June 19, 2023
Car Accident Settlements and How to Maximize Your Return
A car accident in Maryland can leave you with serious financial and personal losses, not only from the damage done to your car but from the injuries you or your family, friends, or other passengers suffer due to the wreck. You can recover these losses from the at-fault driver by means of car accident settlements.
Many people who suffered an auto wreck wonder how to get the most money from a car accident. Consulting with a skilled personal injury attorney in Silver Spring as soon as possible after the accident can help you reach the best possible car accident settlement in Maryland.
What To Do To Maximize Car Accident Settlements
There are several things you can do to improve your chances of maximizing your settlement. Immediately after an accident, you should:
- Get medical attention. This is the responsible, decent thing to do. However, if you fail to seek immediate medical attention, an insurance company can later try to argue that your injuries were not really severe and try to reduce your settlement amount.
- Call the police. Not all car accidents in Maryland need to be reported to the police under the law. However, reporting the accident to the police can create a paper trail that establishes your lack of fault and provide you with a powerful witness should the case go to trial.
- Take pictures and gather information. If you have a camera or even a smartphone camera, take some pictures or video of the accident scene right on the spot. Anything that can show the conditions at the time is helpful, as is anything like skid marks or tire marks on the road. Be sure to exchange insurance and contact information with the other driver. If there are other witnesses, get their contact information as well. This is especially true if any bystanders were not involved in the accident.
- Stay at the scene. It is illegal to leave the scene of an accident in Maryland until the information is exchanged. If you leave the scene, an insurance company may try to use it to establish fault.
- Keep careful track of your expenses and losses. You can recover not only property damage to the vehicle but medical expenses and costs like lost wages. Having your bills and receipts ready to hand can help your insurance carrier or attorney evaluate your case.
- Contact your own insurance carrier. Even if you are not at fault in the accident, you should report the accident to your insurance carrier right away. Many policies have a clause requiring you to contact your insurance carrier in the event of any accident, whether you intend to file a claim against the policy or not.
- Be careful in considering any car accident settlements offered by the other driver’s insurance carrier. The insurance company will try to minimize or eliminate liability for its insured in any way possible. It will try to claim that your injuries or losses were not as severe as you claim and will try to use the contributory negligence rule to eliminate liability if it can. When in doubt, consult your attorney before accepting any settlement offer.
Contact A Car Accident Attorney To Maximize Your Settlement
Maryland has very precise rules governing the determination of fault. If you fail to meet the required standard, you could recover nothing. If your accident happened in or around Montgomery County, Maryland, a car accident lawyer in Silver Spring can help you to navigate the rules surrounding fault and can help you negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier.
The Montero Law Group is a firm of experienced, dedicated lawyers serving the community in and around Montgomery County, Maryland. We routinely negotiate settlements with insurance companies after automobile accidents and are not afraid to represent our clients in court when negotiations fail. We have the expertise to evaluate each case sensibly and strive to recover the fullest possible settlement for each of our clients.
At the Montero Law Group, we give each of our clients the full attention, respect, and diligence that their claims deserve. If you require the assistance of a personal injury attorney Silver Spring, call us to set up an appointment today.