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MARYLAND TRIAL LAWYERS
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Baltimore Car Accident Lawyer

Baltimore car accident lawyer

Motor vehicle accidents are physically, financially, and emotionally traumatizing events. If you’ve been injured because of a negligent driver, Maryland state law affords you the right to recover compensation in a personal injury claim. This is a complex legal process that is best approached under the careful guidance of a Baltimore car accident lawyer.

The trial lawyers of Belsky & Horowitz, LLC have dedicated their legal careers to advocating for injury victims in Maryland. We seek to right the wrongs of a preventable injury, and our personal injury lawyers have what it takes to win big for car accident victims.

There is no time to delay—contact our law office to discuss your car accident case today.

Baltimore’s Most Dangerous Roads

The stretch of I-83 that passes through Baltimore has a crash rate that is more than twice as high as elsewhere in Maryland. Anyone traveling on Jones Falls Expressway should follow the posted speed limit and navigate the interstate’s characteristic curves with caution.

We also recommend taking precautions when traveling on:

  • Northern Parkway
  • West Cold Spring Lane
  • Orleans Street
  • Gay Street
  • Ensor Street
  • South Monroe Street
  • Washington Boulevard

If you’ve been injured in a car accident on any of the above roadways or while traveling elsewhere in Baltimore County, you need the backing of an experienced Baltimore car accident lawyer with a history of successfully standing up to the big insurance companies.

When Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer?

Not all car accident claims require the services of our personal injury attorneys. If your collision resulted in no injuries, moderate property damage, and only modest financial losses, navigating a claim with the insurance company will likely be straightforward.

However, car accidents involving anything more serious may be subject to unfair insurance company tactics intended to lower your settlement or deny compensation altogether.

You should consider retaining the services of a Baltimore car accident lawyer when:

You Have Serious Injuries

Injuries resulting from auto accidents have the potential to be severe, especially if the at-fault driver was speeding or under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision.

Common car accident injuries that may necessitate hiring a personal injury attorney include:

  • Head and neck injuries
  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Back and chest injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Severe lacerations or cuts
  • Crushed or lost limbs (amputation)

Injuries that require long-term medical treatment or cause permanent disability are associated with profound financial losses. To ensure that you do not lose out on compensation that is vital to your recovery and well-being, we recommend working closely with a Baltimore car accident lawyer.

Your Loved One Was Killed

Far too many fatal accidents occur on our roads. According to Zero Deaths Maryland, there were 464 fatal crashes resulting in 493 traffic deaths in the first 11 months of 2022 alone. Although this is a slight decrease from past years (563 deaths in 2021 and 573 deaths in 2020), there are still far too many people who never make it home to their families.

The unexpected and untimely loss of a loved one can have a profoundly negative impact on your family. Damages associated with funeral and burial expenses, lost wages, and medical expenses from attempts at life-saving medical care can impact your ability to fully grieve this loss.

Fatal car accidents are not a time to leave things up to chance. Our wrongful death lawyers are standing by to speak with you.

You Have Significant Financial Losses

A personal injury case has two functions. First, to secure a sense of justice for accident victims. Second, to secure financial recovery for their damages.

If you suffered significant financial losses in a car crash, you cannot count on the big auto insurers to do the right thing. If given the chance, they will lowball your settlement offer.

When we handle personal injury claims, our attorneys do not allow the at-fault insurance company to push our clients around.

Liability Is in Dispute

You know that the other driver caused your car crash. However, after speaking with insurance adjusters, does it seem like there are some unanswered questions about liability?

Settling matters of liability is essential to the success of personal injury cases in Maryland. State contributory negligence laws bar you from trying to recover compensation if your actions played any role (no matter how small) in the crash and your resulting injuries.

Car accidents turn victims’ lives upside down. We help set things right.
Call us at (410) 234-0100 or fill out this form.

There Are Multiple Involved Parties

Multi-car accidents are particularly complex. It takes the carefully trained eye of a Baltimore car accident lawyer to determine which drivers’ actions contributed to the collision and how.

Even when fault has clearly been established, the negligent driver’s insurance company will likely try to take advantage of the fact that there were multiple involved vehicles in order to discredit the true version of events.

