The days and weeks following a serious accident can sometimes be even more stressful and disruptive than the actual experience of getting hurt. Between various medical costs, worries about future working capacity, and potentially a host of different psychological and emotional consequences, it is more than understandable to find the aftermath of a personal injury completely overwhelming.
Fortunately, help is available from an experienced Cumberland personal injury lawyer who knows how complicated and challenging situations like yours can be. With guidance and support from a knowledgeable attorney, you could have a much easier time managing your stress while also taking proactive action to recover the compensation you deserve for your losses.
What Damages Could a Personal Injury Victim Recover for?
Personal injury litigation’s primary purpose is to restore a victim of someone else’s negligence to their pre-accident condition as much as feasibly possible by holding the party responsible for the incident financially liable for its consequences. Put simply, both common sense and Maryland civil laws dictate that a person who recklessly or carelessly causes harm should pay for the damages their negligent behavior resulted in, not the person who ended up hurt by no fault of their own.
Both economic and non-economic forms of harm may be recoverable through a successful lawsuit or settlement demand, although specific compensable losses will vary from case to case depending on an injured party’s unique circumstances. However, some of the more common damages that Cumberland personal injury attorneys pursue restitution for on behalf of accident victims include:
- Expenses for emergency medical care
- Costs of future rehabilitative care, as well as necessary medical devices and assistive equipment
- Lost past or future income, if an injury keeps someone out of work
- Property damage
- Physical pain associated with an injury
- Emotional and psychological discomfort
- Lost enjoyment of life and/or future personal opportunities
The Importance of Retaining Qualified Legal Counsel
Although assistance from a knowledgeable legal professional can be very helpful in almost any kind of case, it is especially important when pursuing personal injury litigation in the state of Maryland. This is because both established state laws and court precedents make effective civil recovery uncommonly difficult for Maryland residents.
In the former respect, Maryland Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §3-2A-09 sets a cap of $890,000—as of October 1, 2020—on recovery for all types of damages, a limit that most other states do not impose on civil plaintiffs. Additionally, MD Code C&JP §5-101 allows prospective plaintiffs a maximum of three years to start the litigation process after learning that they suffered an injury due to someone else’s actions.
In the latter respect, state civil courts follow a harsh “pure contributory negligence” approach to personal injury claims that forbids recovery for any plaintiff who bears any degree of fault at all for causing or exacerbating their accident-related losses. Guidance and support from a personal injury lawyer in Cumberland is virtually essential to avoiding these potential pitfalls and making the most of a possible claim.
Learn More by Talking to a Cumberland Personal Injury Attorney
Understanding your legal options after a severe accident can be hard enough on its own, especially if you have never before taken part in any kind of civil litigation. However, effectively enforcing your rights in a way that serves your best interests can be next to impossible without support from a legal professional who has handled similar situations before.
With a Cumberland personal injury lawyer by your side, you could stand a much better chance of establishing fault for your injuries and recovering fair compensation for your damages. Call today for a consultation.
