PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS
Prince George's County is one of the largest counties in Maryland, and accounts for over 15% of all car accidents in the state! While it is a great place to live and raise a family, it can still be a dangerous place to drive! You can be operating your vehicle with complete regard, and not be doing anything wrong, and still be involved in a serious car accident that leaves you injured - sometimes seriously injured.
If you have been involved in a car accident that was not your fault, then you need an experienced Prince George's County car accident lawyer to help you get the compensation that you deserve. Don't let the at-fault party get away with it: hold them accountable! Get Justice with Joe Blaszkow, who has been fighting for Maryland car accident victims for over 40 years. He and his team have experience in all manner of motor vehicle accidents, and are ready and willing to fight the insurance companies to get you the compensation that you deserve!
Call today for a free consultation! 703-879-5910
Common Causes of Prince George's County Car Accidents
Accidents happen all the time, and while some are honest mistakes, others caused by negligent, reckless, and/or careless actions. Some of the more common car accidents that we see in Prince George's County include:
Rear-end Collisions. This is the most common kind of Prince George's car accident. It happens when one vehicle is following another too closely. Regardless of what happens ahead of the lead vehicle, the vehicle behind was driving with not enough space between it and the vehicle ahead, or perhaps they simply failed to stop in time. Frequently, people who are rear-ended are pushed into other vehicles.
Merging Accidents. A person who is merging onto the highway has to yield to the vehicles that have the right of way. However, aggressive and reckless drivers can try to push their way in, and cause serious accidents.
Aggressive or Reckless Driving. Aggressive drivers do not operate their vehicles with any sort of regard for other motorists, instead they care only about themselves, and are focused on shaving a few extra seconds off of their trip. These drivers often change lanes without signaling, speed, and swerve around traffic. The accidents that these aggressive drivers cause are often serious.
Distracted Driving Car Accidents. In Prince George's county, just like the rest of the country, many vehicles have infotainment systems, and almost every driver has a cell phone. Drivers who do not pay full-time and attention to the roadway, and instead try to dangerously multitask, place everyone else at risk. Distracted driving cases in Prince George's County are on the rise.
Drunk Driving or Impaired Driving. Operating a vehicle while under the influence is one of the most reckless and careless actions and at fault driver can take. DUI crashes are increasing, and it is innocent people that get seriously hurt in these wrecks. An impaired driver has severely limited reaction time, and usually blurred vision.
First Party claims vs Third Party claims
If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault, we investigate first party claims as well as third party claims for every client. When you have been hit by another vehicle, and your claim is against that driver, then we call this a third party claim. However, you sometimes have benefits available through your own car insurance company as well! This is called a first party claim.
The most common type of first party coverage that we investigate in Maryland car crashes is known as PIP, or personal injury protection coverage. This is an amount of money that can be gotten from your car insurance company to help offset some of your medical expenses. The base amount in Maryland is $2,500. However, you can get more coverage if you want. We have some clients who have $10,000 of covering.
Making a first party claim cannot make your insurance rates increase, nor is fault an issue. If you have been involved in a car accident, then you have an absolute right to make this claim, provided the treatment that you are making the claim for is causally linked to the accident. It is not enough for the treatment nearly to have been after the accident.
Read our explanation of PIP coverage in Maryland here.
Who is at fault for a Prince George's County car crash?
The question of fault is extremely important, and it is exactly what we have to prove if you have been involved in an accident. We have to prove that the other driver was at fault, meaning that that driver's negligence was the sole cause of the accident. You, the person making the claim, cannot have been in any way at fault for the accident, even just a little bit.
Maryland practices a legal doctrine known as contributory negligence. This is sometimes called the "1% rule." This means that if the insurance company is able to argue that you are 1% responsible for the accident, then you cannot make a claim.
Will my car accident case wind up in court?
Every case is different. In general, there are two reasons that we will proceed to trial in a Prince George's car accident case. The first reason is because the insurance company is denying liability. If we have a strong case, then we will simply file a lawsuit to advance your rights.
The second reason that a lawsuit is entered into is because the insurance companies are not willing to give our clients fair value for their claims. This is a common tactic of the insurance industry, in that they will offer small settlement amounts that do not adequately compensate our clients for their damages. It is not uncommon for an insurance company to accept liability, but then minimize the amount of money that they have to pay.
Blaszkow Legal is experienced at fighting for our clients in District Court as well as Circuit Court. To learn a little more about the Maryland Court process, read our article here.
Although we are ready, willing, and able to take a case to trial, the reality is that it almost 85% of car accident cases will settle before going to court.
Certain cases, however, almost always go to trial. This include wrongful death cases and catastrophic injury cases. This is because the insurance adjusters know how much money they will have to pay out, and want to fight against that as hard as they can.
Have you been hurt in a PG car accident???
Contact Us Today!Damages arising out of a Prince George's County car accident
After a car accident that was not your fault, you have a right to pursue a claim for your damages. Damages is a legal term that encompasses all of the ways in which the accident has affected your life, and impacted you. Damages fall into two separate categories:
Economic damages are documented, quantifiable impacts to your life, which have specific value. Some examples of economic damages include:
Hospital treatment
Ambulance transport
Emergency room physicians billing
Prescription receipts
Physical Therapy bills
Rehabilitation costs
Medical supply expenses
Time lost from work
Non-economic damages do not have a specific monetary value that can be assessed. These are the other ways that the accident has impacted you, and non-economic damages generally have to be proven through the testimony of medical providers as well as friends and family and other people who can provide some evidence about how you were changed or hurt by the accident. Some examples of non-economic Damages include:
Pain and suffering
Mental distress
Emotional trauma
Disfigurement
Scarring
Inconvenience
Post-traumatic anxiety
Prince George's County Motor Vehicle collisions
Car accidents is a general term, and it includes a whole host of other motor vehicle claims that we work for our clients, such as:
Contact a Prince George's County car accident lawyer today
If you have been hurt in a car accident that was not your fault anywhere in Prince George's county, you have certain rights. The insurance companies are not going to tell you what those rights are, however. If you try to go it alone, you are fighting with one hand tied behind your back. The insurance companies are betting that you don't want to talk to a lawyer. The insurance companies know that, statistically, the value of a claim almost triples when an attorney is involved.
Don't let the car insurance companies take advantage of you. Get an experienced Maryland car accident lawyer on your side today, and begin fighting for the compensation that you deserve. Call Blaszkow Legal, PLLC for help in Prince George's County, or for anywhere else in Maryland, Virginia or DC.
Call today for a free consultation at 703-879-5910
Contact an experienced, aggressive Maryland personal injury lawyer today!
Call Blaszkow Legal at 703-879-5910 for a free consultation!