Car Accident Lawyers in Maryland

Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers Helping Car Crash Victims Seek Fair Compensation Through the Legal Process

Have you been in a car crash that resulted in severe injuries, property damage, lost wages after missing work, or potentially even costing the lives of your family members? In such instances, working with experienced auto accident attorneys to seek a satisfactory settlement for medical bills, pain and suffering damages, and other losses is essential. Our personal injury law firm has extensive experience helping car accident victims successfully recover compensation from insurance companies and at-fault parties in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Our legal team has served Maryland for over 30 years, and we are proud of our commitment to helping our neighbors through the legal process so that they can hold the at-fault driver accountable for their actions.

Obtaining fair compensation for your injuries and other losses can be difficult, especially due to Maryland’s contributory negligence rules and the insurance company’s reluctance to pay a car accident victim what they deserve. The legal representation of an experienced personal injury attorney can make all the difference between a successful car accident case and a case where the victims recover the maximum compensation possible.

When you hire an experienced car accident attorney at our law office, you can rest assured that we will always have your best interests at heart and explore all legal options to help you reach the most satisfactory outcome to your legal matter. Our law firm operates on a contingency fee basis in auto accident cases, meaning that personal injury victims do not owe us a dime in legal fees unless and until we win a settlement for their case. Additionally, our legal team offers free consultations to interested parties curious about the benefits of retaining professional legal counsel. Please don’t wait until it’s too late. Enjoy your free case review to discuss your questions and concerns with an auto accident lawyer today.

What Are Important Maryland Car Accident Statistics?

Car crashes are a common concern across Maryland and the rest of the country. Not only are there approximately 500 fatal accidents every year, but there are thousands more that result in serious injuries or notable property damage.

According to the Maryland Highway Safety Office, there were 577 fatal crashes, resulting in 621 deaths, in 2023 alone. This marks an increase over the previous years, with 2019 having almost 100 fewer crashes and fatalities.

In 2023, there were a total of 110,401 reported motor vehicle accidents. It seems likely that there have been additional car crashes that went unreported as well. In those thousands of collisions, there were a total of 41,538 people injured. More than 81,000 of those accidents resulted in property damage.

In a five-year average, drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs resulted in approximately 140 fatalities every year, nearly 2,000 injuries, and another 4,000 cases of property damage. Speeding, on average, results in approximately 8,000 crashes annually. Of those thousands of car accidents, there are approximately 2,300 injury crashes and over 90 fatal crashes. Other common causes of car crashes in Maryland include distracted driving and texting while driving.

In addition to other motorists getting injured in serious accidents, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists also suffer life-threatening injuries in auto accidents.

What Should You Do in the Aftermath of an Automobile Accident?

If you have been in an unfortunate automobile accident, there are specific steps you should take to strengthen your case and look after your well-being and the well-being of anyone else involved in the car crash.

Immediately following the collision, attempt to move your vehicle off the road and onto the shoulder so that it is not in the path of oncoming traffic. If you cannot move your car because of your auto accident injuries or the damage done to the vehicle, turn on your hazard lights to warn others of your car on the road.

Your priority after reaching relative safety should be to look after your health, any passengers, and anyone involved in the car wreck. Call 911 to summon law enforcement and emergency first responders to the accident scene. You must seek immediate medical treatment following a car crash, regardless of the apparent severity of your injuries. Some injuries may seem minor at first, only to worsen with time. Failure to get immediate medical attention following a car wreck could jeopardize your personal injury claim, making it more difficult to recover full and fair compensation from the insurance company.

When police officers arrive at the crash scene, provide them with as much information as possible about the cause of the accident and what the other drivers did wrong. The police officer will use any information the drivers and witnesses provide to complete an accident report, which can be valuable evidence in a car accident case.

If you are physically able, attempt to gather evidence from the accident scene.

Examples of evidence that can be obtained at the crash scene include:

Insurance information provided by the other driver
Photographs of debris in the road, damage to all vehicles involved in the accident, skid marks, weather conditions, and road conditions
Pictures of your vehicle and the damage it sustained
Statements from eyewitnesses to the crash, as well as their contact information, so that they can be reached later
Your notes on the accident, compiled shortly after the accident takes place, so that you do not begin to misremember or forget things

When speaking with the at-fault driver, you must never apologize or dismiss the severity of your apparent injuries. Doing either of these things could result in devaluing your car accident claim. Remember, anything you say at the crash scene could be used against your case.

As soon as possible, file an insurance claim with your insurance provider. Maryland operates by a fault-based system for car accident claims. Be careful what you say to the insurance company in any communication with them, because they are trained to look for ways to pick apart your claim and save money on their bottom line.

If you have not done so already, now is the time to contact an experienced car accident lawyer to discuss your case in more detail. Please contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation with our legal team today.

Why Should You Hire a Maryland Car Accident Lawyer?

Personal injury attorneys can help you through the complex legal process of filing lawsuits or claims after a car accident in Maryland.

Legal services provided by an auto accident attorney include the following:

Access to legal resources and a wealth of knowledge
Explain your legal options and allow you to make informed decisions about your case
Gathering evidence to help support your personal injury claim and prove liability
Handle insurance company negotiations in pursuit of better terms
Guide you through the twisting, winding legal process
And more

Remember, time is of the essence when you’ve been in an auto accident. Not only is there a strict statute of limitations for filing car accident lawsuits, but evidence can deteriorate or disappear over time. Also, the longer an insurance company reviews the facts and builds its case, the more disadvantaged you will be in negotiations. The sooner you bring your case to a car accident attorney, the better your chances of recovering total compensation.

When you entrust our attorneys to handle your car accident case, you can rest assured that we will listen respectfully, represent your interests in all correspondence with the at fault parties or their insurance providers, fight aggressively for a fair settlement, and, if need be, take your case to court to secure financial compensation.

