Maryland, Virginia, & Washington, D.C. Car Accident Lawyer

Car accidents can happen for a number of reasons and are not a respecter of persons or locations. However, there are a few common reasons that car accidents happen in cities that typically are not common factors in rural settings. Much of the difference has to do with the number of drivers in a concentrated area, along with the structural development of roadways in urban areas. In many cases, these factors are rarely even present in rural, country areas.

If you are involved in a Washington, D.C., car accident, it’s important to have a skilled attorney on your side that has experience dealing with the unique details of urban-related car accidents.

The following are some common factors that contribute to car accidents in cities:

• Large volumes of traffic on multi-lane highways, which lead to tailgating, reckless driving (including speeding and improper lane changes), and road rage. Drivers often become impatient in traffic jams, road construction, and detours. Impatience, road rage, and dangerous driving habits can lead to traffic accidents.
• One-way streets, limited u-turns, and bus or bike lanes can be confusing for motorists who are unfamiliar with local street directions. Motorists can easily drive against traffic on one-way streets, or make dangerous u-turns in unsafe areas.
• Potholes can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles or can damage car tires. Potholes are frequently caused by excessive traffic in a specific area, as well as by heavy semi-trucks traveling on roads not designed to sustain such weight.
• Running red lights can be extremely dangerous to drivers and other, unsuspecting motorists. Every day, news headlines across the country reflect the dangers of running red lights and the connection to tragic car accidents.

Were you injured in a car accident while driving in the D.C. area? Our team of highly qualified attorneys at Lewis & Tompkins may be able to help you collect financial compensation for your injuries and damages. Call 202-296-0666 today to speak with a skilled car crash attorney about your case, or fill out our online contact form.

Property damage (we use the acronym PD) is handled by one of two insurance carriers — yours or theirs. That sounds obvious, but here is the difference: If you have insurance — called collision or comprehensive coverage — then your own insurance company will fix your car.

Lewis & Tompkins will assist you in making the appropriate claim and getting a property damage adjuster assigned to your claim. Your insurance company will evaluate your property damage, write an estimate, and should authorize the body shop of your choice to begin work. The benefits of using your own insurance coverage (like comprehensive or collision coverage) are the ease of getting the repair started. Generally, your own insurance company should — not always — treat you better than the other person’s insurance.

The drawback of using your insurance is that you have to pay your deductible to get your car out of the shop. Don’t worry. We will make sure that the other party in your accident will reimburse you for your deductible. The person who caused the collision will be responsible for fixing your car as well. The defendant’s insurance company will also assign an adjuster to evaluate the damage to your car, write an estimate, and make arrangements for the repair. However, the defendant’s insurance company will not authorize any repair until they conduct an investigation of the facts of the collision. Understand that in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, the law governing negligence cases is limited by the affirmative defense of “contributory negligence.” That means the defendant’s insurance company will not make any payments at all, for property damage or other claims, until it accepts that its driver is solely responsible for causing the collision.

The benefits of using the defendant’s insurance are the lack of deductible. The car should be repaired at a shop of your choice, and everything will be paid by the defendant’s insurance company. No deductible. The drawback of using the defendant’s insurance is that the investigation can, and usually does, take more than a couple of days. While the defendant’s insurance company conducts its investigation, your car sits.

Most of us have insurance so we can rest assured that in case of trouble, our backs are covered. The first thought that we all have after hearing that a friend was in an accident is usually, “At least the other driver has insurance!” The reality is, however, that insurance is not any form of assurance that you will be taken care of in your time of need.

Despite the entire purpose of the insurance industry is to protect its paying customers and the people that its customers cause damage to or injure, the simple fact is that insurance companies are businesses with a bottom line. If these companies made a habit out of paying out fair and substantial claims, it would be unlikely that the business would survive at all.

By attempting to speak to or handle the insurance companies at all, you are potentially entering yourself in a risky situation. Divulging too much information about your motorcycle accident in Maryland is only giving the insurance companies fuel to prove that you deserve less money than the amount to which you are entitled. Accepting any amount of money may prevent you from seeking more money should your injuries or damage prove worse than initially thought.

Speaking to a district-area motorcycle lawyer does not automatically rope you into going through a long, drawn-out trial. In fact, bringing a lawyer into the picture as early as possible can help you wrap up your claim even sooner. To find out if we can help you with your accident, talk to our Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland motorcycle accident attorneys at Lewis & Tompkins now — call us at 202-296-0666 for a free consultation.

