Do I need a Lawyer for Crash Insurance Claims in Maryland?

What Should You Do After a Bicycle Accident in Baltimore, MD? The steps you take after a bicycle accident in Baltimore can affect both your physical recovery and your ability to pursue compensation. Medical records, police reports, witness statements, and other evidence may become important if you later file a bicycle accident claim. Call to Schedule Your Consultation: 410-826-4763 in Baltimore, MD. Get Medical Help Your medical treatment will tie your injuries directly to the crash. Even if you feel okay at first, some issues like concussions or soft-tissue damage may not show up until later, so always get checked out. Skipping this step will weaken your position, as the insurance company may raise questions later about how the injuries happened if they're not clearly and obviously connected to the crash. Call the Police and Get an Official Report In Maryland, you need to report any crash that involves injury. Police will come to the scene, take statements, and file a report that lists the facts, who was involved, and what the conditions were like. That official document will be important evidence later. Document the Scene Yourself While you wait for help, or right after you are safe, take photos of everything if you're well enough to do so. Write down the other driver's name, contact information, insurance details, and license plate. If anyone saw what happened, get their names and numbers, too. Preserve Every Piece of Evidence Leave your bike, helmet, clothing, and any other items exactly as they were after the crash. Don't repair or clean them until someone who knows what they are doing has examined them: your lawyer can direct you to the right professionals for this. These items can prove the force of the impact or show that you were following safety rules. Be Careful About What You Say Maryland follows a strict contributory negligence rule which means that if you are found even slightly at fault, you can't recover damages. Stick to the facts when talking to police, and avoid apologizing or speculating about who caused the crash. The same caution applies to any conversations you might have with insurance adjusters. It's best to refer them to your lawyer. Contact a Bicycle Accident Attorney An experienced attorney knows how the insurance companies operate and what the laws are, and they can step in early to handle communications so you do not accidentally say something that hurts your case. They'll review the police report, gather additional evidence if needed, and make sure all your damages are fully accounted for so you don't lose out. Waiting too long to file a claim can mean you miss the deadline entirely or some of the evidence becomes unusable, so talk to a lawyer as soon as you can. Talk to a Lawyer Today If you have been hurt in a bicycle crash, reach out for a free consultation at Rafael Law, LLC in Baltimore right away. We serve clients throughout Maryland, including Silver Spring, Brooklyn Park, Glen Burnie, Towson, Columbia, Annapolis, and Rockville. Contact Our Legal Team for a Consultation

Rideshare accidents can be tricky. Figuring out who has to pay for damages depends not only on the circumstances of the accident but also on the status of the rideshare driver at the time. Talk to a Baltimore, MD rideshare accident lawyer if you've been in an accident to discover what your options are and to get help sorting through all the confusion. more How Do You Prove Liability in a Rideshare Collision With Uber or Lyft? Identify Responsible Parties The first step is to identify who's responsible. It could be the rideshare driver, it could be another driver, and in some cases the rideshare company could share some blame if they didn't properly vet a driver or ignored safety complaints. In even rarer cases, an entirely different entity could be to blame. If, for example, an improperly loaded truck dropped debris on the road before the accident or a government entity failed to keep the roads in good condition, they could be liable (or at least share some liability). Gather Evidence You'll want a police report, pictures and video of the accident scene and all the involved vehicles, all the information from everybody involved in the accident, and the contact information for any witnesses who saw it. Then you'll have your medical records and information from data collection. Most cars today have something like a "black box" on an airplane, which records information about what the car was doing at the moment of the accident. Rideshare apps like those for Uber and Lyft also track your trip with GPS and timestamps and have driver logs, which will tell you whether the driver was logged in, picking up a passenger, or actively on a ride at the time of the crash. Talk to a Baltimore, MD Rideshare Accident Lawyer Talk to a lawyer as soon as you can after the accident so your lawyer can help you start sorting out who's responsible and how to prove it. Your lawyer will look through the evidence you have, help you get a hold of any other evidence you may need, and can even subpoena evidence that you might not be able to get on your own, such as security cam footage from a nearby building or more information from the rideshare companies Proving Negligence Your lawyer will use the evidence to piece it all together and may give the evidence to an expert, such as an accident reconstruction specialist, to get a better understanding of how things played out in the crash. If the rideshare driver is at fault, your lawyer will also take a look at whether the rideshare company bears any blame. Since the drivers are independent contractors, Uber and Lyft are usually able to avoid direct liability, but if they allow a driver to continue working for them when they have a poor record, you might be able to argue negligence in hiring.If you've been in a rideshare accident, contact the Law Offices of Elan B Rafael in Baltimore now to request a consultation. When you contact our law firm, you speak to Elan B. Rafael, not a secretary, and we're here to fight for you.

Anyone who’s driven on the roadways in Baltimore has encountered semitrucks. While those big rigs are providing a valuable service, they also pose a risk for everyone on these roadways, including Interstate 95. Maryland’s Crash Fatality Dashboard keeps track of fatal crashes in the state. Baltimore County comes in second place overall when it comes to fatalities. Prince George’s County comes in first. It’s critical for all drivers to ensure they’re driving safely. Understanding some common causes of semitruck crashes may be beneficial to all occupants, particularly for victims who are trying to determine how to proceed with a personal injury claim. What causes semitruck crashes? There are many causes of semitruck crashes. In some cases, one factor is the sole cause; however, there are instances in which multiple causes may be present. Some of these are the fault of the trucker, but there are times when the trucking company or other motorists may also be a cause. Fatigue, speeding and aggressive driving are some of the more common causes of semitruck crashes. When these are present, it’s possible that the trucker and the trucking company may both hold part of the liability for the crash. Policies, including tight deadlines, that are set by the trucking company can often lead to truckers not being empowered to stop driving if they’re fatigued or drive in an unsafe manner because they’re trying to rush. Other possible causes include other vehicles cutting in front of the semitruck, impairment, distractions, and improper load securement. It’s possible that others might also contribute to the crash, so it’s critical to consider all circumstances before filing a legal claim. Victims of semitruck crashes often require urgent medical attention, which can be costly. The exact injury and severity of damage determine what type of road to recovery a patient will have. This care can sometimes be costly, so it might be beneficial for the victims to seek compensation for the damages related to the injuries. There’s a limited time to do this because of limits set by law. It may be beneficial for victims to work with someone who can assist them with preparing the case and getting it moving forward.