Hurt by a drunk driver anywhere in Maryland? Beyond the criminal case the state brings, you can pursue a separate civil injury claim to recover for your medical bills, lost income, and pain.
The Pinder Plotkin Legal Team serves injured people across Maryland, from Baltimore City and the surrounding counties out to the Eastern Shore. There is no cost to talk to us, and you pay nothing unless we win.
My experience was fantastic, Charlotte was a big help and had the lawyer return my call within minutes. Jason was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. I will have them represent me and my family.More
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At Pinder Plotkin, the initial consultation is free, whether by phone or in person. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis — we only charge you after we recover compensation on your behalf, typically 33% of your insurance settlement. Our fee is increased if a lawsuit is filed. There won't be any charges if we don't win.
Alcohol or drugs were involved in about 158 traffic deaths a year in Maryland between 2019 and 2023 — more than one in four of all deaths on Maryland roads. Source: Zero Deaths Maryland, MDOT Maryland Highway Safety Office
In Maryland, the BAC limit is .08. Anyone with a BAC of .08 or higher is deemed to be under the influence and a drunk driver. When you get into an accident, police will complete a breathalyzer test on the driver, and that reading is cited in the police report — it can have a significant impact on the case you file if the other driver was deemed to be under the influence.
In many states you can sometimes sue the bar or restaurant that overserved a drunk driver. Maryland is one of the few that does not. Its highest court reaffirmed in Warr v. JMGM Group, LLC, 433 Md. 170, 70 A.3d 347 (2013) that the legal cause of a crash is the drinker's own choice to drink — not the business that poured the drinks — so a bar or restaurant generally cannot be held liable to someone the drunk driver injures. That puts the driver, and every layer of insurance behind them, at the center of your case, which is why we dig for every available policy: the at-fault driver's liability coverage, any employer or vehicle-owner policy, and your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Make sure you and everyone else are safe. Your health is most important — begin seeking medical assistance as soon as possible if necessary.
Have law enforcement come and take a look at the accident along with the drunk driver. This ensures all the necessary tests are taken and recorded officially, which is essential to prove the other driver was legally drunk.
Ask for witness information if possible and start taking visual evidence of the scene, including both photos and videos.
Consult with a medical professional and get a medical record of the incident. This will go a long way to prove any injury sustained due to the accident.
Reach out to Pinder Plotkin during this process. We can guide you, knowing what to look out for when it comes to a drunk driving accident, and set you down the right path.
These damages pinpoint any fees or costs that came with the accident, including medical bills, prescription fees, and loss of income if you missed work.
These damages showcase that you are dealing with PTSD, a drop in quality of life, and/or not being able to do the things you love doing.
Punitive damages are only awarded where the defendant acted with malice — ill will or intent to harm the victim. There's no cap on punitive awards in Maryland, unlike in many other states. Driving under the influence by itself usually does not meet that bar.
With Pinder Plotkin, you don't pay anything upfront. There is a small contingency fee for our services, only paid when we win the case and the compensation comes through — a small set percentage decided beforehand and spelled out in the contract.
Every car accident case is unique, and the amount you recover depends on the circumstances — as determined by the insurance company or a jury. Factors that affect your settlement's value include:
Impaired driving cases carry something most injury claims do not: the possibility of punitive damages, and a defendant whose conduct a jury will find genuinely offensive. Maryland sets a high bar for punitive damages — actual malice, not merely reckless conduct — so they are rarely awarded. But the settlement value rises anyway, because the insurer knows what a jury will hear.
The criminal case runs alongside yours and can help it. A conviction, the breath or blood result, and the officer’s report are all usable. So is Maryland’s dram shop landscape, which is narrower than most people assume: a bar that overserved is not automatically liable here, and whether a claim exists depends on facts that have to be developed early, while receipts and staff memories still exist.
How Maryland personal injury settlements are calculated — the multiplier and per diem methods, the damages caps, the deadlines, and our settlement calculators.
