Yes - if you were even 1% at fault, Maryland can bar your injury claim completely.

That means exactly what it sounds like: if the other side proves you helped cause the wreck, fall, or other injury in even a small way, you can recover nothing in a regular personal injury claim. Maryland is one of the few states that still uses this rule instead of comparative negligence, where fault is split up. Here, "a little bit at fault" can wipe out the whole case.

That is why the first few days matter so much. Do not guess, apologize, or say things like "I probably should have seen him" to an insurance adjuster. Get photos, names, video, truck logs, incident reports, and medical records fast. On I-70, I-81, job sites, warehouses, and loading areas, the defense will look hard for any fact they can use to pin a sliver of blame on you. A careless statement can become their best argument.

This rule comes up in car crashes, slip-and-falls, and many assault-related injury cases where the other side claims you escalated things. It usually does not block workers' compensation benefits through the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission. For most injury lawsuits in Maryland, you still have 3 years to file, but waiting can make it much easier for the defense to build a contributory-negligence argument.