Immediate Attorney Needed: 10 Common Injury Cases in Southern Maryland
— Jonathan L. Haskell, Esq.
Throughout my time as a Personal Injury Attorney, numerous Southern Maryland residents have experienced devastating injuries caused by accidents for which they bore no responsibility.
Based on my experience, I’ve learned that some situations require immediate contact with a personal injury attorney.
When someone else’s negligence causes your injury, you need to act fast.
Legal help will protect your rights and ensure accountability from the responsible party.
I have listed ten typical personal injury situations in Southern Maryland where immediate legal representation is essential.
Each situation is unique, but they all have one thing in common: The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer’s legal team stands ready to assist you by overcoming insurance complications and securing vital evidence to ensure you receive your deserved compensation.
1. Major Car Accidents on Southern Maryland Roads
Southern Maryland’s highways and local roads see heavy traffic – and, unfortunately, frequent crashes. Maryland Department of Transportation data shows nearly 118,000 collisions occurred on our state’s roadways in a single recent year, many of them on busy routes like U.S. Route 301 (Crain Highway) in Waldorf or MD-210 (Indian Head Highway) in Prince George’s and Charles County. I’ve seen first-hand how a moment of driver negligence (like texting behind the wheel or speeding through an intersection) can cause life-changing injuries.
If you are involved in a serious car accident, do not wait to consult an attorney. Insurance companies will often start working immediately to limit their payout – sometimes contacting you within hours of the crash with lowball settlement offers. By hiring me right away, you even the playing field. My firm will move quickly to investigate the scene, preserve evidence (photos, skid marks, traffic camera footage), and obtain police reports and witness statements. We handle all communication with insurance adjusters so they can’t twist your words. Our immediate involvement ensures that the at-fault driver is held accountable and that you’re positioned to recover full compensation for your medical bills, vehicle damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
2. Motorcycle Accidents
Riding a motorcycle along the scenic byways of Southern Maryland (from the winding roads of Calvert County to the open stretches of Route 5 in St. Mary’s) is a joy – but it comes with high risk. Motorcyclists lack the protection of a car’s steel frame, so injuries are often severe when accidents happen. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are roughly 28 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per mile traveled. I’ve represented riders who suffered broken bones, head trauma, and worse because a driver failed to see them or yield properly.
If you’re in a motorcycle accident, contact an attorney immediately. Too often, injured bikers face bias from insurers who unfairly assume the motorcyclist was speeding or reckless. I make sure your side of the story is heard and that critical evidence (like skid marks or helmet cam footage) is secured before it disappears. At The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, we fight to protect injured motorcyclists’ rights. We will help you get proper medical documentation of your injuries, deal firmly with insurance companies that try to bully or blame you, and pursue the maximum compensation available. After a motorcycle crash, you should be focused on healing – let me handle the legal road ahead and hold the negligent driver accountable for the harm you’ve suffered.
3. Slip-and-Fall Incidents in Stores or Businesses
Slip-and-fall accidents might sound minor, but they regularly cause serious injuries – and they happen far too often in grocery stores, shopping centers, and restaurants right here in Southern Maryland. Whether it’s a slick patch of spilled milk in a Waldorf supermarket aisle, a loose handrail at an office in Prince Frederick, or an icy entryway at a Lexington Park convenience store, property owners must keep their premises safe. The reality is that one in five falls results in a serious injurysuch as a broken bone or head trauma. I’ve had clients suffer concussions, fractured hips, and bad sprains because a business failed to fix or warn about a hazardous condition.
Call me immediately if you slip, trip, or fall due to a property owner’s negligence. Time is critical in these cases – surveillance videos might be erased within days and accident reports can go unfiled if you don’t act fast. My team will gather evidence like security camera footage, incident reports, and witness statements to prove what happened. We work to show that the store or property owner knew or should have known about the danger (like that wet floor or broken step) and failed to address it.
By hiring an attorney immediately, you stand the best chance of recovering damages for your medical bills, rehab costs, and lost income. Just as important, taking legal action helps hold the business accountable, encouraging safer conditions so others don’t get hurt the same way.
4. Dog Bite Injuries
Southern Maryland is a pet-friendly community, but dog ownership comes with responsibilities – and when those are neglected, people can get seriously hurt. I’ve seen cases where a neighborhood walk in La Plata or a family outing at a local park ended with someone being rushed to the ER from a vicious dog bite. It’s not just “a small bite” – dog attacks can cause deep lacerations, nerve damage, permanent scarring, and infection.
Approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year, and nearly 1 in 5 bites become infected. Young children are often the victims, and their injuries can be especially traumatic.
If a dog bites you or your child, seek legal help immediately (after getting necessary medical care). Maryland law holds dog owners responsible for the actions of their pets in many circumstances, but these claims can still get complicated. Dog owners (or their homeowner’s insurance) may try to argue that you provoked the animal or that they had no way to prevent the bite. When I take on a dog bite case, my first step is investigating the facts: Was the dog roaming without a leash? Did it have a history of aggression or previous bites? We gather animal control reports, veterinary records, and witness accounts to build a strong case that the owner’s negligence caused the attack.
