Silver Spring, MD Car Accident Lawyer

Another driver’s negligent or reckless act could forever alter a victim’s life, leaving them with devastating injuries that warrant compensation via lawsuits.

Soon after a collision, our lawyers will confirm liability with the assistance of accident reconstruction experts if necessary. We can pool important evidence typically used in these cases, like witness statements and photographs, while also confirming the full extent of victims’ injuries. We will keep the statute of limitations in mind as we build your lawsuit, ensuring we file before the deadline. While you prioritize your physical recovery after a crash, do not discuss the accident with anyone other than our lawyers, most importantly the negligent driver. Our lawyers can negotiate a settlement after filing your case, only advising you to accept offers that cover all losses associated with your injuries, such as medical bills, lost wages, and intangible damages.

For help with your case from Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call our car accident lawyers today at (410) 694-7291.

Confirming Liability for Car Accident Injuries in Silver Spring, MD

Car accidents are often complicated, and involved parties might have contradicting versions of events that threaten victims’ financial recoveries. Our lawyers can use various tactics to prove the defendant caused the accident, such as enlisting crash reconstruction experts to assist with your claim.

Photographs from a crash site can indicate liability to experts who review them. Because of this, victims should take pictures of property damage, tire marks, and debris on the road. Victims who are physically unable to take pictures because of their injuries can ask first responders for help.

Though police reports for car accidents are inadmissible in Maryland civil claims, our lawyers may still retrieve them to learn more about the collision and involved parties. Officers might indicate or rule out potential contributing causes, like potholes or weather conditions, which can be useful information for accident reconstruction experts.

We can confirm liability for seemingly straightforward and complex accidents involving multiple drivers so that victims can hold the appropriate parties accountable. While evaluating the negligence of all parties, our car accident lawyers will gauge the likelihood of the opposing side using a contributory negligence defense. If successful, this could bar you from compensation, and our lawyers can help victims threatened by Maryland’s strict contributory negligence rules.

Confirming the Extent of Your Injuries After a Car Accident in Silver Spring, MD

Injuries sustained during car accidents are often relatively disabling, affecting victims for many weeks or months after a crash. Understanding the true extent of your injuries and their impact on all areas of your life is important. Otherwise, you could risk accepting an unfair settlement offer.

For example, while some victims may know to seek compensation for incurred lost wages from an accident, they might not consider how their injuries affect their earning capacities in the long term. Suppose a victim suffers a traumatic brain injury that severely affects their cognitive function, preventing them from ever returning to work at the same earning capacity as before or any at all. In that case, we can consider the victim’s future lost wages when calculating their total losses so that they get the appropriate compensation from a negligent driver.

Many injuries due to catastrophic car accidents permanently alter victims’ quality of life. For example, complete spinal cord injuries might prevent victims from playing with their children, walking their dogs, cooking for their families, or engaging in a number of hobbies or daily tasks. Disfiguring facial injuries might be permanent despite extensive reconstructive surgery, also causing victims life-long pain and suffering.

Often, victims’ treatment plans extend past their car accident claims in Silver Spring. If necessary, we can have medical experts testify during your lawsuit and explain the upcoming care required to aid your physical recovery. Leaving future medical damages out of compensation assessments could end in skewed calculations, leading victims to believe they deserve less compensation than they do.

Common Car Accident Types in Silver Spring, MD

Rear-end collisions are some of the most common car accidents. Often causing soft tissue injuries and facial fractures, rear-end accidents happen when one driver follows another too closely, failing to leave enough room to slow down safely.

More serious injuries often come from head-on and T-bone accidents, which commonly occur at intersections. Negligent drivers might run through stoplights or refuse to yield to another driver’s right of way, seriously injuring them and the passengers in their car.

Motor vehicle accidents do not just involve passenger cars. Larger vehicles like semi trucks pose a high risk of causing fatal injuries to victims. After these accidents, our lawyers may file claims against negligent truck drivers’ employers, as they could be vicariously liable for victims’ injuries and damages.

We can also help victims injured during rideshare accidents involving negligent Uber and Lyft drivers. These cases are often more complicated to approach than other car accident lawsuits, and we can explain which parties are financially responsible for victims’ damages.

Preserving Eyewitness Statements After Silver Spring, MD Car Crashes

Other drivers on the road or pedestrians walking by might witness another driver being negligent or reckless and causing an accident. We will aim to interview these individuals as quickly as possible, ideally in the following days, so we can keep their statements intact.

