A car accident can leave you with devastating injuries and expensive vehicle repair costs. Many victims in Owings Mills, MD struggle with expenses, including medical bills and lost wages.
Serious injuries can also cause car accident victims in Owings Mills, MD to suffer from permanent disabilities that impact their ability to work. These injuries may also reduce a person’s quality of life.
If you’re involved in a car accident in Owings Mills, MD, contact a personal injury lawyer serving Owings Mills. A Maryland lawyer specializing in car accidents can help you obtain compensation for your various damages.
For expert personal injury lawyers serving Owings Mills, Maryland, contact Zirkin & Schmerling Personal Injury Attorneys. Our Owings Mills area law firm has years of experience handling medical malpractice, slip-and-falls, and car accident claims. We are proudly serving Owings Mills and we’ll work diligently to recover the money that’s rightfully yours if you’ve been involved in one of these instances in Maryland.
You can schedule a free consultation with one of our car accident attorneys serving Owings Mills, MD online or by calling 410-753-4611.
Why You Need an Owings Mills, MD Car Accident Lawyer
You are not required to hire a car accident lawyer to file a claim, but an experienced Owings Mills, MD attorney will guarantee that you file correctly.
Enlisting the expertise of a car accident lawyer in Owings Mills, Maryland is also critical for maximizing your compensation. The sad reality of car accident and personal injury cases is that numerous victims in Owings Mills, MD struggle to recover sufficient compensation for expenses. Many fail to realize the extent of how a car accident can impact their financial situations before speaking with experienced Maryland injury lawyers serving Owings Mills.
If you suffer from broken bones in an auto accident in Maryland, you need to consider more than your immediate medical bills and vehicle damages. You need to consider the full extent of how your personal injury will impact your financial situation. You may have to pay for ongoing medical treatments, and your condition can keep you from earning your pre-accident wages. Depending on your Owings Mills, MD case, you may also deserve non-economic damages, such as compensation for mental and physical pain and suffering.
Seek legal advice from an expert car accident attorney in Owings Mills, MD because they can help you properly evaluate your potential claim. A Maryland personal injury lawyer serving Owings Mills will use their years of experience to determine how much you should demand from the negligent driver’s insurance company for damage to you or your personal property.
Building Your Owings Mills, MD Personal Injury Claim with an Accident Lawyer
Another reason car accident lawyers serving Owings Mills are invaluable for personal injury claims is that they will investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident to strengthen your case. Your attorney will help collect evidence to prove that the other driver’s negligence was responsible for the accident.
Communicating with the Negligent Party’s Insurance Company
Finally, a personal injury lawyer serving Owings Mills will handle all communication with the other driver’s insurer. This is important because the insurer will do everything they can to avoid paying you damages, and anything you say to them can be used against you.
Insurance adjusters in Owings Mills, MD aim to save their companies money, and they’ll work to devalue or deny your damages. The adjuster may attempt to have you admit partial fault in your accident. They may contact you and ask if they can record you as you discuss your accident. You must deny permission to record the conversation, and you should only communicate with the company through professional legal representation serving Owings Mills. Otherwise, you could jeopardize your ability to recover compensation for your Owings Mill, MD car accident.
How a Car Accident Affects Your Insurance in Owings Mills, MD
How your Owings Mills, MD car accident will affect your insurance will depend on a few factors. Maryland drivers typically see smaller premium increases compared to other states after traffic accidents, but your insurance will likely increase.
If you were not responsible for the vehicle accident, your premium will only go up slightly, or it may not go up at all.
On the other hand, if you were wholly or partially responsible for the accident, your premiums would increase more significantly. The average increase in insurance after a car crash in Maryland is $1,900.
Additional factors may also affect this increase, such as:
- The seriousness of the accident and whether anyone was injured
- Cost of property damage
- Previous car accidents or traffic violations in Maryland or elsewhere
You’ll also see a much higher increase if you engage in any of these driving behaviors:
- Reckless driving
- Fleeing the scene after the accident
- Driving under the influence
- Distracted driving
- Speeding or racing
Spinal Cord Injuries After Car Accidents in Owings Mills, MD
Car accidents in Maryland can cause devastating and life-threatening injuries, as the sudden impact of two vehicles colliding can cause severe bodily harm. Some of the most serious types of car accident injuries involve the spinal cord.
