The basics of a personal injury suit in Maryland

People from all walks of life are injured every single day in Maryland under various circumstances. Frequent causes of personal injury may include accidents at work, car accidents, defective products, as well as assault. Regardless of the specifics, when other parties are the ones responsible for the incidents, injured victims are fully within their rights to file legal claims in civil court in order to seek full recovery for their monetary losses.

A personal injury case typically arises when an individual is injured due to another party’s negligence. That person may be legally responsible for the harm that was caused. Some cases are litigated through trial in civil court while others are settled between the parties.

A formal lawsuit is initiated when one party — the “plaintiff” — files a “complaint.” The defendant could be an individual, corporation, business entity or government agency. The complaint typically includes allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the defendant/s, along with a claim that the claimed negligence caused or materially contributed to the specified injuries suffered by the plaintiff. Most cases are resolved by settlement, resulting in a binding agreement for the payment of a sum of money in satisfaction of all pending claims.

A lawsuit must be filed within a certain amount of time after the incident upon which it is based. This is known as the “statute of limitations.” It is one of the reasons that individuals who believe they have a case consult an experienced personal injury attorney as soon after the incident as possible. Whether in Maryland or elsewhere, a personal injury claim also requires a thorough understanding of the facts, applicable state and federal law and local court procedures — three other important reasons that victims typically consult attorneys.

Source: FindLaw, “Personal Injury Law: The Basics“, Accessed on Aug. 2, 2016