INDIAN HEAD HIGHWAY CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER
You don't have to be a devoted news junkie to know that Indian Head Highway, or Maryland 210, is an extremely dangerous strip of roadway. Car accidents and pedestrian accidents happen with alarming frequency, and some of them can be very severe - a few, even fatal. Because, as motorists, we know this, most of us drive carefully and defensively to prevent a crash. But aggressive drivers can still cause accidents, even if you are doing everything right!
If you have been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident that was not your fault on Indian Head Highway, then you need a Maryland personal injury attorney who can help you get the compensation you deserve for the injuries that you have sustained.
What Causes So Many Car Accidents?
Many of the car accidents on Indian Head Highway can be traced to a few similar, root causes:
The chief reason for so many crashes on Maryland 210 is aggressive driving. Aggressive driving is a combination of numerous violations of the rules of the road, by people who want to shave a couple of extra seconds off their trip. These drivers do not drive with due regard for other motorists, and think only of themselves. These are people who are constantly changing lanes without signaling, weaving in and out of traffic, speeding, trying to blow through red lights, and worse. Aggressive driving is extremely dangerous, as the news shows us. Aggressive driving can even cause some fatal accidents.
Speeding is another leading cause of the car accidents on Indian Head highway. While going 55 miles an hour in a 45 is speeding in the eyes of the law, it is not in and of itself dangerous, as you can do 55 on the Beltway. What makes things so dangerous on 210, are the volume of cars on the roadway at any one time, coupled with smaller spaces and numerous side streets. The faster a car goes, the less time the driver has to react to things that happen in front of him, such as another car changing lanes, debris, etc. These crashes would be very easily avoidable, if more motorists would leave 5 minutes earlier to get to their destination.
Following too closely is yet another main cause of Indian Head Highway accidents. Negligent drivers often tailgate another, and that driver is not giving himself enough reaction time between his vehicle and the vehicle ahead. If the vehicle ahead has to suddenly break due to another aggressive driver veering into his lane, the driver that is too close is very likely going to smash into the rear of the safe driver. Most rear end collisions are due to drivers following too closely.
Improper merging is another leading cause of accidents. Many drivers change lines, especially at rush hour - but there is a proper way to do it! As a driver, you must signal your change of lane, and you must merge when it is safe to do so. Additionally, people in the lanes being merged into can cause accidents as well but trying to stay too close to the vehicle ahead, and aggressively driving to stop other drivers from merging.
Distracted driving is another huge concern. People answer texts, review social media, and even watch movies while on the road. This is extremely dangerous - not only is reaction time impaired, but a driver's very ability to respond to stimuli is reduced if the driver cannot and does not see that stimuli, such as a car braking, or a light changing. Distracted driving is dangerous, and is negligent.
What You Can Claim After a Maryland Car Accident
If you have been injured in a car or pedestrian accident, you have the ability to file a claim against the person whose negligence, recklessness, or carelessness caused your injuries. What you are claiming, your monetary compensation, is called damages. Damages is a legal term that references all of the elements of your claim.
Damages can be both economic and non-economic.
Some examples of economic damages are:
Medical bills
Prescription receipts
Time lost from work
Vacation or sick leave used
Future lost wages
Property damage
Diminished value
When an element of damages can be very easily quantified (or documented), it is referred to as economic. The non-economic damages are not clearly defined, and are never the same. Neck pain in one rear end accident, is not the same as neck pain in another rear end accident. Non-economic damages have to be proven, usually by the testimony of friends and relatives who can talk about how the injuries that you have sustained have impacted your life.
Some examples of non-economic Damages are:
Pain and suffering
Loss of earning capacity
Permanency of any injury
Interruption in activities of daily living
Loss of enjoyment
Inconvenience
A Maryland car accident lawyer will help you to prove your damages, so you can maximize your claim.
The Maryland Car Accident Claims Process
After you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault, and you have hired Blaszkow Legal to handle your case, we immediately begin investigating your case, and liaising with the insurance company. One of the biggest mistakes people make before contacting an attorney, is speaking to the insurance companies themselves. Insurance companies love when that happens, because anything you say can and will be used against you. Those are not just words from TV shows, but very, very true. Some insurance companies will often hoodwink unrepresented drivers into making recorded statements, where they may admit to doing something that the insurance company can ultimately use to minimize or even deny your claim! Maryland is a contributory negligence state, which means that if the insurance company can argue that you were even 1% responsible for your accident, you cannot recover.
We begin investigating your case, which includes both the facts of your accident, and the person whose negligence caused your accident. Sometimes, the negligence may not lie only with one person, but with multiple people, or sometimes companies. For example, in a truck accident, it may not only be the truck driver who is at fault, but it also maybe a dispatcher, or the people who loaded the freight, or the company itself that owns the truck. Sometimes, there are multinational companies that are actually organizing the trip, even though the truck's owner is only a small Mom and Pop operation. We investigate all of these potential defendants, so that we can ensure that there is enough insurance coverage, to get you the justice you deserve.
Once your medical treatment is complete, and we have fully evaluated all of the medical documentation, and gotten whatever other evidence we need, we prepare a demand package that will go out to the insurance company, and outline all of your damages. At this point, a short waiting game ensues. We usually receive a response from the at-fault insurance carrier within 30 to 60 days of sending our demand package.
When the insurance company responds, the negotiation process begins. If we are able to settle your case, that is excellent! Sometimes, however, the insurance companies will either deny liability, or they will refuse to give you enough money to adequately compensate you for your injuries. At this point, we will discuss with you the next steps, which may include filing a lawsuit, in either the Maryland District Court, or the Circuit Court.
How Does the Attorney Get Paid?
We often hear that some people who are injured in Maryland car accidents do not hire an attorney because they think they cannot afford it. This is not the case! You absolutely can afford a lawyer. As an initial matter, Blaszkow Legal offers free consultations for all personal injury matters, in Maryland, Virginia, and DC.
We work on a contingency fee basis. That means we don't get paid unless you collect money. Our fee comes out at the end of your case, you don't owe us anything beforehand.
Call a Maryland Car Accident Lawyer Today!
If you have been involved in a car accident on Indian Head Highway, whether in Prince George's County, or even down in Charles County, you deserve the best representation that you can get. Hire an experienced Maryland car accident lawyer, who is going to fight for your rights, before court and in court. Blaszkow Legal has been representing clients in Maryland Virginia and DC for over 40 years!
We use the Blaszkow Legal Method to show the insurance companies that we are ready, willing, and able to fight, no matter what they do. We work for you, not them.
Get Justice with Joe and call us today 703-879-5910
Photo Credit: WUSA9
