Our Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers have been practicing law in Maryland since 1954. With Maryland’s open highways, riding a motorcycle here is as popular as ever. While safety technology in cars and trucks has progressed over the decades, there is not as much that can be done to protect motorcycle riders simply due to the weight difference between a motorcycle and any other motor vehicle. An average of 72 motorcycle riders die each year in Maryland. While the laws protect riders, cars do not always obey. So, while motorcycle riders are always advised to wear head protection and take other safety precautions, driving defensively is not always enough to avoid serious injury while on a bike.
As any driver is aware, other drivers in Maryland can be unpredictable. When an accident strikes while on a motorcycle, substantial injuries can occur. When this happens, the first and most crucial step is to receive prompt medical treatment. Once you have received initial medical treatment, it is best to contact your Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer, who can help you with the next steps.
Our Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers understand the stress that is placed on a victim of a motorcycle accident. Often, the injuries are brutal and debilitating. It may become more difficult to perform everyday tasks such as going to work, making dinner, hobbies, and spending time with friends and family. Our lawyers ensure you are fully compensated for these elements and are fully informed at every step of the process. We know that a successful personal injury case is about getting great results and taking care of our clients. This is why we have our phone lines available 24/7. We want to fight for you.
When you are undergoing treatment, we do not hesitate to check in on your recovery process, even if there is no update on your case. We’d like to encourage you to ask any questions you may have about your case. Minor details such as these contribute to our client-centric approach.
This is one of the first questions many clients ask at the start of the case. Unfortunately, knowing the value at the commencement of treatment is impossible. Under Maryland tort law, you are entitled to compensation for all medical expenses that are reasonable and related to the motorcycle accident. Of course, there will be some debate about what is reasonable and what we can relate to the accident. In some cases, motorcycle accident victims are treated for years. We have to go through your medical records and find evidence that the treatment was for your injuries in your motorcycle accident. We can get compensation if we prove these two elements of your medical expense claim.
But, generally, we can only do so once you complete your treatment. Of course, there are exceptions. Most commonly, if you are unfortunate enough to need medical treatment for the remainder of your life, we can estimate the cost and proceed before terminating your treatment. But in general, it is impossible to predict precisely your medical expenses. And your compensation needs to be as precise as possible going into negotiations with the defense.
Other factors make up your compensation, too. The subsequent economic damage is lost wages. For example, if you miss work because you are in the hospital or unable to work because of your injuries and a doctor excuses you in writing from working, you may obtain compensation for your lost wages. This is a critical element of your total compensation but does require records to prove your time off from work. Your Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to help you in compiling this information. There are also factors such as property damage. As an example, in addition to the damage to your motorcycle, you may now have a broken iPhone due to your accident. If your phone is broken because of the accident, you deserve compensation.
You can also include damages from your pain and suffering in your claim. This is known as noneconomic damage. Unlike the damages above, pain and suffering are more challenging to quantify. However, it is still a recognizable damage under the law. Because it is harder to quantify, a jury’s input is precious. However, more often than not, these cases do not make it to trial. While insurance companies may use a multiplier or formula to calculate pain and suffering, we understand how personal injuries can be and how they impact your daily life. This is why we do not use a formula and instead handle each client’s suffering on a case-by-case basis.
Now that you better understand what goes into compensation, you may begin to understand the difficulty in estimating value. No attorney should promise clients what they may recover at the start of a case. To do so would be unethical and risk revocation of the attorney’s bar license. However, once the motorcycle accident victim wraps up medical treatment and we can finish tallying missed wages, our attorney can sit down with the client or speak over the phone and discuss the noneconomic damages. From there, we can come up with an estimate of what the case is worth. But of course, there is never a guarantee. A judge or jury may view things differently than we do. While we always make a compelling case in trial, the trial issue is that there is never a guarantee.
