Damascus Personal Injury Lawyer
Popular wisdom might say that accidents just happen without anyone being able to control their outcome, but that is not true in every situation. In many cases, accidents only occur because one of the people involved did something irresponsible, meaning that all the harm stemming from that incident could have been avoided if just one person acted the way a reasonable individual should have under the circumstances.
If you can trace your injury back to another person’s reckless or careless behavior, you could potentially hold them financially liable for all your ensuing injuries and losses with help from a Damascus personal injury lawyer. Once retained, your personal injury attorney could put in tenacious effort on your behalf to ensure your settlement demand or civil lawsuit has the best outcome possible.
Establishing Fault for a Personal Injury in Damascus
Holding someone else financially accountable for the consequences of an accident generally means proving that they were negligent in some way. This term has a specific definition under state civil law, and all four parts of that definition must apply to a particular situation before it can justify civil litigation based on this legal principle.
Specifically, a person is “legally negligent” if they:
- Have a duty under the circumstances to act in a reasonable and safe manner
- Do something irresponsible that constitutes a “breach” of the aforementioned duty
- An accident occurs directly because of their breach of duty
- That accident results in compensable losses to at least one person the negligent party owed their duty of care to
The nature of a “duty of care” can vary a lot depending on the circumstances. For example, everyone who operates a motor vehicle in Maryland assumes a responsibility to obey traffic rules and to look out for other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. In the event a person recklessly or carelessly causes a car accident, their “breach” of duty could be an overt violation of state law or just a momentary lapse in concentration that a responsible person under the circumstances would have avoided.
Other types of accidents may have different duties of care associated with them, making different varieties of civil lawsuits uniquely complex. This is a big reason why retaining help from a skilled Damascus personal injury attorney is often so crucial to successful civil recovery.
Filing Deadlines for Personal Injury Claims
No matter how obvious someone else’s fault is for an accident, a person injured as a result only has so much time after discovering their injuries in which to pursue civil litigation. Most of the time, Maryland Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §5-101 limits potential plaintiffs to three years in which to file suit.
If a government agency or employee is the prospective defendant in such a claim, though, the effective deadline is shortened to one year. Conversely, there are certain circumstances that may allow for an extension to the filing period, which a personal injury lawyer in Damascus could explain in more detail if applicable.
Talk to a Damascus Personal Injury Attorney Today
No one ever expects to be involved in a serious accident, and when those accidents occur, the shock of medical expenses, missed work income, and various other personal and professional losses can be overwhelming. Fortunately, help is available if you want to enforce your legal rights and demand that the person responsible for your injuries pay for all their repercussions.
A qualified Damascus personal injury lawyer could be your steadfast ally throughout every stage of your legal proceedings. Call today to learn more.