You’re Unable To Settle Outside of Court

The majority of car accident cases are settled outside of the courtroom. However, you should only feel empowered to accept a settlement from the insurance company when the offered amount will fully cover the totality of your damages.

If your settlement offer is anything less than the full and fair amount that you are legally entitled to under Maryland law, then you have the right to take your case to trial. Handling a car accident lawsuit before a judge and jury presents unique challenges, though. It will be up to the jury to decide who was the at-fault driver and how much the victim is owed, which means that you cannot recover maximum compensation unless you are able to argue your case succinctly and effectively.

If you’ve been injured in a Baltimore, MD car accident, your medical bills are piling up, and the insurance company is refusing to offer you the rightful compensation you are owed, going to court may be the most appropriate step forward in your case.

Steps To Take After a Car Wreck

As car accident attorneys, we know that what you do after being involved in a car or truck accident matters for the outcome of your case. The period of time immediately following traffic accidents can be confusing, though, and it is often difficult for victims to know exactly what to do or where to turn.

We want your Baltimore car accident case to have the best possible foundation for success. If you’ve been involved in an auto wreck, we recommend taking as many of the following steps as possible.

If you are unable to complete any of the below steps, don’t worry. You won’t be barred from taking legal action, and your personal injury lawyer will work with you to gather all relevant information and evidence needed to win your case.

Call 911 for Help

As soon as possible, call 911 for help. Ask that an ambulance and police officer be sent to the scene of the accident. Do your best to be informative and descriptive with your location. Tell the operator what crossroads you are at or if you see any landmarks that might help pinpoint exactly where the crash took place.

We strongly recommend notifying the authorities of any accident you are involved in, regardless of apparent severity. If you are on the fence about whether it is appropriate to call, please take note of the following circumstances in which you are required to call 911 and notify the police:

  • There was an injury or death
  • The owner of damaged property (such as a parked car) cannot be located
  • One of the involved drivers was intoxicated
  • The collision was a hit-and-run
  • One or more drivers refuses to exchange information
  • A domestic animal (such as a cat or dog) was hit

Speak With a Police Officer and File a Report

Speak with the responding police officer to ensure that all information they gather for the accident report is correct. The accuracy of the police report will be critical to the success of your Baltimore car accident claim because, although most reports do not assign fault, they are considered to be a factual representation of what occurred.

When handling car accident lawsuits, it is not uncommon for our personal injury lawyers to uncover factual errors in the police accident report.

The responding officer can also help facilitate the exchange of information. Maryland state law requires all involved drivers to exchange their names, license numbers, addresses, contact information, and insurance information. Failing to do so could result in hit-and-run allegations, which could compromise the validity of your personal injury case.

Document Evidence at the Accident Scene

Evidence disappears quickly in car accident cases. While still at the scene of the crash, use your phone’s camera to document as much evidence as you possibly can. Take both pictures and videos that show:

  • The time of day and weather conditions
  • Any adverse driving conditions (like potholes)
  • Landmarks like street signs that situate the accident scene
  • Skid marks and debris from the crash
  • The other driver’s license plate
  • Damage to your vehicle
  • Property damage, including bent street signs or damaged bus stops
  • Immediately apparent physical injuries

Do not worry about taking too many pictures or videos. We generally recommend taking more pictures than you think you will actually need, as you and your Baltimore car accident lawyer can sort through these files later to determine what is most relevant.

Seek Medical Attention

Prompt medical treatment after a car accident is crucial to your overall health and well-being. If you’ve suffered catastrophic or traumatic injuries, allow yourself to be transported to the nearest hospital via ambulance.

To receive proper medical care in the aftermath of a serious car accident, you may also:

  • Go to the nearest emergency room or urgent care location
  • Schedule an appointment with your regular doctor

Do not forego medical treatment for fear of the cost. Any delay in undergoing treatment could limit your maximum medical improvement. If you fail to seek timely care, the insurance company may also claim that you were not seriously injured and are, therefore, owed far less than you actually need.

Meet With an Attorney Who Handles Car Accidents

Not every injury attorney in Baltimore, MD handles car accident claims. At Belsky & Horowitz, LLC, our trial lawyers are intimately familiar with the possible loopholes in Maryland state law that allow insurers to wrongfully lower settlement offers.