One of the most helpful things victims can do immediately after a collision is to identify and speak to eyewitnesses. There is no need to speak to them in detail about what happened and what the negligent driver did wrong. Simply ask for their names and contact information, and inform them that we will be in touch soon to schedule interviews. Often, eyewitnesses are open to helping victims by giving statements and testifying, especially if they witnessed particularly egregious conduct like drunk driving or very distressing injuries to victims.

We appreciate that speaking to witnesses is a challenge for many seriously injured victims, and our attorneys may refer to the crash report from law enforcement for their information when victims are unable to collect it at the scene.

Identifying the Filing Deadline for Your Car Accident Case in Silver Spring, MD

Understanding how the statute of limitations affects victims’ car accident claims is crucial, as failing to do so could prevent them from receiving compensation from negligent drivers.

Under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101, Maryland gives victims three years after a crash to sue a negligent driver. This is typically sufficient time for our lawyers to prepare and file strong claims in court, provided victims do not delay the investigation process. Vital evidence in these cases could get lost or destroyed as time goes on. For example, witnesses could forget the exact sequence of events or a negligent driver’s specific actions. Relevant security camera footage from nearby businesses or homes could get deleted because the owners are unaware of its significance. The sooner we can act, the more likely we will preserve important evidence, letting us prepare and file your case sooner.

Courts in Maryland strictly enforce the statute of limitations. If you do not file your lawsuit in court within three years of an accident, you will lose your chance to hold the negligent driver liable for any of your damages. We can make sure you do not face this consequence by filing your case on time.

Things to Keep in Mind in Anticipation of Your Silver Spring, MD Car Accident Case

In addition to preparing your lawsuit, our lawyers can also prepare you personally for what to expect from a car accident case, including common missteps that often undermine victims’ recoveries. For example, it is important to refrain from discussing the accident with the negligent driver, prioritize your physical recovery, and adhere to your treatment plan.

Do Not Discuss the Accident or Your Injuries

Before leaving the site to go to the nearest hospital for medical attention, keep conversations with the negligent driver minimal. Exchange insurance information with them as required, or have law enforcement facilitate this if you are too injured. Do not, however, discuss the accident with them in any way. Do not review the sequence of events or what they did wrong. Most importantly, do not discuss your actions or apologize for the collision. Negligent drivers could note such statements and use them as an excuse to mount a contributory negligence defense, which would bar victims from compensation.

Furthermore, do not discuss the accident or your injuries without anyone other than our lawyers and your medical team. Updating friends about the crash and your physical recovery on social media is a poor idea, as the defense could try to find posts that contradict other statements you have made, potentially weakening your claim.

Prioritize Your Medical Treatment Throughout Your Case

Above all else, prioritize your medical treatment while we build and litigate your claim. Stopping care against doctors’ advice could generate issues with your case and questions about your injuries’ severity. Gaps in medical records can harm victims’ financial recoveries, so avoid that to the best of your ability by making all doctor visits and rescheduling important appointments as necessary. Also, make sure to go to the hospital immediately after an accident, especially if you have visible injuries or feel pain internally. Internal organ damage is common during high-speed impacts, and these injuries are not always immediately obvious to victims without medical intervention.

As you continue getting the appropriate care, you build a wealth of medical evidence our car accident lawyers can use as leverage during settlement or evidence during a trial, especially to convince the jury of your pain and suffering. Juries faced with the sheer amount of treatments they have received might more readily appreciate victims’ non-economic damages, especially when they also hear testimony from mental health professionals and victims themselves.

Prepare for Settlement Negotiations and a Possible Trial

We can also prepare you for what settlement negotiations may entail, as your case could be settled out of court. Generally, first offers from defendants fail to compensate victims for all losses from an accident, requiring our lawyers to respond with counters supported by the appropriate evidence. To ensure accepted settlements are fair, our lawyers must accurately calculate your total losses, which requires careful tracking of all damages throughout your claim. If settlement negotiations do not yield a fair offer, we can take your case to court, where we will aim to prove the defendant’s liability to a jury. Sometimes, taking this step leads to a higher settlement offer from a defendant, enabling victims to keep cases out of court. We can help you make the decision that best maximizes your financial recovery after a collision in Silver Spring.

Call Our Silver Spring, MD Lawyers About Your Car Accident Injuries Today

Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 for a free case discussion with our car accident lawyers.