Is it Worth Getting an Attorney For a Maryland Car Accident?

Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers | August 5, 2026 | Car Accident

Key Takeaways

• The steps you take immediately after a car accident are very important. Prioritize your safety, call 911, document the scene, seek medical attention as soon as, and notify your insurance company.
• Maryland’s uninsured motorist coverage can protect you if you’re hit by a driver without insurance.
• Car accident settlements are based on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
• Hiring an experienced car accident attorney at Alpert Schreyer, LLC will ensure you receive fair compensation and that your rights are protected.

After a car accident, getting your vehicle is usually just the beginning of a long road ahead. You may be facing physical injuries, high medical bills, lost wages, emotional trauma, as well as trying to figure out what you should do to protect your rights and make sure you receive fair compensation for the damages and pain you’ve endured. You may be wondering whether hiring a car accident attorney is worth it, or if you should handle the claim on your own. The insurance company has hardened trained professionals who work everyday to stop you from getting a full and fair recovery. You want a trained, seasoned, professional who fights for you and knows how to stop the insurance company’s tricks. Having an experienced car accident trial attorney can make a significant difference when injuries, at-fault is disputed, or insurance adjusters try and pressure you to settle.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Maryland, the aftermath can feel overwhelming and scary, which is why it’s important to contact an experienced personal injury trial attorney at Alpert Schreyer, LLC to protect your rights, start investigating your case immediately, and work to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call our law firm 24/7 at (301) 709-4774 for a free consultation or fill out our online form.

What You Should Do After a Car Accident in Maryland

Here are the steps you should take immediately after being in a car crash.

Prioritize Your Well-Being & Safety

Your physical well-being is the most important thing after a car accident. Check yourself for any injuries, and if it’s safe to do so, move the vehicle to the side of the road. 

Call 911

After prioritizing your safety, call 911 right away. A police report provides an official record of the accident, and is an important piece of evidence for an insurance claim or potential legal case. When speaking with law enforcement, focus on the facts, avoid making assumptions, and don’t speculate about what happened. Statements you make after an accident could potentially be used against you.

If you know you’re hurt, tell the responding officer, but if you’re not sure, don’t say you don’t feel injured. It’s better to say you’re still assessing how you feel rather than tell the officer you don’t feel any pain. This is in fact a more accurate and true response because you may not yet know that you are injured. Injuries like whiplash, concussions, and soft tissue damage often don’t show symptoms until hours or even days later. If you tell the police you’re fine at the scene, the insurance company may later use that statement to argue that you are not injured, or that  your injuries weren’t caused by the crash when in reality you just weren’t aware of them yet.

Document the Scene

If you can, document the scene. Take photos of damage to all the vehicles, skid marks, traffic signs, road conditions, injuries, and any debris. Get contact and insurance details from the other driver, and information from any witnesses at the scene.

Get Medical Attention As Soon As Possible

Go to your primary care physician or urgent care as soon as possible. Adrenaline often masks serious injuries such as whiplash, internal bleeding, or concussions. A medical evaluation not only ensures you receive proper treatment, but also creates an official record linking your injuries to the accident. After initial evaluation, it is important to follow up with specialists such as an Orthopaedic surgeon who will be able to do a more in depth evaluation and treatment plan. This assures you are getting the very best care and high level documented evidence of your injuries, what caused them, and what care is medically necessary. Authoritative documentation of your injuries will help your attorney to prove your case when the Insurance company tries to avoid responsibility.

Notify Your Insurance Company

After a car accident, notify your insurance company as soon as you can to start the claims process. Provide clear and accurate details about what happened, avoid speculating about fault or downplaying your injuries. Statements made during the claims process can impact your ability to recover compensation.

It’s important to not talk to the defendant’s Insurance, and not to give a recorded statement until you’ve retained an attorney and the attorney can speak on your behalf. The defendant’s insurance company will look for you to say the wrong thing that they can misinterpret to change the story and avoid responsibility. An experienced attorney knows how to avoid these problems.

What Happens If You’re Hit By an Uninsured Maryland Driver?

If the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance, you’ll likely need to use your own Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage. Maryland Insurance companies are required to offer UM coverage, which can help cover damages that the other driver’s insurance would have paid if they had coverage. This is a benefit that you pay for on your insurance to protect you if the defendant doesn’t have Insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance. Talking with a car accident attorney at Alpert Schreyer, LLC will help you understand what your options are and put together a strong case.

What Factors Affect Car Accident Settlements?

Insurance companies and car accident attorneys look at several factors to calculate a fair settlement amount for injuries and pain and suffering.

Severity of Injuries

The severity of your injuries is one of the most important factors when determining the value of your settlement, which is why strong documentation is imperative to show how the accident affected your health, day-to-day life, and finances.

Medical Expenses

Your settlement includes all medical bills related to the accident, including but not limited to: ambulance rides, emergency room visits, diagnostic tests, prescriptions, and physical therapy.

If your doctor believes you will need ongoing specialist care or pain management for months or years, your settlement should factor in these future medical costs.

Lost Wages

A severe injury can keep you out of work for weeks, months, or longer. Your settlement should reimburse you for the income you lost while recovering, if your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job entirely, or limits your future earning capacity.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering are non-economic damages that compensate you for the physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life caused by the car accident. Unlike medical bills or lost wages, these damages don’t have a fixed dollar value.

Lifestyle Changes / Loss of Joy

These are all of the ways that your injuries impact or change the way you live and enjoy your everyday life. It can be activities that you no longer do as a result of your injuries, things that you have to do differently because of your injuries, and things that you continue to do but your enjoyment of them is diminished due to your injuries. Some examples may be changes to your participation in sports, hobbies, chores, relationships with family members or a partner. These may be some of the most important things in a person’s life and when they are impacted by an injury, the loss is one of the most important aspects of damages.

Our Maryland Car Accident Attorneys Know How to Maximize Personal Injury Claim Settlements

Insurance adjusters’ goal is to resolve claims quickly and minimize payouts. This is why you want our experienced trial attorneys on your case who the insurance companies fear because they know if they don’t offer you a great settlement, they’ll have to fight the case in trial and may be forced to pay even more.

If you’ve been in a car accident, contact our Maryland car accident lawyers for a free consultation 24/7 by calling us at (301) 720-1309 or filling out our online form. During your consultation we will:

• Review the facts and evidence, including:
  • The date, time, and location of the accident
  • Cause of the accident
  • All parties involved, and whether any witnesses were present
  • The police report
  • Photos, videos, or other evidence of the scene
  • The extent of your injuries and symptoms, medical treatment received, and any future treatment recommendations
  • Time missed from work, lost income, and any future lost income
  • The impact of the injuries on your daily life and activities
  • Actions or negligence by the other party that may have led to the incident
  • Deadlines that could affect your right to file a claim
  • Determine if another party is at-fault and if you have a strong case.
  • Discuss the next steps for your claim

We have offices in Waldorf, Rockville, Lanham, and Frederick, and proudly serve clients in Prince George’s County, Calvert County, Frederick County, St. Mary’s County, County, Charles County, all of Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

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