Learn how claims are valued and learn about recent cases. Most auto accident lawsuits in Maryland are negligence lawsuits, meaning that someone did something wrong. This could be because the negligent driver passed a red light, didn't pay attention, hit a stopped car from behind, or made an unsafe lane change. Some other states, called no-fault states, operate under different rules.
They require drivers to purchase personal injury protection (PIP) to pay for their own losses in minor car accidents, regardless of who is at fault. PIP pays for medical costs and partial loss of wages. Because nearly all car accidents are the result of a person's negligence, it's Maryland's civil liability laws that apply to car accidents in the state. Civil liability laws, also known as personal injury laws, determine who was responsible and therefore responsible for an injury caused by an act of negligence.
There is one crucial rule regarding fault that you should know if you are involved in a car accident in Maryland. This law establishes the statute of limitations period for filing a personal injury lawsuit, including one resulting from a car accident, of three years. The toll law (extended time period for filing a lawsuit) for minors does not apply to the Maryland Tort Claims Act (Johnson v. Even in the worst cases of drunk driving, no punitive compensation has been awarded for damages in motor vehicle collision cases in Maryland).
And accident victims can always file a tort lawsuit against a driver responsible for harming them, even in the case of a minor accident. However, these claims can be important in demonstrating irresponsible behavior on the part of the car owner, often helping to increase the settlement and judgment values in a car accident lawsuit. Under Maryland car accident law, the accident victim must file a PIP request within the year after the accident and can only request reimbursement for expenses incurred within three years of the date of the accident. Other evidence that the victim can use to prove guilt in a Maryland car accident case includes witness statements, police reports, medical records, and photographs of the accident scene.
If the driver did not have express or implied permission to drive the car, the owner's insurance company is likely to deny coverage for the accident. If you had an accident and are in that situation, you should speak to an attorney at least six months before the statute of limitations period. For example, if the driver in the back was following the other vehicle too closely, the driver in the back may be at fault if an accident occurs. Maryland enforces the rules of contributory negligence, so if an accident victim was partially responsible for their own accident, they usually can't get compensation from the other driver.
In other words, if your actions contributed to the accident in any way, it may prevent you from receiving the compensation you deserve. Not all car accidents in Baltimore involve a perfectly innocent driver being hit by another driver who was being openly being hit by another driver. negligent.
