Maryland Auto Accident Lawyer Blog tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2009-04-10:/2 2010-09-02T15:21:18Z Maryland Auto Accident Lawyer provided by Miller & Zois, LLC. Movable Type 4.25 Farmers Auto Claims tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1434 2010-09-02T15:20:26Z 2010-09-02T15:21:18Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr Farmers Insurance in car and truck accident claims.  ]]> New Trial Ordered in After Defense Verdict tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1362 2010-08-10T19:16:09Z 2010-08-10T19:23:00Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr
Interestingly, the judge offered no explanation why a new trial was warranted.  Judges usually have pretty specific reasons for granting a new trial.  The article summarizing the case was not entirely clear on the details of the grounds under which Plaintiff's auto accident lawyer sought a new trial.   It is particularly surprising in a case involving a unsafe lane change because it is typically a question of fact for the jury.
]]> Car Accident Lawsuit Loans tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1306 2010-07-06T18:13:27Z 2010-07-06T18:15:25Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr Maryland car accident website, we write about the perils of lawsuit loans in Maryland auto accident cases. ]]> Medical Malpractice After a Car Accident tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1303 2010-07-06T16:51:41Z 2010-07-06T16:56:30Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr
What if a doctor commits medical malpractice on a patient while treating the patient for injuries from a car accident in Maryland?  The driver is liable not only for the plaintiff's direct injuries but also for any additional harm resulting from medical providers rendering aid, regardless of whether the treatment is proper or a negligent manner. 

The reasoning behind this Maryland rule is that the at fault driver by his actions put the plaintiff in a position of danger and should be held accountable for the risks inherent in treating the plaintiff's injuries.  Of course, the at-fault driver in an auto accident where there is subsequent medical malpractice can bring a claim against the negligent doctor or health care provider for contribution.  But I have never seen or heard of this happening. 
]]> Maryland Lawyer: Car Accident tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1298 2010-06-30T16:37:23Z 2010-06-30T17:46:22Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr
First, don't let anyone kid you.  While there are a lot of lawyers out there who will take your accident claim that shouldn't be handling car accident cases of any level of complexity, there are a lot of competent Maryland auto accident lawyers who can handle your accident claim.  

But the key to finding a quality Maryland accident lawyer is to ask the lawyer the tough questions about their experience.  You need to first admit that this task is not as easy as it sounds.  I've asked my own treating doctors about their level of experience and qualifications to perform the job. It is not fun and it is no easy.  But you really have to suck it up and ask the right questions.  Here are three you may want to consider:

  1. Have you every received a settlement or verdict in excess of $1 million?  This question is misleading for lots of reasons but it is still a good question.  Why?   Accident lawyers who have not handled large cases are more likely to blink the moment that the insurance company makes some thing that approaches a real offer. You may want to feel like your accident lawyer's only client but you don't want to be the lawyer's only client.  
  2. How many cases have you tried in the last few years?  Few successful Maryland accident lawyers are trying 10 cases a year.  Good lawyers handle good cases and this means a lot of time put into the case before trial and good accident cases, more often than not, settle.  But if the lawyer and his/her law firm are only rarely trying cases, it is unlikely they take cases to trial.  Even if your goal is to settle your case, you want an accident lawyer who is ready to go to trial (and one the insurance company knows is ready for trial).
  3. What kind of cases to you handle?  If the lawyer handles criminal, domestic,and everything else under the sun, you can reasonably question whether that lawyer has the experience to handle all that comes with a complex personal injury case.  Not to say that some lawyers can't be successful handling many different types of cases.  But it does raise a red flag that should be fully explored.
]]> Average Car Accident Settlement in Maryland tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1225 2010-05-25T16:02:38Z 2010-05-25T16:11:44Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr Maryland Auto Accident Lawyer website provides interesting data on the average car accident settlement in Maryland.  
]]> Maryland Car Accident Statistics tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1185 2010-05-12T16:10:00Z 2010-05-12T16:11:03Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr here.  ]]> Maryland Car Accident Claim Time Response tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1184 2010-05-12T15:50:18Z 2010-05-12T16:03:10Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr
Of course, insurance companies are obligated to respond to lawsuits.   That is the one arrow in plaintiff's quiver that the must respond to in accident claims.  And the threat of a potential lawsuit or trial is what makes insurance companies respond with meaningful offers in accident claims.


