When accidents happen, the aftermath can turn our lives upside down. Physical pain, emotional stress, and financial pressure often follow unexpected injuries. Whether it’s a car crash on Baltimore Avenue, a slip in a local business, or a dog bite at a nearby park, personal injury victims in College Park deserve experienced legal help.
Tragically, far too many of these cases result from someone else’s reckless, negligent, or wrongful actions. In these types of situations, it’s possible to fight for and secure the compensation you and your loved ones are owed.
That’s where a College Park personal injury lawyer steps in.
At GDH Law, our attorneys advocate for you, whether you’re recovering from your injuries or grieving the loss of your family member. We handle sorting out liability, tracking down insurance, compiling the necessary records to build a strong case, and negotiating with insurance companies to ensure you recover the maximum compensation possible.
We do this so you can focus on getting better or rebuilding your life after a loved one’s passing. And we want to help you, too.
Common Types of Injury Cases
At GDH Law, we handle a wide range of accidents that injure, cause illness, or kill, including:
- Motor vehicle collisions: This category includes car accidents, motorcycle crashes, tractor-trailer crashes, and others, which may be caused by drunk driving, distractions, fatigue, drag racing, and other reckless behaviors, as well as manufacturer negligence. More than 100,000 crashes occur in Maryland every year, as well as tens of thousands of injuries.
- Premises liability: Incidents like these may include slips and falls, swimming pool drownings, dog bites, negligent security, or any other dangerous property situations.
- Workplace injuries: More than 40,000 workplace-related injuries occurred in Maryland in 2022, per the S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than half of those hurt lost days at work or faced restrictions on the type of work they could perform.
- Medical malpractice: Included in this medical negligence category are misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, birth injury, anesthesia and surgical error, and pharmaceutical mistake cases.
- Product liability: Cases like these center around a design, manufacturing, or distribution defect that makes a consumer good unsafe when used as instructed. Dangerous and defective product cases like these can be filed after machinery malfunctions on construction sites or if you’ve suffered health impacts after using a hair relaxer, for example.
- Nursing home abuse: This category encompasses physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse and neglect that occurs in assisted living facilities.
The cases referenced above comprise only a brief listing of some of the many legal matters that personal injury attorneys like ours handle. Whatever the incident that left you hurt, so long as you believe someone else’s negligent actions resulted in it, contact us so we can determine if you have a valid compensation claim.
We offer case reviews like these completely free of charge.
What Does a Personal Injury Attorney in College Park, MD Do?
There’s a lot that goes into building a case like this whereby an insurer can’t poke holes in a claim or convince a jury to enter a verdict in your favor at trial. That’s why many injury victims opt to work with an attorney — to minimize the chances of making missteps that jeopardize their ability to secure compensation.
However, Maryland is one of the few states that still follows the strict contributory negligence rule.
If you’re even 1% at fault for the accident, you may be barred from recovering any damages. That’s why building a strong legal strategy with the help of a personal injury attorney is crucial.
This is how an injury lawyer minimizes the chances of this happening:
Assess for Negligence and Make Liability Determinations
We often advise prospective clients to bring the accident or incident report, any relevant photographs or videos, witness statements (and contact information for those individuals), and medical records to their initial consultation with our attorneys. We do this because all of this helps us determine whether negligence occurred and, if so, who to pursue for damages.
While assessing for negligence may seem straightforward, that’s often not the case. Negligence is a legal concept that requires the establishment of specific elements to support a successful claim.
This explains why this assessment is particularly critical in any case.
Handles Communication with Insurers
So many unintended consequences can occur when you talk with an insurance adjuster. Their goal is to trip you up, getting you to admit to having contributed to causing your own accident or to not feeling as bad as you really do, because they can use this information to deny your claim or to limit how much in payouts they make.
That’s why it’s enormously helpful to have attorneys like ours serve as gatekeepers between you and adjusters. Since our lawyers have a better sense of how what one says can adversely affect the integrity of a case, having us communicate with insurers means better control over the narrative.
Compiles All Records and Bills
We find that clients who have suffered substantial injuries often have seen a dozen or more different healthcare providers in the immediate aftermath of their accident.
Just a single treatment, like surgery, can leave a patient with multiple bills from different practitioners.
A single surgery can result in bills from the hospital or outpatient surgical center, as well as from an anesthesiologist and a pathologist. Other types of treatment, such as consulting an orthopedist for a knee injury, can result in bills from a radiologist for X-rays or other imaging studies, as well as from the doctor, physical therapist, and pharmacy (if medications are prescribed).
