A Charles County personal injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve following an assault or car accident. Our car accident lawyers handle a wide range of cases, with extensive experience on Crain Highway (US Route 301) or Hawthorne Road (Maryland 225) to bar assaults to slip and falls. We handle it all. Gelb & Gelb, P.C. was founded in 1954, making us one of the area’s oldest and most renowned law firms. Our firm’s expertise, responsiveness, and compassionate approach to each case further differentiates us as one of the top law firms. Our excellent attorneys, supported by our expert support staff, make for a top-performing team of advocates for injury victims.
While our flagship office is stationed in Washington, D.C., we recently opened a second office to best support our growing number of Maryland clients. Since opening our second office, we have continued serving our Maryland community. As Managing Partner Roger Gelb was born and raised in Maryland, giving back to the community continues to be a point of emphasis for our firm. Accordingly, in addition to our fourth year of providing college scholarships and participating in Toys for Tots, our Charles County personal injury lawyers are exploring even more ways to give back to the county and our community.
As your dedicated Charles County injury attorneys, we at Gelb & Gelb, P.C. are committed to securing the compensation you deserve.
Choosing a local personal injury lawyer in Charles County is critical. A local Charles County personal injury lawyer is familiar with the local laws and regulations that govern your case. Of course, there are federal laws that apply in all U.S. jurisdictions. There are also state-specific laws applicable to your injury case in Maryland. And on a micro level, there are rules and regulations in Charles County that may contribute to negligence in your case. While the state laws govern, if a party violates a local ordinance, they may be per se negligent. This acute legal knowledge can make or break a personal injury case.
Local attorneys also regularly interact in the Charles County District Courthouse and are familiar with the judges and clerks. While not essential, this familiarity can benefit the compensation you receive in your case. For example, familiarity with a particular judge, the local rules he prefers in his memos, the courtroom decorum he likes, and more, while minor, can influence a decision. Our Charles County personal injury lawyers have a strategic local network of skilled physicians, expert witnesses, and anything else you may need during your case.
We are happy to provide representation in any case that you are injured due to another party’s negligence. This can take many forms, and it does not need to be included in the list below for you to have a case.
For our Charles County personal injury lawyers, car accident cases are our bread and butter. We have handled over 10,000 car accident cases since our founding decades ago. Moreover, we are well-versed in everything there is to know related to car accident cases. This extends beyond proving liability. Based on your property damage, personal injuries, medical expenses, and several other factors, we can calculate your case worth and advise you on whether to accept a given settlement offer. A word of wisdom: almost any settlement offer you get without legal representation is unlikely to represent the true value of your claim.
Insurance carriers see a pro se claimant and seek to take advantage. A claimant may see the amount of money being offered, decide it is a lot and not worth paying legal fees anyway and accept the offer. The issue with this is insurance companies know how much your case is worth. They have long been in this business and have learned how to evaluate your claim. They also know what is enough to offer so that you will accept a low offer without going anywhere near the actual value. Our Charles County personal injury lawyers will fight so no insurance carrier can exploit you. We fight so you get the compensation you deserve.
Pedestrian accidents typically end far more catastrophically than most car accident cases. Due to the lack of safety technology available to pedestrians, we hear about tragic cases involving pedestrians yearly. When we get a new pedestrian accident case in Charles County, we tailor our legal strategy to each case because each case is unique. Especially in Charles County, where there are local elements and ordinances to consider, we do everything we can to increase the chances of a favorable outcome.
The crosswalks and sidewalks in Charles County are where most pedestrian accidents occur. Accidents occur daily, whether it is a tortfeasor on an electric bike, electric scooter, bicycle, or some other vehicle. Understanding the rules of who may ride on the sidewalk can be difficult. Moreover, you may wonder whether bicyclists can ride their bikes in the crosswalk when the pedestrian sign is on but then return to the road despite a red light. There is a multitude of factors to consider. For any questions, contact our office today for a free consultation.
Whether you have a valid claim for a slip and fall injury depends on several factors. The first question your Charles County personal injury lawyer may ask when evaluating liability is who owns the premises on which you slipped. If it is a friend’s house, you can make a claim under their homeowner’s insurance. But note that the duties owed by a homeowner are different than if you are a business invitee at a bar or restaurant. The laws are likely slightly different depending on the type of business. Our slip and fall attorneys in Charles County understand the nuances of local premises liability laws, ensuring you get top legal representation.
Diving deeper, a business has a duty to inspect for hazardous conditions on a reasonable basis. What is considered reasonable is ultimately a question for a jury. But you may infer that what is reasonable at a bar may differ from what is reasonable at a grocery store. We have successfully made claims against both business types, but slip-and-fall cases are fact-intensive. What if the business has not been inspected for hazardous conditions because of a distraction on the other side of the floor space? Does the reasonable rate of inspection change based on that different fact pattern? Our Charles County personal injury lawyers are happy to explain these questions in great detail as they pertain to your case.
But what if you are making a claim against a friend as a licensee? In that case, the law does change. Naturally, a homeowner does not have a duty to inspect for hazardous conditions, which is good. We do not want tort law requiring that we do such things in our homes. However, it does mean it is harder to prevail in such a case. The law states that a homeowner is liable for injuries occurring due to a dangerous condition if they knew of the condition and failed to warn or to make it safe.
A wrongful death case may combine with the negligence rules of the three case types above, or it may be entirely due to a different form of negligence. What makes wrongful death cases in Charles County unique is a few things. First, the Wrongful Death statute in Maryland limits the number of people who may recover. This is standard as each state has a different statute that similarly limits the number of plaintiffs for wrongful death. As death is such a permanent and harrowing ordeal, the law recognizes that there are many potential claimants who suffer damages due to an injury. Thus, a defendant who causes a wrongful death owes not just the estate of the decedent but certain family members.
If you are a spouse, parent, or child of the victim of a wrongful death, you may be entitled to compensation. Note that the wrongful death statute in Maryland does limit siblings and cousins from recovering for wrongful death. Although, those parties may still be able to recover under a separate cause of action. For questions about whether you may recover from the death of a loved one, contact a Charles County personal injury lawyer immediately.
Our Charles County wrongful death lawyers provide compassionate and dedicated representation during such difficult times.
Your rights to compensation for personal injury in Charles County are similar to any other county in Maryland. If you are hurt due to the negligence of a third party, where you are in no way contributorily negligent in your own right, you may be entitled to recovery. For a negligence cause of action, there are four elements you must meet.
If you have any questions or believe you have a case worth pursuing, contact our Charles County personal injury lawyers now for a free case evaluation.