WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY BALTIMORE PERSONAL INJURY CASE? The worker’s compensation lien.

Experienced and aggressive personal injury and accident lawyers in Baltimore MD realize a trio of situations where a worker’s compensation claim has an additional source of recovery for his or her client within it: where an outside actor is negligent causing injury to the employee; where a worker is hurt while using defective machinery; and where a worker is hurt to a dangerous or defective condition on real property. In these situations, the worker’s compensation carrier provides benefits: lost wages and payment of medical expenses. The injured worker also has a right of recovery against the negligent party. However, the worker’s compensation carrier providing benefits will have a lien, or claim on, that recovery from the third party. Personal injury and accident lawyers in Baltimore MD will explain the theory here is that there should not be a double recovery for the same injury.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY BALTIMORE PERSONAL INJURY CASE? I got hurt at work. Am I limited to worker’s compensation?

Some personal injury and accident lawyers in Baltimore, MD assume that answer is always “yes”. In another article, we’ve discussed three situations where there is the possibility of an additional claim. One, where there is active negligence on the part of a third party causing the injury [e.g. a Baltimore car accident occurring while someone is on the clock] might be separately actionable as a tort or negligence lawsuit. Of course, the possibility of an additional claim, personal injury and accident lawyers in Baltimore well know means the corresponding possibility of additional financial recovery for the injury victim.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY PERSONAL INJURY CASE IN BALTIMORE, MD? The ceiling collapse case.

We’ve devoted a lot of space recently to a discussion of Baltimore car accidents: their cause, those involved, and, of course, the role of the insurance company –as all of these are significant factors in assessing the value of any claim. Let’s shift gears for a moment. Seasoned personal injury and accident lawyers in Baltimore, MD have no doubt handled, or heard of, a Baltimore ceiling collapse lawsuit. The usual scenario is that the tenant of a building sustains injury when the plaster, drywall, or other construction materials in the ceiling of their unit unexpectedly falls on them. Cynics, including some personal injury and accident lawyers in Baltimore, MD, have noted there may be some individuals sitting under a hole in their ceiling waiting for something to fall. Other, more jaded skeptics have suggested that the Baltimore ceiling collapse case should actually be referred to as a the Baltimore ceiling pull down case. Of course, the injured plaintiff must be able to prove the building owner know or had reason to know of the defective ceiling, which is often a significant hurdle. If you’ve sustained bodily injury due to the fault of another, contact a seasoned personal injury and accident lawyer in Baltimore, MD to determine the value of your claim.

MARYLAND CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER How much is awarded in a Baltimore MD wrongful death case?

A Baltimore City jury recently awarded $760,000 to the family of a woman tragically killed in a 2010 Maryland car accident. As experienced Maryland car accident lawyers know, the value of a claim is often capped by the amount of insurance. There apparently was $100,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. The amount of insurance held by the at-fault driver is unknown, but most Maryland car accident lawyers would agree it is highly unlikely that it was $660,000.

MARYLAND CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER The role of the insurance company. You’ve got to be kidding me.

A number of recent posts have dealt with the collective mentality of the insurance industry, well know to Maryland car accident lawyers. One example bears some attention. AIG is a major insurer that was ‘managed’ to the extent that it needed $170 billion dollars in taxpayer capital infusion just to keep from going under. “Too big to Fail”, AIG is now 80% government owned. When it got the bailout money, designed to keep it afloat, AIG earmarked 165 million to be paid, as bonus money, to the ‘managers’ that put the business in that position to begin with! 7 high ranking executives were to get more than 3 million in bonus money. [The New York Times, 3/14/09.] Many of my Maryland car accident lawyer colleagues wondered what kind of business rewards a performance like AIG’s with bonus money?

MARYLAND CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER The role of the insurance company. They don’t think the way you do.

I’ve devoted a lot of space here, and elsewhere, recently to the insurance industry as a whole, and about some specific property casualty insurance companies. One perspective, well known to any Maryland car accident lawyer who’s negotiated a claim with an insurance company, probably warrants  a little additional discussion. $100,000 would make a huge difference in the lives of most Americans. It doesn’t matter at all to a company that makes a billion dollars a year, and takes in 15 billion in revenue. The property casualty insurance industry is massively profitable on scales that most of simply can’t understand. Many Maryland car accident lawyers would offer you this illustrative example. Some adjusters are told to think about cases, or authorized to act in increments, e.g. $2500, that exceed the monthly takehome of many Americans.

MARYLAND CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER The role of the insurance company - "You're in Good Hands"

Allstate is one of the major auto accident insurance companies in the land. Maryland car accident lawyers are familiar with the methods that Allstate uses to value, and defend against claims. Like any other business, an insurance company's profitability is dependent on taking in more money than it pays out. For an auto accident insurance company, that means paying out less in claims than it takes in premiums. Maryland car accident lawyers know well that Allstate stockowners are indeed in good hands, as Allstate pays out a whole lot less in claims than it takes in premiums. You see, Allstate posted profits of 788 million dollars in 2011, and 928 million dollars in 2010.