The Stages of a Maryland Personal Injury Case (Part B)

After your Baltimore, MD injury lawyer has filed the papers that will begin your Maryland personal injury case, the process of "discovery" begins, in which you and your attorney will compile evidence that establishes the legitimacy of your claim.

During this process, you and your attorney will pursue several means of ascertaining facts about your Maryland accident. The basis of this process is that all of the facts should be available to both sides before the trial begins, and discovery consists of 3 different methods of discovering evidence: written interrogatories, documents and depositions.

Your Maryland Personal Injury Case: The Next Steps

After the discovery process, you and your attorney will have the opportunity to make pre-trial motions, or requests, which can resolve certain issues about your Maryland personal injury case. These can sometime be very technical, and your attorney will explain to you which motions may apply to your case.

Most personal injury claims do not go to trial because usually both sides can agree to settle rather than go through the expense and time of a full trial. Before the trial, you will have the opportunity to determine whether or not an informal settlement can be agreed upon by both sides. In most cases, this is where the process ends.

When Your Claim Goes to Trial

In the event that the liability of your claim is highly contentious or the damages involved are substantial, you may not be able to reach a settlement, in which case, the next step in the claims process is to go to trial. In court, your claim is broken down into about 6 different phases: jury selection, opening statements, witness testimony and cross-examination, closing arguments, jury instruction, and the deliberation, which results in a verdict.

If the jury finds that you're culpable for the accident in any way, even by 1%, Maryland law bars you from receiving compensation for your claim. For this reason, it's vital that you retain the services of a Baltimore, MD injury lawyer.

Contacting a Baltimore, MD Injury Lawyer

Maryland's contributory negligence statute makes it more difficult for Maryland accident victims to recover sufficient compensation when someone else is at fault for your accident. This doesn't have to spell the end of your case! Protect your rights and give your Maryland personal injury case the advantage of experienced legal counsel by teaming with a Baltimore, MD injury lawyer from Jimeno & Gray. Contact us today for a no-cost consultation - 1-410-590-9401.