Car Accident Settlement Process in Maryland: Legal Steps & Timeline
Have you been badly hurt in a car accident?
If so, you’re likely facing high medical bills and lost wages from being off work. You’re probably wondering how to get the money you need and what the car accident settlement process is like.
The Baltimore car accident lawyers of Greenberg Law Office can answer all your questions and pursue the compensation you deserve after someone else hurt you.
Call our office today or contact us online for your free, no-obligation consultation.
Immediate Steps to Take After a Baltimore Car Accident
The steps to take after a car accident are to call 911 and get emergency medical treatment.
In the next days and weeks, you can take the following additional actions to protect your health and your right to file a car accident claim:
Get Medical Care
Get follow-up medical treatment, even if you think you aren’t severely injured. Follow the doctor’s orders. Don’t skip any appointments.
Gather Evidence
If you’re able, you should take pictures of your damaged vehicle, of the scene of the accident, and of your injuries. If your injuries prevent you from gathering this evidence, ask a friend to do it for you. Get a copy of the police report.
Don’t Give a Statement to Any Insurance Company
An insurance representative may contact you to “see how you’re doing” and to ask you to give a recorded statement about the accident. Refer them to your attorney. Insurers have prepared questions that their representatives can use to elicit answers they can later use against you. Let your lawyer handle them.
Stay Off Social Media
Stay off social media altogether until your case is over, and ask your friends and family not to post about your accident or your injuries. Insurance companies can review your posts, even if they’re marked private, looking for information they can use to minimize or deny your claim.
Call a Baltimore Car Accident Lawyer
Get in contact with a lawyer who can handle your case for you. Let an experienced attorney take care of all the legal details while you put your focus where it belongs: on healing.
Car Accident Settlement Process in Maryland: Step-by-Step Overview
Although every car accident case is different, the settlement process usually unfolds in the same way nearly every time.
It typically goes as follows:
Filing a Maryland Car Accident Claim
The settlement process begins when you file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance carrier, which puts them on notice that you believe their insured was at fault for the accident and your injuries.
You should also advise your own auto insurance company.
If the at-fault party’s insurer denies your claim, you may have to use your own coverage for rental cars or vehicle repairs until your case has concluded.
Investigating Your Case
The next step is to investigate your case. When you’re injured, you shouldn’t have to handle any of this.
Let your lawyer do it.
- They’ll gather any additional evidence, such as video from dashcams, CCTV, traffic cameras, or nearby Ring cameras.
- They may obtain the at-fault driver’s phone records to determine whether the at-fault driver was on the phone at the time of the accident.
- They can secure the police report, which should list witnesses and passengers.
A lawyer can contact these people to ask for statements about how the accident occurred.
Reviewing Insurance Policies and Coverage
Your lawyer can review the at-fault party’s insurance coverage to determine their policy limits.
This information can help you and your lawyer decide whether to settle your case or proceed to trial. Maryland’s minimum insurance requirements are $30,000 per person up to $60,000 in bodily injury per accident and $15,000 in property damage per accident.
If you suffered catastrophic injuries, $30,000 will not cover your medical expenses.
Your lawyer may recommend a lawsuit if the at-fault party has additional assets that could cover your expenses.
Preparing and Sending a Settlement Demand
Your lawyer will prepare a demand letter to send to the at-fault party’s insurer.
This letter will contain the amount of compensation that will settle your claim, an explanation of why you believe the at-fault party was to blame for the accident, and support for the amount of compensation you’re demanding.
That support could include medical bills and lost wage statements, among other information.
Negotiating Your Car Accident Settlement
Your lawyer will negotiate with the insurer for a full and fair settlement that covers all your accident-related costs.
The insurer will likely make a settlement offer in response to your demand letter. Your attorney will make a counter-demand, and the insurer will make a counteroffer. This process will continue until an agreement is reached or the parties realize they cannot agree.
Settlement or Trial
If a settlement is reached, your attorney will prepare a settlement agreement.
You and the at-fault party will sign the agreement, and the insurer will send a check to you and your attorney within about two to four weeks. If no settlement can be reached, your lawyer will take your case to trial and represent you in court.
Factors That Can Impact Your Car Accident Settlement Timeline
Your car accident settlement timeline will be different from everyone else’s. Your timeline can be affected by the following:
- The severity of your injuries
- The duration of your treatment
- Disputes regarding fault
- Disputes regarding the extent of your injuries
- Disputes regarding the value of your case
- The at-fault party’s policy limits
How a Baltimore Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You Through the Process
When you’ve been hurt in a car crash by someone else’s carelessness or misconduct, you shouldn’t have to pay for the harm they caused you.
That’s why you need a Baltimore car accident lawyer.
They can do all the heavy lifting for your case, including investigating and gathering evidence, meeting all legal deadlines, and managing all communications with the at-fault party and their insurer. Your priority should be on your health.
Here’s what one of our clients said about working with us:
“…This firm will always go above and beyond for its clients, and it has truly earned its reputation as a pillar of Maryland’s legal community.”
– Dallon D.
Contact Our Baltimore Car Accident Attorneys Today
You deserve compensation and justice after you were injured by someone else.
A Maryland car accident lawyer from Greenberg Law Office can take your case and pursue the money you deserve. Call our office today for your free, no-obligation case review. Your consultation is fully confidential, and there are no fees unless we successfully resolve your case.
