Harford County Fatal Car Accident Lawyer

Here at MD Accident Law, we put the needs of our clients first. Car accidents often happen suddenly and without time to act at all. In an instant, lives are lost and others are changed forever.

As a firm with years of experience fighting for victims of personal injury and their families, we understand what is important to our clients and have made it our job to take the responsibility of litigation off of your shoulders so you can focus on what matters most: Your family.
For more information contact our Harford personal injury lawyer.

A Seasoned Team of Professionals Ready to Stand at Your Side

The Adam Smallow Injury Lawyers has been representing victims of personal injury and negligence in the state of Maryland for over a decade. Adam himself is a seasoned attorney and member of the Maryland Bar and Maryland Association of Justice.

He and his team will face down insurance companies for a fair claim on your behalf, file police reports, gather evidence, represent you in court, and fight for your rights. All the while supporting you and your family through one of your toughest times.

How Am I Supposed to Pay a Fatal Car Accident Lawyer?

Many lawyers will charge outrageous rates for quality legal assistance, but we don’t expect people going through one of their most unstable financial situations to pay large amounts of money to hire attorneys.

With us, you pay nothing unless we win. When your settlement is determined we will collect an agreed-upon amount for our aid in your case. Until then, our service is free of charge.

Testimonials

We work hard for our clients. Let them tell you in their own words:

“I have referred several clients to Mr. Smallow and all have been pleased with the level of service he provided. I would not hesitate to refer anyone looking for assistance to him. I highly recommend his services.” – Todd

“Adam Smallow is the most professional, truthful, and caring lawyer you can ever find. He has a very pleasant character, and is quite generous with his time. He spends a lot of time studying his cases and preparing his clients for the hearings. He is always available when you need him, most importantly, during emergencies. Finally, unlike most other lawyers whose fees are beyond ridiculous, Mr. Smallow is quite fair in his billing. I recommend him 100%.” – Safa

Determining Fault After a Fatal Car Accident in Harford County, MD.

The negligent driver responsible for the accident and your family member’s passing is liable in a wrongful death case. The insurance company of the driver will typically provide the damages to you in these cases. If the driver does not have insurance, they will be solely responsible for paying your settlement.

One of the jobs of an insurance company, however, is to save money. If you do not know the true value of your case there is a risk of the liable party’s insurance company attempting to lowball your settlement.

Our team will work through your case to determine your entitled amount and negotiate on your behalf to see that amount presented to you by the end of your claim. But this process only comes after it has been determined that the driver that hit your loved one is at-fault, the time that occurs, will be dependent on your unique situation and the driver’s integrity.

We may need to start an investigation in some cases in order to determine fault. Evidence will have to be gathered to substantiate your claim if the at-fault party attempts to deny responsibility.

Determining Your Claim Options and Their Value After a Fatal Car Accident

Like most cases, there is no set amount you are given when you file a personal injury claim, but there are two different claims you can file if you’ve lost a loved one to negligence. These cases are wrongful death and survivor action claims. They may appear to overlap at first glance but are distinct from one another, as are what they provide.

Wrongful Death

The claim you will be filing most of the time. A wrongful death claim is for the surviving members of the deceased family member. You must be a spouse, child, or family member that was financially dependent on the deceased driver. This claim covers:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of income
• Medical bills
• Funeral expenses

Damages that cover the income lost from the family member and the bills that follow their death are what is primarily covered in this lawsuit and are given to the surviving family members after a successful lawsuit.

While the exact amount must be determined when we evaluate your case, there is a limit on what you can get from non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. The limit is currently $920,000 and it is raised by $15,000 every year on October 1st. This number increases to $1,380,000 if there is more than one beneficiary.

Survivor Action

A survivor action claim differs in that it is a claim for the decedent. This action allows surviving family members to pursue legal action on behalf of the recently deceased driver.

The claim primarily covers any injury sustained by the victim before death. As each case is dynamic, the victim may not have died immediately in the accident, but after being taken to a hospital. Other damages include:

• Property damage
• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering

You must take into account that these only apply to the time between the victim’s injury and death. If they were killed immediately in the crash, most of these will not be recoverable.

The biggest difference in this lawsuit is that compensation goes directly to the decedent’s estate, rather than surviving family members.

Statute of Limitations for Your Claim in Harford County, MD

Maryland’s statute of limitations article §5–108 cites that wrongful death cases must be filed within 3 years of the aforementioned death. This also applies to survivor action claims.

Our Team Is Waiting to Take Your Case

The death of a loved one can and will turn the lives of you and your remaining family upside down. The physical and emotional loss of a loved one, the loss of transportation, the now questionable future of your family’s income, and the pressure to take legal action or potentially be put in a financial hole from sudden expenses and the lack of income. It’s a heavy burden and it shouldn’t have to be.

Our years of experience have equipped us to fight for grieving families trying to get what’s due them in the lieu of grieving, confusion, and insurance companies looking to save as much money as possible. We can’t bring your loved ones back, but we can fight to ensure that you are given financial relief so that you can focus on what’s most important to you.

Contact us for a free consultation, we are available seven days a week in Harford County.