Obtaining advice from an Accident Attorney in Annapolis is a wise move after a serious injury occurs due to a vehicle collision or other incident in which someone else is at fault. That fault may not be direct, as would be the case when another driver rear-ends the vehicle ahead. Instead, it might be technical fault resulting from premises liability.
An Accident Attorney in Annapolis can explain premises liability to prospective clients. A property owner, for instance, is expected to keep the premises safe for anyone who arrives. That means having a responsibility to keep sidewalks free of ice and stairways in excellent condition. When someone trips and falls on a large crack in a parking lot, the owner of the lot may be considered responsible for not having that flaw repaired in a timely fashion. The insurer of the owner’s business is expected to pay for the person’s medical bills and lost wages if he or she must miss work for a while. Additional compensation may be deserved for factors like post-traumatic stress, scarring or other disfigurement, and reduction of general well-being.
An insurance company may dispute whether the other driver or the business owner was at fault. The insurer may look for evidence that the injured person was actually responsible. For example, in Maryland, automotive insurance companies consider a concept known as contributory negligence in determining settlement amounts. If the insurer determines that the other driver was partially responsible for the accident, that reduces the amount to be paid out. Contributory negligence might involve driving over the speed limit, passing a vehicle on the right, or other unsafe actions. An Accident Attorney in Annapolis reviews the information the insurer provided and will effectively argue against this information if it appears to be inaccurate.
When a reasonable settlement is not forthcoming, and the insurer and claimant seem to be at a stalemate, a firm such as Jaklitsch Law Group will start getting ready to bring the case before a judge and jury. In a large majority of situations, however, injury cases are settled before a trial begins. Neither the plaintiff nor the defendant wants to become involved in a lengthy court battle.
