Cyclists and pedestrians are particularly vulnerable to being seriously injured by negligent drivers. After a pedestrian or bicycle accident, a person can suffer catastrophic injury, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury or even be killed in fatal accident. When this occurs, survivors and/or their family members will be left without answers or assistance. They may try to obtain necessary funds from the driver’s insurance company to pay for medical bills and other expenses. However, insurance companies that represent drivers who harm pedestrians and cyclists will not offer a full and fair settlement to people without an attorney. Insurance agents know they can minimize and delay a claim to save the company money. Baltimore, Maryland pedestrian accident attorney Susan R. Green, founder of Hardball Law, offers aggressive representation to survivors of car accidents. She knows that insurance companies do not treat victims of car wrecks fairly. Susan R. Green will negotiate with an insurance company to ensure an individual and family receives everything necessary to move forward, including medical bills paid, lost wages reimbursed and pain and suffering compensated. If the insurance company or defendant refuses to settle the personal injury case fairly, she will file a lawsuit in court and aggressively litigate the issues before a judge and jury.
Towson, Maryland pedestrian accident lawyer Susan R. Green serves all of MD including Annapolis, Baltimore, Catonsville, College Park, Dundalk, Glen Burnie & Towson.
How Do You Prove Fault in a Bike or Pedestrian Accident?
Insurance companies and defense lawyers will typically attempt to place the blame for the accident on the pedestrian or cyclist who was harmed to protect their client, the driver. However, in many cases, a negligent driver caused the accident because he or she was not paying attention, was talking on the phone or texting while driving, or failed to check a blind spot.
An attorney can investigate the cause of the accident to definitively prove fault. This can include but is not limited to:
- Obtaining the police report and speaking to the police officers who arrived at the scene
- Taking statements and depositions from the driver and any witnesses
- Investigating whether video surveillance exists from nearby businesses that may have captured the wreck
- Gathering any and all medical records and evidence of lost wages and other damages
- Hiring experts and accident reconstructionists to recreate the wreck
What is Contributory Negligence in Maryland?
The state of Maryland has adopted a doctrine called contributory negligence. Contributory negligence basically prevents an injured person from recovering any money from the driver who hit them, if the cyclist or pedestrian was partially at fault for the accident. This could even be true if the pedestrian or cyclist shares only a small fraction of fault for the wreck compared to the driver.
Insurance companies know all about contributory negligence, and they will use it to deny a legitimate claim. Insurance agents will seem friendly, but they will twist words to try to trick a pedestrian or cyclist into admitting partial fault when they are conducting a recorded telephone interview. This is one of the reasons an injured person needs their own personal injury attorney after an accident. If you have been hit by a car or truck, never speak to the driver’s insurance agent or agree to a recorded interview before you reach out to a lawyer. Your own attorney knows exactly what the insurance agent is trying to do when asking misleading questions or trying to put words in the injured party’s mouth.
Suffer an Injury on a Bike or as a Pedestrian? Call Annapolis Maryland Pedestrian Accident Attorney Susan R. Green
After a car accident that harms a bicyclist or pedestrian, the survivor of the wreck or a family who lost a loved one may not know where to turn for help. The insurance company of the driver does not represent you or your interests. It is their job to minimize or deny a rightful claim. However, University of Maryland pedestrian accident attorney Susan Green makes it her mission to fight for victims and hold negligent companies, employers and individuals accountable for their careless actions. Susan has a proven track record of successfully pursing full and fair settlements and verdicts for her clients.
Please click here to contact Hardball Law at (410) 494-7400 for a free consultation to discuss your legal options. Our law firm works personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only owe attorney fees after a verdict or settlement is obtained.
