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Your Germantown 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). A minor or a mentally incompetent claimant may file within the lesser of three years or the normal period after the disability ends (Courts and Judicial Proceedings 5-201). The trial court for Montgomery County sits in Rockville, at 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
If you are reading this after an accident in Germantown, you are probably tired, sore and unsure whom to trust. That is normal. A few rules learned early can keep you from making choices that are hard to undo.
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.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Germantown
Whoever you speak to, a few answers tell you a lot:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. Maryland’s general limit for a civil action is three years (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101).
- 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 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.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Injured in Germantown? Get matched with an attorney now.
Maryland’s Contributory Negligence Rule
Maryland does not simply reduce an award by a claimant’s share of fault. The Maryland high court said in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013) that it declined to abrogate the state’s long established common law rule of contributory negligence.
Under the rule, a claimant whose own negligence contributed to the injury can be shut out of a recovery. The decision is from 2013, so an attorney should confirm how the rule is applied now, and early facts such as the scene, the lighting and what witnesses saw can decide whether your share of fault becomes an issue.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
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. A minor or a mentally incompetent claimant may file within the lesser of three years or the normal period after the disability ends (Courts and Judicial Proceedings 5-201).
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 Germantown
Germantown lies in Montgomery County, according to Census Bureau place and county names. For Montgomery County, the Maryland court directory shows the circuit court (6th Judicial Circuit) in Rockville, at 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850. Another facility on the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems list of trauma centers, Suburban Hospital (JHM) in Bethesda, is also in Montgomery County; it is listed as a Level II trauma center.
Ask every provider for your full records and an itemized bill, and keep a running list of appointments. A transfer between hospitals leaves two sets of records, so request both.
What To Do Once You Are Ready To Talk In Germantown
Fill in the form at the top of this page. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Maryland. The form is free to use, and sending it does not mean you have hired anyone.
Before the first call, collect the basics: the date, the place, names of witnesses, your medical visits and your missed work. A single folder for bills, letters and photographs saves time later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which court would hear an injury case from Germantown?
An attorney will tell you which court has jurisdiction in your situation. The state judiciary’s court listing, described above, shows where its local courts are.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in Germantown?
Three years from the date the claim accrues for a civil action at law (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101), and three years after the death for wrongful death, with 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).
Does Maryland put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
Yes. For a cause of action arising between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027, noneconomic damages may not exceed $980,000, and the limit rises $15,000 each October 1 (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108).
Who benefits from a Maryland wrongful death action?
Under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904, the spouse, parents and children of the deceased benefit, or a substantially dependent relative by blood or marriage if there are none. Only one action lies for a death.
Which hospital is closest to Germantown?
Holy Cross Germantown Hospital in Germantown is the closest Maryland acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 1.2 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville is 6.4 miles away and MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney is 11.2 miles away. VA and military hospitals are not included. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Germantown have their own page here?
Gaithersburg is 4.1 miles southeast of Germantown, Rockville is 8.5 miles southeast and North Bethesda is 12.2 miles southeast, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
Is there a fee for the form on this page?
No fee for the form. Many attorneys take injury cases on a contingency basis, so ask how it works and get the terms in writing.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Maryland Communities
People are hurt in every part of Maryland. These pages cover other communities.
