No - and Maryland's general lawsuit deadline is 3 years, not "right away or never." Talking to an insurer once usually does not destroy a rideshare passenger claim. The bigger mistake is believing the first adjuster on the phone is there to sort it out fairly.

In the next 24 hours: Stop giving recorded statements to any insurer - Uber's, your driver's, or the other driver's - until you know who is trying to pin fault where. As a passenger, you are usually not the problem; the fight is often between policies.

Get and save:

• the police report number from the Baltimore Police Department or Maryland State Police
• screenshots showing your Uber trip
• photos of the vehicles, scene, and injuries
• names of all drivers and witnesses
• every discharge paper and bill

If you were hurt near a school zone, bus stop, or heavy back-to-school traffic area, note that too. Those details matter when insurers start spinning distracted-driving stories.

In the next week: Find out which coverage is in play. Maryland is an at-fault state, and private auto minimums are only 30/60/15 - often nowhere near enough for a serious head injury. If the Uber app was active and you were on a trip, there may be larger rideshare coverage available than the driver's personal policy.

This is when a lawyer often helps: multiple insurers, conflicting stories, ER treatment, missed work, or pressure to settle fast. A normal injury fee is usually contingency-based, meaning the fee comes from recovery, not upfront.

Red flags: guarantees, pressure to sign the same day, vague answers about fees, or a firm that never explains who will handle your case.

In the next month: If your injuries are minor and you're fully recovering, you may not need to hire anyone. But if symptoms continue, bills climb, or insurers keep blaming each other, get representation before signing a release.

If you already hired the wrong lawyer, you can usually fire them mid-case in Maryland. Do it in writing, ask for your file, and make sure the new firm explains any prior fee claim clearly before you switch.