Maryland Personal Injury Attorney|Contingency Fee

Most Maryland auto accident injury attorneys are paid through contingency fees. A contingency fee basically means that the client does not pay anything to the attorney unless there is a settlement with the insurance company or judgment from the court. When there is a settlement or judgment, a Maryland accident attorney is typically entitled to a percentage of that total settlement or judgment amount. When an injured person is considering hiring a Maryland accident injury lawyer, he or she should read the fee agreement very carefully. Before signing the fee agreement, be sure to check what percentage of the settlement the attorney is charging as a fee.

Some Maryland auto accident injury attorneys will charge fees that are too high. If the Maryland auto accident attorney's fee agreement includes a fee of more than 33% for a case that settles, that Maryland accident injury lawyer is a rip-off artist. Most Maryland accident injury cases settle and a fair Maryland auto accident attorney will charge a 33% fee.

Usually, a Maryland auto accident lawyer's fee agreement will have a different fee for a case that goes into litigation. When a case goes into litigation, that means that the case did not settle because of a disputed issue. Common issues insurance companies dispute are low property damage, liability, and reasonableness of medical treatment. A case that is put into litigation will be decided by a judge or jury. Litigation requires much more work including pleadings, discovery, trial preparation, travel, and trial. The additional work often increases the attorney fee to 40% of the total judgment. If your Maryland accident lawyer is charging you more than a 40% fee for a case in litigation, or more than a 33% fee for a case that settles, that attorney is ripping you off. The Maryland accident attorneys at Portner & Shure are both fair and experienced. If you or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident contact the Maryland accident attorneys at Portner & Shure.

Personal Injury Attorney Strengthens Korean Department to Serve Growing Community

Our amazing Korean Department has been featured in the press!

Maryland Medical Malpractice Attorney | Woman Wins $1.3 Million Jury Verdict

Last week, a Carroll County woman was awarded $1.3 million for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Her doctor left her with a permanent hernia and unable to eat normally after he used a surgical synthetic mesh to help close a hernia. The doctor had claimed that it was accepted practice to use the mesh for that purpose amongst surgeons.

When another surgeon attempted to remove the mesh months later, it caused a leak in her esophagus. While attempting surgery to correct the tear, it was found that there was too much mesh within her esophagus. It was claimed that the doctor had used the wrong type of mesh, used in the wrong way, without informed consent.

Today, the woman can now only eat slowly and in small amounts because of her condition. Furthermore, she has a ventral hernia, wears a special girdle, cannot lift more than five pounds, and cannot bend over. Her injuries have also strained her marriage as she relies on her husband to come home from work multiple times a day to care for her wounds and check her IV.

Maryland Social Security Disability|3 Common Questions

Maryland Social Security Disability Attorney|What is SSDI?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a program that pays benefits to those who become disabled before they reach the age of retirement and are unable to work.

Eligibility:
Work Credits: In order to be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, you need to have earned a set number of work credits. Work credits are earned every year that you work and you may earn up to four credits per year. The number of work credits that you need to qualify for benefits depends on your age at the time you became disabled.

Medical Condition: In addition to fulfilling the number of work credits, you must have a medical condition that meets the Social Security Administration's (SSA) definition of a disability. Those who fulfill the medical condition requirement are those with a severe, long-term, total disability. "Severe" means that the extent of your condition interferes with your ability to perform basic work-related tasks. "Long-term" means that your condition has lasted, or is expected to last, for at least one year. "Total disability" means that you are not able to perform "substantial gainful activity" (SGA). Meaning, if you are unable to gain an income of $1,040 per month, the SSA will find that you are not able to perform SGA.

Approval: If the SSA approves you for disability benefits, you will not receive those benefits for five months. This means that if your claim is approved right away, you will start to receive benefits five months from the date of approval. Most claims take months to a year for approval, and when this happens, you will be credited disability backpay. Disability payments start on the sixth month after your disability began. 

Denial: Most Social Security Disability claims are initially denied. When this happens, an appeal of the decision may be made. Within 60 days of your receipt of the letter, request a review of the denial. To appeal the decision, the first level of appeal is the Request for Reconsideration, which is simply a request to have another claims examiner review your case. If you are subsequently denied, you may request a hearing with an SSA administrative law judge.

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Maryland Criminal Law Attorney|Two Paths to Marijuana Decriminalization

With the legislative session soon coming to a close, both the House of Delegates and the Senate are seeking ways to bridge the gap between two different measures on the same issue: medical marijuana.

The General Assembly last year passed a medical marijuana bill that allowed academic hospitals to order marijuana for patients with certain diseases or symptoms. None of the academic hospitals took advantage of this provision as they feared it may affect their federal funding, as marijuana is still illegal under federal law. This year, they are taking a second look at the program to make it more accessible to patients.

The Senate has a measure to allow for the licensing of treatment centers where medical marijuana can be ordered in order to separate the growers and the patients. Both the Senate and the House are looking at versions where doctors would be able to "recommend" patients to use medical marijuana. This "recommendation" would be akin to a prescription, but because the drug is illegal federally, it cannot be called such. Despite differences between the two bills, many are optimistic that the House and the Senate will come to a consensus.