighting for your rights.

Our attorneys have over three decades of experience helping people who have been hurt through no fault of their own. We are dedicated to providing our clients with effective, professional representation. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation.

Our Prince George’s County Attorneys Represent all Types of Injury Cases

Every personal injury case is unique, from the victim to the exact circumstances surrounding the injury. You require a skilled attorney who has the depth of knowledge to handle all types of matters. the following are some of the kinds of cases the Rice, Murtha & Psoras has filed.

  • Car, Truck, Motorcycle, or ATV Accidents
  • Slip and Fall Injuries
  • Medical Malpractice, Medication Error, and Birth Injuries
  • Products Liability
  • Animal Attacks
  • Wrongful Death

Successful Personal Injury Lawsuits in Prince George’s County, MD

Typically, to be successful in a personal injury claim, our Prince George’s County lawyers need to demonstrate that the defendant was negligent. In order to establish negligence, we will have to prove four elements.

The Defendant had a Duty of Care

A defendant must have a duty not to expose the plaintiff to an unreasonable risk of harm. This duty is largely dependent upon the facts and the people involved in the case. A doctor will have a very different duty to their patients compared to the duty a janitor of a residential apartment building has to the tenants. To determine duty, the court will usually ask what would a prudent person with comparable experience and qualifications would do in a similar situation.

The Defendant Breached the Duty

Our lawyers must prove that the defendant’s conduct deviated from the required duty of care, putting the plaintiff at an unreasonable risk of harm. Sometimes, this is not a difficult element to prove. For example, a driver who is drunk and speeding is violating their duty to operate their vehicle safely and their duty not to endanger other motorists.

The Breach of Duty Caused the Injury

After establishing that the defendant breached their duty of care, we need to show that the defendant’s breach directly caused the injury. This requires determining cause-in-fact and proximate cause. Often, the answer is not as cut and dry. the injury could be the result of a chain of interlocking events, involving multiple parties. Our attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to piece together the most complicated cases.

Cause-in-fact means that “but for” the defendant’s conduct, the injury would not have occurred. For example, if a driver ignores a red light and collides with another vehicle, the accident would not have happened “but for” the act of ignoring the traffic signal.

Proximate cause, or legal cause, is not as well defined. However, it is required to establish liability. Often, an injury is caused by a chain of events, but all links are not the same. For example, a plaintiff’s refrigerator stops working. To save some of the food, the plaintiff goes out to buy some ice.

Meanwhile, a general contractor is working on the roof of a home nearby. He knows the hammer he is using is defective, but he tied it together with some string. While he is working, the head flies off and falls off of the roof. the hammer’s head then hits the plaintiff, fracturing his skull.

Using the “but for” test, the malfunctioning refrigerator, the defective hammer, and the general contractor’s behavior all contributed to the injury. However, there is no definitive answer. Our attorneys will use reasonableness and foreseeability to determine proximate cause. In this example, the general contractor’s conduct is more likely than the broken refrigerator to be held as the proximate cause of the injury. There might be a reasonable argument made against the manufacturer of the hammer as well.

Causation could be a complicated legal question and you need our Prince George’s County personal injury lawyer representing your interests.

The Injury Resulted in Actual Damages

Finally, a personal injury claim requires actual damages. This means that your injury must have resulted in a quantifiable loss. Damages can be economic, such as medical expenses or a loss or reduction in wages. Additionally, damages could be non-economic. While more challenging to determine an amount, they could include pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of consortium. Our personal injury lawyers will thoroughly review the consequences of your injury to determine just compensation.

What if the Plaintiff was Partially at Fault?

Maryland follows the harsh “contributory negligence” doctrine for personal injury claims. If a plaintiff’s conduct was a contributing factor to their injury, they would be prohibited from collecting compensation.

It is crucial to hire an experienced Prince George’s County, MD personal injury attorney who is well versed with contributory negligence. When we prepare your case, we will also anticipate the defense’s arguments claiming you were also at fault. Using accident and police reports, witness testimony, expert opinions, and physical evidence, we will attempt to prove that your actions did not contribute to your injury.

Call Our Prince George’s County, MD Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one was injured through the actions of another party or entity, you need our Prince George’s County, MD personal injury attorney representing your interests. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free consultation.