Damages for Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries are often financially crippling, not to mention emotionally and physically destructive. If you or a loved one’s injury was caused by another person’s negligence or willful act, you have the right to hold that person accountable by seeking compensation to cover the physical, emotional, and mental costs of the catastrophic injury.
Maryland has no damage caps on economic costs, but there are limits for damage awards related to non-economic costs. Those damage caps differ depending on how the injury was caused. Caps are lower for medical malpractice cases.
Economic damages include costs of:
- Doctor visits
- Hospital stays
- Lost wages, including future
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Property damage
Non-economic damages include:
- Emotion distress
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
Maryland law provides for the possibility of punitive damages, but the plaintiff must provide clear and convincing evidence that the responsible party acted with malice. This is a tough bar to overcome. When punitive damages are awarded, the purpose is to punish the person responsible, not compensate for any loss. There is no statutory cap on punitive damages. The judge or jury has discretion on how much is awarded.
Contributory Negligence
Maryland is one of only a handful of states that still follow contributory negligence. If the injured party is even 1% responsible for the accident, they are barred from seeking any damages.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations, the time limit for filing a lawsuit after sustaining an injury, is three years for most personal injury cases. Circumstances can affect when you have the right to seek damages, so make sure to talk to our catastrophic injury attorney if you are considering suing for damages.
Maryland Injury Lawyer with Decades of Experience
At Potter Law, LLC, we have collectively handled complex legal cases for over 60 years. Our proven catastrophic injury lawyer represents individuals from all walks of life throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our boutique-style law firm ensures that each client receives the dedication and support they deserve as we work aggressively to bring negligent parties to justice.
Catastrophic Injury FAQ
- Why should I hire a catastrophic injury lawyer?
We recommend that you hire a catastrophic injury lawyer to work on your case because there is just so much that depends on the outcome of it. If you lose your catastrophic injury claim, then you could be looking at a significant pile of bills left unpaid that you are now fully responsible for. Or you might not even be able to get the medical attention you need to recover, which could jeopardize your health and wellbeing. With your future comfort and security hinging on the outcome of your case, why take the risk by handling it alone when you don’t have years of legal experience and knowledge? Hiring a catastrophic injury attorney lets you turn their experience into your own. - What is the difference between a catastrophic personal injury case and a typical injury case?
A catastrophic injury case deals with severe, life-changing injuries. A personal injury case sometimes does. That is to say, all catastrophic injury cases are personal injury cases, but not the other way around. The actual laws and processes related to both case types are similar, though. There are no new legal procedures just because your injury is catastrophic. Although, there might be new steps to take to ensure that your claim is made correctly and thoroughly addresses all potential concerns and questions. - Are catastrophic injury claims guaranteed to be highly valuable?
No, the value of each catastrophic injury case is unique, so it can’t be promised that it will be valuable. Typically, a catastrophic injury causes worse damages like steeper medical bills and more months of missing wages. This is why the value of these cases tends to be higher than most personal injury claims, but, again, there is nothing that guarantees as much. What you can do is work with an experienced legal team like ours to ensure that all available damages in your catastrophic injury claim are identified and tallied correctly. In this way, you can be sure that your case has reached its maximum value, whatever it might be.
Contact us today at (301) 820-7820 to let our Maryland injury lawyer protect your rights and best interests inside and outside the courtroom!
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