Monday, March 21, 2016

Maryland Auto Accident Lawyer: Employee Spotlight March 2016

Portner & Shure’s Firm Operations Manager and Director of Internet Marketing, Sarah Sadler, recently celebrated her 21st anniversary with the firm. Sarah has been a fixture here for more than two decades. She has been responsible for helping the firm remain as one of the most highly-regarded car accident law firms in Maryland and Virginia. This firm would not be what it is without the hard work and dedication that Sarah has contributed over these last 21 years. Congratulations Sarah and here's to 21 more years with Portner & Shure!

Maryland Accident Lawyer: Litigation News March 2016

Recently, our litigation department settled a slip and fall case that occurred in Seacrets in Ocean City, Maryland.  Anyone that has visited Seacrets knows that the floor can get very wet and slippery as people are coming in and out of the bay and drinks are spilling all over the floor.  Our client was at Seacrets one evening when she slipped and fell on wet pieces of confetti that were scattered all over the floor.  She injured her ankle and required numerous medical treatments, which totaled about $30,000.  Settlement negotiations with the insurance adjuster started with an offer of only $2,500.  Eventually, our litigation claims manager, Lora Hatton, managed to get the adjuster up to $36,000 to settle the case.  Our client was extremely pleased with the offer and accepted it. 

Maryland Accident Attorney: Case Result March 2016

           Portner & Shure settled a pedestrian accident case for our injured client for $65,000.  The incident occurred in the parking lot of our client’s place of employment in Salisbury, Maryland.  Our client was walking in the parking lot at work when she was struck by a car.  Although there were no broken bones, our client suffered injuries to her neck, back, arms, and legs.  Medical bills totaled more than $46,000 for our client. 


Our paralegal, Pam Brown, negotiated a settlement with the insurance company for $65,000.  Since the accident happened in the parking lot of her job, she was entitled to workers’ compensation benefits as well.  A lien for more than $51,000 was due to be paid, however, Pam negotiated a deal with the workers’ compensation carrier to write off the entire lien.  So in reality, the recovery was $97,000 in a case with no broken bones or significant injuries. 

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Maryland Car Accident Attorney – How to Maximize the Value in Your Pocket

   1.       It’s not just about the total amount of medical bills and expenses you incur.
a.       It’s about the strategies you can use to maximize the take home value of your case, meaning the amount that you get in your pocket after all bills, fees and expenses are paid out of settlement.
b.      That being said, your case is really about getting better and getting the medical treatment that you need.  You should always follow your doctor’s recommendations. 
c.       But don’t make the mistake of thinking that overtreatment is going to improve the value of your case, because it won’t.  It just creates more expenses that you have to pay out of your settlement.

   2.       So, what can you do to get the most value out of your case?

   3.       Using your own insurance to pay medical bills will increase the amount of money you will end up with in your pocket.  There are two ways to do this – health insurance, and personal injury protection, or PIP coverage.
a.       If you have health insurance, never make the mistake of failing to give your insurance information to every medical provider you see.
                                                               i.      Health insurance carriers pay the provider a mere fraction of the actual amount that’s billed.  If the provider is in network, they have to accept that payment as payment in full.
                                                             ii.      When it comes time to settle your case, you can claim the full amount of what the provider billed, but you only have to pay back the insurance carrier what they paid.  You get to keep the difference.
b.      Most people have $2,500 worth of medical payments coverage on their auto policy, commonly referred to as PIP or personal injury protection.  You can use this coverage to pay medical bills as well. 
                                                               i.      The best part about PIP is that you don’t have to pay it back out of settlement.  Every dollar worth of PIP that you use is a dollar that goes directly in your pocket at the time of settlement.
                                                             ii.      There is no downside to using your PIP coverage.  Under Maryland law, your auto insurance carrier is not allowed to raise your rates for using PIP.


Monday, March 7, 2016

Maryland Accident Attorney: Common Reasons that Workers Compensation Claims Get Denied and How an Attorney Can Help

Being injured at work can be one of the most painful, disruptive, and confusing events that can happen in a person’s life. If you are unable to work, the loss of income can be extremely burdensome on an injured worker and their family. If you don’t have health insurance, you may not know how to pay for medical treatment. And if you’ve sustained a permanent injury, you may wonder how you’ll ever make ends meet in the future.  Worrying about these issues on top of dealing with pain can be overwhelming.  Your attorney can help you get disability benefits, medical treatment, and even a lump sum award if you’ve sustained a permanent injury.

One of the greatest values of retaining an attorney is that you will have someone who is on your side to protect your interests, financial and medical, every step of the way.  Here are some of the most common reasons that workers compensation claims are denied and how hiring an experienced attorney can prevent these things from happening to you.

Injured workers’ claims are frequently denied on the basis that a causal connection is lacking, i.e., the injuries were preexisting.  Your attorney can set you up with a doctor of your choice to examine you and provide an unbiased opinion as to the cause of your injuries. Your attorney can negotiate with the insurance company using your doctor’s opinions to attempt to get your claim accepted.

Sometimes, an injured worker’s claim is initially accepted and you receive some medical treatment and some disability benefits.  But then the checks stop coming.

Your attorney can help you by setting you up with an unbiased doctor.  Your attorney can then use your doctor’s report to file issues on your behalf and obtain an order forcing the insurance carrier to pay your benefits.


If you or a family member have been injured or killed in a Maryland work-related accident and would like to consult an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney for free, contact our office at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Baltimore or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Maryland Auto Accident Lawyers: Fatal Accident in Bethesda Kills 3, Seriously Injures Another

            Saturday night, a horrific accident occurred in Bethesda on Pyle Road.  Two cars were involved in the accident, a Chevrolet Volt and a BMW sedan.  There were 4 passengers in the Volt and they were the ones struck with tragedy.  Three of the passengers did not survive the crash, and the fourth passenger suffered life-threatening injuries.  The young driver of the BMW only suffered minor injuries.
            
            The cause of this devastating crash has not been determined yet.  Since it was a Saturday night, it is always possible that alcohol played a role.  Based on accident scene pictures, the Chevrolet Volt suffered significantly more damage than the BMW.  Whatever the cause may be, it is likely that one of the parties was at fault.  This area of Bethesda is a residential area, therefore, with the amount of damage to the Volt vehicle, speed is a likely factor in the crash.

Remember, actions you take immediately after a car accident will affect your personal injury recovery!

Most crash victims do not understand that an auto accident entails complicated issues, including:
   ·         What should never be discussed with the Adjuster;
   ·         The two critical guidelines to follow when seeking medical treatment;
   ·         The method to “get more” for your property damage and an immediate rental car;
   ·         The one document always needed for your lost wage recovery, and other critical accident related         proof;
   ·         The three essentials for building and evaluating the case for pain and suffering compensation.


If you or a family member have been injured or killed in a Maryland pedestrian accident and would like to consult an experienced personal injury attorney for free, contact our office at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Rockville or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/