When a Maryland Car Accident is Partly Your Fault (Part A)

Serious accidents can lead to life-altering injuries such as multiple broken bones, internal damage, and disfiguring burns and lacerations. If you or a loved one has suffered severe injuries in a Maryland car accident, it's important that you speak with an Anne Arundel car accident lawyer as soon as possible, specifically because Maryland is a contributory negligence state.

What this means is that if you are found to be even as little as 1% responsible for your accident and injuries, you typically would be barred from recovering damages. Therefore, the other side will do everything possible to blame you in some way for your Maryland car accident.

Maryland: Contributory Negligence Rule

Maryland, along with 4 other jurisdictions in the U.S. uses contributory negligence over comparative negligence. The other 4 are North Carolina; Alabama; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia. Under comparative negligence, when both parties are partially responsible for an accident, fault is apportioned between the plaintiff and the defendant.

Accordingly, damages are decreased in proportion to negligence. Therefore, if the plaintiff had damages totaling $50,000 but was found to be 10 percent at fault, then the damages awarded would be reduced to $45,000. With contributory negligence, the plaintiff would generally get nothing.

No doubt, the contributory negligence rule is harsh to accident victims and it creates challenges for attorneys fighting for justice on behalf of their clients. With this rule, even if a jury found the plaintiff to be the tiniest bit at fault, he or she would likely not be entitled to compensation to recoup losses for medical expenses, time off from work, pain and suffering, and other incidental expenses.

You must protect your rights by seeking immediate medical treatment and contacting an Anne Arundel car accident lawyer after you have been involved in a serious Maryland car accident. Otherwise, you risk losing all that you may be entitled to.

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Hurt in a Maryland car wreck?  Don't get taken advantage of - take attorney Greg Jimeno's crash course in Maryland car accidents.  Order your FREE copy of this compelling book today!