Owings Mills Personal Injury Attorney

The impact of an accident is not limited to the injuries the victims sustain or the destroyed possessions in its aftermath. For some accident victims, the most difficult part is getting their life back on track. With expenses climbing and a path back to a normal life appearing out of reach, do not forget that you can turn to a personal injury lawyer in Owings Mills for assistance.

How will a personal injury attorney help you out of that challenging predicament? Allow us to elaborate on that matter in this article. Continue below to learn more about personal injury cases and the legal experts to help you win them.

Personal Injury: Understanding the Basics

We must first discuss the grounds for these cases to understand if you can make a personal injury claim following your accident. According to the Legal Information Institute, the potential grounds for personal injury cases include negligence, strict liability, and intentional acts. Let’s talk about those grounds individually in the sections below.

Negligence

Many personal injury cases that go to court cite negligence on the defendant’s part. If negligence becomes cited as why an accident occurred, that typically means they accuse the defendant of not exercising reasonable care. Car accidents, slip and fall incidents, and workplace mishaps are some common examples of personal injury cases rooted in negligence. We will get more into the fundamental elements of negligence-based personal injury claims later in this article.

Strict Liability

Next up are the strict liability claims. In contrast to personal injury claims based on negligence, what the defendant did or did not do is irrelevant to the outcome of the case. For example, the defendant’s dog attacked the plaintiff unprovoked, and now the latter is seeking compensation. Because Maryland adheres to the rule of strict liability for dog bite cases, the defendant cannot defend themselves by saying they tried to stop their dog or that their pet never exhibited that type of aggressive behavior before.

The bottom line is that they are responsible for their dog’s actions. Because their dog harmed another person, they must now compensate that individual. Hire an injury law firm if a dog recently attacked you or make a different type of strict liability claim.

Intentional Acts

Finally, we have personal injury claims based on intentional acts. Again, these are fairly straightforward as they involve the defendant intentionally doing something to injure the plaintiff. Assault and trespassing claims are intentional acts. Certain forms of harassment also qualify here.

Owings Mills Attorney Holding Negligent Individuals Responsible

As your personal injury attorney, John Leppler will work tirelessly to ensure that the negligent party who caused your accident will be held accountable for their actions. But how are personal injury claims based on negligence proven in court? Certain elements must be present in a case for a person to be negligent enough to cause an accident.

The elements in question include a duty of care that the defendant owed the plaintiff, the breach of that duty, and the breach of the duty directly causing the plaintiff’s losses. Those elements are relatively easy to identify in car accident cases.

The duty of care is present because all motorists are obligated to drive safely, and the breach may come in the form of the driver speeding or driving while intoxicated. If the defendant’s reckless driving caused the crash that injured you, then the last element is also there.

Of course, the other side will claim that things did not exactly work out that way. Partner with a reputable accident attorney like John Leppler so you can refute the defendant’s false claims.

What Are Some Examples of Personal Injury Cases?

Personal injury cases can be quite varied. Let’s discuss some of the more common examples of those personal injury cases in this section of the article.

Automobile Accidents – We are responsible for keeping ourselves, our passengers, and our fellow motorists safe. That entails following the rules of the road and adhering to the best driving practices. We open ourselves up to potential liability when we stray from those rules and practices. For example, if an auto accident occurs due to your negligence or misguided actions, you can expect to receive a lawsuit.

The roads are dangerous enough even with everyone on their best behavior. Let’s not make driving any riskier than it needs to be.

Motorcycle Crashes – Motorcycle accidents are sometimes due to careless drivers who act like they are entitled to the entirety of the road. They do not even bother to check if any motorcycles are nearby. Instead, they will veer into lanes whenever they want. Do not let reckless drivers get away with those irresponsible actions.

If a fellow motorist hits your motorcycle while turning illegally or performing any other reckless driving maneuver, you can take legal action against them. Look for an accident lawyer in Owings Mills and ensure the driver who crashed into your vehicle pays for their recklessness.

Truck Wrecks and 18 Wheeler Accidents
Being involved in a car or motorcycle accident while cruising down I-795 or MD-940 is scary. The idea of being involved in an accident with a large truck or 18-wheeler is downright terrifying. The odds of surviving a crash with a large truck are not particularly high. Even if you survive that ordeal, you may still have significant injuries you must address through surgery.

Hire the best injury lawyer in your area to recoup compensation for your injuries. Avoid falling into a deep financial hole by involving a lawyer as soon as possible.

Bus and Public Transit Accidents – Commuters in Owings Mills often rely on the Baltimore Metro Subway and the Maryland Transit Administration to get around. They get the job done for most commuters but are not immune to experiencing issues. You may still get involved in accidents even if you rely mainly on public transportation.

