You were hurt in a crash near College Park. Not only are you dealing with painful injuries, but you have to deal with a phone that won’t stop ringing. The hospital wants to get paid. Your boss wants to know when you’re coming back to work. The insurance adjuster wants a recorded statement. It’s time to call WGK Personal Injury Lawyers at (410) 837-2144 to give yourself a break. Our College Park personal injury lawyers can handle the paperwork and fight for compensation while you take care of yourself and focus on getting better.

Since 1977, our personal injury law firm has stood the test of time and earned a reputation as a fierce and unwavering advocate for accident victims and families in Maryland. We’ve recovered over $100 million in hard-fought settlements and jury awards for clients just like you in cases involving auto accidents, dog bites, workers’ compensation, slips and falls and other matters of premises liability, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death.

Our Largo law office sits about ten miles south of College Park and serves clients across Prince George’s County. Call us at (410) 837-2144 today to schedule a complimentary personal injury case review.

What to Do After Your Accident in College Park

Decisions made in the wake of an accident will shape your personal injury case and affect your ability to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, disability, and pain and suffering.

It’s important to:

Call 911 and get the police on scene. Which agency responds depends on where you were hurt. The Maryland State Police investigate crashes on Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway, while Prince George’s County Police handle surface-street crashes on US Route 1, MD 193, and MD 2011. Ask the officer for the report number and ask how you can obtain a copy when it’s ready. The police report will contain valuable information about your crash that your attorney will need to build a compelling claim on your behalf.

Get medical care, even if you feel okay at first. The pain and trauma of a collision can mask symptoms. Soft tissue injuries like whiplash can take days to show up. Serious injuries near College Park can be treated at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in Largo 2. You can also seek care at a local emergency department or urgent care center if your injuries aren’t severe. The important thing is that you get the crash and your injuries on the record as soon as you can. A delay of more than a few days can give the insurance company a reason to discount what you went through and reduce your claim’s value. A longer gap can put the claim itself at risk.

Document the scene and gather helpful information. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries. Get names and numbers for any witnesses before they leave. Surveillance footage from College Park businesses along Baltimore Avenue is often recorded over within days, so the sooner a lawyer sends preservation letters, the better.

Refuse to speak with the at-fault driver’s insurance company before you’ve consulted an attorney. Do not give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement before you talk to a lawyer. The adjuster will search for any reason to deny your claim or limit your recovery. They’ll ask seemingly innocent questions to get you to say something that implies liability that can be used against you in the future. Something as simple as saying “I’m not in pain” the day after an accident because you’re in shock can be used down the line to downplay your injuries, undervalue your claim, or even deny damages altogether.

This is marketing material and is not legal advice. Every case is unique and laws change frequently. Please contact our office to speak with an attorney about your specific situation before making any legal decisions.

How WGK Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your College Park Case

Life after an accident in College Park can be stressful, but you don’t have to deal with it alone. Hiring WGK Personal Injury Lawyers puts experienced and trustworthy legal advocates with nearly 100 years of combined attorney experience in your corner. Across our recent caseload, we have recovered substantial sums for injured clients across Maryland, handling hundreds of accident cases each year, with many substantial results3.

We’ll take care of the paperwork and negotiations with the insurance company, giving you time to focus on your health, physical recovery, and future.

You’ll be able to count on us to:

  • Coordinate and execute a timely investigation into your accident
  • Preserve and gather critical evidence that can make or break your case
  • Identify your damages and assess what your personal injury case is worth
  • Protect you from insurance company tactics designed to get you to say something that could tank your claim for damages
  • Construct a compelling legal claim designed to leverage a high-value settlement offer during negotiations
  • File suit in a plaintiff-friendly Prince George’s County venue if the insurer won’t negotiate fairly

We represent crash victims and families in College Park from our Largo law office at 1401 Mercantile Lane, Suite 500-M, Largo, MD, about ten miles south along the I-495 corridor. It’s an appointment-only office, so you must call ahead to schedule a time to speak with an attorney.

While you’re welcome in our Largo law office, you’re never required to come in. You’re under enough pressure as it is, and we don’t want to add to that. Most aspects of your personal injury case can be handled remotely, including intake, document signings, and case updates. When your case reaches settlement, we’ll mail your payment right to you.