Spinal cord injuries usually require extensive medical treatments and impact an injured victim’s ability to work. An injured victim may temporarily have lost earnings, or they may never be able to return to their pre-injury work due to partial or total paralysis.
Some of the most common types of Owings Mills, MD accidents that cause spinal cord injuries include:
- Rollover accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- T-bone collisions
- Head-on accidents
These and other crashes may cause vertebrae injuries or herniated discs. While costly, herniated discs aren’t nearly as serious as damage to the spinal cord itself. Damage to the spinal cord can cause complete or incomplete paralysis.
If you lose control over parts of your body, you may struggle with more than physical impairments. Complete and incomplete paralysis often cause victims to struggle with mental health and loss of enjoyment of life. In these cases, Owings Mills, MD victims need to seek both economic and non-economic damages by contacting accident lawyers.
If you were injured in a crash in the Owings Mills area due to someone else’s negligence, get in touch with a car accident attorney in Owings Mills, MD as soon as possible. Schedule your Owings Mills, MD free consultation online here, or call us at 410-753-4611.
Owings Mills, MD Car Accident FAQs
Should I See a Doctor After a Car Accident in Owings Mills, Maryland?
You must see a doctor serving Owings Mills as soon as possible after your car accident. If you experience a severe injury, you should call 911 and receive emergency medical care. This is especially critical if you suspect that you experienced spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, chest injuries, or internal organ damage.
You should also see a doctor serving Owings Mills even if your injuries seem mild. Car crashes can cause delayed onset injuries, meaning you may not yet know the severity of your condition. It’s important to seek medical attention to diagnose any potential issues. Delaying treatment may worsen your condition.
Seeing a doctor serving Owings Mills immediately after your accident will also be important when you seek compensation from the other driver’s insurer. If you don’t receive medical treatment promptly, the insurance company may argue that another incident caused your injuries and that they’re not financially responsible.
Is Maryland a No-Fault State for Auto Accidents?
Maryland is an at-fault state rather than a no-fault state. An Owings Mills, Maryland car accident victim has every right to file a claim or lawsuit against a negligent party to recover compensation.
In the context of car crashes, this usually means filing against another driver, but there are some situations in which another party could be partially or wholly responsible.
Vehicle defects, such as faulty brakes or airbags, can cause serious accidents, resulting in injuries or even wrongful death. Rather than filing against another driver, you would file against the person or company responsible for the defective car parts. This could be a vehicle manufacturer, parts supplier, mechanic, distributor, or another party.
A seasoned Owings Mills car accident attorney can help you identify all parties who may be liable for your damages.
How Long Does a Car Accident Stay on Your Insurance Record in Maryland?
The amount of time you can expect the vehicle collision to remain on your insurance will depend on a few factors, including whether you were liable and the severity of the crash.
Generally, you can expect your accident to remain on your insurance and inflate your premiums for three to five years.
I Do Not Have Car Insurance, Can I Still Bring a Claim in Owings Mills, Maryland?
You can file an insurance claim in Owings Mills, MD even if you don’t have car insurance.
Lacking insurance should never impact the outcome of your settlement, as your uninsured status can’t be used against you as evidence.
The only requirement to file against another driver is that the Owings Mills area car accident needs to have caused you to suffer damages. For instance, if a driver runs a red light and causes you to sustain property damage and an injury, you have every right to file with an attorney serving Owings Mills to recover compensation for out-of-pocket expenses, even if you don’t have insurance.
Contact an Owings Mills Car Accident Lawyer at Zirkin & Schmerling Law
Here at Zirkin & Schmerling, our accident lawyers have extensive experience handling car accident cases in Owings Mills, MD, and other parts of Baltimore County. Our team is proudly serving Owings Mills and we can’t wait to assist you.
Our injury lawyers serving Owings Mills also have expertise in handling other types of personal injury cases, including dog bites, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall accidents, and other cases involving negligence. Our accident lawyers serving Owings Mills have even been able to secure punitive damages for victims.