Salisbury, MD Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents happen all the time, and many people are fortunate enough to get through them unharmed with costs covered by insurance. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky. An attorney can help you file a case for damages against the driver who caused your accident.

Damages in car accident cases can be alarmingly high. Compensatory damages should cover losses or costs you incurred. These losses might be measured in dollars and cents or be a bit more subjective. Punitive damages are rare but might be available if the defendant acted with actual malice. A good way to start your case is to talk to your attorney about the type of accident you were involved in. Rollovers, T-bone crashes, and rear-end collisions are just a few common examples of dangerous accidents. Evidence might come from the crash scene or be gathered from other sources. Your attorney can help you evaluate your damages so you know what kind of compensation you deserve and gather the evidence you need to prove your claims.

Speak to our car accident attorney to schedule a free review of your legal claims by calling Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.

Recoverable Damages in Salisbury, MD Car Accident Cases

Car accidents tend to involve a litany of injuries. While many of these injuries involve bodily harm and subsequent medical costs, many other injuries are unrelated to money. Our car accident attorneys can help you review your losses and injuries to accurately determine the value of your damages.

Compensatory Damages

A large portion of your damages might be your compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are awarded to make plaintiffs “whole” again after being injured, at least in a financial sense. These damages are often awarded to cover monetary costs incurred by plaintiffs. However, many compensatory damages are unrelated to money and based more on personal, subjective, and painful experiences.

Some common compensatory damages include medical bills from treatment for injuries, property damage, and lost income. Additionally, non-economic injuries may include pain, suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, and more.

Calculating damages can be difficult, which is why you should speak to a lawyer about your situation. Non-economic injuries tend to be hard to assess as they are inherently very subjective. As such, we need as much evidence as possible to convince the jury that your damages are significant.

Punitive Damages

Maryland allows plaintiffs to recover punitive damages only under very limited circumstances. Punitive damages, unlike compensatory damages, are awarded as a punishment for defendants and serve as a deterrent for future wrongdoings. In Maryland, courts may award punitive damages only if plaintiffs can prove that defendants acted with actual malice.

Actual malice often involves some kind of evil intent or motive and can be very hard to prove. Often, punitive damages are awarded in cases where defendants intentionally harm plaintiffs. While these damages are rare, they can be quite substantial. If you believe the defendant in your case harmed you on purpose, talk to your lawyer about the possibility of punitive damages.

Different Types of Car Accidents That Might be Involved in Your Salisbury, MD Car Accident Case

Your damages, evidence, and how we develop legal strategies for your case vary based on the nature of the car accident. While there are many ways in which a crash could occur, some common ones include rollovers, T-bone crashes, and rear-end collisions.

Rollovers happen when a vehicle literally rolls over on the road after a collision. The car often flips over onto its side or the roof. In cases where the other driver might have been traveling at a high rate of speed, cars might roll over multiple times. These can be very violent accidents, and the people involved tend to be very badly hurt. Not only that, but vehicles are usually damaged beyond repair, and various personal items in the vehicle might be lost or destroyed.

A T-bone crash often occurs at intersections or places where traffic converges. Generally, this kind of accident involves one vehicle striking another from the side. Injuries and damages sometimes depend on which side of the car is hit. For example, if your car is hit from the passenger side, you might not sustain severe injuries, but your passenger might. Since these collisions often happen in busy intersections, it can be difficult for other vehicles to stop, and multiple vehicles might be involved in the crash.

Rear-end collisions are very common and often disregarded as non-serious injuries. While many rear-end crashes happen at low rates of speed and are considered minor fender-benders, this is not always the case. If another driver hits you from behind at a high rate of speed, you might be violently thrown forward and badly hurt. You might even be pushed into oncoming traffic and hit by other vehicles.

Obtaining Evidence for Your Salisbury, MD Car Accident Case

Evidence to support your car accident claims might come from various places. A good place to begin is the scene of the crash. You should take photos and videos of the accident scene immediately after the collision. Many people do this while they wait for the police and emergency services to arrive. These photos and videos are often taken for insurance claims, but they may also make for great evidence in the courtroom.

We should also identify witnesses who might have seen the accident or have other personal knowledge relevant to the case. It is a good idea to exchange contact information with other people at the accident so we can quickly contact them later. We might also check the police report from the accident to see if law enforcement spoke to any other witnesses.

If available, video footage of the crash can make for very powerful evidence. We can check the area around the crash for traffic cameras that might have recorded portions of the accident or the accident in its entirety. We should also ask other drivers if they have any dashcam footage of the crash. Nearby homes and businesses might have security cameras that record important details. Videos of the accident might contain important details and tend to be hard to refute.

Contact Our Salisbury, MD Car Accident Lawyers for Assistance

Speak to our car accident lawyers to set up a free assessment of your legal claims by calling Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.