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Your Silver Spring 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 Silver Spring, 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.
This page is general information, not legal advice. NeedAnAttorney.net matches people with attorneys and does not represent anyone. The legal points below come from Maryland’s statutes, and the form at the top of the page is how you reach an attorney.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Silver Spring
Ask these in any first conversation:
- 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).
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
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 Silver Spring? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Your Own Mistakes Can Affect A Claim
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.
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 Silver Spring Claim
The Census Bureau places Silver Spring in Montgomery County. Montgomery County’s circuit court (6th Judicial Circuit) is listed 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.
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 Silver Spring
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
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.
How far is the closest hospital from Silver Spring?
In a straight line the nearest Maryland acute care or critical access hospital is Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, 1.2 miles, an acute care hospital; Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring is 4.7 miles and Suburban Hospital in Bethesda is 4.8 miles. VA and military hospitals are not included. Call 911 in an emergency; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which nearby places does this site cover besides Silver Spring?
Closest by straight line are Hyattsville (4.5 miles southeast), Bethesda (5.4 miles west) and North Bethesda (5.8 miles northwest).
Does it cost anything to use this page to find an attorney?
No. The form is free, and many injury matters are handled on a contingency fee. Ask for the fee agreement in writing.
How long does an injury settlement take?
It varies with the injury and the insurer. Many claims wait until treatment has finished so the full cost is known, which can take months, and a lawsuit takes longer.
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).
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
Often not. Maryland follows contributory negligence, which can bar recovery when your own negligence contributed to the harm, and the state’s highest court declined to abrogate the rule in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013).
Serving Injured Clients Across Maryland
If your injury happened outside Silver Spring, one of these pages may fit better.