Not only is the financial burden potentially massive, but keeping all relevant bills and documents in order can be a daunting task. Each College Park personal injury lawyer on our team is thoroughly experienced in handling cases like these.
We can help you track down all medical bills and records for your providers to gain a more comprehensive picture of the extent of your injuries, the costs incurred in treating them, and any future expenses you may incur.
Negotiate Settlements with Insurance Adjusters
After we take time and pull together records and bills, we must craft a demand letter, which paints a more holistic picture of how you were pre-accident, how the incident occurred and caused your injuries, and what your future is going to be like now that you’ve suffered harm (your prognosis).
We must also calculate your existing losses and account for future ones when requesting a specific amount of compensation in this letter to an insurer, which typically serves as a means to initiate a dialogue about a potential settlement. Insurance companies are obligated by law to provide timely responses to claims, and so when they do respond, our attorneys negotiate intending to secure the maximum award for you.
In terms of the latter, liability isn’t always clear, and even if it is, insurance adjusters are in the business of spending as little money as possible.
These two factors often lead to cases not settling during the pre-litigation process, meaning outside of court through negotiation, despite the efforts of attorneys like ours. In these situations, proceeding to trial may be necessary. We’re more than qualified to source and call to the witness stand some of the most competent expert witnesses to put forth the strongest possible case for you in a courtroom if needed.
What Types of Damages Can I Pursue in a Maryland Injury Case?
Each personal injury case is unique, so it’s impossible to know exactly what types of damages you may be able to file a lawsuit for until we get the chance to look at the details of your situation. However, some of the most common types of damages that you may be able to file a claim for include:
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of future wages
- Punitive damages
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Burial and funeral expenses
It’s important to work with an experienced attorney to accurately gauge who can be held liable and what damage you can pursue.
Understanding the complete picture is a multi-step process, but a knowledgeable law firm can help you navigate it every step of the way and help you craft a case that puts you in the best position to secure the maximum compensation possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about personal injury claims in Maryland. For more detailed information related to your specific case, please contact our law firm to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation.
How much does a personal injury lawyer in College Park cost?
Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront. We only get paid if you win your case or secure a settlement.
How long will it take to resolve my case?
Every case is different. Some cases resolve within a few months through settlement, while others may take a year or more if they proceed to trial. Your lawyer will guide you through a realistic timeline.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Maryland follows strict contributory negligence rules. If you’re found even 1% at fault, you may be barred from recovery. This is why hiring a skilled lawyer is so critical.
What should I do if the insurance company denies my claim?
Don’t give up. Insurance companies often deny valid claims. A personal injury lawyer can challenge their decision and fight for a fair outcome.
Is there a deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit in College Park?
Yes. Maryland’s statute of limitations is three years from the date of the injury. Act quickly to protect your legal rights.
Can I still file a claim if I didn’t go to the hospital right away?
Yes, but prompt medical care strengthens your case. Be sure to get evaluated as soon as possible and document your injuries.
What if the responsible party doesn’t have insurance?
You may still have options, such as pursuing compensation through your own uninsured motorist coverage or filing a lawsuit against the individual directly.
Will my case go to trial?
Most personal injury claims settle before trial. However, if a fair settlement isn’t possible, your lawyer can take the case to court to fight for the compensation you deserve.
What To Expect During Your Initial Consultation at GDH Law
Earlier, we referenced all the different documents we ask you to bring with you, if you have them, to aid us in assessing negligence and determining liability. The more documentation a prospective client brings to this initial case review meeting, the better the chances are that we can provide a definitive answer about whether they have a valid claim.
In other cases, it may be necessary to accumulate additional records before reaching such decisions regarding the viability of a case. And in some rare instances, making these determinations may only be possible after consulting crash reconstruction experts or medical experts, for example, to provide their input.
At GDH Law, our goal at the end of this initial consultation (or soon thereafter) is to be able to advise you whether you meet the necessary requirements to take legal action under Maryland law and ensure you understand the statute of limitations that applies to your case and its potential monetary value.
If you or someone you love has been injured in College Park due to someone else’s negligence, don’t wait. Our qualified personal injury lawyers can provide the support and legal guidance you need to rebuild your life.
Contact us today to discuss your legal matter and your rights. Consultation is completely free.
