When Baltimore residents encounter unique situations, they may be confused or intimidated at first as to how to proceed with the new situation. Inevitably, however, individuals often fall back on skills and knowledge they have previously acquired in order to deal with the unique situation.
In many respects, the legal system operates in the same way. No two cases are entirely the same, as each case has different facts and circumstances that set it apart. However, the legal principles that are used to analyze the cases remains largely the same from case to case.
For instance, in cases involving car accident injuries, there can be wildly different facts from one auto accident to another. One recent collision occurred in Maryland, for example, in which a pickup truck and 10-passenger van struck each other. The multi-vehicle accident left 13 people injured in all, with the individuals being sent to multiple hospitals after the incident to obtain treatment.
While a case like the above is unique from a basic two-car crash that only involves a few individuals, the principles for determining liability are similar between the different cases. Namely, in a personal injury lawsuit based on any car crash, negligence principles will apply to determine if an individual violated the duty of care owed to others on the road. This can include a driver who engages in traffic violations, distracted driving or other aspects of driving that are not in accordance with the standard of care.
This is not to say every case is the same. The damages determination, for example, can vary quite a bit between cases, as one person’s injuries in one accident may be much more severe than another person’s injuries in another accident. Even with respect to liability, multiple individuals may have been at fault in some fashion, and a jury might need to apportion each person’s relative fault in the crash. While these determinations can vary, the legal principles used by a jury or judge to make the determination are similar in each matter.