Baltimore Car Accident Lawyer
The chances of a person being involved in an automobile accident at some point in his or her life are higher than most of us would like to think. Whether it is a minor rear-end collision or a serious multi-car accident, a crash can have long-lasting consequences on one’s life. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, we have handled a number of car, truck, and motorcycle accident cases. Our knowledgeable Baltimore car accident lawyers have helped many individuals in the Baltimore area and elsewhere in Maryland assert their right to compensation.
Holding a Negligent Driver Liable for Compensation
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 5.6 million police-reported motor vehicle collisions took place in the United States in 2013. In that same year, over 2.3 million people were hurt due to automobile accidents. In the state of Maryland, traffic fatalities totaled 476 in 2012. Unsurprisingly, automobile accidents cause a number of injuries and deaths across the state and the nation every year.
Our firm has represented car crash victims who have endured almost every conceivable type of harm, including Spinal cord injuries, broken ribs, fractures, herniated discs, or brain damage. We help injured individuals pursue the compensation they deserve, which will depend on the nature of the accident. Typically, a victim can try to recover medical expenses, lost income and benefits, pain and suffering, property damage, and the costs of future treatment, among other types of costs and losses. The injured person, however, must first establish negligence to assert the right to compensation.
Negligence is one of the primary causes of automobile accidents. It is generally conceived as the failure to take proper care while doing something. A basic negligence claim consists of demonstrating the following elements. The defendant must have owed the victim a duty to exercise reasonable care, the defendant must have breached that duty, the victim must have been injured as a direct result of the breach, and he or she must have incurred actual damages. Reasonable care is defined in the context of operating a vehicle as how an ordinary person would behave in the same or similar circumstances. For example, a typically prudent driver would not choose to speed and swerve dangerously. If a driver does this and causes an accident that harms someone else, he or she might be liable for any resulting harm.
It is important to note that a personal injury claim must be filed within a certain time frame, known as the statute of limitations. Under Maryland law, an individual has three years from the date of the accident to file his or her lawsuit. A wrongful death claim must be filed by a close relative of the victim within three years of the date of the decedent’s death. Failing to file a claim within the applicable statute of limitations could mean being barred from pursuing compensation altogether.
Consult an Attorney after a Motor Vehicle Collision in Prince George’s County
If you or someone close to you has been hurt in an automobile accident that was caused by the negligence of someone else, you may need to seek the help of a qualified attorney. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, our automobile accident lawyers can work diligently to help people in Prince George’s County and the surrounding areas pursue the compensation that they need to recover from their harm. While we aim to settle every case as quickly as possible, we can zealously advocate for you in the courtroom if necessary.
To learn more, contact us online or call us at 410-998-3600 for a free consultation.