My firm will also make sure you’re compensated for all of your damages – not just the medical bills and any plastic surgery costs, but also the psychological trauma and pain. By getting an attorney involved right away, you send a clear message that you expect the dog’s owner to be held accountable for their pet’s behavior and that your rights will be protected.
5. Medical Malpractice by Healthcare Providers
We trust doctors, nurses, and hospitals with our lives – literally. Most healthcare professionals in Southern Maryland provide excellent care, but mistakes and negligence do happen, with devastating consequences. Medical malpractice can include a misdiagnosis, surgical error, anesthesia mistake, medication mix-up, or even a birth injury due to negligent prenatal care.
Sadly, a well-known Johns Hopkins study estimates that medical errors kill over 250,000 Americans each year, making it one of the leading causes of death. I have spoken with families from Calvert and St. Mary’s counties who were heartbroken and angry because a preventable medical error permanently harmed a loved one.
If you suspect you or a family member are a victim of medical malpractice, contact a personal injury attorney immediately. These cases require prompt action: hospitals and clinics often start their own internal investigations (or defense strategies) as soon as something goes wrong. By getting me involved early, we can obtain critical evidence like medical records, lab results, and expert evaluations of your care. Maryland law has strict procedures and timelines for malpractice claims (including requirements to have a medical expert certify the claim), so time is of the essence.
At The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, we collaborate with qualified medical experts to identify exactly how the standard of care was breached. Our goal is to help you recover compensation for additional medical treatment, lost income, and the pain and suffering you’ve endured. Just as importantly, pursuing a malpractice claim can spur changes in hospital practices – holding healthcare providers accountable so that future patients are safer.
6. Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
When you learn that your loved one suffered abuse or neglect during their time in a nursing home it creates a deep and painful reaction. The National Council on Aging reports that 5 million older Americans face abuse annually which is more prevalent than most people understand. You may have found your elderly parent showing bruises without explanation at their nursing home or you might have seen signs like unsanitary surroundings and behavioral changes that indicate mistreatment. Reach out to an attorney without delay if you detect any signs of nursing home abuse or neglect.
I approach these situations with both quick action and heartfelt concern. When you first respond to a suspected abuse situation, you must protect your loved one, which may require contacting state authorities or moving them to safety, but for legal reasons, it’s critical to act fast to collect evidence. My team will obtain medical records and photographs of injuries and facility reports and interview staff members and residents when possible. When allegations surface, nursing homes and assisted living facilities typically unite in defense and may attribute any injuries sustained by residents to dementia or natural causes. Because our attorneys can reveal essential truths with speed and expertise, it becomes imperative that legal investigations are started immediately.
We are prepared to take legal action against the facility when your loved one suffers from physical abuse or neglect,t such as inadequate hygiene or nutrition. People who file these lawsuits seek medical care reimbursement, compensation for pain and suffering, and punitive damages while fighting for justice. Legal action provides compensation for your family’s suffering while demonstrating that our community stands against senior abuse.
7. Defective Product Injuries
You should be able to trust that the products you buy – from household appliances and power tools to children’s toys and car parts – are safe when used as intended. Sadly, defective and dangerous products injure consumers every day. Each year, millions of people are hurt by consumer products nationwide; in fact, one report noted over 12.7 million product-related injuries in the U.S. in 2023 alone. In Southern Maryland, I’ve seen cases ranging from faulty auto parts causing highway accidents to defective electronics catching fire and causing burn injuries.
If you suspect a product caused your injury (or a loved one’s injury), you should immediately involve a personal injury attorney. Product liability cases can be complex – often involving large manufacturers, technical experts, and detailed investigations into the design or manufacturing process. Big companies often lawyer up quickly to defend their product, so you need an advocate on your side as soon as possible.
When I handle a defective product injury case, my firm moves fast to preserve the evidence. We secure the product in question (in its post-accident state) and prevent it from being lost or destroyed. We gather records of any recalls or safety warnings and consult engineers or safety specialists who can pinpoint how the product failed or why it was unreasonably dangerous. Whether you were injured by a malfunctioning power tool, a contaminated food item, a faulty medical device, or any other consumer product, we will pursue claims against every responsible party – be it the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer.
Acting quickly not only helps your case; it also potentially protects others, since a lawsuit can pressure companies to issue recalls or fix a hazardous product. My goal is to secure full compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses, while making sure the product maker faces consequences for putting your safety at risk.
8. Workplace Accidents and Injuries
If you get hurt on the job in Southern Maryland, you might assume that workers’ compensation is your only remedy. While workers’ comp is indeed there to cover many on-the-job injuries, there are plenty of workplace accident scenarios where you should call a personal injury attorney right away.
For example, if a third party’s negligence caused your injury – such as a subcontractor, a vendor, or a defective piece of equipment – you may have a separate personal injury claim in addition to workers’ comp. Or, if your employer lacks proper insurance or retaliates against you for reporting the injury, you’ll definitely want legal help.
