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Your Baltimore Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Maryland a civil action must generally be filed within three years from the date it accrues (Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101). The trial court for Baltimore city sits in Baltimore, at 100 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Getting hurt rarely comes at a convenient time. You may be in pain, missing work and answering calls from an insurance company while trying to learn what you are owed. If your injury in Baltimore was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Maryland injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
Questions To Ask A Baltimore Injury Attorney
Ask these in any first conversation:
- If you were partly to blame. Ask how contributory negligence would affect your case; Maryland’s highest court declined to abandon the rule in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013).
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule is three years (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101).
- The cap. Ask how Maryland’s limit on noneconomic damages would apply to your injuries (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108).
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Common Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
Walkers and cyclists hurt by a vehicle should write down the location, the time of day, the lighting and the signals as soon as they can. Witnesses who stopped are valuable, so ask for their contact details before they leave.
Falls and unsafe property
Slips, trips and falls come from spills, uneven surfaces, poor lighting and broken stairs. What matters is who controlled the place and how long the problem was there, so document the hazard and tell the owner or manager promptly.
Wrongful death
If a loved one died because of another person’s wrongful act or omission, a different set of rules applies. Maryland law brings a wrongful death action for the benefit of the surviving spouse, parent and child of the deceased person (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904). You do not have to sort this out alone or quickly; an attorney can explain who is allowed to act and what the dates are.
Injured in Baltimore? Get matched with an attorney now.
Maryland’s Contributory Negligence Rule
Many states reduce an award by the injured person’s share of fault. Maryland has long followed a stricter rule, contributory negligence, under which a person whose own negligence contributed to the injury can be barred from recovering. In Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013), Maryland’s highest court declined to abrogate the long established common law rule.
That decision is from 2013, and any later change would have to come from the legislature or a later court decision, so ask the attorney you speak with whether the rule still applies the way it did. What it means in practice is that your own actions before and during the accident will be examined closely, and what you say to an insurer about them matters.
What Maryland Caps In An Injury Award
For a personal injury action in which the cause of action arises on or after October 1, 1994, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108 limits an award for noneconomic damages to $500,000, and that figure increases by $15,000 on October 1 of each year beginning in 1995. The increased amount applies to causes of action arising between October 1 of that year and September 30 of the following year. For a cause of action arising between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027, the limit is $980,000.
Noneconomic damages in a personal injury action means pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, disfigurement, loss of consortium or other nonpecuniary injury. Punitive damages are not noneconomic damages under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108, and medical bills and lost earnings are not within the cap.
How Long You Have To File
A civil action at law in Maryland must be filed within three years from the date it accrues unless another provision of the Code gives a different period (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101). A wrongful death action must be filed within three years after the death, with exceptions for occupational disease and for certain homicide cases (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904). Missing the date usually ends the case, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
If the injured person was a minor or mentally incompetent when the claim accrued, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-201 allows the action to be filed within the lesser of three years or the applicable period of limitations after the disability is removed. Imprisonment, absence from the state and marriage are not disabilities that extend the time.
When A Death Is Involved
If the injury ended in a death, a different part of the law applies. Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904 provides that an action is for the benefit of the surviving wife, husband, parent and child, and for a dependent relative if none of them qualify. Only one such action may be brought for a death.
The statute lets the beneficiaries seek damages for the harm the death caused them, including, in the cases it lists, mental anguish and the loss of companionship, comfort and guidance. The noneconomic part of those damages is subject to the cap in Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108, which is higher when there are two or more beneficiaries.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Baltimore
The Census Bureau places Baltimore in Baltimore city. Baltimore city’s 8th Circuit circuit court is listed in Baltimore, at 100 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. In Baltimore, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems list of trauma centers names The Johns Hopkins Hospital as a Level I trauma center. Bayview Medical Center (JHM) in Baltimore appears on the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems list of trauma centers as a Level II trauma center. Sinai Hospital of Baltimore (LifeBridge) in Baltimore appears on the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems list of trauma centers as a Level II trauma center.
Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment. If you were transferred to another hospital, ask for the paperwork from both ends of the transfer.
What Happens When You Send The Form From Baltimore
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Maryland. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a limit on noneconomic damages in Maryland?
Yes. Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108 caps noneconomic damages at $980,000 for causes of action arising from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, and the cap grows by $15,000 every October 1.
Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Maryland?
The action is for the benefit of the wife, husband, parent and child of the deceased, and for a person related by blood or marriage who was substantially dependent on the deceased if none of them qualify (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904).
What should I save for my claim?
Save treatment records and bills, photographs, the report number if there is one, pay stubs that show lost work, estimates for repairs, and every letter or email from an insurance company.
Should I speak with the other driver’s insurance company?
You are free to talk to them, but you are not required to give a recorded statement immediately. Saying that you want advice first is a reasonable answer.
How much does it cost to be matched with an attorney here?
Nothing. The form is free to use, and many injury attorneys work on a contingency fee. Ask to see the agreement in writing before you sign.
How long will my injury claim take?
There is no fixed time. Claims often wait until you finish treatment so the total losses are known, and cases that go to court take longer than ones that settle.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Maryland?
For most injury claims, three years from when the claim accrues (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101). A wrongful death action is filed within three years after the death, subject to exceptions (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904).
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
That is a serious risk in Maryland. The state follows contributory negligence, which can bar a claim when the injured person’s negligence contributed, and the rule was reaffirmed in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013).
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Maryland
The same matching service covers more of Maryland. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
