Predicting the settlement value or jury award for a personal injury case can very difficult. The reason for this is that so many factors are involved in determining what a person should receive for the injuries that they have suffered. Some of these factors include the seriousness of the injury, the amount of concrete evidence available to prove that the injury resulted from the accident, the particular insurance company, the attorney representing the plaintiff and even the makeup of the … [Read more...]
The Purpose of Speed Cameras
December 28, 2011 By
This column on speed cameras appeared in the Our View section of The Baltimore Sun yesterday. Do you agree? It's not difficult to get people incensed over a speeding ticket. It's an unwanted expense, a burden of paperwork, an embarrassment, an annoyance. And perhaps worst of all, they feel like the business end of a trap, a way for government to hook the unwary. If nothing else, Maryland's unmanned speed cameras have been a boon to local talk-radio hosts as motorists call in to vent their … [Read more...]
Pedestrian Killed on Inner Loop of Baltimore Beltway
December 28, 2011 By
The following is a recent article printed in The Baltimore Sun. By Steve Kilar 11:05 p.m., December 24, 2011 A man trying to cross the inner loop of the Baltimore Beltway was struck and killed by a car Saturday night, police said. Craig Patrick Thompson, 27, was hit at about 7:45 p.m. near the intersection of North Point Boulevard and Interstate 695 in Edgemere, according to Maryland State Police's Golden Ring barrack. Thompson, from the 5000 block of E Preston St. in Baltimore, was … [Read more...]
Contributory Negligence in Maryland
December 28, 2011 By
Maryland is one of only four states that recognize contributory negligence in personal injury claims. Contributory negligence means that you have contributed, in some way, to your injury. If you have contributed to your personal injury you are not permitted to recover any damages for the injury. This means that if you are only one percent liable, while the other party is 99 percent responsible, you cannot recover any money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or anything else. Most … [Read more...]
Can I Still Recover Damages for a Hit-and-Run Accident?
December 28, 2011 By
In Maryland, if you are injured as the result of a hit-and-run accident, you may still be able to recover damages. A Maryland accident attorney can make sure that you are paid for lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering in the same way as if you knew the identity of the driver who caused the accident. The reason for this being that you can bring a claim under your own insurance policy’s uninsured motorist provision. Maryland law treats the hit-and-run driver as an uninsured motorist. … [Read more...]
How do Insurance Companies Determine the Value of an Injury in Accident Cases?
December 21, 2011 By
Most insurance companies in Maryland use a computer software program to determine what an injury caused by an automobile accident is worth. The insurance adjuster simply adds the data received from your lawyer, your medical records and the amount of your lost wages. The computer program will then consider the severity of the accident and where the accident happened or where the lawsuit will be brought. The software provides a higher value for cases brought in certain counties. Baltimore City and … [Read more...]
Statute of Limitations
December 20, 2011 By
If you want to file a personal injury claim in Maryland, it is best to do so as soon as possible. Your case must be filed within the statute of limitations, which is a fixed period of time designated by the law. For most cases in Maryland, including car accidents, the statute of limitations is three years. However, there are some exceptions. The most common is the discovery rule. Pursuant this rule, the statute of limitations begins from the date that the plaintiff either knew or should have … [Read more...]
What You Should Do if You Strike a Parked Vehicle
December 20, 2011 By
Do you know what you should do if you strike an unattended vehicle in Maryland? Some requirements exist under Maryland law. First, the driver of each vehicle involved in the accident that results in damage to any unattended vehicle or property must stop the vehicle as close as possible to the scene of the accident, without obstructing more traffic than necessary. Second, the driver must attempt to locate the driver or owner of the damaged vehicle or property. The driver is then required to … [Read more...]
Return Phone Calls on Sundays
July 24, 2011 By
Today I received a phone call on my cell phone from a divorce client. He didn't have any emergency, he just had a simple question that he needed answered. When he called, I was at Bass Pro Shops with my son just spending some quality time together. Why do I mention this? I mention this because most of my lawyer friends, if not all, would never take such a call on a Sunday. But I do not agree with that at all. The phone call took about 45 seconds. My understands that I have a … [Read more...]
Contributory Negligence
July 20, 2011 By
In Maryland, a Plaintiff cannot recover damages if the Plaintiff's negligence is a cause of the injury. What does that mean? Consider this. It means that if you are in a supermarket, for example, and there is a huge puddle of water in the middle of an isle that the manager knew had been there for days, and you slipped on it, BUT, you also knew it was there and happened to be running down the isle, you would NOT cover because you were slightly negligent. So even if one party to a … [Read more...]