Injured in an Auto Accident? Why Communication with you Attorney is Vital!

At Portner & Shure, we know that communication is the key to a successful attorney-client relationship and to the success of your case. It is our policy that all client phone calls and emails will be returned the same day in addition to providing a separate monthly update on your case.

Constant communication means that we understand everything you are going through in the case. As a result, we can properly convey all your pain and suffering and inconvenience to the adjuster. Further, our communication practice ensures that your case is running smoothly, no deadlines are missed, and offers come timely. If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, call Portner & Shure today. We’ll give your case the attention it deserves.

Litigation News July 2018

One of our clients was rear ended on an access lane while waiting to merge onto a busy road. She had immediate pain but waited to go to the doctor as she thought the pain would go away. The insurance company for the driver who hit her refused to admit fault or pay damages because she allegedly stopped two times on the access lane and she waited several days before obtaining medical treatment. However, when we went to trial, the judge agreed that it doesn’t matter how many times you stop on an access lane, there is a duty for a travelling vehicle to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of it. As to damages, the judge found our client extremely credible. The court agreed with our attorney, Ms. Molly Cross, and awarded our client full reimbursement for medical expenses as well as a large amount for pain and suffering, an amount that was triple her medical costs.

What Clients are Saying July 2018

Referred by a friend who used them before, called them a few days after my accident and they set up an appointment right away. Within that same day Christine was assigned to handle my case she called and got me a rental and therapy set up. Christine stayed in constant contact, even checked up on me and answered all my questions. This was my first accident and I was unaware of my rights and what to even do, I’m glad I was referred to them and everything was handled efficiently. I will definitely let family and friends know to use them.

This case was handled by our paralegal, Mrs. Christine Airey, out of our Columbia, MD office.

Employee Spotlight April 2018

Maria Lizarzaburu, works in the Frederick office. She has been with Portner & Shure since October 2016. Born in Peru where she lived for 10 years then moved to Maryland. Her family means everything to her, has a 10 year old son and recently married her childhood friend from Peru.

She loves helping people which makes her great with our clients. She is a paralegal assistant to Mrs. Jennifer Sauer. She enjoys the simple things in life and seeing other people happy. It’s been a pleasure having her as a part of our team.

What Clients are Saying March 2018

Excellent service! Honestly if I ever get into an accident again they will be the first to call! My paralegal, Christine Airey helped me with everything I needed and answered my million questions! In busy times it's nice to know this was something I didn't have to stress to dearly in my recovery. Everything was handled and I am able to recover without the hassle of the messy details! I highly recommend the law firm I used!

This case was handled out of our Columbia, MD office by our paralegal, Mrs. Christine Airey

Employee Spotlight March 2018

Please join us in welcoming one of our newest attorneys, Ms. Molly Cross. Ms. Cross graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2016 with a concentration in Litigation and Advocacy. While attending law school, she was inducted into the Royal Graham Shannonhouse III Honor Society and served as a Rule 16 Student Attorney for the Saul Ewing Civil Advocacy Clinic, where she represented clients in administrative and district court proceedings. Ms. Cross was also a co-captain and competing member of the National Trial Competition team. Ms. Cross continues to volunteer her time as an assistant coach for the team.  Before law school, Ms. Cross graduated Cum Laude from Clemson University where she studied Political Science and Japanese.

Prior to joining Portner & Shure, Ms. Cross gained experience clerking at a law firm in Baltimore City focusing on civil rights litigation. She later served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Hon. Cathleen M. Vitale of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. 

Ms. Cross is admitted to the Maryland State Bar and is a member of the American Inns of Court. Her areas of practice include personal injury and criminal defense. We are more than excited to have Ms. Cross as a part of our team.

Maryland has been Ranked Third WORST State to Drive in

Have you ever felt that some states are easier to drive in than others?

Well you may be right—a new study ranking states driving favorability from best to worst was just released, and Maryland was ranked third worst.  

