Most car accident claims in Charles County, Maryland, are resolved through insurance negotiations and settlements. Insurance companies settle claims because that is the purpose of providing insurance coverage, and because it is less expensive for the insurance companies to settle a claim rather than having the claim litigated. Motorist insurance policies require payment by the insurance company of the claim amount, and also payment for any attorneys’ fees and costs if there is a lawsuit. Thus, insurance companies prefer to settle a claim instead of paying for litigation.

If you have been injured in an auto accident here in Waldorf, MD, or any other part of Charles County, contact us here at the Law Office of Robert Castro. We are trusted and top-rated Maryland car accident attorneys with offices in Waldorf, Maryland. Use our contact page or call us at (301) 870-1200.

How do insurance settlements work in Maryland?

The process begins with notification of the insurance companies for the motorists involved. If you are the injured victim, you still must notify YOUR insurance company just in case the at-fault party does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance. All motorists in Maryland must carry insurance coverage for those situations — situations of underinsured or underinsured drivers who cause an accident with resulting injuries.

Note that notification of the insurance companies must be done quickly per the insurance policies. Mostly, the policies require notification within 30 days. It is around this time — shortly after the accident — that injured victims should be consulting and hiring good Maryland car accident attorneys.

After the insurance companies are notified, investigations begin. Since most accidents are not criminal in nature, there is no investigation by the police. Rather, the matter is investigated by the insurance companies and the auto accident lawyers hired by the victims. Investigations include many things, including:

• Interviewing injured parties, other drivers/participants, and third-party witnesses (if any)
• Review of police reports
• Location, preservation, and review of photos and videos of the accident
• Location, preservation, and review of medical records and other records related to damages (such as lost-wage forms)
• Hiring of experts where necessary
• And more

The purpose of the investigations is to determine what happened in the accident and who is legally responsible. Under Maryland law, a person is legally responsible to pay compensation if a person’s actions have led to injury or property damage.

Sometimes investigations end quickly because the accident and the injuries/damages are straightforward. In those cases, a settlement can be reached within a couple of months. In other cases, the way the accident happened and the assessment of fault are more complicated. Settlement in those cases will take longer. In yet other cases, the injuries are severe, and this can also cause the settlement to be delayed. Settlement negotiations cannot be completed until all the medical records and other evidence are fully collected. This means that settlement negotiations do not typically finish until all the surgeries, hospitalizations, and rehabilitations are finished.

If the victims and the insurance companies agree to a settlement, the claim is over once the settlement papers are signed and the settlement monies are paid over. The specific at-fault party — the driver of the other vehicle, for example — is not involved very much in the settlement negotiations. Since the insurance company is paying, the insurance company is handling the matter.

Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today

This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601.