Car Accidents on the Capital Beltway
I-495 Car Accidents
No matter where you are driving on the Capital Beltway, the drive is dangerous. Car accidents happen every day, in Maryland and Virginia. Unfortunately, you can be doing everything right, and following every rule of the road, and still be involved in a collision. You cannot control bad drivers, and those who act negligently behind the wheel. But you CAN hold them accountable, and get compensation for the injuries they cause.
Blaszkow Legal is dedicated to helping people who have been hurt in highway crashes throughout the DMV. We fight negligent drivers, negligent companies, and even governments for our clients. We have a team of attorneys, paralegals, and investigators who are devoted to maximizing your recovery.
If you have been hurt in a Beltway Crash - Inner Loop or Outer Loop! - call Blaszkow Legal for a free consultation. We fight for people in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. If you have a car, you have a lawyer - call 703-879-5910 today!
Common Causes of Capital Beltway Car Accidents
The Capital Beltway comprises I-495 (the Beltway proper) and I-95, or the busiest highway in the country.. Because of its importance and reach, this road is crowded at any time of the day, and an absolute nightmare during rush hour!
There are many causes of accidents on the Beltway, many due to simple congestion. Some accidents can be single vehicle, such as when a car hits debris or ice, while other accidents can involve a large number of cars and trucks, which are some times called pileups. Some of the more common causes of accidents include:
Distracted drivers
Drunk drivers
Reckless driving
Aggressive driving
Changing lanes without signaling
Two Different Claims You Can Have After a Maryland or Virginia Car Accident
Any time that you are involved in a car, truck, or bus accident, you may have two separate and distinct claims: a First-Party Claim (for benefits you as the injured party are eligible for) and a Third-Party Claim (against the at-fault driver or drivers). Unlike in many jurisdictions, you may proceed with both claims.
A First-Party Claim generally refers to no-fault coverage through your own car insurance coverage or, alternately, coverage your are eligible for through another source, such as a family-member (resident relative, like a mom or dad, sister or brother, etc). For Maryland Automobile Insurance Policies, this is called Personal Injury Protection coverage, or PIP. in Virginia, this coverage is called Medical Expense Payments Coverage, or Medpay.
This first-party coverage is money that your attorney can obtain for you, as payment for certain related medical treatment that you had - whether or not your health insurance paid for the treatment! First-party coverage like Medpay and PIP are no-fault coverage, meaning that 1) your insurance rates cannot go up if you use it, and 2) you can obtain these benefits even if you are at-fault for the accident.
One of the big differences between a first- and third- party claim is negligence: in a first-party claim, it is irrelevant. Whether the other person was 100% at fault, or you were, you can still obtain these benefits. In a third-party claim, negligence is THE concern: if you were even one-percent responsible, then you have no claim.
You should always call a car accident attorney immediately after an accident, to find out which claims you have - and which coverages may be applicable to you!
Damages You Can Claim after a Beltway Car Accident
If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault, you have a right to file a claim for compensation for those injuries. The total universe of what you can claim is called your damages. Generally, damages refers to all of the ways that the accident has affected you, and impacted your life. Damages fall into two separate categories, economic damages and non-economic damages:
Lost wages
Medical expenses
Prescription receipts
Future lost wages
Future medical expenses
Property damage
Scarring
Disfigurement
Permanent injury
Inconvenience
Pain and suffering
Investigating who was responsible
Asserting your claim for damages comes down to negligence. We are responsible for identifying the negligent parties in car accident case. It is not simply enough that we allege that another person or company is responsible, but we must prove that.
Who is responsible for an accident can be complicated, depending on the acts of the case. Individual drivers are responsible for their negligent operation of the vehicle - this is understood. But there may be additional negligent parties - this is vital information, because insurance coverage may be limited for one party, and substantial for another. Some other negligent parties are potentially:
Drivers' employers, through respondeat superior
Trainers, through negligent training
Owners of the vehicle, if the owner knew or should have known that the driver had a propensity for operating vehicles unsafely
Additionally, the Inner loop and the Outer Loop go through Virginia and Maryland, which are jurisdictions that practice contributory negligence. This means that you, the person seeking damages for your injuries, cannot have been in any way responsible for the accident. If the other side can prove that you are negligent, then this may act as a bar to recovery
In order to stop the insurance companies from making those allegations, the first thing that we do is begin investigating the case. The sooner we can begin our investigation, the sooner we can start fighting for you, and for the compensation that you deserve.
It is absolutely vital that we begin pulling camera footage, and interviewing witnesses as soon as we can. The longer that you wait to engage an experienced car accident lawyer, the more likely it is that camera footage is lost or overwritten, or that witnesses' memories will fade.
Hiring an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
Car accidents on the Interstate get very complicated - there is alot of work to be done to find out who is at-fault, and where the claim needs to be asserted. Is it local court, or federal? These questions need expert guidance, and to get that, you need the help of one of the highest-reviewed law firms in the DMV! Call Blaszkow Legal today a free consultant if you or a family member have been hurt on the Beltway, or anywhere in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Don't feel helpless after a crash - Get Justice with Joe Blaszkow!
We have a team that is ready and able to help you, protect you, and fight for you at every step of the process. Insurance companies are out only for themselves, but we fight for you.
Call us today for a free consultation, and get an experienced team fighting on your side. The sooner you call, the sooner you will be protected. Get Justice with Joe Blaszkow, and call 703-879-5910 for a free, no obligation consultation!
