Common Questions About Car Accidents
After an accident, you may have many questions about what to expect and what you should do next. We can help. With decades of combined legal experience, our attorneys can answer your questions. The following are examples of the common questions we hear.
How long will my car accident take?
The length of your case will depend on several factors, including how serious your accident was and the extent of your injuries. Severe injuries can take time for doctors to properly diagnose, then they must develop a comprehensive treatment plan. You must understand all these factors to ensure that you receive an amount that will cover your costs in the long term. In addition, if you decide to go to trial, your case may take longer.
What if I can't go back to work after my accident?
As you recover from your injury, you may be worried about your future, as well as your current expenses. You can claim lost wages as part of your damages. If you face a permanent injury that leaves you disabled, you may need to seek disability benefits.
What if I lost a loved one in the accident?
Losing someone to a negligent driver is particularly painful. In addition, you likely have costs associated with medical bills, funeral expenses, and perhaps a lost income. Though nothing can replace a loved one, certain family members can bring a wrongful death claim to compensate them for their loss.
After a car crash, where do I go for help?
A serious car accident can add an enormous amount of stress to your life, even if your injuries are not terribly serious. There are basic issues to deal with – scheduling doctor appointments, paying for medical treatment, time away from work and the lost wages that come with it, and trying to go about the business of life with a car that has been totaled or seriously damaged. We can assist you after a car, truck, motorcycle, or another type of accident. We also can help you find treatment for a variety of injuries after your accident.
How Do Maryland Courts View Car Accident Injuries?
Car accidents are very commonplace occurrences, but that does not mean that the law treats car accident injuries lightly.
The speed and force behind many accidents leave drivers and passengers in serious pain and the causes of those injuries often come down to one of a host of reasons, including:
- Inattentive and distracted driving, especially since the advent of cellphones and texting
- Inappropriately maintained vehicles or defective cars
- Drivers failing to account for dangerous road conditions such as ice and snow
- Drunk or intoxicated driving
If your injuries are the result of another person’s failure to drive safely, you may have a legal claim that can provide for your medical care and other needs, ranging from setting broken bones to long-lasting brain damage. We have the resources and experience necessary to pursue optimal compensation.
Why Are Motorcycle Accidents So Common?
Car drivers have always had trouble seeing motorcycles. Motorcycles are smaller in size and less stable than cars or trucks and may be more susceptible to unsafe road conditions. Between today’s oversized vehicles, traffic congestion, decaying roads and distractions, the roads are more dangerous than ever. Despite advances in safety equipment and efforts to get other drivers to be more cautious, motorcyclists remain extremely vulnerable to severe and fatal injuries.
Motorcyclists suffer from some of the most severe road injuries, including multiple fractures, internal bleeding, spine damage and death. There is a very real possibility that you or your loved one will never be the same. You should not need to worry about medical bills in addition to everything else. Our knowledge of bike laws, motorcycle accident causes, auto-motorcycle and single-bike accidents, and ways to prevent the defense from exploiting potential jury biases that can make you a victim once again, is a valuable and important asset to have working for you in this fight. And make no mistake: There will almost certainly be a fight, given the enormous costs of modern medical care for serious injuries.
Truck Accident Attorney
When a multi-ton semi-truck crashes into your car, it is a harrowing experience. Even the most robust SUV cannot guarantee your safety; the oncoming force is too great. The result can be devastating. Many victims suffer lifelong back injuries, multiple fractures, and even death. You should not suffer in silence. At Rowe Weinstein & Sohn, PLLC, our experience, our investigative and expert resources, and our aggressive approach make a real difference. Let us give you a voice.
What Causes a Truck Accident?
Truck accident lawsuits are more complicated than other accidents for several reasons. It may be difficult to reconstruct the accident itself; there is a mix of state and federal regulations to consider, and the insurance issues can be highly technical. You want a law firm with a proven track record of success in these complex cases.
Some common truck accident causes include:
- Too many hours on the road and not enough rest, resulting in driver fatigue
- The pressure to meet delivery deadlines leads to reckless driving
- Trucking company negligence, which may include cutting corners on maintenance, overscheduling drivers, and putting unqualified drivers on the road
- Poorly maintained trucks
- Leaving cargo unsecured, overloading a truck, and failing to ensure load balance
Our attorneys will move quickly to thoroughly investigate the wreck, document evidence at the scene, interview witnesses, secure information from the truck’s “black box” (if equipped with one), and review the police report and driver’s logbook. We may also bring in an accident reconstructionist to determine what caused the crash.
Bike Accident Lawyers
Most bicyclists are acutely aware that their lives are at risk on the roads. As a bicyclist, you know that you must stop at traffic signs and signals and observe traffic laws just as you would if you were driving a car or truck. You also know that you did the same, and the collision was not your fault. Motorists rarely pay attention to bikers; worse, insurance companies and drivers will almost always blame bikers for the accident. We have the experience and the resources needed to protect people who have been seriously harmed in bicycle accidents in Maryland, the Washington, D.C., metro area, and northern Virginia. Simply put, we know what your rights are. We will work hard to protect them. Our commitment to seeing you recover full compensation for your losses will be total and complete.
