Personal Injury Lawyers in Maryland

Anytime you’re involved in an accident and suffer injuries, it’s a good idea to talk to a lawyer to see if you have a valid legal claim. Serious injuries can be extremely expensive to treat. Hospital costs add up, as do physical therapy or other rehabilitative treatment costs. If someone else is responsible for your injury, it’s only fair that they pay. A lawyer can help you determine all of this. If they decide that you do have a claim, they will help you with all of the other steps along the way. They will file all of the necessary paperwork you need in order to begin your case, and they will also investigate the incident for you and obtain evidence. An experienced lawyer will interview witnesses, find experts to testify on your behalf, and more. Personal injury cases can be complicated, so it’s usually not a good idea to try to handle it on your own.

In Maryland, you must file a lawsuit for most personal injury claims within 3 years of the date of the injury. If you file after that time period expires, your case will likely be dismissed, and you will be unable to claim compensation that you’d otherwise be entitled to had you filed on time. 

Discovery of Harm Rule

While most of the time the statute of limitations is three years, sometimes the deadline can be extended. If you’ve been injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, or you’ve suffered injuries as a result of medical malpractice, sometimes the statute of limitations doesn’t actually start running until you become aware of the injuries or the negligence that caused your injuries. 

The statute of limitations is one of the most important aspects of a case because if you miss the deadline, your case will almost never be successful. It’s always a good idea to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Maryland right away so they can ensure you don’t miss any important dates.

In Maryland, there is a limit to the amount of compensation you can recover in personal injury cases. For non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, the cap is $890,000 as of 2021. Most years, this amount increases slightly to account for inflation. 

For economic damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages, there is no damages cap. This means the jury can award as much as they think is appropriate to cover these expenses. 

All cases are different. Some of the most straightforward cases could end up being settled within a few months, and some of the more complex cases that go to trial could last for a few years. When you have a consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Maryland, you should ask them to share their thoughts about how long they think the case might take. While no lawyer is going to be able to give you a definitive answer, most lawyers will be able to let you know how long cases generally take.

Many people are hesitant to hire a personal injury attorney or even consult with one because they’re worried about the cost. Fortunately, most reputable personal injury attorneys and firms take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning they don’t get paid anything unless they win or settle your case. At Morgan & Morgan, this is how we operate as well. We offer everyone a free and confidential case evaluation where we can discuss your case and what we think your chances of success are. If we decide to take your case and you decide to hire us, you’ll never pay us up front or out of your own pocket. We collect our fee from the money you are awarded during the trial or from a settlement. This means you never have to worry about the cost of a personal injury lawyer in Maryland.

Maryland personal injury claims are governed by a rule called contributory negligence. This is one of the strictest rules regarding a plaintiff’s fault in an accident. If you are in any way responsible for the accident, even if it’s as little as one percent your fault, you will be barred from recovering any money whatsoever. For example, if you are in a car accident that was almost entirely someone else’s fault, but you were driving a few miles per hour over the speed limit, you will be barred from recovering any money if the court determines that you were even one percent at fault based on the fact that you were going over the posted speed limit.

Most personal injury cases in Maryland are based on a negligence framework. There are some exceptions, however. The most common exception is dog bites. If a dog is unleashed, the owner of the dog is liable for any damage the dog causes, even if the owner of the dog was in no way negligent. This is known as strict liability.

In Maryland, there are some circumstances where you won’t be able to collect any compensation, even if someone else’s negligence was the cause of injuries you suffered. Under Maryland law, if you had a full understanding and knowledge of an existing danger and voluntarily exposed yourself to that danger, you have assumed the risk, and cannot hold the other party liable for any injuries or damages you suffer. This can apply to a variety of different scenarios, but it’s a defense used very often in slip and fall cases. For example, a defendant might argue that you knew their sidewalk was icy and you chose to walk on the ice anyway. Therefore, you assumed the risk and cannot hold anyone responsible for the injury.

Morgan & Morgan has been handling all types of personal injury cases for decades. When you hire us, you can be confident that you are hiring lawyers who are experienced in negotiation and who know their way around the courtroom. At Morgan & Morgan, we have won more than $20 billion dollars for our clients. Anytime you hire us, the defendant and their attorneys will know you’re serious. Since we work on a contingency fee basis, we are confident in our ability to win the cases we take. You don’t pay unless we win, so you know we will work as hard as possible to get you a good settlement or take your case to trial if necessary. Contact Morgan & Morgan for a free case evaluation today and to get connected to an experienced personal injury lawyer in Maryland.