]]> Baltimore Car Accident Attorney tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1159 2010-04-27T17:09:38Z 2010-04-27T17:11:55Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr Baltimore car accident attorneys.  Click on the proceeding link for more information.  ]]> Head on Collision Settlement Claims tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1158 2010-04-27T16:51:42Z 2010-04-27T17:07:22Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr
The average jury verdict in head on collusion lawsuits is $484,457.  While this is not an average head on collision settlement statistic, certain the average verdict is a lens to the average settlement. 

]]> Motorcycle and Bike Accident Cases in Maryland tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1153 2010-04-26T14:19:18Z 2010-04-26T15:08:07Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr Juries don't like motorcyclists.  Motorcycle accident cases can be a battle even in cases where liability seems obvious.  Our lawyers have had to battle hard to establish liability in motorcycle accident cases where the same dispute would never if the victim had just been driving a car.  

But juror have even more concern about bicycle accident claims. A study by the Jury Verdict Research found that 67% of car-injured motorcyclists recover an award at trial.   In contrast but only 45% of bicyclists lawsuits that go to verdict end in a recovery for the victim.See Nelson Pena, Double Standard: Why Injured Cyclists Usually Lose in Court, Bicycling, Dec. 1991.

In motorcycle accident and bike accident cases, you need a lawyer that is going to fight with you every step of the way.

]]> Maryland Semi Truck Accident Lawyer tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1116 2010-04-12T17:28:44Z 2010-04-12T17:43:10Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr
Not surprisingly because these vehicles are so big and so unwieldy, many wrongful death cases in Maryland involve semi truck accidents.  For more information on semi truck accident lawsuits and settlements in Maryland, click on the preceding link. 

]]> Accident Depositions Outside of Maryland tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1098 2010-04-08T18:07:01Z 2010-04-08T19:18:06Z Ronald V. Miller, Jr When a deponent in an auto accident case is outside of Maryland, the Maryland Rules provide that the deposition may be held in a foreign jurisdiction in accordance.  This makes depositions far more complicated for Maryland accident lawyers, often requiring the retention of local counsel to enforce the subpoena; determining the date, time, and place and feasible location to hold the deposition.

This 2001 Utah Bar Journal article continues to be a good resource for lawyers trying to depose out-of-state witnesses. 

  • Sample depositions
  • Sample trial transcripts
  • Sample Discovery
]]> Can You Work With My Lawyer on My Truck Accident Case? tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1088 2010-04-06T15:59:04Z 2010-04-06T16:03:31Z If you currently have another lawyer and are not unhappy but want to involve a lawyer who has successfully tried catastrophic injury truck accident cases, we may be able to work with your current lawyer as o-counsel" in your truck... Ronald V. Miller, Jr
If you currently have another lawyer and are not unhappy but want to involve a lawyer who has successfully tried catastrophic injury truck accident cases, we may be able to work with your current lawyer as o-counsel" in your truck accident case. 
In the vast majority of cases, this has no impact on your fee because we share fees with your current lawyer.  We can certainly do this in Maryland truck accident cases - as we have many times - but every state has different requirements that govern how lawyers work together on accident cases.  So if you are not in Maryland, the answer is most likely yes but it depends on your state's laws. 
]]> How Fast Was the Driver Going Before the Accident? tag:www.marylandautoaccidentlawyer.net,2010://2.1046 2010-03-25T16:20:31Z 2010-03-25T17:53:27Z I read a bar journal in Maine today that provided some good links of some of the literature that is out there to try to determine how fast a driver was doing at the time of impact in a car... Ronald V. Miller, Jr I read a bar journal in Maine today that provided some good links of some of the literature that is out there to try to determine how fast a driver was doing at the time of impact in a car accident:

 Baker and Fricke's The Traffic Accident Investigation Manual, Northwestern University Traffic Institute (ed. 1986).

- Thomas Bohan's and Arthur DaMasks' Forensic Accident Investigation Motor Vehicles, (1995), which includes an introduction to vehicle accident physics, speed calculations and computer-generated images.

- Daily's Fundamentals of Traffic Accident Reconstruction, Institute of Police Technology and Management University of North Florida (1988), the text utilized by the state of Maine.

 Watts, Atkinson & Hennessy's Low Speed Automobile Accident Reconstruction and Occupant Kinematics Dynamics and Biomechanics, (1996).

- Armentrout's Physics Applied to Accident Reconstruction, Maine College of Physics Teachers, University of Maine (1983).
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