If you suffer from a car accident, you may face costly out-of-pocket expenses. Motor vehicle accidents cause a range of injuries requiring ongoing medical treatments, and your accident may cause extensive vehicle damage. This is when you need a Woodlawn car accident lawyer.
Additionally, your injuries may heavily impact your life and keep you from working. This can create even more of a strain on your finances as you pay for medical bills and property damage.
You shouldn’t have to pay for these overwhelming expenses if someone else caused your accident. Fortunately, you can file a claim or lawsuit against the negligent driver with an attorney to recover fair compensation for your damages.
If you experience a crash in Woodlawn, Maryland, you can contact the car accident lawyers at Zirkin & Schmerling Personal Injury Attorneys by calling 410-753-4611. The dedicated lawyers at our law firm have many years of experience fighting for accident victims in the Maryland area, and we’ll ensure you get the money you deserve with our representation.
Each lawyer here can also fight for victims of medical malpractice and seek justice under the law for our injured clients.
When Do I Need a Car Accident Attorney?
It’s always helpful to seek legal representation after a car accident. Woodlawn car accident lawyers assist their clients by investigating accidents, gathering evidence, and negotiating insurance claims on their behalf.
Contacting a lawyer for representation is especially important if the at-fault driver’s insurance company denies responsibility for your damages. Often, insurance companies argue that accident victims are partially or wholly liable for their own injuries. These companies do this to save money and avoid paying out claims.
If you’re injured due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve justice and full compensation for your expenses and troubles. An experienced personal injury attorney will work to secure you the most compensation possible with their services. They’ll also handle dealing with the at-fault party’s insurer.
A personal injury lawyer will also fight for their clients in court if you can’t reach a favorable settlement with the negligent party after being injured.
Whiplash and Car Accidents
One exceedingly common personal injury in car accident cases is whiplash. Whiplash refers to a neck injury that occurs when a victim’s head jolts backward and forward in a sudden motion. The affliction can potentially negatively impact the tendons, nerves, spinal disks, and muscles of your neck and lead to limited mobility.
If you or a loved one suffered pain from whiplash or other catastrophic injury during a crash, it’s important to contact a car accident attorney. As we’ve discussed, an experienced personal injury lawyer will help you recover the money you deserve after being injured.
Your whiplash injury may require extensive treatment and surgery, and you may not be able to work with your condition.
When you file a claim for a whiplash injury, you may be able to recoup money for medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings, pain and suffering, and other damages resulting from your injuries.
Woodlawn Car Accident Lawyer FAQs
Who Is Responsible for Car Repair Costs in a Car Accident?
The driver who caused the crash will be responsible for the vehicle damages. That’s why drivers are required to have liability insurance in Maryland. This insurance compensates a victim for any damages you cause, including both medical bills and car repair costs.
If someone else’s negligence caused your accident, their insurance will be responsible for your car repairs. In the event the driver is underinsured or uninsured, you can file a claim with your own insurance company to pay for property damage.
Who Is At Fault for a U-Turn Accident?
U-turns confuse numerous drivers in Woodlawn, Maryland, and many have questions regarding fault in U-turn accidents. Fortunately, liability in these collisions is frequently straightforward. The liable driver is the person who didn’t have the right of way at the time of the accident. Usually, this means the driver who attempted the U-turn is liable.
Drivers wishing to make U-turns must yield to oncoming traffic in the opposite lane. The turning driver must wait for vehicles to pass before completing the U-turn.
Suppose that a driver makes a sudden U-turn in front of an approaching car. The other driver is following all traffic laws, but they don’t have time to halt their vehicle, resulting in a crash. In this scenario, the driver who made the U-turn would be at fault because they didn’t yield the right of way.
Additionally, a driver who completes a U-turn must yield to a car that’s turning right into the same lane. The driver turning right has the right of way. If there’s confusion and the cars collide, the driver making the U-turn will likely be at fault for not yielding.
One factor that may impact the outcome of a U-turn case is whether the non-turning driver contributed to the accident. For instance, if they were speeding at the time of the collision, texting at the wheel, or even guilty of a DUI, they may be considered partially at fault under the law. They may have been able to avoid the accident if they had obeyed traffic laws, and their driving behavior increased their risk of a collision.
I May Have Been Partially At Fault for the Crash. Does That Mean I Don’t Have a Case?
Maryland uses a contributory negligence system. Contributory negligence means that a car accident victim cannot recover compensation if they were partially responsible for their accident.
Let’s return to the previous U-turn example. Although the driver who completed the U-turn was primarily responsible, the other person contributed to the accident by speeding and driving while distracted. Because both motorists were partially at fault, neither can recover damages from the other driver’s insurer.
That said, you should still contact an experienced attorney if you think you were partially at fault for your accident. Car accidents are traumatic experiences, and you may not remember the crash as well as you think. There’s a possibility that you weren’t at fault even if you believe you were.
It’s best to still enlist the legal assistance and services of a personal injury attorney to evaluate your options and represent you in court. Upon review and investigation, your attorney may be able to prove that you weren’t actually at fault.
What Kind of Evidence Might I Need in Order to Strengthen My Case?
In order to recover compensation for your personal injury case, you’ll need to provide ample evidence proving that the other driver was responsible. You’ll also need to show that you suffered damages as a result of the accident.
Valuable forms of proof include:
- Photos and videos
- Eyewitnesses
- The police accident report
- Black box data
- Car repair estimates and receipts
- All medical bills for any injuries
- Documentation showing lost wages
- Expert witnesses
Although according to the law you don’t need a personal injury attorney to file a claim, hiring one will increase your likelihood of proving your case. Experienced lawyers know what to look for in a car accident matter, and they can help you access evidence that you wouldn’t be able to obtain otherwise. For instance, they can file a subpoena to obtain surveillance footage, or they can find expert witnesses to corroborate your claims.
Contact a Woodlawn Car Accident Lawyer at Zirkin & Schmerling Law
If you or a loved one suffer from a crash in Maryland, you can get legal representation through Zirkin & Schmerling Personal Injury Attorneys. Each personal injury attorney on our team has many years of experience helping those injured in Baltimore and Woodlawn, Maryland.
In addition to car accidents, our practice areas of law include motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death, dog bite accidents, workers’ compensation, and more.
Our dedicated legal team will help protect your interests as we build your case. Further, we’ll work to ensure you receive the most money possible either through a settlement or in court. We’ll also work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you’ll only need to pay a fee for our services if we win or settle your case.
You can schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers today by calling 410-753-4611, or you can contact us online for assistance without a fee.