What Are the Most Common Causes for Bicycle Accidents?
Bicycle accidents lead to serious injuries, often requiring:
- Emergency medical services like ambulances and emergency room visits
- Surgical procedures to set shattered bones or stop internal bleeding
- Ongoing care when bikers suffer head trauma or spinal fractures
- Time away from work, including permanent disability in the worst cases
- Funeral support for bikers’ loved ones
Our attorneys will conduct an immediate, thorough investigation of the accident and, if necessary, work with experts to help prove your case. This will also include working with medical specialists and others to calculate the true cost – past, present and future – of recovering from your injuries.
Maryland Injured Pedestrian Attorneys Helping on the Road to Recovery
Because pedestrian accidents almost always cause very serious or fatal injuries, insurance companies generally take one of two approaches. They will try to settle the case very quickly for far less than it is worth. If that does not work, or instead of trying that approach at all, insurers will simply try to pin the blame for the accident on the victim.
Some of the more common examples of negligence seen in U.S. pedestrian accident cases include:
- Failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian
- Ignoring a stoplight or traffic signal
- Failing to observe stop signs on school buses
- Failing to look right when turning at a crosswalk
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Speeding or driving recklessly
These careless mistakes of drivers cost thousands of pedestrians their lives each year. Those fortunate enough to survive typically suffer severe injuries that have long-term, lasting effects that require years of physical therapy and ongoing medical expenses.
Bus Accident Attorneys
In Maryland, the District of Columbia, and northern Virginia, public and commercially-owned bus companies are considered “common carriers.” This means that bus operators must exercise the highest degree of care for the safety of their passengers and the other drivers they share the road with. If you or a family member has been injured because a bus operator did not exercise that degree of care, the Maryland bus accident attorneys at Rowe, Weinstein & Sohn, PLLC, are known for their extensive trial experience and an aggressive approach that has been proven to produce results. The sooner you get in touch with us, the more effective we can be on your behalf. This is because bus accident cases can involve complex liability and insurance law issues. Also, you may have only a limited time to file a claim if you were injured in a crash involving a public bus or school bus.
What Causes a Bus Accident?
Bus accidents happen for a number of different reasons. Some accidents happen simply because buses can be so difficult to maneuver. Inexperienced or poorly trained drivers are a major factor in many bus accidents as well. Poor road conditions, overloading, and the absence of safety equipment on a bus can also be causes. Despite regulations requiring routine bus maintenance, mechanical issues continue to be a major problem and an underlying cause of many accidents. The main reason for this is that bus companies can save money by cutting corners and deferring maintenance for as long as possible. As your attorneys, you can depend on us to thoroughly investigate and make certain that all parties responsible are held accountable. Typically, this means documenting and preserving evidence at the scene, locating and interviewing potential witnesses, and working with appropriate medical specialists and other experts to help us build a clear, complete, and compelling case for the compensation you deserve.
What Are UM & UIM Insurance Claims?
Automobile insurance can be expensive – especially for new drivers and people who have less-than-spotless driving records. In fact, even many of those who qualify for lower-risk rates choose to carry only the minimum liability coverage required by law in order to save money. As a result, there are more and more accidents involving drivers with too little insurance or no insurance at all. Uninsured (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage is a solution to this problem. Unfortunately, UM and UIM insurance claims are often difficult to collect on without the assistance of experienced legal counsel. Although it is required in only a handful of states, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is a wise investment – especially when you consider the high cost of treating even very minor injuries.
Our best advice is to purchase as much of this coverage as you can afford. In addition to the benefits it can provide you if you are injured in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident – you may also be able to make a UM or UIM insurance claim for injuries resulting from bicycle or pedestrian accidents. At Rowe, Weinstein & Sohn, PLLC, we can deal directly with your insurance company and make certain you receive the benefits you have been paying premiums for and to which you are entitled under the terms of your insurance policy. Simply stated, do not take “no” for an answer from your insurance company when it comes to a UM or UIM claim. The last thing that we would like to mention here is that UM and UIM policies are complex areas of insurance with very specific rules and procedures that must be followed. For this reason and more, the smartest course of action you can take is to hire an experienced attorney (like the ones you will find at our firm) to handle this matter for you.
Free Initial Consultations – No Recovery, No Fee
The sooner you get in touch with us after a car, truck, or motorcycle crash, the better we’ll be able to protect your rights and obtain the full amount of compensation you deserve. Receive answers to your questions in a free consultation.
To schedule an appointment, contact us online or call our car accident attorneys in Maryland directly at (301) 450-5742. We speak Korean, Spanish, Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi.
