If you have been injured — through no fault of your own — in an auto accident here in Charles County, Maryland caused by an out-of-state driver, there is no reason to panic or even worry. Your claim for money damages and compensation will proceed — mostly — in the “normal” manner.

Regardless of where the guilty driver lives, you have a legal right to file an insurance claim seeking full and complete compensation for your injuries and damage to your vehicle (and any other property). You have this right regardless of whether the guilty party lives in a nearby State or lives across the country. Given where Maryland is located, car accidents involving out-of-state drivers are not rare. If you have been injured, call the experienced Maryland personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Robert Castro. We know how to handle cases with out-of-state wrongdoers. Call us at (301) 870-1200 or use our contact page. We are Charles County and Southern Maryland personal injury lawyers with offices in Waldorf, Maryland.

To briefly explain, the insurance claim part of the process will be “normal.” It is important to understand that Maryland law will govern any auto accident that occurs here in Charles County, MD., even if the other driver is from out-of-state. Car insurance companies are required by law to cover their policy holders even when they are driving in a state different from where they live. So, even a California insurance company will have to acknowledge and negotiate an insurance settlement for an accident that occurs here in Maryland. The insurance companies understand this, understand that Maryland law will govern and these will be taken into account during the negotiations over the insurance settlement.

Thus, from an insurance standpoint, the process for recovering compensation is the same even if the guilty party is from out-of-state. The steps include initiating a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy (often done online), investigations by the insurance companies and the lawyers for various parties, gathering evidence like medical bills, obtaining a settlement offer, negotiation, and, eventually, a decision on the offer and deciding if a personal injury lawsuit should be filed.

If there is no insurance settlement, victims of Maryland car accidents also have a legal right to file a car accident personal injury lawsuit. If a lawsuit has to be filed, then cases with out-of-state wrongdoers CAN become a bit more complicated. But, not so much that there is any reason to worry. The complication is compelling the out-of-state party to submit to the power and authority of the courts here in Maryland. However, Maryland has legal procedures and laws — such as its “Long-Arm Statute” — which can be used to compel out-of-state drivers to appear in Maryland court cases. Once that is done, everything returns to the “normal” path for Maryland car accident personal injury cases.

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.