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Asked on April 15, 2009 under Personal Injury, Maryland
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
I am sorry to hear about this incident and that you have suffered as a result. Maryland is a contributory negligence state, which means that if a plaintiff contributes to the accident, they are totally barred from recovery. Although the prior post referenced the potential for "huge" damages, note that nothing is automatic and insurance carriers may fight aggressively against such pedestrian claims - much depends on the specific facts of the case (e.g., did you cross in a designated crosswalk, if you were running on the side of the road what time of day, what conditions, etc.)
The first "contributing attorney" answer seems to come from a different state with different law - I strongly encourage you to seek the advice of a local attorney licensed to practice in the state where the accident occurred (which appears to be Maryland).
You may lose valuable legal rights with the passage of time and are encouraged to seek legal counsel from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Note that this post does not constitute legal advice and the specifics of your particular situation may affect how a general type answer applies.
Sailor, if the taxicab driver who hit you was negligent, and you were not as negligent (in most states) or partially at fault (in a few states) you are entitled to recover damages. To the extent you were partially at fault (in most states) your recovery is reduced pro-rata.
In any case where the accident results in permanent disability, the damages often can be huge if you are properly represented by a good attorney.
In such cases, apart from the issues of "fault" the key issue is do the defendants (typically the driver and the taxi owner) have sufficient insurance and other assets to pay the full damages?
To get a great auto accident lawyer visit http://www.AttorneyPages.com. Lawyers handling such cases typically do so on a contingency fee basis and you pay them only from the recovery they obtain for you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.
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