Call our Prince George’s County injury attorney: (410) 837-2144 for a free case review today.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different. These figures represent aggregated data from cases handled by our firm and are provided for informational purposes only.

Dangerous Roads in the College Park Area

If you drive Baltimore Avenue through campus every day, you already know that it’s one of the most dangerous stretches of road in PG County. US Route 1 is the dominant crash corridor in College Park, carrying more than 35,000 vehicles a day past the edge of the University of Maryland4. The university enrolls more than 41,000 students, and many of them cross that road on foot daily5. That mix of heavy traffic and constant pedestrian volume is what sets College Park apart from any other part of the county.

The corridor has a documented safety history. Three pedestrian deaths near campus pushed the Maryland State Highway Administration to cut the speed limit from 30 to 25 mph and build a median fence to stop mid-block crossings, while the College Park City Council began to run speed cameras 24 hours a day6.

A major recently completed reconstruction added bike lanes, raised medians, and upgraded crosswalks. The bike lanes are not physically protected, and local leaders, including the College Park mayor and the university’s president, have publicly pushed the state for bollards because drivers keep stopping in the lanes7.

Route 1 isn’t the only dangerous road in College Park.

There are many other notable hotspots for traffic accidents, including:

  • MD-193, also known as University Boulevard, is the main east-west route through College Park
  • The intersection of Greenbelt Road and Route 1, which is the busiest junction in the city 8
  • MD-201, or Kenilworth Avenue, which runs parallel to US-1 as a divided high-speed expressway, where crashes tend to be more severe than slow surface-street collisions9.
  • The Capital Beltway forms the city’s eastern edge, and the Maryland State Police Crash Team has investigated fatal Beltway incidents in the College Park area in recent years1.

These four corridors generate the bulk of College Park crash claims. Since they’re under the jurisdiction of different government and law enforcement agencies, it’s important to work with attorneys with experience handling all types of auto accident cases throughout College Park. At WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, we know how to assess a crash to determine where evidence will be held, which venue will be most appropriate for a claim, and how to help crash victims achieve the best outcomes.

Common Accident Types We Handle in College Park

While we represent clients in a wide ranage of personal injury cases in College Park, Maryland, our caseload typically focuses on:

Car accidents. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of collision seen in College Park. Many clients who turn to us for help suffer from soft-tissue injuries to the back and neck, including whiplash 3. We also handle cases for clients who’ve suffered much more catastrophic injuries in College Park crashes, including spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, broken bones, severe burns, and the wrongful death of loved ones after fatal crashes on Route 1.

Pedestrian accidents. Students and commuters generate a lot of foot traffic in College Park, especially along the Route 1 corridor. If you were hit while walking or biking near the University of Maryland, Maryland’s fault rule applies to you the same as it would to a driver, so liability evidence matters from day one.

Bicycle accidents. While Route 1 has new unprotected bike lanes, cyclists are still at risk of suffering serious physical injuries if drivers don’t maintain their lane of traffic. We handle bicycle accident claims along the corridor and through the surrounding neighborhoods.

Bus and shuttle accidents. Buses and shuttles are a convenient way to get from one end of campus to the other or to the Green or Yellow line at the local Metro Station. A University of Maryland charter bus struck a pole on Baltimore Avenue in recent years and injured dozens of passengers10.

Truck accidents. Truck and commercial-vehicle crashes cluster on the Beltway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, where freight traffic is heavy, and we take truck accident cases on those routes.

While motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of avoidable injury and death in College Park, they’re not the only reason people get hurt. Our College Park personal injury attorneys also handle premises liability injuries at College Park shopping centers and apartment complexes, dog bite cases, matters of workers’ compensation, and wrongful death claims when a crash takes a life.

Your Case in Prince George’s County Court

In Maryland, you don’t get to choose where to pursue compensation with a personal injury lawsuit. Venue is determined by where your accident happened or where the defendant lives. For most accidents in College Park, cases are pursued in one of two courts in Prince George’s County.

Claims between $5,000 and $30,000 are filed with the District Court and heard by a judge, not a jury. Since College Park is in the northern half of the county, cases land at the Prince George’s County District Court in Hyattsville 4990 Rhode Island Avenue11.

Claims exceeding $30,000 in damages are field with the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County at 14735 Main Street in Upper Marlboro, roughly 14 miles southeast of College Park12. Cases before Circuit Court are subject to a trial by jury, rather than a bench trial before a judge.

