Baltimore Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Baltimore Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Pedestrians in Baltimore, MD are usually able to navigate the city’s streets and reach their destinations safely. However, pedestrian accidents do happen in Baltimore for many reasons, and any time a motor vehicle driver hits a pedestrian, they can easily cause catastrophic, life-changing injuries. If you or a family member was recently hit by a car in Baltimore, you likely have grounds for a civil suit against the driver who hit you. However, you need the right attorney on your side to help you reach the best possible outcome for your recovery efforts.

Reliable Legal Counsel for Baltimore, MD, Pedestrian Accident Claims

The Ruben Law Firm has years of professional experience handling pedestrian accident claims and many other types of personal injury cases on behalf of clients in the Baltimore area. We are extensively familiar with Maryland’s civil court system, and we know the challenges you are likely to face as you pursue compensation for the losses another driver caused. As a result, we develop client-centered legal strategies in every case we accept, taking time to address our client’s individual concerns through all stages of their recovery efforts.

While you may think that proving liability for your pedestrian accident will be a simple and straightforward process or that you have a firm understanding of the total damages you can seek from the defendant, the reality is that any civil claim for damages can be far more complex than the plaintiff initially expects. With the Ruben Law Firm representing you, you are significantly more likely to reach the best possible outcome for your impending personal injury case.

Proving Fault for Your Pedestrian Accident

Your recovery from a pedestrian accident in Baltimore is likely to involve an auto insurance claim against the at-fault driver, but when their insurance alone cannot compensate for all of your losses, you will need to file a personal injury claim to recover the rest. However, before you can proceed with either of these recovery efforts, you must first prove fault for the accident in question. While liability may seem perfectly clear, this can be one of the most challenging aspects of a personal injury case. If you have no recollection of the incident you experienced due to the severity of your injuries, your legal representation will be invaluable for reaching a positive outcome.

Most personal injury claims filed in Maryland are generated by acts of negligence or failure to exercise reasonable care and caution in specific situations. For example, if the driver who hit you was distracted by their cell phone while they were operating their vehicle, this is a failure to uphold their duty of care to drive attentively. When it comes to proving negligence in any personal injury case, you must identify the party who caused your injuries, prove they owed a duty of care they failed to uphold, and directly cause your claimed damages. This is easier in some cases than others, and many defendants will attempt to shift blame to plaintiffs in their efforts to avoid liability for the damages they’ve caused.

In the event your pedestrian accident resulted from intentional misconduct of any kind, the defendant could face not only our civil claim for damages but also criminal prosecution. One of the most common examples of illegal behavior that can cause a pedestrian accident is drunk driving. Any driver who operates their vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol violates Maryland state law. Their penalties are likely to include fines, jail time, and a driver’s license suspension, and state law dictates harsher penalties when driving under the influence results in injury or death.

Contributory Negligence in Maryland Personal Injury Cases

When it comes to proving liability for a motor vehicle accident of any kind in Maryland, it is vital for the plaintiff to determine whether they bear fault in any measure for causing the accident. This is because Maryland enforces a contributory negligence law, meaning that a plaintiff cannot seek compensation from a defendant if the plaintiff is in any way liable for causing their claimed damages. This legal concept commonly arises in pedestrian accident claims because at-fault drivers will accuse the pedestrians they hit of jaywalking or crossing the street illegally.

Pedestrians must obey crossing signals and maintain situational awareness in busy urban areas like Baltimore. If a pedestrian fails to meet this responsibility and walks in front of moving traffic, they could lose the right to seek compensation from the driver who hit them. In the event you are accused of contributory negligence in your pedestrian accident claim, your attorney can help you gather evidence to prove otherwise.

Damages and Compensation in a Baltimore Pedestrian Personal Injury Case

Once your attorney has assisted you in proving liability for your recent pedestrian accident, the next phase of your recovery efforts is assessing the full scope of your claimable damages. The at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy may provide some valuable initial compensation, but a more expansive personal injury claim is likely to be necessary to fully recover your damages. Under Maryland state law, the plaintiff in a personal injury case has the right to claim compensation for:

• Medical treatment costs. If the defendant caused physical injuries to the plaintiff, the defendant is liable for the cost of any and all medical treatments the victim needs to fully recover from their losses. This includes immediate medical expenses like hospital bills as well as ongoing medical care expenses when they have suffered catastrophic injuries. Your attorney can work with your medical care team and gather the documentation needed to prove the full scope of medical treatment you will need to reach maximum medical improvement.
• Lost income. Many pedestrians struck by motor vehicles are unable to work for extended periods after their accidents. When a driver is responsible for causing severe injuries that prevent you from working for an extended time, they are liable for any and all income you lose during this time. This applies to lost future income as well. If you are left unable to return to your job, or if you cannot work at all due to the severity of your injuries, the defendant is liable for the future wages you can no longer earn.
• Property damage. The defendant is liable for the cost of repairing or replacing any personal property lost in the accident.
• Pain and suffering. Maryland law limits pain and suffering compensation, even for plaintiffs who have suffered life-changing catastrophic injuries. However, the right Baltimore pedestrian accident attorney can assist their client in maximizing this aspect of their recovery, holding the defendant accountable for as much as the law allows.

