When you’ve been in an accident, the last thing you may be thinking about is filing a lawsuit. Whether or not you may need a lawyer will depend, ultimately, on the extent of your injuries and the complexity of your personal injury insurance claim.
In most cases, after the accident you will be focused on your recovery, getting the appropriate medical treatment and making the necessary shifts to accommodate your injuries. All of this takes a lot of energy, physically and emotionally. However, the insurance company also has a goal — to settle your claim as quickly as possible. Now, if you are recovering well from your injury and your life hasn’t been sidelined as a result, then you may well negotiate or close out the claim with your insurer. End of story.
However, sometimes the insurer decides to offer you a settlement that does not cover your current costs or future medical costs. Or they may cut you off from receiving further paid medical treatment under the insurance claim, saying that you should have recovered by now based on comparing your recovery process with the recovery time of others with similar injuries. What can you do at this point but consider a lawsuit if you are still suffering from the trauma of the accident and still need medical treatment?
It is not wrong to hope to get your medical costs and other damages reimbursed. It is not wrong to expect that you should be compensated for lost wages, lost future income, damaged property, and all current and future anticipated medical costs including pain and suffering. You might not have the legal knowledge to force your insurance company to do the right thing — pay the costs that have come about as a result of the accident. And dealing with the insurer on your own can be intimidating, confusing and complicated. A lawsuit in which a skilled attorney represents you can be a guarantee that your rights will be protected.
Such a lawsuit can allow you to focus on what is important – getting better and getting your life back — while your attorney focuses on the legal matters.
For more than 30 years, personal injury attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has been a strong advocate for people’s rights. He cares deeply about his clients and is committed to seeing them get the help they need to recover and get their lives back on track after suffering injuries in an accident caused through no fault of their own.
His work has earned him honors, respect and recognition from his peers and clients. Mr. Smith has been included in the Maryland Super Lawyer List and has earned a “10.0 Superb” rating as a litigation attorney by AVVO and the “AV-Preeminent™*” Peer Rating by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He has also earned the Clients’ Choice Award from AVVO, based on average client reviews of 5 stars — the highest client review possible — and has also been named a Top-Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer magazine and Martindale-Hubbell (2012).
Discuss Your Concerns About Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
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Attorney Jonathan Scott Smith protects the rights of clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and criminal defense cases throughout Maryland, including Columbia, Clarksville, Sykesville, Fulton, Elkridge, Frederick, Mt. Airy, Ellicott City, Laurel, Westminster and Baltimore, and throughout Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland.
*AV® Preeminent™, BV® Distinguished™ and Rated are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories — legal ability and general ethical standards.