Prince George’s County is one of the two most plaintiff-favorable jurisdictions in Maryland, alongside Baltimore City. The county’s juries tend to return higher verdicts, and carriers that know the venue tend to make higher pre-suit offers because of it.

An adjuster prices a College Park case differently than one in a defendant-leaning county. An attorney who handles this venue knows how to apply that pressure to achieve the best results for College Park accident victims.

This is marketing material and is not legal advice. Every case is unique and laws change frequently. Please contact our office to speak with an attorney about your specific situation before making any legal decisions.

Medical Care Near College Park

There is no hospital in College Park, so where you go for medical treatment depends on how badly you are hurt.

For a serious or life-threatening injury, the closest trauma center is the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, a Level II trauma center at 901 Harry S. Truman Drive in Largo, about ten miles south of the city2.

For non-trauma emergencies, the ER at UM Laurel Medical Center at 7150 Contee Road in Laurel is a freestanding 24/7 emergency department a short drive north13. Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center at 8118 Good Luck Road in Lanham is an acute-care hospital with a 24/7 ER about five miles east14.

For residents on the western edge of the city, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center at 11890 Healing Way in Silver Spring is a cross-county-line option15.

Keeping up with treatment is not just about your health. Gaps in care are the first thing an insurer uses to cut a claim. Seek medical attention as soon as you can to protect your health and strengthen your legal claim for damages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a College Park personal injury lawyer cost?

Our College Park personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. We front the costs of litigation and don’t recover a fee until we win your case. Our fee is 33.3% of the gross recovery if your case settles before a lawsuit is filed. Once a lawsuit is filed, our fee increases to 40%, regardless of whether it moves to trial.

We assume the risk. You reap the rewards. There’s no cost for a case evaluation, so call our Prince George’s County law office today3.

How long will my College Park personal injury case take?

It depends on how badly you’ve been injured, the strength of the evidence supporting your case, and the insurer’s willingness to negotiate a fair deal3.

Generally speaking, most pre-suit personal injury cases resolve in roughly four to seven months when the plaintiff has suffered a soft tissue injury that doesn’t require surgery.

It can take 10 to 12 months to settle claims involving more serious injuries, like broken bones or burns where longer treatment is required.

Filing suit adds another 12 to 24 months to the process.

Where does my College Park personal injury case get filed?

Cases at or under $30,000 from College Park file in the District Court at the Hyattsville branch, 4990 Rhode Island Avenue, because College Park is in the northern half of Prince George’s County. Cases above $30,000 file in the Circuit Court at 14735 Main Street in Upper Marlboro11.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Maryland?

In Maryland, the statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits is three years from the date of injury16.

However, there are situations when a different set of rules can apply. This often presents in cases involving government tort claims.

Claims against Prince George’s County government require written notice within one year under the Local Government Tort Claims Act17. Crashes on US-1, MD 193, MD 201, and the Beltway involve state roads, which means that you’ll have one year to notify the Maryland State Treasurer of your intent to sue within one year of your collision.

Crashes on US-1, MD 193, MD 201, and the Beltway involve state roads, not county roads, so the shorter notice rule may not apply.

What if I was partly at fault for the crash in College Park?

Since Maryland operates under a pure contributory negligence rule, sharing any degree of blame for your accident can bar a financial recovery. However, case law dictates that your negligence must have actually contributed to your accident for the bar to apply. That is why early evidence matters, including dash-cam footage in your vehicle or from the other driver’s vehicle.

What if I was hit as a pedestrian or cyclist near the University of Maryland?

Even after the state’s reconstruction project added bike lanes and raised medians, pedestrian and bicycle injuries on the US-1 corridor along the edge of campus remain a documented risk even7. Maryland’s contributory fault rule applies to pedestrians and cyclists the same as drivers, so preserve evidence early: photos, the police report, and any footage before it is overwritten.

Do I need to come to the office to start a College Park case?

No. The WGK Peronsal Injury Law Firm office that serves College Park is in Largo at 1401 Mercantile Lane, Suite 500-M, and it is by appointment only. Most of a case is handled by phone, including intake, document signing, and a settlement payment mailed to you. You are welcome to come in but are never required to.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a College Park Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were hurt in a crash in College Park or anywhere in Prince George’s County, the next step is a free case review. You may be entitled to compensation from an at-fault party or their insurance company, and WGK Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight for every cent you deserve. When you hire our personal injury law firm there is no upfront cost, and you pay no fee unless we win3.