Beyond these claimable losses, a plaintiff may also qualify to receive punitive damages as well. A judge may order punitive damages to penalize a defendant who has exceeded the scope of typical negligence and/or broken Maryland law with their actions. There is no cap on punitive damages in Maryland civil suits, and the judge overseeing your case has broad discretionary power to assign whatever amount they deem appropriate. The purpose of punitive damages, as the name suggests, is not to compensate the victim’s loss but to punish the defendant for their behavior and discourage similar behavior in the future.

How to Resolve Your Pedestrian Accident Claim in Baltimore

Most of the personal injury cases filed in Baltimore end with privately negotiated settlements. As long as the plaintiff has reliable legal counsel advising them and the defendant is willing to accept responsibility for their actions, a swift settlement benefits both parties in the case, helping them each to minimize their legal expenses and streamline the resolution of the matter. In addition, your Baltimore pedestrian accident attorney can help you gather whatever evidence and testimony you will need to firmly establish fault for your damages.

In the event that the defendant refuses to settle the case, or if they assert contributory negligence to attempt to deflect liability for the incident, your Baltimore pedestrian accident attorney will advise you as to how to best proceed. If your case must proceed to court, the litigation process can potentially take several months to resolve, and you will need an experienced legal team to guide you through these proceedings. However, when you have the Ruben Law Firm representing you, we will do everything in our power to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible, helping you reach much better results than you could achieve alone.

Do not risk your recovery by attempting to settle your case without an attorney. While you may have understandable concerns about the potential cost of bringing your action, our contingency fee billing policy ensures there is no financial risk to you by hiring our team to represent you. Moreover, the sooner you secure legal counsel you can trust, the more likely you are to reach the best possible conclusion to your case, and our goal is to guide you through the difficult proceedings you face as swiftly as possible.

Pedestrian Accidents FAQs

Q: Is It Worth Hiring a Baltimore Pedestrian Accident Attorney?

A: It is always worth investing in reliable legal counsel when you must file a civil claim for damages of any kind in Maryland. The state’s personal injury laws are comparatively quite restrictive compared to most other states, and the average person is likely to encounter legal complications in their case that they do not know how to address on their own. Therefore, do not risk your recovery by attempting to handle your legal affairs without an attorney.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Recover for a Pedestrian Accident?

A: A Baltimore pedestrian accident attorney can help their client recover the total amount of economic damages they suffered because of a defendant’s actions, potentially securing much more than the claimant initially expected. The total value of your pedestrian accident claim hinges on the scope of the damages the defendant caused. With the right attorney handling your case, you can generally expect full repayment of your economic losses along with reasonable compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering you experienced.

Q: How Long Does a Pedestrian Accident Claim Take to Resolve?

A: The time required to complete any personal injury case in Baltimore depends on several factors. The availability of solid evidence and reliable witness testimony informs the time required to form the foundation of the case, and the defendant’s willingness to accept liability and agree to settlement can also significantly shift the case’s timetable. Your Baltimore pedestrian accident attorney can provide an estimate of how long it could take to resolve your claim.

Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Baltimore Pedestrian Accident Attorney?

A: Most personal injury claimants worry about how much it will cost them to hire legal counsel, understandably so considering the scope and severity of the damages a pedestrian accident can easily cause. The Ruben Law Firm accepts personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis, so there is no upfront cost for hiring our firm to represent you, and you only pay a legal fee once we win your case. Our contingency fee is a percentage of the final case award. You keep the remainder, and you pay nothing at all if we cannot secure a settlement for your damages.

Q: Will the Defendant Go to Prison for Causing a Pedestrian Accident?

A: If a driver caused your recent accident through typical negligence, such as inattentive driving or a moving violation, they would be unlikely to face criminal charges unless they caused catastrophic or fatal injuries. However, if a pedestrian accident results from intentional and/or criminal misconduct of any kind, the defendant could face not only criminal charges but also increased financial liabilities to the victim.

You are likely to have many pressing legal questions in the aftermath of a pedestrian accident that someone else caused. Therefore, it’s vital to find legal counsel you can trust as soon as possible after a damaging accident to preserve your right to recover your losses.

The Ruben Law Firm has the professional resources, skills, and experience you need on your side to navigate your case as effectively as possible. We take time to learn each client’s story and provide fully individualized legal counsel in every case we accept. If you are ready to explore your options for legal recourse with the help of an experienced Baltimore pedestrian accident attorney, contact our team today to schedule your free consultation and learn more about the legal services we offer.