The main objective of a Maryland personal injury claim is for the injured plaintiff to recover the compensation they need to be as whole as possible again after a defendant has injured them. While you can search for Maryland personal injury settlement amount examples, the reality is that every case is unique, and it is vital to understand what elements comprise a personal injury settlement if you want to estimate the potential value of your claim.
Before the plaintiff of any personal injury case will be able to recover compensation for their damages, they must first prove how those damages happened and identify the party or parties responsible for causing them. Additionally, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant named in their claim is entirely at fault for causing their damages. The plaintiff can bear no shared fault, otherwise they lose the right to pursue compensation from anyone else.
Once you have successfully proven fault for your personal injury, you can proceed with claiming compensation for the losses you suffered in the incident. Damages in personal injury cases are generally defined as economic, non-economic, or punitive. Economic damages include direct financial losses, non-economic damages include intangible losses, and punitive damages are intended to punish a defendant for their actions.
The economic damages you could potentially recover from a successful personal injury claim could include property losses, medical expenses, and lost income. Your attorney can help you accurately determine the full range of economic losses the defendant caused, including future economic damages you face because of the incident.
Non-economic damages are more difficult to assess in value. Physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished enjoyment of life are a few commonly cited non-economic damages in personal injury cases, and the state limits how much a plaintiff can recover. Even if they suffered catastrophic harm resulting in permanent disability, the plaintiff needs to be realistic about how much compensation they could foreseeably secure for their non-economic damages.
Punitive damages are generally awarded at the discretion of the court when a defendant was egregiously negligent or if they broke the law in causing the personal injury. The amount the defendant will be forced to pay in punitive damages generally depends on the severity of their actions and their overall financial status.
When it comes to assessing the value of your personal injury claim compared to the Maryland personal injury settlement amount examples you might find online, it is important to remember that your case is entirely unique, and it is crucial for you to find an attorney who can not only accurately calculate your claimed damages, but also help you maximize the total compensation you win and do so within the shortest possible timeframe.
You must also consider the attorney’s billing policy when it comes to the total potential value of your personal injury claim in Maryland. Most personal injury attorneys in the state work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you should expect your attorney to collect a percentage of your case award as their fee. However, under a contingency agreement, the client only pays their attorney if and when they win their case.
Our firm, Whitlock Law, LLC offers legal guidance for different types of personal injury claims in Maryland. Some of them include:
A: The total damages you could recover from your personal injury suit in the state will depend on the nature and severity of the losses you suffered because of the defendant’s actions. It is possible to collect compensation for immediate and future economic losses as well as compensation for your non-economic damages, specifically the pain and suffering you experienced. However, the state limits pain and suffering compensation.
A: Pain and suffering compensation can be calculated in various ways, but there is a cap on how much a plaintiff can receive. This cap incrementally increases each year, and as of 2024, the maximum pain and suffering compensation a plaintiff can receive for a personal injury is $935,000. Your attorney can help you determine a fair and realistic amount of pain and suffering compensation to seek with your claim.
A: Yes, hiring an attorney is one of the most important things you can do to maximize your case award. They will be able to accurately assess the extent of the damages you can claim from the defendant who injured you, and they will also help you accurately calculate projected future damages you can seek with your claim. Additionally, they can help you maximize your pain and suffering compensation as much as the state allows.
A: If you were partially liable for your personal injury, it would prevent you from claiming compensation from any other liable party. The state enforces the contributory negligence rule for personal injury cases. This means that the plaintiff must prove the defendant in their claim is entirely at fault for their damages. If they bear any amount of fault, they lose the ability to claim compensation and will be personally responsible for their own damages.
A: The amount of time it could take to resolve a personal injury case will depend on whether the defendant is willing to accept liability for the damages and negotiate a settlement with the plaintiff. Settlement negotiation is a viable alternative to litigation as long as the parties involved in the case are willing to compromise. However, if a settlement doesn’t work, the case will need to go to court and be resolved by a judge and/or jury.
The team at Whitlock Law, LLC, has years of professional experience representing personal injury cases throughout the state, and we are prepared to put our skills, experience, and resources to work in your case. It’s natural to have many questions concerning the compensation you could obtain from a successful personal injury suit. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with our team and get the answers you need in this difficult time.
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