Fighting For Your Rights in Waldorf, MD
Injuries occur every day for people in Waldorf. While many minor injuries can happen in your home, more extreme injuries can arise on another person’s / business’s property or while in surgery. These injuries could disrupt your life in ways you may not know until it’s too late. If your injuries resulted from another party’s negligence, whether it is not providing proper care or lacking the appropriate skills, you might be entitled to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party.
The Law Office of William M. Burgess represents injured individuals and their families in Waldorf, MD. The Law Office of William M. Burgess can help you determine how much your case is worth. We will fight to get the compensation you deserve for lost wages, medical expenses, pain, and suffering. To speak with William M. Burgess regarding your personal injury case, contact us online or at (301) 653-3333.
Who to Sue in a Personal Injury Case
If you were injured in Waldorf, MD, the laws allow you to file a claim against just about any party responsible for causing your injuries. These cases would generally be filled as negligence cases, meaning that you are suing for the failure of the negligent party to use proper care or skills. This is not the same as an injury made intentionally by another party. A skilled personal injury attorney is essential in helping file your suit because there are many steps in building and filing your case.
The first step to filing a lawsuit is to determine who to sue. Determining the negligent party can vary from case to case. For example, in a car accident, the other driver is generally the responsible party. Although if they are driving as part of their job, you might also be able to sue their employer. In other cases, figuring out who owns the land or building where you suffered a slip and fall may be challenging. This is another time when a personal injury lawyer is invaluable as they can help you research and determine who to file a claim against.
Proving Fault in Waldorf, MD
The second part of your case is proving the injury claim. In order to prove negligence, you must show the following:
- There was a duty owed to you by the responsible party.
- There was a breach of duty.
- As a result, you suffered injuries and damages that you should be compensated for.
In a personal injury lawsuit, duties owed to you generally originate from the nature of your relationship with the at-fault party. As previously mentioned, drivers on the road owe a duty to other drivers and pedestrians to drive safely and in accordance with relevant traffic laws. And your doctor owes you reasonable, competent medical care. One of the substantial steps you and your personal injury attorney will need to overcome is defining the duties owed to you and showing that the at-fault party breached those duties.
Possible Outcomes of a Personal Injury Case
The third part of your case is deciding whether to settle or go to trial. Often, the at-fault party will attempt to offer a settlement to end the case quickly. In some cases, the amount offered as settlement needs to be increased to cover your expenses to the degree you deserve. If your case goes to trial, the jury, not the at-fault party, will decide how much you get. Going to a trial has drawbacks; since the jury determines the amount awarded, the amount can be more significant than what was initially offered as a settlement or less. Having an experienced personal injury lawyer calculate damages and discuss settlement offers is tremendously helpful. Sometimes, the at-fault party doesn’t offer any settlement, meaning you will have to take it to a jury trial to fight for the compensation you deserve.
The damages you can seek in a personal injury lawsuit can include many things, as it is not just limited to your physical injuries. Within damages, there are economic damages and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are generally calculated by reviewing medical bills, financial records, or client-provided records such as miles driven.
Economic damages can include:
- Medical bills.
- Rehabilitation.
- Transportation cost.
- Lost wages from missing work due to injuries.
- Other financial obligations.
Noneconomic damages are damages that are not tangible. Since everyone experiences pain differently, there is no concrete way to show a jury how much pain you’ve experienced or continue to experience. To help convey how a victim has been affected, they can testify about what they have experienced due to their injury and how it has affected their life. This can help to show a jury that injuries suffered are painful and severe, potentially leading to damages awarded for pain and suffering. Noneconomic damages can also include:
- Mental anguish.
- Emotional suffering.
- Lost enjoyment of activities.
- Pain caused by limitations or disabilities.
- Other intangible effects.
Contact a Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been involved in an auto accident, suffered from medical negligence, or otherwise faced a harmful situation caused by another, talk with an experienced personal injury lawyer today in Waldorf, MD. The Law Office of William M. Burgess represents injured victims and fights to get our clients the compensation they deserve. For a free legal consultation regarding your potential claims, contact us online, call us at our Office – (301) 645-3261 or 24/7 – (301) 653-3333 or visit our office at 200 Washington Ave, La Plata, MD 20646.