Slip and Fall
Slip and fall claims are a common type of premises liability cases. These types of accidents can be difficult to resolve because a business or homeowner places part of the blame for a slip and fall on the victim.
Traffic Accident
In 2015, over 500 people died in road accidents in Maryland and thousands were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Victims of negligent drivers are eligible for compensation for their medical expenses, costs of their recovery and other accident-related damages.
Workplace accident
In most cases, victims of workplace accidents are covered by worker’s compensation, but some workplace victims don’t get the settlement they deserve or face challenges in getting the right amount of compensation.
Get Immediate Medical Attention
No matter the nature of your accident or where it occurred, you should get medical attention immediately. If you wait to get medical treatment, your injuries could worsen. If you file a personal injury claim, the responsible parties can argue that your injuries are not severe or the result of your crash because you didn’t get medical attention.
You can find contact information on some Maryland hospitals below:
Baltimore:
University of Maryland Medical Center
22 S Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 328-8667
Mercy Medical Center
345 St Paul Pl, Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 332-9000
Germantown:
Holy Cross Germantown Hospital
19801 Observation Dr., Germantown, MD 20876
(301) 557-6000
Silver Springs:
Holy Cross Hospital
1500 Forest Glen Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 754-7000
After you get medical attention, you should contact an accident lawyer in Maryland to determine what steps you should take next to ensure you are fairly compensated for your pain and suffering.
Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Maryland
If you need to file a personal injury claim for any of the types of accidents listed above you need to file your claim within three years of the date of your injury.
Claims against the government
Filing a claim against a municipal, state or federal agency is a complicated endeavor, so anyone who suffers an injury stemming from the negligence of a government employee. The state of Maryland’s regular personal injury statute applies in claims against the government, but the statute of limitations is much shorter.
To file a claim against the Maryland state government, an accident victim must notify the Maryland State Treasure within one year. If you want to submit a claim against a county or local government, you need to file your claim within one year of the date of your accident. When filing a claim against the federal government, you have two years to file your claim with the appropriate agency.
For more information about filing a claim against the government, visit the People’s Law Library of Maryland, an internet hub for legal information sponsored by the state judiciary.
Filing a claim against a governmental agency is fraught with challenges, so USAttorneys.com recommends you get legal representation. We can connect you with an accident attorney near your Maryland location to work on your accident claim and make sure you recover the full amount of compensation you deserve.
Should a person speak to a Maryland lawyer after an accident results in loss and injury?
An experienced attorney in Maryland can assist accident victims with legal action after an accident results in personal injury and property damage. State laws provide for payment, or indemnity when an injured party is not at fault, referred to as “damages. Accident lawyers are familiar with an insurance company’s desire to close out claims quickly, so it is important to call them shortly after an accident involving injury and property damage before you are approached by an insurance company with a low settlement offer. Personal injury firms have valuable resources to support a case by:
- Sending investigators to the accident scene
- Reviewing police reports, witness testimony and medical reports
- Hiring appropriate financial personnel to make valuations of loss
- Determining the cause of the accident
- Supporting victim’s rights against aggressive insurance companies
- Drafting and filing complicated insurance and legal documents
Because of an accident’s unplanned nature and its occurrence in every type of venue, victims can become overwhelmed with the tasks to be undertaken afterward. In many cases, individuals are left with expensive property damage replacement, or physical injury and loss that requires legal action to address costs above insurance settlement awards.
What damages can a victim recover from accidental injuries?
Compensatory damages are an award of money in compensation for actual economic losses, injury, and property damage, not including punitive damages. The award of money is meant to address general and special damages:
- Special economic damages may include present and future lost wages, medical bills, future medical care, household expenses and
- General non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, mental anguish and loss of consortium, or companionship.
Punitive damages.
Maryland law rarely allows punitive damages that are meant to punish a defendant for egregiously bad conduct toward a plaintiff, and also to deter others contemplating similar behavior. The standard in Maryland is gross negligence, or actual malice and is extremely difficult to prove.
What types of accidents result in legal action toward fiscal recovery?
Workers’ compensation, personal injury, premises liability, medical malpractice and car, truck, bus and motorcycle (motor vehicle) accidents in Maryland are at the root of legal action in pursuit of economic, and non-economic damages, plus punitive damages in specific situations.
Maryland states that personal injury lawsuits for injuries caused by negligence, or misconduct must be filed within three years from when the injury was sustained, discovered or should have been discovered through reasonable care, except for wrongful death and medical malpractice cases. An accident attorney in Maine can inform a claimant of pertinent filing timelines.
Motor vehicle.
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident in the State of Maryland, where 501 related deaths occurred in 2018, you may have questions about how the laws will affect property damage and personal injury claims. An experienced attorney can help with the intricacies of a complex accident case that may have criminal components for reckless driving, distracted driving, or driving under the influence, which may affect insurance coverages, degrees of fault and the severity of the accident damages toward a timely award. Maryland is a third party liability state with regard to car accidents, allowing individuals to make claims for property damage, or personal injuries against another driver’s insurance because they are at fault, or “liable” for the accident.
Personal injury.
If a person is hurt because of the actions, or inaction of another individual, they may be able to recover compensation when fault and/or liability is proven for the resultant harm. The recovery of damages is contingent on proving that the individual, or entity was negligent and caused the injury and owed a duty of care to the victim, and must be filed within the three year statute of limitations.
Premises liability.
Individuals who are hurt in an accident on someone else’s property may take legal action when it was caused due to poor conditions on the property, including improper maintenance, upkeep, or negative resident, or pet interaction on the premises. The responsibility of the property owner depends on the standard of care owed to the injured person, which is based on the reason for their presence on the property. For example, an invitee is owed a duty of care, but a trespasser may not be owed that same duty. Homeowners’ insurance may cover these types of injuries depending on the individual policy.
Medical malpractice.
Maryland medical malpractice actions occur when a person becomes injured while being treated by a practicing health care provider. A person must file a medical malpractice claim in Maryland before three years after the injury has occurred, or five years from the time malpractice harm was discovered, whichever is earliest. Victims have to file a certificate of merit from a qualified medical expert who must state the injury and the breach to existing standards of care within 90 days of filing the malpractice complaint.
Workers’ compensation.
The Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission has a detailed process for individuals who are injured on the job, or contract job-related illnesses necessitating a workers’ compensation claim for monetary damages. Injuries may be caused by an accident, or a medical condition that develops over time caused by repetitive use of a body part, or a hazardous workplace environment causing harm.
Wrongful death.
In Maryland, family members, or legal representatives must file a wrongful death claim within three years from the date of the death caused by the negligent, reckless, or deliberate act of another. Damages may be awarded to the beneficiaries proportioned to the injury resulting from the wrongful death and the amount recovered shall be divided among the beneficiaries in shares directed by the verdict.
Legal action after an accident.
Maryland accident victims do not have to deal directly with insurance companies toward the resolution of damages. Experienced lawyers can carry that burden and save time, reduce stress, and point accident victims on the right path toward a comprehensive financial award.
