Contributory Negligence In Maryland

You are involved in a Baltimore area car accident and believe it is not your fault. You believe you can handle this matter with the insurance company on your own because you claim the accident was the other driver’s fault. However, the other driver claims the accident was your fault. Think again about handling the claim on your own. Maryland is one of four states that has the harsh contributory negligence rule, which makes it extremely difficult for people to recover compensation from a car accident without the assistance of a lawyer.

What is the contributory negligence rule?

The contributory negligence rule states that if you are even 1% at fault in a car accident, you cannot recover anything. This is harsh – many other states have rules that allow you to recover even if you are found to be partially at fault. It is critical to understand that when you present a he-said-she-said case in court (your version of how the accident happened versus the other driver’s version of how the accident happened), you will almost always lose due to the contributory negligence rule.

How you can prove you were not at-fault

The best way to win your case is to gather as much evidence that you can to prove that the accident was not your fault. Examples of evidence are:

• Eyewitness statements from the accident
• Police reports and other accident reports
• Recorded statements to insurance companies given by you and the other driver regarding how the accident happened
• Property damage photographs of the motor vehicles involved in the accident
• Video footage of the accident

These materials will assist you in proving that it was the other driver’s fault, with no fault of your own, and that you should be compensated.

Schedule for a Free Consultation to Discuss Your Car Accident Case

You should not go it alone, and instead, retain the services of an experienced Baltimore area car accident attorney.  Let the Law Office of John J. Leppler fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Call John at (443)955-1989 for a free consultation and case review.