No two cases are worth the same, but insurers lean on two common methods to estimate pain and suffering. Understanding them helps you spot a lowball offer. Try our free Maryland Car Accident Settlement Calculator for a personalized estimate.
We generally advise against it. Insurers will most likely make an immediate offer well below the true cost of your damages. If you work with us, we handle all discussions and negotiations so you're protected from being victimized in the claims process.
The adjuster's first offer is in most cases very low and doesn't represent what the case is actually worth. Negotiations typically go back and forth for a few months before settling — at which point we file a lawsuit based on the value of the case.
These injuries can temporarily or permanently hinder your quality of life. Anyone requiring extended medical care or dealing with a lack of mobility is also likely to be affected by job loss, expensive hospital bills, depression, lost wages, inability to perform routine tasks, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Maryland spans a wide mix of urban and rural jurisdictions, and serious drunk driving crashes cluster on the same high-traffic corridors in each. Here is where we see the worst wrecks and where injured drivers are treated.
Pinder Plotkin Legal Team holds a 4.9-star average across 900+ verified client reviews. Here’s what injured Marylanders say about working with us.
I have worked with Pinder Plotkin on a car accident and they were nothing but professional. The whole team were very caring and kept me informed through the whole process. I could not think of a better firm to represent me.More
Received support from Day 1. No question went unanswered and they worked to make sure I was comfortable and understood everything. Very patient in ensuring my needs are met. I am grateful.More
I been a client since 2017 and I had a good experience with them as far as getting results and being treated like family, I had a major injury and the whole team was very supportive and stayed on top of my case, I was able to maintain my bills due to being out of work for a year and had a favorable outcome with my settlement which helped me start my business ventures, so thanks again to the team and if need be I’ll have them represent me in the future.More
Jason, Charlotte, and Tony were absolutely amazing! I was in a car accident 4 years ago, they made sure I was taken care of and even though we had a lot of set backs due to Covid, they never made me feel like my case (or me) were not important. Tony knew my medical history better than I did, Charlotte was always an absolute delight to talk to and was so kind, and Jason was just great! I'm really sad that I won't be talking to them anymore, they became like family! I know that is something a lot of people say, but it is 100% true with this team.More
Great team took my cases when most wouldn’t did all the work fluently and worry free would not be any happier 😊. Highly recommend them for your legal servicesMore
I cannot thank the team at Pinder Plotkin enough for their compassion, patience, and relentless dedication throughout my car accident case. They went above and beyond — jumping through hoops, explaining every step with care, and standing by me when I felt overwhelmed or lost. The communication was incredible, and I always knew I was in good hands. I truly appreciate everything they did to help me get through such a stressful time. Highly recommend to anyone looking for people who genuinely care about their clients.More
Mr Jason, Mr Balsamo, Nancy and the team worked on my case meticulously until I got justice. Thanks Nancy for your assurance and patience. If you need a team of injury lawyers, Pinder Plotkin team should be your first call.More
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how this process would go since I usually let the auto insurance company handle accident. However, I would not hesitate to call upon the Pinder Plotkin legal team FIRST. They took on my case and exceeded expectations and removed any doubts I had. The folks at Pinder Plotkin fought through a long drawn out case, keeping my best interests in mind. A settlement was reached, more than what I would say, your insurance company would give. I’m extremely happy with the Pinder Plotkin team for their hard work, dedication to me as a client and as a veteran. I was treated with compassion, empathy and they communicated every step of the process. I high recommend the Pinder Plotkin legal team for your legal services. Thank you Pinder Plotkin, truely, thank you.More
Free guide to Maryland auto insurance and how policy limits affect your recovery.
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Download the guideGet a fast, free estimate of what your case could be worth.
The calculator below is a working tool, not a contact form. Nine questions, about three minutes, and you get an estimated settlement range for a Maryland drunk driving accident claim.
Free and no obligation. Your name, email, and phone number are required on the final step before the estimate is shown. The result is an estimated settlement range for information only — it is not a written case analysis, legal advice, or a promise of any outcome.