Factors that the study considered included traffic congestion, number of accidents, drivers' aggressiveness, among others

More specifically, Maryland was found to have the second worst rush hour congestion and third worst overall traffic

With severe traffic congestion comes a higher risk of rear-end and lane change accidents as drivers become distracted when sitting in their car not moving

If driving through the state of Maryland, stay alert, keep a greater following distance, and always be aware of others on the road.

What Happens When You’re the Victim of a Hit-and-Run?

You are always told to get the information from the driver that hit us in an accident, which includes their name, address, insurance information, and driver’s license information. But in a hit-and-run, you are left with no information and no one to call.

Actually, in situations where you are injured in an accident and have no information for the driver responsible, you do have another option to recover compensation

Your own car insurance policy includes something called uninsured motorist coverage. First, the accident should be reported to the police so it can be verified that there was an accident and the other driver had no insurance.

Second, when the responsible party’s information is unknown, you have the recourse available to set up an uninsured motorist claim, or UM claim to recover compensation for your injuries.

Complicated accidents like hit-and-runs require you to have an experienced attorney like those at Portner & Shure, to help you get the compensation you deserve.

What makes a vehicle a lemon?

·         Maryland lemon law provides protection to consumers of brand new vehicles who spend more time in the repair shop than on the road.

·         Maryland Lemon Law applies to defective new or leased cars, light trucks, and motorcycles.

·         To qualify under the protection your vehicle must be registered in Maryland, have less than 18,000 miles and owned less than 2 years.

·         A dealer or manufacturer is required to correct the defect after they have notice of the problem.

·         If the dealer or manufacturer is unable to fix the problem, you may be entitled to a refund or replacement vehicle if your car has one of the following defects:

1.      A brake or steering failure that was not corrected after the first repair attempt and causes it to fail Maryland’s safety inspection.

2.      Any one problem that substantially impairs the use and market value of the vehicle that was not corrected in FOUR attempts

3.      Any number of problems that substantially impairs the use and market value of the vehicle that have caused it to be out of service for a cumulative total of 30 or more days.

·         When your dealer sells you a lemon, let Portner & Shure help you make lemonade. 

Recent Case Results February 2018

On April 19^th, our client was involved in a hit and run accident where the defendant backed into his parked vehicle, then drove off. The impact left him with pain to his neck and back, and worsened a preexisting injury. After six months of physical therapy and other forms of medical treatment, we submitted our clients demand to Allstate for review. Once the claim was evaluated, our office was contacted with an offer that was far too low. After discussing the different options with our client, we agreed that pushing this case through to litigation would be for the best. Fortunately, the Judge agreed that our client did in fact deserve more compensation than what Allstate was offering, and awarded our client with a final verdict of $10,515.00.  

The Importance of Gap Insurance After a Car Accident

When a person gets a new vehicle, the majority of us want that car to run us as long as possible, the last thing we think of is the possibility of that car being totaled before it is even paid off. Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and that’s where the importance of gap insurance comes into play.

If you’re in an accident where your vehicle is totaled and it is not yet paid off, you could still owe thousands of dollars to the lien holder even after the total loss check has been cashed. Insurance companies usually offer the minimum amount of your vehicles value, which is often far less than what you actually paid for the car. This means that not only do you no longer have a vehicle, but you also still have to pay off that car.

However, if you have gap insurance, it will likely pay the difference between whatever the insurance company paid to the lien holder and what you still owe, in order to pay the vehicle off. If you have been injured in an auto accident, call the top rated attorneys of Portner & Shure so we can properly guide you through all the necessary steps and help you fully utilize all coverage that is available.

Litigation News January 2018

This month in litigation news at Portner & Shure, we have an accident case where our client had the right-of-way and the defendant made a left turn into our client's vehicle. The impact left our client with significant pain to his shoulder, back, neck, and left leg. As liability was never accepted by the defendant's insurance company, we had no choice but to put the case into litigation. Before going to trial, there were no settlement offers on the case, after going to trial we received a verdict of $5,338.00 plus court costs. Needless to say, our client was very pleased that he had Portner & Shure on his side.