This is one reason why settling a case before trial can be worthwhile. On top of saving time and costs associated with filing suit and finding expert witnesses, settling a case allows both sides to be happy with the outcome. While we do not necessarily want the defendant’s insurance company to be satisfied with their result, we prioritize getting you the compensation you deserve.
Law school teaches you how to think and behave like a lawyer. However, it takes decades of experience to work with insurance companies to obtain the best possible settlement for clients. Moreover, 70 years of practicing law in Maryland has provided our Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers with invaluable experience in the courtroom.
On the road, you owe a standard of ordinary care to other drivers around you. When someone hits your motorcycle as you are riding, you have to be able to prove that the driver acted in breach of that duty. While it may seem simple if a car hits you while you are riding, we must show that the driver not only caused your injury but also must be proven by a preponderance that the defendant acted without due care. The discovery of evidence is a valuable tool in establishing this element of a personal injury case. Our Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers can help you better understand the discovery process for your case.
Generally speaking, a Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer significantly increases the amount of a plaintiff’s recovery. When an accident victim handles a case independently, the insurance company realizes the person does not want to file suit. This allows the defense to make far smaller settlement offers than they would if they think you have the capability or desire to file suit. Even if you try to bluff them into hiring an attorney, their algorithms do not allow substantial settlements with an unrepresented plaintiff. Some studies show a plaintiff without counsel is likely to recover between three and five times less than with an attorney. Accordingly, the very same case where you receive an offer of $10,000 might receive a settlement offer of about $40,000. Even after attorney’s fees, you receive significantly more with a personal injury attorney than without.
Unfortunately, this is an often overlooked aspect of hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer. Our Maryland lawyers act forcefully in obtaining compensation for our clients. We do not believe in a laid-back style of practice or litigation. While there is considerable value in having patience in law, insurance companies are rarely willing to pay you. When they are, they do not want to pay you as much as your injury is worth. But in motorcycle accidents, in particular, the injuries are often extreme, and our clients frequently require immediate assistance. This is why we thoroughly prepare each case to provide the most value possible to our clients.
Moreover, a reasonable attorney can answer any questions you may have. Between tort law, rules of evidence, civil procedure, and insurance complications, sometimes crossing between Maryland and other states, many questions can arise. This is something we deal with every day. Our clients have questions at all stages of their cases. While we look to answer many of these at the beginning of the case, some confusion is inevitable.
This is why we encourage questions from our clients so that you may feel comfortable throughout the process. If you have a question, our phone lines are always available to answer your calls. In addition, you may speak with your attorney any day of the week and expect a callback. You will be put through a maze of paralegals at many firms who try to field your questions. The Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers at Gelb & Gelb are always there for you.
Our fee agreement is straightforward. Of course, we explain it to you over the phone. We will answer any questions as soon as you sign your retainer agreement. We always operate on a contingent fee agreement. That means our fee is contingent on us winning your case. If we don’t make a recovery for you, we do not take a fee. This means no matter how many questions you ask us or how many hours we spend on your case; our fee is based on how much we win for you. In addition to the, generally, one-third we take out of a settlement, you also pay costs out of the recovery. Typical expenses include copies, postage, and faxes. It may also include a fee for obtaining medical records.
If we go to trial, the case becomes more expensive. There are fees for filing your case with the court. Again, we will advance this for you because this is a cost. But, it does come out of the ultimate recovery. It is our general practice to advance all costs. This includes the costs of expert witnesses should we go to trial. Many firms that do not charge a contingent fee and instead charge hourly will charge the client for these costs every billing cycle. We choose to enable our clients an opportunity they may not otherwise be able to afford, to sue the tortfeasor who injures them. This is why the contingent fee is so effective. Our consultations are always free. This is the standard fee arrangement for most personal injury lawyers nationwide.
Pursuing a motorcycle accident in Maryland can be complex. If you were not involved in a motorcycle accident, but your family member wrongfully died in one, you may have a separate claim. Give our Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers a call so we can help you pursue fair compensation.
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