A drunk driver may face criminal charges, but that case does not put money in your pocket — your injury claim does, and it is a separate process. From our three Maryland offices in Baltimore (Nottingham), Laurel and Bel Air, we handle the civil side: proving the crash, valuing your injuries, and dealing with the insurer for people across the City of Baltimore and Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery counties. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
Impaired drivers react slowly, brake late, and often hit at full speed without ever trying to avoid the crash. That means higher-impact collisions and more serious injuries. The one upside for your claim is that a drunk driver’s conduct usually makes fault clear — so the fight becomes how much your injuries are truly worth.
Even when the other driver was drunk, Maryland’s contributory negligence rule still applies: if the insurer can show you were even 1% at fault, it can try to deny your claim entirely. A drunk driver’s insurer will still look for any way to shift blame to you.
Many people assume a drunk driver automatically owes extra "punishment" damages. In Maryland that is not the rule — punitive damages require proof of actual malice, and driving under the influence by itself usually does not meet that bar.
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may step in to pay for your injuries. We check every available policy so a coverage gap does not leave you holding the bill.
Generally three years from the date of the crash (Courts & Judicial Proceedings § 5-101). If a government vehicle or a government road is involved, much shorter notice deadlines apply, so the real clock can be far tighter than three years.
No. Your civil claim does not depend on the criminal case. A conviction helps, but an acquittal, a dropped charge, or probation before judgment does not bar your claim — the civil standard is simply whether it is more likely than not that the driver was negligent.
That can matter a great deal. If the driver was acting within the scope of employment, the employer’s commercial policy may respond, and those limits are usually far higher than a personal auto policy. It is one of the first things worth establishing.
Jake’s Law is Maryland Transportation Article section 21-1124.3. It makes it a crime to cause a crash that kills or seriously injures someone while texting or using a handheld phone behind the wheel. A conviction carries up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, and that sentence is separate from any other charge brought over the same crash. The law is named for Jake Owen, a five-year-old boy killed when the family car was struck from behind by a driver on a cell phone, and it was signed in April 2014 after his parents campaigned for it. If a distracted driver hurt you, a Jake’s Law charge is a criminal matter handled by the State. Your civil claim for medical bills, lost income and pain is separate, and you can bring it whether or not the driver is charged.
Maryland is one of a small number of states that still follows contributory negligence. In most states, being found partly at fault reduces what you recover. In Maryland it can bar your claim entirely, even if the other side was far more to blame. Maryland’s highest court reaffirmed the rule in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013), over a strong dissent, and said any change to it is for the General Assembly rather than the courts. That is why an insurance adjuster’s first move is so often to suggest you did something wrong. Being blamed is not the same as being at fault, whether the rule actually bars a claim depends on the specific facts, and it is the reason to be careful about what you say and to get advice early.
Three Maryland offices — Baltimore (Nottingham), Laurel and Bel Air — and we travel statewide to meet clients who cannot travel to us. Call (888) 844-5373 to schedule a visit.
We handle drunk driving accident cases throughout Maryland.
We take cases anywhere in Maryland. The figure on each card is that jurisdiction’s total traffic deaths in 2023, across every crash type — Maryland does not publish crash data broken down by county for individual crash types. Each name links to its official local government website.
Source: MDOT Zero Deaths Maryland jurisdiction crash data summaries, 2023. Statewide totals: 577 fatal crashes and 621 traffic deaths.
Jason Plotkin was born and raised here, and he has lived in six Maryland jurisdictions — Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Howard County, Allegany County and Worcester County. Mountains to shore. That is not a marketing line; it is where he has actually lived.
Marc Hassan, Tony Balasamo and Joshua Fannon were born and raised in Maryland too, and Christian Miele served in the Maryland House of Delegates. When you work with our firm, you are working with people who know this state — its roads, its courts and its neighbors.
Free case review, no pressure, no fee unless we win. Reach out and one of our attorneys will walk you through your options.
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