Single Vehicle Accident Claim

When we think about traffic accidents, we generally visualize fender-benders between two or more vehicles. Of course, the term fender-bender can make these events seem somewhat harmless, but people are injured, even fatally, on the nation’s highways every day.

In a two-car or multiple-car accident, the injured and those with property damage can seek compensation from the at-fault driver, but what happens if you as the driver are involved in an accident of your own making and you are, so to speak, perhaps the only victim? In other words, you’ve been involved in a single-vehicle accident. 

A lot will depend on the circumstances and the results of your accident, needless to say, but a lot also depends on the auto insurance coverage you carry. A basic insurance policy covers only injury and property damage you inflict on others and does not provide compensation for damages and injuries you inflict on yourself. 

If you’ve been involved in a single-vehicle accident in or around Rockville, Maryland, and need to pursue your legal options, contact the car accident and personal injury attorneys at Mohammadi & Humayun, LLC. We will discuss the circumstances of your accident with you and advise you of the steps you need to take going forward.  

Possible Causes of a Single-Vehicle Accident

Of course, a single-vehicle accident doesn’t always involve only damages or injuries to the driver of the vehicle. Their car can cause damage to other people’s property, for instance, by smashing into a fence or even a building. It might also even involve injuries to pedestrians and others on foot at the scene of the accident, for instance, on the roadside or in a public space adjacent to the road. 

The cause of such accidents can vary but may often involve distracted driving or even recklessness. Trying to respond to a text message can be enough to take one’s attention momentarily away from the duty to observe all road conditions and drive safely. Speeding can also be a culprit in that it reduces the time a driver has to react to a sudden change in conditions. 

A driver’s distraction, recklessness, or inattention to traffic laws such as speeding are not the only causes of single-vehicle accidents. A driver also may swerve to avoid another vehicle that makes an illegal lane change and then crash into something or someone on the roadside. An animal may also stray in the path of a moving vehicle and cause the driver to change direction and cause an accident. An object on the roadway, perhaps even something that fell from a vehicle in front, can also result in an accident.

In other words, a driver in a single-vehicle accident is not always at fault. If a crate falls from a truck in front of the driver and, in trying to avoid the obstacle, the driver creates a single-vehicle accident, resulting in damage or harm to others, the truck driver who created the obstacle could be legally liable. The problem, however, lies in finding and identifying the driver of that truck. 

Maryland Auto Insurance Laws

If you are injured in a single-vehicle crash in Maryland and you have just a basic insurance policy, you may be out of luck. You’ll either have to rely on your personal health insurance or pay the medical expenses yourself. If you cause property damage, your basic policy should help in that regard, however.  

Maryland’s basic insurance requirements can be summed up by the numerals 30-60-15. The 30 stands for bodily injury coverage of $30,000 for one individual you injure in a car accident you cause. The 60 stands for $60,00 in bodily injury coverage for two or more people you injure, and the 15 for $15,000 in property damage you cause. 

If you want to cover injuries to you and your passengers, you have the options of purchasing Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Med Pay (Medical Payment) coverage. PIP reimburses for medical expenses and lost wages; Med Pay covers only medical expenses. Collision coverage, also optional, can pay for damages to your vehicle.

Maryland is an at-fault state, which means that if you are involved in an auto accident, you can make a claim or file a lawsuit against the driver who is at fault for what happened. Drivers by accepting their driver’s license assume a duty of care to others around them while driving. If they breach that duty of care through their actions or inactions, they are assumed to be negligent and thus liable for any resulting damages. The same holds true if you are the operator of a vehicle in a single-vehicle accident. 

Rely on Us in a Single-Vehicle Accident

If you or a loved one has been involved in a single-vehicle accident in or around Rockville, Maryland, there can be consequences. You may be ticketed for your actions or may even face criminal charges such as driving under the influence (DUI). You may also be liable for damages you cause. You may also have a solid reason to pin the fault on others who obstructed your driving or caused you to change direction, resulting in a collision.  

Bring your case to us at Mohammadi & Humayun, LLC, and let us work closely with you to find a path to resolving the situation in the best way possible. Our attorneys proudly serve clients in Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, and Fredrick County.