At Gelb & Gelb, P.C., our team of dedicated attorneys handles auto and vehicle accident cases across Maryland, including motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and truck collisions, offering unparalleled legal support to navigate the aftermath of a car crash. From 2017 through 2021, Maryland averaged almost 31,000 injury crashes per year. Approximately one in 60 of those injury crashes were fatal. Gelb & Gelb has a vested interest in serving our community as it is one of our guiding principles referenced in our mission statement. We’re committed to expanding our legal services across Maryland, including Baltimore, Annapolis, and Silver Spring, to better serve communities affected by car accidents. And yet, our Maryland car accident lawyers are best at holding drivers responsible who are negligent and getting victims the compensation they deserve.
Despite advances in vehicle safety features and road safety measures, car accidents in Maryland, including traffic collisions and auto crashes, remain a significant concern. So, Maryland car accident lawyers are as important today as ever. Our firm understands the stress a car accident can place on you and your family. As your car is out of commission, you may need to rely on family or friends to get around. You may need to take Uber/Lyft, which can be expensive. You may not be able to work depending on your line of work. Of course, if you have an injury, you may need medical treatment, which can be expensive. It would be best to have someone on your side fighting for you.
Ready for immediate assistance and a no-obligation, free consultation on your car accident case or personal injury claim? Reach out to Gelb & Gelb, P.C., and let our experienced legal team in Maryland guide you toward recovery and justice.
Amid the expansive sea of car accident lawyers in Maryland, Gelb & Gelb, P.C. stands out with its client-first approach, customized legal strategies, and deep-rooted commitment to achieving justice for accident victims.
In our nearly 70 years of experience, we have accumulated many awards for our skilled and compassionate advocacy of our clients in Maryland. Our method for handling car accident cases involves understanding our clients’ situations. We make sure you feel comfortable and understand the process. Then, we advocate aggressively so you get the compensation you deserve. Furthermore, by experience, we know the ins and outs of dealing with insurance companies. Certain factors affect the value of car accident cases in Maryland. We understand how to leverage your facts best to get you the compensation based on your case.
Our goal is always to get you total and fair compensation. If you have costly medical expenses and are unsure how to pay them, we will ensure they are covered as long as they are reasonable and causally related to your car accident. Not only that, we understand the inconvenience you are experiencing from your car accident. While not as easily quantifiable as your medical expenses, we aggressively pursue compensation for these damages.
At Gelb & Gelb, you will deal primarily with our Maryland car accident lawyers. You spend much of your time interacting with staff at many other firms. With some firms, you may speak with someone other than the attorney. While you will get to talk with our excellent staff, you can contact your attorney for any questions.
With expertise in a wide range of accident cases, including hit-and-run incidents, DUI-related crashes, and multi-vehicle pile-ups, our Maryland traffic accident lawyers are adept at navigating the complexities of Maryland’s traffic laws to secure your rightful compensation. We understand that, for you to feel comfortable throughout this process, you must be well-informed and receive the attention you deserve. While our website seeks to answer any common question you may have, we know that your case is unique. If you ever have a question or concern, we would like to encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as it arises. Our phones are available 24/7, and we will only rest once you are satisfied.
This is a more complex topic because it is so fact-dependent. However, this is our strength because our experience lends itself to understanding every trick of the trade. Our Maryland car accident lawyers excel in personal injury claims, negligence cases, and insurance settlements, fighting fearlessly to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve, whether in a rear-end collision or a sideswipe. In a car accident in Maryland, on a back road or highway, you are entitled to total compensation for your medical expenses if it is related to your injury from another person’s negligence.
Sometimes, the insurance company might argue that the medical treatment was unnecessary or unrelated to the car accident. However, we deal with these objections daily. They will not stop us from getting you compensation for your medical expenses. It would be best if you were not stuck paying thousands of dollars to return to your condition before your injury. You are also entitled to total compensation for your lost wages so long as you acted reasonably in mitigating your damages and the loss is a result of someone else’s negligence.
Also, you may include compensation for pain and suffering in your claim if you don’t mind. This category of compensation is different depending on the plaintiff. Our Maryland car accident lawyers will leave no stone unturned to ensure you receive everything your claim deserves.
An excellent local attorney has a network of resources at their disposal. This is beneficial on every level. First, we have investigators we use if we need any additional information that is not available. This is done in a legal, by-the-book manner. In addition, we have expert witnesses that may be necessary to prove some aspects of your claim in court. These are generally witnesses with a robust medical background who can testify to the extent of your injuries. This helps us prove the value of your injuries. While neither of these two resources is necessary in every case, they can be invaluable should the need arise. Another valuable resource is access to legal research tools such as WestLaw. This online database holds thousands of cases for the most up-to-date case law that is generally inaccessible on Google.
Serving the entire state from Baltimore to Annapolis, our Maryland car accident attorneys understand residents’ unique challenges.
If you or your teen are in a car accident in Maryland, it can be challenging to navigate. You may need someone to turn to. And even if you do, they may need a more thorough understanding of Maryland law. Our client-centric approach will simplify the process for you so you can focus on your recovery. Our attorneys and staff work to ensure you receive compensation for your injuries. But just as importantly, they provide comfort and understanding of the process as you go through it. We encourage questions and handle the hard work so you do not have to.