Call the Largo office that serves College Park at (410) 837-2144, or contact our office for directions and contact details. The sooner we start, the more evidence we can protect before it disappears.

Sources

  1. Maryland State Police (press release on College Park I-495 fatal pedestrian crash), 2025. State Police investigate Beltway crashes; Prince George’s County Police handle surface-street crashes on US-1, MD 193, and MD 201. https://news.maryland.gov/msp/2025/05/05/fatal-pedestrian-crash-under-investigation-in-prince-georges-county/
  2. Maryland TraumaNET (state trauma center directory), 2026. University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, Level II Trauma Center, 901 Harry S. Truman Drive, Largo. https://www.maryland-traumanet.com/resources/trauma-centers/
  3. WGK first-party case data and fee structure, recent caseload. Aggregate recoveries, auto-accident caseload patterns, contingency fee (33.3% pre-suit / 40% post-filing), case-timeline ranges, and College Park caseload aggregate.
  4. MDOT State Highway Administration (US 1 Phase 1 Completion press release), 2024. US-1 carries 35,000+ vehicles per day past UMD; reconstruction added bike lanes, raised medians, ADA crosswalks. https://roads.maryland.gov/mdotsha/pages/pressreleasedetails.aspx?PageId=818&newsId=5237
  5. U.S. News & World Report (University of Maryland profile), 2024. UMD total enrollment of 41,725 (fall 2024), largest public university in Maryland. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-maryland-2103
  6. The Diamondback, 2017. Speed limit reduced 30 to 25 mph, median fence between Knox and Hartwick, 24-hour speed cameras after three pedestrian deaths near campus. https://dbknews.com/2017/04/26/speed-cameras-pedestrians-college-park/
  7. The Diamondback, 2024. College Park mayor, UMD president, and the Student Government Association push Maryland SHA for protected bike-lane bollards on US-1. https://dbknews.com/2024/11/13/route-1-protected-bike-lanes-sga/
  8. Wikipedia (Maryland Route 193), 2026. MD 193 corridor: University Boulevard west of US-1, Greenbelt Road east; partial cloverleaf interchange with US-1 in College Park. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Route_193
  9. Wikipedia (Maryland Route 201), 2026. MD 201 (Kenilworth Avenue), 9.4-mile divided highway from the DC line to Beltsville, parallel to US-1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Route_201
  10. WTOP News, 2023. University of Maryland charter bus struck a pole on Baltimore Avenue; dozens of passengers injured. https://wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2023/10/30-injured-after-university-of-md-charter-bus-crashes-into-pole-in-college-park/
  11. Maryland Judiciary (District Court directory, Hyattsville branch), 2026. Prince George’s County District Court Hyattsville branch, 4990 Rhode Island Avenue; serves northern PG County including College Park; $30,000 District Court threshold. https://www.mdcourts.gov/district/directories/princegeorgesHYATTSVILLE
  12. Prince George’s County Circuit Court, 2026. Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro; jury trials available. https://princegeorgescourts.org/148/Circuit-Court
  13. University of Maryland Medical System, 2025. ER at UM Laurel Medical Center, freestanding 24/7 emergency department, 7150 Contee Road, Laurel. https://www.umms.org/locations/um-laurel-medical-center
  14. Luminis Health, 2025. Doctors Community Medical Center, acute-care hospital with 24/7 ER, 8118 Good Luck Road, Lanham. https://www.luminishealth.org/en/locations/lhdcmc
  15. Adventist HealthCare, 2026. White Oak Medical Center, acute-care hospital with 24/7 ER, 11890 Healing Way, Silver Spring. https://www.adventisthealthcare.com/locations/profile/white-oak-medical-center/
  16. Maryland General Assembly (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101), 2026. Three-year general statute of limitations for personal injury. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/laws/StatuteText?article=gcj&section=5-101
  17. Maryland General Assembly (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-304), 2026. Local Government Tort Claims Act one-year written-notice requirement for claims against a local government in Maryland. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/laws/StatuteText?article=gcj&section=5-304