Maryland reported nearly 100,000 traffic accidents in a recent year — hundreds of them fatal, tens of thousands resulting in injury. If you were hurt in a crash that wasn't your fault, you have the right to pursue compensation. But Maryland's contributory negligence law means the other side will look for any way to put even a fraction of fault on you. Atkinson Law builds auto accident cases to withstand that defense.

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One Percent Your Fault Means Zero Recovery. That’s Maryland Law.

Maryland is one of only a handful of pure contributory negligence states — along with Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington D.C. In most states, an injured person can recover even if they were partly at fault, with their damages reduced proportionally. Not in Maryland. Here, if the other driver’s insurance company can convince a jury that you were even one percent responsible for the crash — you were speeding slightly, you failed to honk, your brake light was out — you recover nothing.

Insurance adjusters know this standard and use it deliberately. Their goal in the immediate aftermath of an accident is often to gather statements and evidence that establish some degree of fault on your part. This is why what you say to the other driver’s insurer matters enormously — and why we counsel every client not to provide recorded statements to adverse insurance representatives without legal guidance.

Ten Steps. Follow Them in Order. They Protect Your Claim.

What you do — and don’t do — in the hours and days after a crash has a direct impact on your ability to recover compensation. Here is the sequence we recommend to every client:

1.     Call the police — Report the accident even if damage appears minor. A police report is one of the most important pieces of evidence in any auto accident claim.

2.     Exchange information — Get name, address, phone, driver’s license number, license plate, registration, and insurance information from every driver involved.

3.     Document the scene — Note the time, road conditions, what the other driver said, visible vehicle damage, and any injuries. Do this while the details are fresh.

4.     Photograph everything — Capture the accident scene, all vehicles involved, damage, road markings, traffic signs, and any visible injuries.

5.     Collect witness information — Get contact information from anyone who saw the crash. Witness accounts are critical in fault disputes.

6.     Don’t move your vehicle — Leave vehicles in position until police arrive. Vehicle placement is evidence of how the collision occurred.

7.     Get a medical examination — Seek care immediately — urgent care, emergency room, or chiropractor. Delayed treatment creates gaps that insurers use to minimize injury claims.

8.     Report to your insurance company — Notify your own insurer promptly. Failure to timely report can affect your own coverage.

9.     Get a repair estimate — Obtain a written estimate from an auto body shop as soon as possible for documentation purposes.

10.  Don’t talk to the other driver’s insurer — Do not give a recorded or written statement to the other driver’s insurance company. Do not accept any settlement offer before speaking with an attorney. What you say will be used to establish your contributory fault.

Step 10 is the one most people get wrong. An adjuster calling to ‘just get your account of what happened’ is building a contributory negligence defense. Call us before you call them back.

From Rear-End Collisions to Uninsured Motorist Claims

•        Rear-end and intersection collisions. The most common crash types in Baltimore County and Harford County. Fault is often clear, but damages disputes are frequent.

•        Head-on and high-speed collisions. Typically result in the most serious injuries. We handle catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.

•        Distracted and impaired driving accidents. Cell phone records, toxicology reports, and police documentation all factor into building these cases.

•        Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) claims. When the at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage, your own UM/UIM policy may be the primary recovery vehicle. We handle these claims against your own insurer, who has its own incentive to minimize your payout.

•        Pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Vulnerable road users with serious injuries and complex contributory negligence dynamics.

Two Attorneys. Local Knowledge. Ready for Trial.

Two attorneys evaluate every auto accident case we take — one examining liability, one analyzing damages, both stress-testing the contributory negligence exposure. We know Baltimore County and Harford County roads, courts, and juries. We prepare every case for trial from day one, which means insurers take our demand packages seriously and our clients don’t get lowball settlements. Free consultations. No fee unless we recover.

Don’t Talk to Their Insurer Until You’ve Talked to Us.

The most damaging thing most accident victims do is give a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney. Call Atkinson Law first — the consultation is free, and it could be the difference between a full recovery and none at all.

Protect. Preserve. Rebuild.

Serving clients in White Marsh, Bel Air, Towson, Parkville, Baltimore City, and throughout Baltimore County, Harford County, Cecil County, and Maryland.

[ Call 410-882-9595 Now ]  |  [ 443-384-0013 (Bel Air) ]  |  [ Schedule a Free Consultation ]