When you are in a car accident in Maryland and hire an attorney from Gelb & Gelb, P.C., you will sign a retainer agreement that operates on a contingent basis. This means there is only a fee if we win. Instead, our legal fee is contingent on whether we win your case. We charge one-third of the recovery if we win your case by settlement. This is true regardless of the size of your recovery. If we file a suit in your case, our fee will bump to 40%.
This works to your benefit because we do not bill you for hourly work. This means that no matter how complex your case is and how much time it requires, we will charge you only what is necessary. Furthermore, an additional convenience is you only have to pay us after your case is resolved. So, if you cannot afford an attorney, the contingent fee model benefits you. This is a significant reason why it is the prevailing fee structure for this field of law.
We do not charge a dime for an initial consultation or take any fee unless we win. Contact our experienced Maryland auto accident and personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation and start your journey to recovery.
Our firm expertly handles a wide range of car accident-related injuries, from whiplash and spinal injuries to head traumas and broken limbs resulting from someone else’s negligence. However, you still cannot be contributorily negligent. You cannot claim under Maryland law if you are even 1% negligent. Also, your injury must comply with the Maryland statute of limitations of three years. Below is a list of common injuries we handle.
In Maryland, there is a three-year statute of limitations. This means that in a car accident context, you have three years from the accident date to file a complaint in a Maryland court. While an exception may allow a plaintiff to go beyond the three years if they discovered the injury later, that is extremely rare in a car accident lawsuit. Logically, if you are hurt due to a negligent third party, you will realize it immediately. If you do not know it within the first few months, chances are, it is not a very serious injury. An exception to this is a case like mesothelioma. So, suppose you have any questions about the statute of limitations. In that case, it is always best to discuss them with a Maryland car accident lawyer to see if you fall into any exceptions.
Beyond the formal deadline of three years, there are incentives to take action far before the deadline. Generally, the longer you wait to begin treatment, the less severe your injuries will appear to a jury. For example, if you receive catastrophic injuries in a car accident case, you will likely be rushed to a hospital and receive treatment immediately. You may undergo emergency surgery to save your life. This may be followed by surgery by a plastic surgeon to get ahead of permanent scarring. Contrast this with an accident victim who gets into an accident and does not go to the hospital. This person may have only minor damage to his car. Then, if he waits four weeks to see a doctor, a jury will not believe the injuries are that serious. If they were, he would seek medical treatment far sooner.
In theory, you should be able to recover any reasonable cost or expense you incur related to your accident. To relate a cost or damage to your accident means to prove causation. In tort law, we must prove actual and legal causation to prove the causation element. Feel free to ask if you would like a detailed explanation of these two legal theories. Because we have to prove causation, you cannot simply go to the doctor and try to relate it to your accident. Your records will be subpoenaed for court, and you will lose credibility in your case. Instead, you may only recover damages related to the accident in your Maryland car accident case.
For example, if you go to physical therapy for a few months, you can obtain compensation for this. Moreover, if you get an alternative means of transportation for work, you may recover from this. This is because the loss of your car is related to the accident. So, the cost of replacing your means of getting to work is related. The other side of this is that your expenses must be reasonable. Under civil tort law, you may receive total compensation for repair to any property damage from the accident. But, it must be reasonable. For example, you cannot go to the repair shop and ask that they add a new spoiler in addition to your repairs. Or, if the repair shop you go to happens to charge six times more than every other shop in town, you are not likely to recover the total cost of repair.
Another thing to be aware of is you cannot simply recover money that is not there. Maryland drivers only sometimes have sufficient insurance coverage to compensate for their car accidents. Unfortunately, you may have damages totaling $100,000, but the defendant only has $30,000 in coverage. In this case, you may be able to make an underinsured motorist claim under your policy. How much you can recover under UIM depends on your policy.
Moreover, you can sue the defendant driver in his or her capacity. This may be a good idea if the defendant’s coverage is insufficient to cover your damages and they appear to have sufficient assets. But this is infrequent.
If we do have reason to suspect they have sufficient assets, our Maryland car accident lawyers can further investigate to confirm the assets are available. It is worth checking because defendants generally do not have enough assets. If we take a defendant with no assets to court and obtain a high judgment against him, it isn’t very sensible if he does not have the money to cover what you are owed. Thus, the amount of money available should be a consideration.
Once we file suit in your case in Maryland, we are almost sure to point at the state level. If you have ever heard the expression, “Do not make a federal case out of something,” the reason is that federal court is not preferable over state court. Once we file suit, it will take several months to see the inside of a courtroom. Unfortunately, the court system can be slow. This is one reason it is advantageous to at least try to settle a case or resolve the dispute in some alternative manner.
There are three main stages of a lawsuit. The first stage is the pretrial stage. Here, we go through discovery and motions, and there is a lot of legal paperwork. The second stage is the trial itself. At trial, we present evidence to make our case. We look to prove that the defendant is liable for your injuries due to negligent conduct. Then, we demonstrate the amount of damage you suffered from your injuries. This has a monetary value, and our job is to prove that the number adequately represents your injuries. Then, there may be an appeals stage following the trial. This is the third stage. Collecting the amount we won at trial may also take some time.
Our attorneys are licensed to practice in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. If you have any questions from this article or think you may have a case, contact our experienced Maryland car accident lawyers for a free consultation. We are excited to speak with you.