If you’ve been injured, a Baltimore car accident lawyer from our office will meet with you free of charge for an initial case evaluation. We offer free consultations to injury and accident victims in:

  • Baltimore
  • Baltimore County
  • Columbia
  • Howard County
  • Glen Burnie
  • Anne Arundel County
  • Hagerstown
  • Washington County
  • Rockville
  • Montgomery County

A free consultation is an opportunity to meet with a car accident attorney in a confidential, no-obligation setting. Contact us today to learn about your legal rights from an experienced auto accident attorney.

Contributory Negligence in Maryland

Maryland contributory negligence laws are fairly strict. If it is determined that an accident victim’s own negligent accidents partly contributed (no matter how little) to their own injuries, they will be prevented from recovering any amount of compensation.

This means that someone injured in a drunk driving accident could be barred from filing an insurance claim if they were also engaging in negligent behavior at the time of the collision, such as distracted driving.

Contributory negligence can (and often is) weaponized by the insurance companies against car accident victims who are unfamiliar with their rights. This means that even if you did nothing wrong, you could be partially blamed for your injuries and denied access to compensation altogether.

Our Injury Lawyers Represent Victims Who Have Been Hurt

The injury lawyers of Belsky & Horowitz, LLC have a proven track record of success. We are proud of the compensation we have secured on behalf of clients dealing with a variety of car accident injuries, including those ranging from mild to catastrophic.

If you were hit by a negligent or reckless driver, you could be suffering from:

  • Head injuries or a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Neck injuries
  • Back or spinal cord injuries
  • Internal organ damage
  • Broken or fractured bones

If you are dealing with one or more of the above car accident injuries and don’t know where to turn, we encourage you to contact our law office as soon as possible. We’ll schedule a completely free consultation with a Baltimore car accident lawyer at your earliest convenience so that we can discuss compensation for your medical bills and other damages.

What Will a Baltimore Car Accident Attorney Do for My Case?

The insurance company claims they’re offering you a fair settlement, so why worry about hiring an injury lawyer to represent you?

Insurance companies are worried about their profits. Our personal injury lawyers are worried about you.

Hiring an attorney to handle an auto accident claim shows the insurance company that you mean business. You know that you are owed more than just words and platitudes and are willing to fight for the compensation that is rightfully yours.

The Baltimore car accident lawyers of Belsky & Horowitz, LLC have a reputation of success within the personal injury field of the legal industry. This makes us uniquely positioned to handle even the most complex personal injury cases.

Know that when you choose to work with our law office:

We Investigate Your Case

Each and every Baltimore car accident attorney at our office has the skill and knowledge required to conduct a thorough investigation. We’ll look into every facet of your case, determining the cause and factors that contributed to your injury with a high degree of accuracy.

We do this by drawing on a wide range of evidence and, when necessary, the expertise of others. The typical auto accident investigation may include:

  • Reviewing the police report
  • Speaking with eyewitnesses and collecting their statements
  • Analyzing photos and videos of the accident scene
  • Reviewing traffic and dash cam footage of the accident
  • Hiring accident reconstructionists to better understand the mechanics of the collision
  • Working with medical professionals who are willing to testify on behalf of our clients
  • Speaking with insurance adjusters

We strive to perform our jobs with a sense of transparency and open communication. Our clients are always welcome to inquire about the state of their case and its investigation.

We Determine Fault

We never allow the big insurance companies to craft false narratives about fault for Baltimore car accidents. Through the course of our investigation, we will determine exactly who was at fault for your collision and how much they owe you.

Keep in mind that there may be more than one liable party. Identifying all potential sources of liability opens up the possibility of accessing additional compensation, which is often a vital component of addressing medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and other damages.

Potential liable parties in a car accident lawsuit include:

  • The driver who hit you
  • Their employer
  • Other drivers on the road
  • Vehicle or auto part manufacturers

We Deal With the Insurance Company

Speaking with the insurance company can potentially compromise the value of your settlement or the validity of your claim altogether. The role of an insurance adjuster is to save their employer money, not to make sure you receive what you are owed.

One of the most important functions of a car accident lawyer is that of communicating with the insurance company. We know what to say and, perhaps most importantly, what not to say in order to preserve your claim.