Workplace accidents hold the same potential for devastation as any other type of accident because in 2022, there were 5,486 fatal workplace injuries in the United States, with many additional workers experiencing life-changing injuries. The region of Southern Maryland hosts several industries where accidents occur, including construction sites in expanding communities and industrial work at facilities such as the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, along with trucking and delivery routes on highways and office jobs, which can lead to severe accidents, including falls and equipment-related injuries. Take immediate action regardless of the situation after suffering a workplace injury. Start by reporting the incident to your workplace supervisor and then consult with an attorney who will detail your legal choices.
I respond quickly to workplace injury cases to safeguard evidence and locate all possible compensation sources. I will collect accident photos and surveillance footage along with witness statements from co-workers and identify potential third-party liability sources such as equipment manufacturers or negligent drivers. My team will manage interactions with workers’ comp insurers along with other parties to protect your rights against premature work return and inadequate settlement offers.
At The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, we prioritize your well–being. You’ve worked hard for your employer, and if you’re hurt doing it, we’ll protect your rights and pursue the financial recovery you need to heal and move forward.
9. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents
While our Southern Maryland communities are evolving toward better walkability and cycling infrastructure, the danger for pedestrians and cyclists on roads remains very high. My professional experience includes frequent cases of joggers, street-crossing pedestrians, and shoulder cyclists being hit by automobiles. The impact of a collision with a moving vehicle can be fatal because human bodies cannot withstand the force of such impacts. Maryland statistics show that 92% of pedestrian-involved crashes end with injuries or fatalities and in 2022 134 pedestrians lost their lives in traffic accidents across the state. Drivers on Route 235 in St. Mary’s County and at Charles County intersections have caused tragedies because they either fail to yield or are unable to detect people in time.
You need to contact a personal injury attorney right away if you or someone close to you becomes a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a vehicle. Cases like these become disputes about responsibility because drivers commonly argue that pedestrians suddenly appeared or cyclists violated traffic laws. During this time the injured person probably experiences serious injuries which include broken bones as well as head trauma and spinal injuries that need extensive medical treatment.
From the moment you reach out to me, I will have someone working to investigate your case from the first day. We will utilize all possible traffic camera footage and dashcam recordings while also conducting witness interviews and collaborating with accident reconstruction specialists, if necessary, to demonstrate the precise sequence of events during the collision.
My team manages all communications with the driver’s insurance company so you won’t have to handle their calls or tactics during your recovery.
We work to secure your complete financial recovery, which includes hospital bills, surgeries, rehabilitation costs, lost income if you’re unable to work, and compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced. Drivers should always consider pedestrians and cyclists as they navigate roads. If drivers fail to fulfill their responsibility toward pedestrians and cyclists and cause harm, I dedicate myself to making them completely responsible while helping you achieve justice and financial restitution.
10. Wrongful Death Cases
Few things in life are as devastating as suddenly losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence. One day, your family member is here; the next, they’re gone because of a fatal crash, a deadly workplace incident, or some other tragedy caused by carelessness. In a single recent year, over 500 people lost their lives in Maryland traffic accidents alone – and that doesn’t even count fatalities from medical malpractice, unsafe worksites, or other incidents. Each number represents a family suddenly facing unimaginable grief and unexpected financial hardship.
If you are ever in the unimaginable position of losing a spouse, child, or parent in an accident, you should contact a personal injury attorney immediately. Maryland’s wrongful death laws allow certain family members to seek compensation for the economic and emotional losses caused by a wrongful death, but these claims have specific requirements and deadlines. When my firm is brought in quickly, we handle the challenging tasks that grieving families shouldn’t have to worry about: investigating the circumstances of the death, preserving evidence (which can include anything from vehicle wreckage to medical records), and dealing with insurance companies and legal paperwork. We often enlist experts – such as accident reconstructionists or medical specialists – early to strengthen your case. While you focus on healing and remembrance, we take on the burden of pursuing justice.
My role is to stand up for your loved one’s memory and your family’s rights. No amount of money can truly compensate for such a loss, but a successful wrongful death claim can at least ease the financial pressures by covering funeral costs, loss of future income, medical bills, and more. Just as importantly, it holds the at-fault party accountable in a visible way. At The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, we approach wrongful death cases with compassion and determination – offering your family support through the legal process while fiercely advocating for the justice your loved one deserves.
In any of these circumstances, contact The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer immediately for help.
An experienced personal injury lawyer working on your case from the start increases your likelihood of achieving success.
Our firm provides transparent direction through proactive representation while keeping clients informed to safeguard their rights. Injuries and accidents can cause an immediate upheaval in your life but you don’t need to manage this challenge alone.
Jonathan L. Haskell, Esq. encourages you to contact him for a complimentary consultation.
My team and I will be prepared to ensure negligent parties pay for their actions while navigating insurance challenges to fight for all the compensation you deserve.
Concentrate on your recovery and rebuilding process while our team manages everything else.
