If you’ve been in an Ocean City or Baltimore auto accident, there are important deadlines for your case. If you miss the statutes of limitations, you lose your chance to get compensation for your injuries.
The statute of limitations for car accident cases in Maryland is three years from the date of the accident.
There are, however, several instances where different time limitations apply.
If there is a fatality, then families have three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim.
If the plaintiff is a minor at the time of the injury, the young person has their 21st birthday to file a claim.
Maryland statutes of limitations for government claims
If you have a Maryland car accident claim against the federal government such as an accident involving a postal employee, you must provide notice within two years of the date of the accident. Notice doesn’t mean you have to file a lawsuit but it does mean that you have to provide the specified authority with required information. An Ocean City car accident lawyer can provide more details on the notice requirements.
Claims against the Maryland state government or a local government in Maryland have a deadline of one-year from the date of the accident to provide notice to the jurisdiction.
If you’ve been in an accident involving a bus or the light rail, then the Maryland Transportation Authority must be provided notice within one year of the accident.
Insurance company statutes of limitations
In Maryland, an application for PIP benefits must be made within one year of the accident.
If you are making a claim against your insurance company because the driver lacked insurance or didn’t carry enough insurance to cover the damages, then you are making a claim for uninsured or underinsured benefits. These claims have a three-year time limit which is calculated from the date you knew or should have known that you had a claim against the insurance company.
Claims made to the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) where the negligent driver is either uninsured or cannot be located have a 180-day notice requirement.
Exceptions to Maryland statute of limitations
Sometimes the statute of limitations is delayed because the victim of a car accident has suffered from a physical or mental disability that prevents them from being able to purse their claim. In those circumstances, the Maryland courts have postponed the deadline for the duration of the disability.
The statute of limitations can also be rolled back when fraud by the at-fault party conceals its liability to the injured victim such as in a hit-and-run accident when the at-fault driver flees the scene and cannot be identified.
If you’ve been involved in a Baltimore or Ocean City auto accident, don’t wait until you’re near the end of the statute of limitations to hire an attorney to handle your case. This short listing doesn’t cover all of the applicable deadlines. Talk to an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Some recommend that you talk to a lawyer at least six months before the applicable statute of limitations ends.
Maronick Law, LLC is open during the pandemic and will continue to meet your Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Baltimore, Essex, Ocean City, Towson, White Marsh car accident lawyer needs. If you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident, you should talk to a car accident attorney. An Ocean City auto accident lawyer can make sure that you are fully compensated for the expenses you face while recovering.
If you have access to Zoom, we can meet with you remotely. The consultation is free. You can contact Thomas Maronick on his cellphone at 202.288.0167, the law office at 410.402.5571 or via the website.