BALITMORE-WASHINGTON PARKWAY CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER

Baltimore Washington Parkway Car Accidents

The Baltimore Washington Parkway is one of the most convenient and scenic ways to get between the DC Metro area and Baltimore. It is tree-lined, and idyllic. However, it is also a frustrating road, because car accidents are very frequent, which create horrible delays, and sometimes hellish backlogs. Many of these car accidents are caused by reckless drivers, and people who are driving in a very negligent manner.

If you have been hurt in a car accident on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, you may have many questions about how to pursue your claim. After all, the road is federal property - does that mean your car accident is automatically a federal case? We recognize that there are some confusing legal issues surrounding your claim, but the attorneys and staff at Blaszkow Legal will help you to understand everything. We will fight to get you the compensation that you deserve, after you have been hurt due to someone else's negligence.

If you have been hurt in a car accident that was not your fault, up or down the Baltimore Washington Parkway, contact an experienced car accident lawyer who will fight for you today. Call 703-879-5910 for a free consultation!

What You Need to do After a BW Parkway Car Accident

If you have been hurt in a car accident anywhere on the Baltimore Washington parkway: stay calm. Take the following steps and you will protect yourself, and protect your claim against the negligent parties:

1. STAY SAFE. After a car accident, you probably want to get out and take a look at your car, and we understand that. However, always look before you do anything. Just because you have been involved in a car accident, does not mean that other drivers are going to take the appropriate notice, and slow down or even stop. People who are not hurt in collisions, can be hurt by other passing vehicles. Sometimes the safest place to be after a car accident is in your car until the police or fire department arrives.

2. CALL THE POLICE. You should always call 911 after a car accident on the Baltimore Washington Parkway. It doesn't matter if the accident was just a fender bender, or your vehicle was pushed off the road. Calling the police documents your call, as the 911 operators are able to log your GPS coordinates, and also log the exact time of your call. This piece of evidence can be crucial later on if there is ever a dispute. The Baltimore Washington Parkway is patrolled by the US Park Police.

3. MOVE TO THE SHOULDER, IF POSSIBLE. At some sections of the parkway, there is little to no shoulder. Move your vehicles as far to the side as possible, after you've taken a few pictures. Put your four-way or hazard lights on immediately.

4. TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEO. Pictures and videos are along the best evidence that you can have, beginning immediately at the scene of the crash. You want to get pictures of everything, including debris, your vehicle, the other vehicle, any passengers, the other driver, roadway markings - everything.

5. EXCHANGE INFORMATION. Do not simply exchange insurance cards! Your claim is against the driver of the other vehicle, not just against that vehicle's insurance. The best way to document this is to get a picture of the other driver's state-issued driver's license. No one has a right to tell you "no" when you ask for their license after a car accident. If the other driver is refusing to provide you his or her license, make sure you tell that to the police.

6. GET EVALUATED BY A DOCTOR. At the scene of the accident, if you are hurt, allow medics to examine you. If they recommend going to the hospital, then you should do that. Alternately, go to an urgent care center right away. Do not wait, and do not delay. A physician has to give you a comprehensive examination to make sure that there are no internal injuries or other physical damage that you may not realize.

7. CALL BLASZKOW LEGAL. Never speak to any insurance company, including your own, until you have spoken to a lawyer. It is far too common for insurance companies to try to use what you say against you - and yes, is still includes your own insurance. If the at fault driver turns out to have no insurance coverage, your case becomes an uninsured motorist claim.

Handling Your Property Damage After a BW Parkway Car Accident

After you have spoken to an experienced car accident lawyer, we are going to help you to make sure that the property damage to your vehicle is taken care of. Under ideal circumstances, the at-fault insurance company is going to move your vehicle from the police tow yard, and begin repairs, as well as providing you a rental vehicle right away. However, that is only if they have accepted liability for the crash. The insurance company may deny liability, or alternatively, they may still be investigating.

If that happens, you'll have to open up a claim through your own car insurance coverage. We understand that you may believe the other vehicle was at fault, and obviously we will fight for you. However, we have to get your car taken care of right away, especially if it was towed to a police impound lot. Storage fees rack up daily, and insurance companies will only pay a reasonable time, even if they are ultimately responsible.

