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Your Rockville 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 Rockville, 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.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Maryland injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
Questions To Ask A Rockville Injury Attorney
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- 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).
- The damage limit. Ask how the statutory cap on noneconomic damages applies to someone with your injuries (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108).
- 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 people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
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 Rockville? Get matched with an attorney now.
Maryland’s Contributory Negligence Rule
People often assume that being partly at fault only lowers an award. In Maryland that is not always so. The state follows the common law rule of contributory negligence, which can bar a recovery when the injured person’s own negligence contributed to the harm. The Court of Appeals of Maryland reaffirmed the rule in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013), declining to abrogate it.
Because that decision dates from 2013, confirm with an attorney how the rule is applied today. Until then, be careful about statements to insurers on what you were doing, how fast you were going or whether you were watching the road.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
The general limit for a civil action at law in Maryland is three years from when it accrues, unless the Code provides a different period (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101). For a death, an action under the wrongful death subtitle is filed within three years after the death of the injured person, with exceptions in the statute (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904).
A minor or a mentally incompetent claimant may file within the lesser of three years or the applicable period of limitations after the disability is removed (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-201). That section does not apply if the limitations period still has more than three years to run when the disability ends.
When A Death Is Involved
An action for wrongful death under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904 is for the benefit of the wife, husband, parent and child of the deceased person, with exceptions the statute lists. If none of them qualify, the action is for the benefit of a person related to the deceased by blood or marriage who was substantially dependent on the deceased. Only one action lies for the death of a person.
Damages may be awarded to the beneficiaries in proportion to the injury resulting from the death. For the death of a spouse, a minor child, a parent of a minor child and in certain other cases, they may include mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society, companionship, comfort, protection and guidance, and they are not limited by the pecuniary loss rule.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Rockville Claim
Montgomery County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Rockville. The Maryland court directory lists the circuit court (6th Judicial Circuit) for Montgomery County in Rockville, at 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850. In Montgomery County, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems list of trauma centers shows Suburban Hospital (JHM) in Bethesda as a Level II trauma center.
Records matter later. Get the complete chart and an itemized bill from each place that treated you, and write down the date of every visit, including any transfer to another facility.
Getting Started With Your Claim In Rockville
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Maryland. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
Until someone calls, make a simple record: what happened, the date and time, names of anyone who saw it, the treatment you have had, and the days you missed from work. Keep every bill and letter in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where would my injury case be filed?
That depends on the defendants, the amount at stake and where the injury happened, so ask the attorney you speak with to name the court and explain why. The courts named in the section above are the ones listed by the state judiciary for this area.
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).
Is there a cap on what I can recover for pain and suffering?
There is a statutory cap on noneconomic damages, $980,000 for causes of action arising from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Medical bills and lost income are not covered by it (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 11-108).
Can a family member sue after a death?
Yes, for the people the statute names: the spouse, parent and child, or a substantially dependent relative if there are none. Only one action may be brought for the death (Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904).
Which hospital is closest to Rockville?
Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville is the closest Maryland acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 2.5 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Suburban Hospital in Bethesda is 6.5 miles away and MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney is 7.2 miles away. VA and military hospitals are not included. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Rockville does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are North Bethesda, 3.8 miles southeast; Gaithersburg, 5.0 miles northwest; and Bethesda, 6.9 miles south, all in a straight line from Rockville.
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.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Maryland Communities
The same matching service covers more of Maryland. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