Because of the complex nature of motorcycle riding and accidents, determining fault for a motorcycle accident in Washington, D.C., is often difficult and filled with contention. Unfortunately, many motorists don’t view motorcycles on the same level as other vehicles like cars, trucks, or vans. Motorcycles, and their riders, can often be ignored or underestimated on the roadway, causing serious bike accidents.

On the other side of the spectrum is the reality that some motorcyclists drive recklessly, excessively speeding, lane-splitting, or riding in large groups that can intimidate other motorists. Because of the numerous opinions and stereotypes on both sides, determining fault after an accident can become extremely complicated.

Common Motorist Errors

• Making left turns against oncoming motorcyclists, or attempting to merge into a lane in front of oncoming motorcycles
• Failing to allow adequate distance between vehicles and motorcycles, resulting in “clipping” the bike while changing lanes or vehicle speeds

Common Motorcyclist Errors

• Excessive speeding
• Risky riding habits like lane-splitting or filtering

In the aftermath of a motorcycle accident, motorists and insurance companies may try to place blame on the biker, even though accident-fault against the car driver may seem obvious. Insurance “experts” may try to argue that motorcyclist failed to slow down quickly enough or were not visible enough to avoid the accident. A responding officer’s opinions regarding motorcycles and their riders may also impact initial accident reports.

However, at Lewis & Tompkins, we know that fault in your Washington, D.C., motorcycle accident case cannot be simply determined by opinions or claims. The facts and the evidence will almost always show who was responsible. The experience and tenacity of a skilled motorcycle accident attorney can help you seek the justice and financial compensation you may deserve for your accident injuries.

Contact our D.C. metro-area law offices today at 202-296-0666 to discuss your motorcycle accident case at no cost to you. Our dedicated and experienced team will answer your questions, explain your rights, and discuss a plan for filing a claim for compensation.

Pedestrian accidents with cars are unfortunately fairly common in the Washington, D.C., greater metropolitan area. With lots of traffic, poorly placed and marked crosswalks, and heavy foot traffic, the opportunity to be injured due to mistake becomes more and more likely, especially as the weather warms up and school is out of session.

The first thing you need to know about insurance coverage should you be hurt in an accident — even a very minor one — is whose fault the accident was. While pedestrians typically have the right of way, if you were entering a traffic movement area negligently, the accident may have been your fault. In that scenario, your own health insurance would cover your medical bills.

Unfortunately, the driver of the vehicle is typically the party found negligent in a pedestrian versus car accident scenario. In that scenario, your injuries and damages will be covered by the driver’s auto insurance policy’s liability coverage. If the car belongs to the driver’s employer—as is common in large cities such as Washington, D.C. — you will be able to file a claim against the employer as the owner of the vehicle.

Neither Virginia or Maryland or Washington, D.C., are considered “no-fault” states, which requires insurance companies to cover the damages of their own clients up to a certain amount under a PIP policy, or personal injury protection.

If the driver flees the scene, your uninsured motorist coverage (or UM coverage) may cover your damages, as well.

If you have been hurt in a D.C., northern Virginia or Bethesda-area pedestrian accident, call the Bethesda pedestrian accident attorneys at Lewis & Tompkins today at 202-296-0666 for a free consultation.

We, as drivers, often hear that pedestrians always have the right of way on streets, in intersections, and in parking lots. While this makes sense, especially being that cars are heavy machines that travel at high speeds, it is not completely true. If a pedestrian is struck by a car, the driver may not always be found 100% liable, even if the pedestrian is killed.

You may be wondering how this is possible, and these types of cases can become very complicated. What law enforcement officials, lawyers, and insurance agents will be looking for is if both the driver and pedestrian were following regulations and laws completely. There are two primary reasons why a driver will not face full responsibility for a pedestrian’s injuries in a Virginia, D.C. or Maryland pedestrian accident:

• The pedestrian entered a traffic movement area negligently: If the driver is following all rules and regulations to the letter, and a pedestrian enters the road or traffic area in a grossly negligent manner, the driver will not be liable for the pedestrian’s injuries.
• The pedestrian entered a traffic movement area negligently, but the driver was also distracted or speeding: If a pedestrian enters a road negligently, but the driver was speeding, talking on the phone, or otherwise distracted, both parties may share the blame for the pedestrian’s injuries.

No matter who is to blame, if you are involved in a pedestrian accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention for any injured people. Just like any other accident, document what happened immediately so that you do not forget any details, and get the contact information of any witnesses.

If you have been involved in an accident as either a pedestrian or driver, contact the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., pedestrian accident attorneys at 202-296-0666 for a free consultation today.