Maryland Single Vehicle Accident Lawyer

Single-vehicle accident, as term says, involves just one car, truck, motorcycle, or other type of motor vehicle. This type of car accident happens when a driver collides with an object such as tree, embankment, retaining wall, sign or even with an animal on the road.

As in any other accident some common causes include careless or distracted driving, drunk driving, and disobeying rules on the roads. Single car accident mostly put at risk young drivers who are often distracted by phone or just like to drive fast.

This type of crash involves many legal issues and liability is always questioned. Driver may be automatically at fault, but in some cases other factors influenced the collision and that the driver has nothing to do with.

Dubo Law, single-vehicle accident attorneys in Baltimore can help you build the case and prove that fault lies elsewhere. Having a skilled and professional legal representative on your side can be a huge plus. As an experienced Baltimore single-car accident lawyer, Neil Dubovsky and his team can handle all elements of your personal injury claim while you focus on recovery.

Make sure to Dubo Law at (443) 275-6345 right after an accident occurs and we can meet for free legal consultation. We will provide you with legal options together with gathering all the evidence necessary to assign liability.

(443) 275-6345

Possible Single-Vehicle Accident Causes in Maryland

Being part of a car accident no one else is involved may sound like an easy case, but it can raise many questions. Who or what caused the accident to happen? Was it a driver or something else happened on the road?

If you ask yourself these questions, contact Dubo Law injury attorneys and we will begin with your own memories of an accident and later do insight into other important details.

We can divide causes of single vehicle accidents into two categories:

Single-Vehicle Accident Caused by:

What To Do After Car Accident When No One Else is Involved?

Never Hit and Run!

If you have been involved in a single-vehicle accident, stay at the scene.

Any physical injuries or property damage caused by accident should be reported. If you leave the scene this is considered hit and run and can cause serious penalties such as jail time, high fines and losing your driver’s license.

Take these 4 steps instead:

1. Pull over on the side of the road and try not to create confusion for other drivers. Offer help to anyone involved, but don’t move them because we don’t know how serious an injury is. Call 911 and stay there until someone comes to the scene. Make sure to exchange information with injured party and witnesses. Never discuss legal matters without the presence of an attorney.
2. Assess damage you caused whether it is someone’s property or an animal. Destroying someone’s property can cause that person to sue you, so make sure to leave a note with your information or try to find the owner immediately. If you hit an animal, don’t leave it there. Call help or try to contact the owner.
3. Collecting photos and notes from the scene can be part of the evidence in your claim case but can also be handy when you report an accident to officers and insurance company.
4. Report the accident to local authorities if the single-car accident caused someone’s injury, death, or property damage.

Maryland Law on Accident Report

Maryland Transportation Code 20-107 states that you must report an accident in case it resulted in death or serious injury of other parties. Report it to the Motor Vehicle Administration within 15 days of the accident.

Failing to file a report may result in the driver being taken to criminal court. If police officers come to the scene and file, the report will send it to MVA. Bear in mind that if you don’t file the report, the chances of getting compensation are low.

Maryland single-car accident lawyers at Dubo Law will lead you to every step of the process. So, call us today for free legal consultations!

Can Single-Vehicle Driver Accidents File a Claim

We listed above situations when it is driver’s fault and when someone or something else is liable for an accident. Anyways, it is important to talk to a car accident lawyer at Dubo Law so we can determine your benefits and claim situation.

First, let’s look at Maryland laws on filing a claim:

Statute of Limitations in Maryland

In state of Maryland the deadline for filing a claim is three years from the date of an accident. Failing to meet the due date can result in not having right to ever compensate again. There are three exceptions to this law:

• For wrongful death cases the time starts from the date of death.
• If minors are involved, they have time until they turn 21.
• Sometimes the person may be mentally disabled when the accident occurred. The time starts from the moment doctors pronounce them legally competent.

Maryland Is At-Fault State

Being an at-fault state Maryland allows drivers to sue other drivers or in the case of single-car accidents anyone who is to be blamed for the crash. Some benefits that one can get from insurance are not-fault based.

• PIP (Personal Injury Protection) must be offered by insurance companies in the state of Maryland. In this way, they can be compensated for medical bills and lost wages. Also, drivers don’t have to provide any evidence for the claim. Learn more about PIP coverage.
• Personal Injury Claim, on the other hand, requires providing evidence that other party is at-fault.

Maryland Laws on Negligence

Maryland has very strict rules and laws when it comes to contributory negligence. If you are found even 1% guilty of the car accident, you won’t be able to collect any compensation.

Since the law is very restrictive, make sure to contact Dubo Law lawyers and we will build strong claim against responsible party or explore options if you are at fault. Read more about contributory negligence.

Who Compensates the No-Fault Single-Vehicle Accident Driver?

To get fully compensated for an accident, the injured driver must provide certain evidence to prove that someone else’s negligence caused the crash.

• If a vehicle’s malfunction caused the driver to crash, it would be manufacturer’s responsibility.
• If the crash occurred due to inoperative road structures maintained by the county, then they are to blame.
• No claim is possible if the crash occurred due to the driver’s negligence. If this is the case, a passenger who was with the driver can ask for a claim against him/her.

What Are Consequences When Driver Is Liable

There are many possibilities your case can resolve when involved in a single-car accident. It depends on how serious the accident was, injured parties, damaged property, etc. Here are some possible outcomes if driver is at-fault:

• Traffic ticket – You can get a traffic ticket from law enforcement and earn the opportunity to explain yourself before the judge.
• You can receive extra points on your driver’s license or lose driver’s privileges.
• Paying your own bills – Make sure to have at least a PIP to cover medical expenses and lost wages. This, however, doesn’t cover vehicle repair bills. Nevertheless, hiring Dubo Law car attorney can work to your advantage. Insurance companies tend to find any possible proof that is completely the driver’s fault. Neil Dubovsky saw both sides, so he is an expert on insurance companies’ tricks.
• Getting criminal record – If you are, however, charged with DUI or reckless driving in a single–car accident, you may face criminal charges. In this case, too, the smartest thing you can do is contact a lawyer.

How To Prevent Single-Vehicle Accidents

We know accidents can happen all the time, but we should sometimes think of certain steps to try to prevent them.

• Stay focused while driving. Avoid using smartphone, eating, playing loud music, or drinking.
• Wear seatbelt and make sure to obey speed limits on the road.
• Pay special attention when driving in bad weather conditions such as snow, hail, fog, ice, and rain.
• Be careful when driving at night and turn on high beams when possible.
• Be turning on high beams you can easily notice reflected eyes of a wild animal on the road. Honk the horn if you see a deer or other wildlife.
• Watch out for pedestrians and cyclists at places where they have the right of way.
• If you receive any defect information from the vehicle stop immediately and call repair shop to repair the vehicle or AAA for road assistance