Seeking compensation from a public bus line or transit line will not be easy because you are going up against the government. When faced with the prospect of going up against a public transportation provider, you cannot settle for anything less than hiring the top personal injury lawyer in Owings Mills.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents – Cyclists and pedestrians are arguably the most vulnerable people on the road. If they are the parties victimized in an accident, the chances of them sustaining serious injuries are high. What makes things worse is that the cyclists and pedestrians involved in accidents often did nothing wrong.

They were going about their business when a reckless driver harmed them. Reach out to us at Leppler Injury Law if you are a cyclist or pedestrian who was hit by a motorist, and we will make sure that your assailant pays for their actions.

Negligent or Inadequate Security – Negligent security claims typically arise from a commercial establishment owner’s inability to provide adequate security for their customers. If you were injured because not enough security personnel were present to prevent the physical altercation you were involved in, you can make a negligent security claim. In addition, commercial establishment owners without adequate lighting or a functioning security system open themselves up to potential liability.

Premises Liability – Commercial establishment owners are responsible for keeping their customers safe. Aside from providing adequate security, commercial establishment owners must also ensure that their stores are in good enough condition to accommodate customers.

You can sue a business owner if you slip and fall on a wet floor or broken stairs while browsing their store. We can help you claim compensation in that situation.

Accidental or Wrongful Deaths – If your loved one died due to their involvement in an accident, you could seek compensation from the party responsible by filing a wrongful death claim. Maryland allows the deceased individual’s spouse, children, and parents to file a wrongful death lawsuit. In addition, blood or marriage relatives who were dependent on the deceased party can also file the lawsuit if the primary beneficiaries are no longer around to do so.

Some of the Damages We Can Help You Recover

Working closely with a personal injury lawyer in Owings Mills gives you a great shot at recovering damages. But what are the damages typically awarded in personal injury cases? You can learn more about them by continuing with this section.

Economic Damages

Economic damages compensate plaintiffs for the tangible losses they suffered from the accident. Medical expenses get included in those tangible losses. You can ask the plaintiff to pay for your hospital stay, your surgical operations, and any ongoing forms of treatment you need for your accident-related injuries. These damages are also meant to compensate plaintiffs for their damaged property and lost wages. Tally up all those numbers so you can ask for the right amount in your lawsuit.

Non-Economic Damages

Compared to the economic damages, the non-economic damages included in personal injury cases are harder to define. These are the losses that you cannot quantify through conventional means. Examples of these losses include emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. The courts decide how to calculate non-economic damages. Your lawyer in Owings Mills can sort that out for you, so do not worry about it.

Filing Your MD Personal Injury Claim on Time

It is important to hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, not only because you will need their advice but to secure services right away due to the statute of limitations. For those unaware, the statute of limitations is the time limit the law places on lawsuit filing.

If you cannot file your personal injury lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, the courts will not likely hear your case. The defendant can cite the statute of limitations after you file the lawsuit, and the court will probably dismiss it.
Maryland gives plaintiffs three years to file their personal injury lawsuits. That countdown starts on the date of the accident.

Notably, you can still ask the court to hear your lawsuit past the three-year mark if you meet certain conditions.
Plaintiffs who are under the age of eighteen will have more time to file their lawsuits. For them, the three-year countdown will begin after they turn eighteen.

The countdown is also put on pause if the plaintiff is deemed mentally incompetent by the court. The starting point for the statute of limitations will move to the day that the plaintiff is declared mentally competent.
You and your injury attorney can also ask for more time to file the lawsuit if the defendant was concealing information relevant to the case.

Serving Owings Mills, MD

Owings Mills, MD, is a Baltimore suburb that is best known for being a family-friendly destination. It offers residents a safe and comfortable living environment, and the diversity of educational institutions in the area is top-notch. Many of the folks who move to Owings Mills eventually develop a love for the outdoors. It is not hard to see why since there are some fantastic trails in the area. The Red Run Valley Trail and the Serpentine Trail are among the most popular outdoor destinations there.

Owings Mills is also a big sports town. The NFL’s Baltimore Ravens headquarters are in Owings Mills. As a result, many Ravens fans travel to Owings Mills during the summer to catch the team in action.

Experienced Maryland Personal Injury Attorney

Attorney John Leppler believes that high-quality legal services should be accessible to everyone. That is the driving philosophy of Leppler Injury Law. We are ready to step up in your time of need. Contact us today, and we will gladly serve as your personal injury lawyer in Owings Mills.

Some of the locations our Owings Mills personal injury law firm serves include Towson, Baltimore, Parkville, Lutherville-Timonium, Pikesville, and more.