Employee Spotlight January 2018

Destiny Moore, works in the Columbia Maryland office. She has been with Portner & Shure since September 2017. Born in Chicago; raised in Maryland since the age of 3. She has 8 years of customer service experience so she is great with our clients at the front desk. Along with helping to operate the front desk efficiently, she is a paralegal assistant for Ms. Rachel Dawes. Outside of work she loves to do photoshoots, hang out with friends, travel, and exercise.

What Clients are Saying January 2018

I am very pleased with the work Portner and Shure did for my husband's case. I especially loved how Ms. Jung was very attentive and precise at handling our case throughout this whole process. I will definitely come back to portner and shure for sure!!

This case was handled out of our Columbia, MD office by our Paralegal, Ms. Heather Jung

Recent Case Results December 2017

On July 6^th, our client was riding as a passenger in a vehicle that was rear ended by a Taxi. The impact was so great it left her with excruciating pain to her neck, back, and chest. Once our client was through with treatment, we submitted her demand to the liable party’s insurance company as we always do. However, after several months of haggling with the insurance company and no offers yet on the table, our litigation team decided to put this case into suit. After the case was tried, we went from having no offers, to having a court award of $17,230.00 plus costs. Although it was a long process, our client was very pleased she had Portner & Shure to be her advocate. 

Inclement Weather Leads to More Car Accidents

As temperatures continue to drop, you need to keep in mind road and weather conditions while driving. Importantly, you must be aware of other drivers on the road, and alter your driving habits based on the conditions

We have all seen the drivers who turn on their hazards and practically crawl down the right lane during inclement weather. Contrarily, we have also all seen the driver who speeds and weaves in and out of traffic. Both of which are a major hazard.

Adverse weather contributes to 28% of all accidents and 20% of accident fatalities. The law states you have a duty to operate your vehicle differently based on the conditions. If the weather is bad, go slower, and keep a greater distance between you and other vehicles.

We at Portner & Shure wish you and your family a safe and warm Holiday Season.  

Employee Spotlight November 2017

Join us in welcoming Lucy Huang, to the Portner & Shure family. Lucy is a great asset to our team, she is originally from China which gives her the benefit of knowing both Mandarin and English. Outside of work, Lucy loves to travel, watch movies, and listen to music. Lucy has enjoyed her time so far at Portner & Shure, and is excited to see what more she can learn.

What Clients are Saying October 2017

Jonathan Portner and his co-worker Grace were extremely professional and helpful with my case.
I am very pleased with the services that I have received. I highly recommend!!!

This case was handled by our paralegal, Grace Chung, who works out of our Columbia, MD office. 

What Clients are Saying September 2017

Portner & Shure was amazing with dealing with my auto case. My wife and I were in a car accident and they came highly recommended. We worked with Christine Airey and she was able to coordinate all of the necessary information while we focused on getting better. She kept us updated with all communication and made the process of settlement a breeze. Christine showed outstanding sensitivity and care during our time of distress and helped us to get past an unfortunate event. I would recommend Portner & Shure to any and everybody who has any legal needs.

This case was handled by our Paralegal, Christine Airey, who works out of our Columbia, MD office. 

September 2017 Employee Spotlight

Join us in welcoming one of our newest attorneys, Justin Weiss. Mr. Weiss received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Boston College in 2006. Before attending George Mason University School of Law, he worked on Capitol Hill for two Democratic members of the House of Representatives.  He was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2012 and the Maryland State Bar in 2017.   At Portner & Shure, he practices traffic/criminal defense and personal injury law, including automobile accidents. Mr. Weiss has protected the rights of individuals accused of crimes and traffic offenses and successfully represented clients in a variety of civil matters. Mr. Weiss communicates regularly with his clients to help solve their legal issues.  Before entering the courtroom, he thoroughly prepares his clients, so there are rarely any surprises.  Mr. Weiss is a passionate and persuasive advocate with trial experience in courts throughout Maryland and Virginia.