Maryland Auto Accidents: Four Ways To Protect The Value Of Your Case

What can you do to protect the value of your case while you’re at the scene of the auto accident? That’s the question we asked Doug Stevens, a Maryland attorney who has practiced law for 30 years and whose firm focuses on personal injury and car accident matters in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He says that these four actions will help:

1. Getting tag numbers. Getting the other vehicle’s tag number is really important. It’s amazing how many people leave the scene. A lot of times, if you can get the tag number of a witness, we’re able to convince the witness (who decided he didn’t want to give his name to the police at the time of the accident) to talk to us. They may decide to be a good samaritan and provide us with the information we need.
2. Taking photos. Take photos if you’ve got a camera. That always helps. Now that many cell phones have cameras, it makes it much easier.
3. Obtaining witness information. Get as much witness information as you can. Police officers often indicate that witness information will be in the police report, but sometimes it isn’t. Police officers simply don’t have a personal stake in the matter.
4. Keeping records. Keep notes, write down what happened and keep a diary of what you could and couldn’t do after the accident. Take progress photos of your injuries. Many times, bruises can be worse on days five and six, just as the pain can be worse on days three and four.

   If an older person couldn’t pick up his grandchildren or if a younger mother couldn’t hold her baby while cooking dinner, those things count. Luckily, we homo sapiens are tough. So we tend to discount, and even forget, what we went through. That’s another reason to ask a spouse or significant other to make notes as to what their loved one went through because a lot of times the best testimony comes from somebody who says, ‘My mom went to my graduation, but I saw that she was wincing with pain in the wheelchair.’ Mom herself might be too embarrassed by that and might not want to emphasize her discomfort to her kids.

While these simple actions may help to protect the value of your case, it’s also important to understand what damages you might be entitled to in Maryland. Stevens provided insight on Maryland damages here.

Contacting an experienced Maryland car accident attorney will be able evaluate your situation and discuss what options might be best for you.