Should you speak with the insurer prior to securing the services of a Baltimore car accident lawyer, stick to the following dos and don’ts to avoid compromising your claim:

  • DO be polite but not overly nice. If asked how you are, avoid replies like, “I’m fine.” While this is a socially accepted nicety, the insurance adjuster may purposely misconstrue your words to mean that you are uninjured.
  • DO provide facts, not opinions. Never engage in speculation about what may have caused your accident, as this could be perceived as you changing up your story. Instead, only stick to the facts and what you know.
  • DON’T give a recorded statement. Never agree to give a recorded statement to an insurer. Written statements are much more accurate.
  • DON’T provide access to your medical records. The at-fault driver’s insurance company does not need access to your medical records. This is a tactic used by big insurers to identify prior medical conditions that can be used to lower your compensation.

And perhaps most importantly, DO refer all questions to your lawyer.

We Value the Worth of Your Car Accident Claim

Your auto accident settlement should never be left to chance. As your Baltimore car accident lawyers, we will rely on a variety of evidence and documentation when valuing the worth of your claim.

As your attorneys, we will review essential documentation such as medical bills, pay stubs, bank statements, auto repair bills, and more. Our expertise in this area of personal injury law allows us to demand the full amount of compensation that you are entitled to.

Compensation Available in a Car Accident Injury Claim

Compensation for Baltimore car accidents falls into three different categories: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.

The typical personal injury claim for a car accident in Baltimore, MD will involve both economic and non-economic damages. Punitive damages, however, are relatively rare in these types of claims.

Let’s review the damages that may be part of your claim.

Economic Damages

You got injured, and now you can’t work. The cost of your medical care seems bigger and bigger every day. The car you used to travel in is not suited to your new disability.

These types of losses all fall under the scope of economic damages, meaning your tangible financial losses. In a typical car accident lawsuit, you might be entitled to compensation for economic damages such as:

  • Lost wages if you cannot work, or reduced earning capacity if you’re unable to return to work in the same capacity.
  • Medical expenses related to your injury, including hospital fees, medications, physical and rehabilitative therapy, adaptive equipment, and other costs related to your recovery.
  • Property damage for auto damage and related repairs. Compensation for valuable property destroyed in the accident, such as smartphones and musical equipment, may also be available.
  • Domestic services if you are no longer able to care for or clean your home, prepare meals, or care for your children.

Never throw away a bill or invoice you receive for accident-related costs. Keep all of this information in a safe place and show it to your car accident lawyer.

Non-Economic Damages

These types of damages encompass your non-tangible losses associated with the accident. For this reason, they can be much harder to calculate, but our accident lawyers don’t back down from a challenge.

When you work with a personal injury lawyer from Belsky & Horowitz, LLC, you can expect to be treated like you truly matter. We’ll get to know you as a person and not just an accident victim so that we can truly learn how your life has been impacted.

This approach will allow us to best determine the type and value of non-economic damages to which you are entitled, such as:

  • Loss of enjoyment in life
  • Inability to engage in hobbies
  • Loss of companionship or consortium
  • Pain and suffering
  • Scarring or disfigurement
  • Mental anguish
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Don’t work with an injury lawyer who doesn’t see you for the whole person that you are. Contact us today to learn about how we’ll forge a strong attorney-client relationship that supports our shared goal—to win your case.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are not awarded to compensate you for a specific loss. Instead, they are used to punish the at-fault party, making an example of them to prevent others from engaging in similarly dangerous behavior. For this reason, they are also known as exemplary damages.

In Baltimore, MD, punitive damages are only awarded in cases where gross negligence or actual malice has been definitively proven. Most car accident cases do not rise to the level of gross negligence or malice. For example, distracted driving very rarely meets the threshold, whereas an accident caused by drunk driving is much more likely to warrant punitive damages.

We’re Baltimore Car Accident Lawyers Fighting for What Is Right

You didn’t deserve to be injured in a car accident.

You do deserve to have reliable legal representation when you’re fighting for your right to financial recovery. If you were injured in a car crash in Maryland, a Baltimore car accident lawyer from Belsky & Horowitz, LLC is on your side. To schedule a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation, call our law office or fill out our convenient online form.

This free consultation is your opportunity to learn more about the legal process and the rights afforded to you under state law. Don’t miss out; contact us today.

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