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.

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.

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.  

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.

Employee Spotlight December 2017

Join us in welcoming Melinda (Mel) Moss to our Frederick office.  Mel has been a Paralegal since 1992, with a strong and diverse legal background, with expertise in personal injury; medical malpractice; business law; employment and labor relations; as well as commercial litigation.  Mel recently relocated to her hometown of Frederick from Albany, New York, where she worked as a litigation paralegal for Conway & Kirby, PLLC, a major medical malpractice and personal injury firm. Outside of work, Melinda owns and operates MSquared Kennels where she breeds, trains and competes Australian Shepherd dogs in Agility and Obedience, as well as riding and re-training Retired Thoroughbred racehorses.

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.

Recent Case Results September 2017

Recently, Portner & Shure settled a case where two of our clients were rear-ended, leaving them both in immense pain. In an effort to treat their injuries they presented themselves to a hospital and followed discharge instructions to be seen by a chiropractor to ease the rest of their pain. After following their doctor’s treatment plan they were discharged and left with medical bills equaling over $6,000.00 each. After extensive negotiations with the liable insurance company, it was clear they were not willing to offer the settlement amount our clients deserved. Before going to court we were given offers of $7,700.00 and $6,600.00 to settle our client’s claims. However, after going to court we received the verdict of $15,000.00 for one, and $10,586.00 for the other. Needless to say, our clients were very happy with their court award. 

Litigation News September 2017

                This month in litigation news at Portner & Shure, our attorneys have realized that during settlement negations with Allstate, the insurance company believes they have the right to audit medical bills. When Allstate has medical bills audited they make major cuts to the total cost and make offers based on their reductions, even though our clients are still stuck with the full bill. Because of this, we have found that the insurance company generally loses in the court room due to the fact the judge feels as though the reductions are excessive. Our clients fighting against Allstate have been extremely satisfied with their settlement offers after going to court and getting the compensation they deserve from their accident. 

What Clients Are Saying July 2017

“The law offices of Portner & Shure helped me greatly after a pretty debilitating car wreck. Once it became evident that I needed legal counsel I met with Christie Rowland, who then (with the rest of the firm) went about protecting my interests and made my life much easier. When you're hurt it's hard to deal with the constant phone calls and intrusive insurance adjusters. Christie was able to give me the breathing room to heal and put the pieces back together, while giving me the peace of mind that someone was acting in my best interest. I couldn't recommend her, or Portner & Shure enough.”

This case was handled by our Paralegal, Christie Rowland, who works out of our Frederick, MD office.

Employee Spotlight July 2017

Join us in welcoming Kimberly Molina to the Portner & Shure family. She is a receptionist in our Columbia, Maryland office and has been with us since March. Kimberly speaks English and Spanish, which is an important asset at the firm for talking with clients on the phone. Kimberly also actively participates in shooting Spanish videos for the firm. She was born in the United States, but her parents are from El Salvador and came to the United States in the 1990s. Kimberly also has an older brother that was born in El Salvador, but is now living in the United States as well. Kimberly has two children, a daughter named Anabella and a son named Nathan. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, spending time with her family, camping, and going to the beach.

Litigation News June 2017

This month in litigation news at Portner & Shure, we have an accident case where our client was rear-ended at a red light and the defendant driver’s insurance carrier denied liability, forcing us to file suit in order to obtain the compensation our client was entitled. In this accident, our client suffered injuries to her back, neck, hip, and shoulders. He required chiropractic treatment for his injuries. After incurring nearly $2,500.00 in medical expenses and with liability denied by the insurance company, our litigation team filed suit and this case was headed to trial. The trial Judge found the defendant liable and awarded our client $7,133.00 plus court costs. Our client was extremely satisfied with this result, especially considering that the insurance company initially denied liability and was not offering anything to settle. This case is yet another example of an accident where property damage is minimal, and for that reason only, the insurance company will deny liability without considering actual injuries suffered by the victim. 

Injured by an Emergency Vehicle in Maryland?

Here's something you probably have never thought of: what happens if you're injured in an accident caused by a speeding emergency vehicle?

We see police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances speeding by us everyday on the roadways. In Maryland, operators of emergency vehicles have certain privileges when it comes to traffic laws, but that does not mean that they are completely immune from liability if they negligently cause an accident.

Accidents involving emergency vehicles do happen, and in some circumstances, the emergency vehicle can be held liable. Maryland traffic laws allow emergency vehicles to run red lights and pass stop signs as long as they first slowed down to ensure they could pass safely. These vehicles are also allowed to exceed the speed limit as long as it is possible to do safely.

Ordinary negligence of emergency vehicles operated by a government entity can only result in, at most, $30,000 in insurance coverage. However, if you can prove gross negligence on the part of the emergency vehicle, Maryland law caps damages at $400,000.

If you've been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of an emergency vehicle, call the attorneys at Portner & Shure for a free consultation today: (301) 854-9000, (410) 995-1515.