Baltimore-Washington Parkway Car Accident Claims for Damages

After a car accident, you can file a claim for your damages. You are seeking compensation for all of the ways that you have been hurt: physically, financially, emotionally, and more. We are going to fight for compensation for all of the ways that this accident has impacted your daily life.

Any car accident claim in Maryland is based on certain elements, which are divided into economic and non-economic damages. The most common elements include:

• Costs of medical treatment

• Projected costs of future medical treatment

• Rehabilitation expenses

• Prescription receipts

• Cost of medical devices and supplies

• Current and future time lost from work

• Loss of earning capacity

• Permanent injury

• Inconvenience

• Diminished value of property

• Scarring

• Disfigurement

• Wrongful death

Some Frequently Asked Questions About Baltimore Washington Parkway Car Accidents

Will my case have to go to court?

Over 80% of the car accident claims that we handle at Blaszkow Legal are able to be settled out of court. There are certain times, however, when we need to file a lawsuit in order to advance our clients rights. However, just because we file a lawsuit, does not mean that the case cannot settle. Indeed, a case can settle at any time through the court process, until the jury walks back into the courtroom!

Where will I have to file the lawsuit?

If your case does have to go to court, then we have a couple of options as to where we file it. Where you file a lawsuit is a tactical consideration, based on where and experienced lawyer thinks you stand the best chance of recovery, based on past results, or a jury pool. After a car accident, you have the option of filing either one where the accident happened, or two where the defendant resides. So if for example, the accident happens on the Baltimore Washington parkway, at the intersection with the beltway, you may file there in Prince George's county, or, if the defendant is located in Howard county, we may file and howard.

Of course, there is always the option of filing in the federal court, which is called the US District court. However, there are certain considerations that have to be met first. This is something that one of our attorneys will discuss with you at that stage of the case.

What is the statute of limitations on Baltimore Washington Parkway car accidents?

Car accident claims in the state of Maryland are considered personal injury claims. And so they are subject to Maryland's a three year statute of limitations. However, the parkway has traveled by a lot of people, not just Maryland residents. There are other deadlines that you have to consider.

Claims against a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia have to be filed within 2 years!

Claims against a defendant who is a resident of DC have to be filed in 3 years!

Claims against state entities, if for example you were hit by an MVA vehicle, have to be filed within 3 years. However, proper notice has to be sent to the state within one year. (Md. State Government Code 12-101, et seq.)

Claims against local governments have to be "noticed" within 1 year, while the underlying lawsuit has to be filed within 3 years. (Md. Courts and Judicial Proceedings, 5-304, et seq.)

If the crash was caused by a federal vehicle, such as the military or the park service, the Federal Tort Claims Act applies. The claim must be submitted to the federal government within two years of the date of the crash.

Negligence and Parkway Car Crashes

Even though the Baltimore Washington Parkway is federal property, the underlying doctrines of Maryland law apply. Maryland follows a legal doctrine known as contributory negligence. This means that if a person is found to be even 1% responsible for the happening, this is an extremely high burden, and it is a doctrine that is only practiced in a handful of states.

This legal doctrine is one of the most important reasons why you need to speak to a lawyer before you speak to any insurance company, including our own. Insurance companies can and will use anything that you say against you. That is their job. Remember, they don't make money by paying you what you are entitled to!

Speak to an Experienced Parkway Car Accident Lawyer Today!

There are a lot of moving parts to a car accident claim anywhere in Maryland, not just on the Baltimore Washington Parkway. These crashes however, throw in a few extra layers of complication. But it's nothing we can't handle! Car insurance companies are fighting hard to pay you as little money as possible, if any at all. It is our job to fight them for you!

If you have been hurt in a car accident that was not your fault, ;et us handle the heavy lifting. The insurance companies have lawyers working hard on their side for them, you should have someone fighting just as hard for you! Contact our team of car accident lawyers and staff members today, and Get Justice with Joe. Call 703-879-5910 for a free consultation!