What Type of Maryland Personal Injury Claim do I have?
If you have been injured in some type of incident and are wondering if you have any legal options available to you, it is good to understand the most common types of personal injury claims.
When trying to pursue recovery of your damages, contacting a Maryland personal injury attorney is highly recommended. You may have additional avenues of recovery you were not aware existed. An experienced personal injury attorney can advise you on the different options that are available.
Vehicle Accidents
Undoubtedly, one of the most common types of personal injury claims relates to motor vehicle accidents. Collisions can include other vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, bicyclists, buses, and/or pedestrians. Damages in a motor vehicle accident typically involve bodily injury and property. Plaintiffs can collect damages for pain and suffering and loss of earnings in some cases, as well.
Liability is almost always contested as both sides point fingers at the other. Establishing liability is extremely important in Maryland as the state follows the contributory negligence doctrine. This means that if you are determined to be even 1% at fault, you are barred from recovery.
Dog Bite Claims
When it comes to dog bite claims in Maryland, the state follows strict liability instead of the “one bite” rule. This means that the owner of a dog is liable for injuries or death to someone or their property when the dog is “running at large.” There are exceptions, however. The dog owner is not liable if the person who was injured was attempting to trespass or was trespassing on the owner’s property.
Slip and Falls
Slip and falls are common claims when a person might slip on something wet in a store or falls down the stairs at someone’s residence. To present a valid slip and fall claim, the plaintiff has to show that the property owner, or the person in charge of its maintenance, failed to properly maintain the premises or fix a dangerous condition.
Medical Malpractice
There are standards of care and a duty to which medical providers and other health care professionals are held. When they breach that duty and the standard of care are deemed negligent, a plaintiff may have a valid medical malpractice claim in Maryland.
Product Defect Claims
Product manufacturers are required to produce safe products. If there is a known defect, or a product was designed in a manner that makes it unreasonably unsafe for the intended consumer, then a person who is injured when using it has a valid product liability case against the product manufacturer.
Defamation
Defamation claims can be tricky, but when someone says or writes something false about another person and it does damage to their reputation, he or she may have viable defamation of character claim. When false statements are spoken, it is called slander, and when they are written, it is called libel.
Retaining a Maryland Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured and it was not your fault, you need to contact a qualified Maryland personal injury attorney. The Law Office of Robert R. Castro specializes in personal injury claims throughout the state and Washington D.C. Contact our office online or at 301-870-1200 to schedule a consultation.
