Because accidental injuries are unexpected, the need for a good lawyer can be immediate and unplanned. Too often people randomly select lawyers based on a television ads, phone book ads, or internet marketing. Selecting a lawyer solely on the basis of advertising precludes a well-balanced understanding of the lawyer’s actual…
Effective today, moped and scooter riders must wear helmets. Maryland has proudly required motorcyclists to wear helmets since 1992 (though, the law is not without its detractors, who try to repeal it at every opportunity). This makes sense, of course: we require seatbelts, carseats and booster seats in cars, and…
The internet has been in a furor over Progressive’s treatment of a Maryland family following the wrongful death of young woman in an auto accident. Is the furor justified? Check out our Generation J.D. blog post to find out: Evil Insurance Company? Following the Law? Both?
We’ve had a spate of referrals from out-of-state lawyers lately that involve Maryland auto accidents, usually Maryland defendants, but out-of-town plaintiffs. The scenario is that an out-of-towner is traveling in Maryland, perhaps even on vacation, and is hit by a negligent driver here in Maryland. Some of these are Ocean…
The vast majority of people don’t want jury duty. As a lawyer, I’ve always hoped for the opportunity to serve and experience “our civic duty” firsthand. I’ve been called twice, but have not been selected. Still, hanging out with the throngs of “potentials” has verified for me that some people…
Most auto accident lawyers hate filing MAIF claims. First, there are a lot of hoops to jump through, including a 180-day notice requirement that, if not met exactly, can capsize the entire claim. Second, MAIF uninsured claims are limited to $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident (see our recent…
In every case, and certainly every Maryland automobile accident case, the lawyer should consider what county the case should be filed in. In Maryland, you typically have the following options: File in the county where the car accident happened File in the county where the defendant lives It is important,…
The scourge of distracted driving is so bad that I predict many attorneys will be adding to their lawsuits complaints against employers for failure to have policies, procedures and protocols to discourage distracted driving. First, a little bit about agency. An agent is someone who is working for someone else.…
Colossus is a software program used by many insurance companies to determine the value of automobile accident claims and lawsuits. The software program gets a bad rap from plaintiff’s lawyers–probably because it undervalues those claims. Now, a former Allstate and Encompass Colossus expert and a former Texas insurance commissioner are…
Our last post on Distracted Driving Lawsuits: Suing the Sender ended with one question: what will happen? As predicted, the New Jersey trial judge dismissed the sender of the text message. The judge stated that it was reasonable for text-senders to assume that text-receivers will act responsibly. He also noted…