What Sort of Maryland Car Accident Cases Does Our Law Firm Handle?

The Dorsey Law Firm has extensive experience representing Maryland accident victims in various personal injury legal matters. In our years of practicing personal injury law, we have seen many different types of auto accidents.

Motor vehicle accident cases we represent include, but are not limited to, the following:

Accidents caused by driving under the influence of drugs
Bicycle accidents
Bus accidents
Car accident investigations involving bad faith arguments from insurance companies
Defective vehicles, faulty parts, and product liability cases
Delivery vehicle accidents
Distracted driving accidents, including those caused by texting while driving, using a GPS device, or talking on a cell phone
Drunk driving accidents
Employment-related car crashes
Fatal car crashes
Hazardous highway crashes
Head-on collisions
Hit-and-run incidents
Intersection car collisions
Motor vehicle rollovers
Multi-vehicle wrecks
Pedestrian accidents
Rear-end accidents and fender benders
Rideshare (Uber or Lyft) car accidents
Underinsured and uninsured auto accidents
Truck and commercial vehicle crashes
Motorcycle accidents
Single-car accidents
Speeding incidents
T-Bone accidents
Teenage driver and underage driver accidents

Whatever type of auto accident case, if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we can help you pursue financial compensation. Financial recovery could include compensation for medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and more. To learn more about the benefits of retaining our legal services, please get in touch with us to schedule your free case review today.

What Are Common Causes of Serious Accidents in MD?

While we tend to think of car accident causes like drunk driving or speeding, any number of factors can cause auto accidents. Our Maryland law firm has represented clients in various types of car accident cases with different causes and liable parties. In each case, the reason must be carefully investigated to determine fault so that the negligent party can be held accountable.

Common causes of car accidents in Maryland include the following:

Adverse weather conditions
Commercial driver deadlines forcing drivers past the limit
Dangerous road design
Disobeying the rules of the road
Distractions caused by passengers in the vehicle
Driver fatigue and drowsy driving
Driver inexperience
Driving at excessive speeds for the road conditions
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Failing to signal properly
Failure to yield to the right-of-way
Improperly secured or overloaded cargo
Poorly installed or inadequately repaired brakes
Reckless or aggressive driving
Road debris
Road rage
Running red lights and stop signs
Talking on a cell phone without a hands-free feature
Texting while driving
Unsafe lane changes

Depending on the facts of your case, various parties could be liable for damages. Potential liable parties may include other motorists, government entities, vehicle mechanics, commercial companies, pedestrians, passengers, vehicle and parts manufacturers, and third-party drivers. To determine who or what may be held liable for your car accident, speak with our lawyers in a free case evaluation to discuss the facts of your case in more detail.

How Does the Contributory Fault Doctrine Affect an Auto Accident Claim in MD?

Maryland is one of only a small handful of states that operate under a contributory negligence (also known as contributory fault) understanding of personal injury law. Most states follow some version of the comparative negligence system instead.

Under Maryland law, anyone responsible for causing an accident is typically barred from recovering financial compensation for their injuries and other losses. Even if you were only 10% to blame while someone else shouldered the other 90% of the accountability, you would still be unable to recover compensation.

Many view contributory negligence rules as far too strict and unsympathetic towards personal injury victims. Because of these state laws, retaining professional legal representation to defend your rights and build a compelling case is all the more critical. Opting to go without legal help could put you at risk of having others attempt to blame you for the car wreck. Defend your interests in the legal proceedings by hiring professional car accident attorneys.

What Sort of Financial Recovery is Possible with a Successful Maryland Car Accident Claim?

With a successful claim, it is possible to recover financial compensation for your injuries, financial losses, and any pain and suffering from the crash. Your car accident settlement will be provided to you in the form of economic and non-economic damages.

Depending on the strength of your case, your financial recovery could include the following:

Disability, disfigurement, and dismemberment
Lost wages if forced to miss time from work, and lost income earning capacity compensation if you are ultimately unable to return to work
Out-of-pocket expenses, including compensation for transportation following the accident
Past medical bills and future medical expenses, including compensation for ambulance rides, hospital stays, surgical procedures, medications, follow-up visits, and physical therapy or rehabilitation
Physical pain and suffering compensation
Property damage, which can often include motor vehicle repairs and replacements
Wrongful death damages, which can include lost benefits, loss of companionship or consortium, emotional suffering endured by the surviving family members, relevant medical bills incurred before death, and funeral, burial, and memorial expenses

What Determines the Value of Car Accident Cases?

The value of your car accident lawsuit will be determined by many factors, including the severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, long-term disability, inability to work, and more. In car accident cases with catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, the plaintiff potentially stands to recover more, if for no other reason than the fact that their medical bills and other expenses are likely to be higher. Other auto accident injuries we frequently see include whiplash, PTSD, broken bones, internal bleeding, burns, and soft tissue injuries.

As your legal representatives, we aim to help you pursue the maximum compensation for your case. Often, insurance companies will begin cases by offering lowball settlements to take advantage of victims. A car accident attorney can help calculate future expenses from the accident and injuries, thus properly holding the at-fault party accountable for damage done today and tomorrow.

To determine the potential value of your car accident case, please contact us to schedule your FREE initial consultation.

Contact Our Law Firm to Schedule Your Free Consultation with Our Maryland Car Accident Attorneys Today

Many victims and their families decide not to hire a Maryland auto accident attorney for their legal issues, fearing that doing so would cost them too much. However, the benefits of retaining legal representation for your car accident lawsuit often far outweigh any drawbacks. Additionally, our firm operates on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you won’t owe us anything unless we win your case.

We encourage you to contact our law office today to discuss your personal injury case in more detail. Call our law offices at 240-887-0414.