No one expects to be in an accident or suffer an injury due to the negligent actions of another person. But accidents happen daily in Prince George’s County, and if one happens to you, a qualified Chillum personal injury lawyer at GDH Law can help.
You may suffer from a disability or impairment for the rest of your life, or have physical therapy for the foreseeable future. Between medical bills and lost work, the financial, emotional, and physical toll of an accident can be devastating.
That’s why we’re here.
Our office can help you recover the compensation owed to you for the damage you’ve suffered, allowing you to focus on healing during this difficult time.
Common Injury Cases
A personal injury case is any type of claim where a negligent party is accused of causing harm or damage to the victim. People often think of a situation where someone acted in a malicious manner, intentionally trying to cause harm. Actually, it can be any type of incident that was caused by negligence, even when accidental.
The most common personal injury cases our office handles are:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents or truck accidents often result in serious injury and are possibly the top reason a victim pursues a personal injury claim. Drivers have a legal duty to use reasonable care while out on the road and, if they’re careless, they can be held liable for any injuries or damages they cause. A
If a driver causes an accident while working, their employer may be held liable as well.
Medical Malpractice
A legal duty of care is required and expected by doctors or other healthcare staff, and when that requirement isn’t met, you have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. This could be a routine surgery where the doctor made a mistake, or a faulty medical device, such as a breathing or heart monitoring apparatus, that caused injury.
Nursing Home Abuse
An unfortunate rising problem across the United States is nursing home abuse, which affects thousands of elderly individuals each year.
If you or someone you know was mistreated in a long-term care facility, that falls under personal injury as well, and your lawyer will be able to pursue a case against the staff or facility in question.
What Compensation Should You Expect?
Every personal injury claim is unique, and there’s generally no way to know how much you may receive in compensation before a settlement is reached. The severity of your injuries, the cost of medical treatment, and the amount of insurance coverage you have, all play into that final figure. Our team at GDH Law often secures compensation for the following:
- Medical bills
- Loss of income
- Loss of quality of life
- Ongoing medical treatment
- Therapies or rehabilitation
- Specialty medical equipment
Many factors are considered before a settlement is reached, and your lawyer will fight for the maximum compensation for all costs that you have had to pay, or will have to pay in the future, because of your accident or injury.
Why it’s Important to Hire an Attorney
While there’s no law requiring you to have an attorney for your personal injury claim, hiring one is typically your best move for several reasons.
Your lawyer will have an expert understanding of Maryland laws and will ensure that your claim is filed correctly and on time according to Maryland’s statute of limitations. In a medical malpractice claim, for example, Maryland code allows the injured individual to create a claim within three years of discovering the injury or within five years of the medical procedure that caused the injury.
If your injury doesn’t present itself for two years, the statute of limitations begins on the day you discover you have an injury, not on the date when your treatment occurred.
However, certain events may delay the start time; for example, if the injured person was a minor when the incident occurred, the standard three-year statute of limitations won’t begin until the day before the victim turns 18.
Additionally, hiring a lawyer can be beneficial because they can help with the following:
- Investigating the accident: Your lawyer may visit the scene of your accident, interview witnesses, or hire experts to build your case.
- Constructing your case to prove fault: Your lawyer will collect all the evidence, including any police reports that were filed, to build your case and prove liability.
- Negotiating with insurance companies or medical professionals: Your lawyer is a highly skilled negotiator who knows how to get the necessary information from insurance companies and doctors.
- Going to court: Most personal injury cases are settled out of court. However, your lawyer will be prepared for this possibility, and can present your case to a judge and jury.
Justice is a Phone Call Away
If you’ve been injured due to the actions of another person, you have legal recourse available to you, and our office at GDH Law can help.
We strongly recommend not contacting insurance companies on your own or attempting to reach a settlement without first speaking to a lawyer, as most insurance companies will pay out only a small fraction of what you should receive, if they pay you anything at all.
Reach out to our office for a free, no-obligation consultation.
We’ll review your case and discuss what your best options are for pursuing a legal claim to ensure you receive the compensation owed to you for your injuries. Don’t wait, call us today!
