If another party’s negligence caused your motor vehicle accident, you have the right to seek fair compensation for your devastating injuries. Unfortunately, this process is rarely ever easy. But it can be much less stressful with help from an accident lawyer at Kettell & Associates, LLC. We put our clients first and leave no stone unturned when collecting evidence to build a case.

In Maryland, the insurance company of the at-fault driver will generally be responsible for paying your accident-related expenses. Insurers are focused more on making money than paying for your injuries after a crash their policyholder causes. In fact, the insurance company will likely do whatever it can to avoid paying you the full amount it owes you. It may try to trick you into saying something incriminating during a recorded statement or get you to agree to a settlement offer much lower than what you deserve.

The good news is that when Kettell & Associates handles your claim, you will have someone with knowledge from the inside. We know the tactics insurance companies use to deny or reduce claims because he used to represent them. He now uses this knowledge to protect injured parties from greedy insurers.

What can I expect from a car accident claim?
Successful accident claims require quite a bit of work. However, you will not need to do any of it. We handle the following so you can focus on your recovery:

Gathering Evidence

Proving another party was liable for your accident and injuries requires evidence. This evidence might include:

☛ Photos and surveillance video of the accident and accident scen
☛ Eyewitness testimony

☛ The police report (will include any citations the other driver received)
☛ The driver’s cell phone records (to determine if he was texting or using his phone at the time of collision)
☛ Medical records tying the injury to the accident

To collect this information, we will conduct a detailed investigation which will likely involve:

☛ Talking to scientific and medical experts
☛ Contacting your physician and gathering hospital records
☛ Talking to eyewitnesses
☛ Researching state traffic laws relating to your crash
☛ Reviewing the police report and speaking with the officers who responded to the accident

Building Your Case
Once we have all the facts about what happened, we will start preparing your claim. A valid claim requires proving a party behaved negligently. We must prove that the other party owed you a duty of care (e.g., to drive safely), but breached that duty (e.g., ran a red light). We must also show that the breach caused your accident and that you suffered injuries in the crash.
Proving the other party’s negligence is imperative to your case. Maryland is a contributory negligence state, meaning that if you are partially at-fault, recovering damages can be really difficult. Therefore, we will need every possible piece of evidence to show that you were not at-fault in any way. This is why it is so important that we start working on your case as soon as possible after the crash.
Some cases are more straightforward than others. For example, if another vehicle rear-ends your vehicle on the highway, it is very likely the driver was negligent by following your vehicle too closely. However, many claims are not this cut-and-dry. No matter how challenging your case is, we will do everything we can to prove your side of the story.

Recovering Damages
If the court rules in your favor, you may recover accident-related damages such as:

Medical costs: The amount you recover for your medical care will depend on your medical records, expert testimony, and testimony from your physicians regarding your injuries from the accident, the necessary treatments you have undergone, and your need for future care.

Lost wages: This can include wages you lost recovering and attending doctor’s appointments, as well as any wages you lost by working less hours or taking a lesser-paying job. Pay stubs and employment records can help us calculate this amount.

“Pain and suffering” and inconvenience: It may be difficult to put a dollar value on noneconomic damages, but we will use medical, eyewitness, and personal testimony to establish that your injuries have caused pain, suffering, and inconvenience. We will prove that your injuries have kept you from doing the things you love, or caused you to feel depressed, angry, or anxious.

Is there anything I can do to help my case?
Yes. There are three very important things you can do to help your case:

Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
If you stop attending your doctor’s appointments or ignore medical advice, you might give the insurer all it needs to deny your claim. If you do not agree with what your doctor says, seek a second opinion.

Watch What You Say
Be careful what you say about your accident. When speaking with the insurer do not apologize for the accident or say that you are okay; the insurer can use these statements against you. Do not agree to a recorded statement and try to stay off social media until your case settles.

Trust your case to Kettell & Associates motor vehicle accident lawyers.
Filing an accident case requires thorough investigation, preparation, and strong attention to detail. The team at Kettell & Associates, LLC is able and willing to take on your accident claim. We are well-versed in all aspects relating to accident claims, from complex court procedures to detailed Maryland traffic statutes. We will use our knowledge to give you the best legal representation possible. Call 410-877-3966 to discuss your case today.