Laurel, Maryland Dog Bite Attorney

Visit us at:  www.portnerandshure.com

or call to speak with one of our experienced Maryland dog bite attorneys at (410) 995-1515 for a free consultation

How to Prevent Your Dog from Biting

The experienced Maryland dog bite attorney's at Portner & Shure are notorious dog lovers. In fact, we are known for our occasional Cutest Dog Photo Contests! Although we love all dogs, we understand and respect the possibility that any dog can cause an injury through biting, no matter how small or gentle we believe them to be.

Even good dogs become aggressive when their territory, food, or young are threatened. Sometimes accidentally or unknowingly stepping on or harming a dog could trigger a bite. The truth that we do not forget is that no matter how well trained or how well behaved our dogs are, the possibility of biting is always there.

Because of this, we take steps to prevent our dogs from biting:

1)      Train: This is crucial in taking control of your dog and preventing dog bites. Teaching your dog to remain composed in different settings and situations will make strides for preventing a potential lawsuit. Having an obedient dog will give you more control when your dog is feeling threatened or scared.

2)      Socialize: Exposure to other dogs and other people from a young age will teach a dog how to be comfortable around others. By exposing them do these different groups, your dog will learn how to react.

3)      Leash: In order to maintain a level of control over your dog, it is essential that you use a leash. This is especially true for large dogs.

4)      Warn: Be sure to have clear signs around your property such as "Beware of dog." Make sure the signs are clearly written and visible. This will alert passers-by that your dog is in your yard or in the vicinity.

5)      Vaccinate: If your dog does bite someone, you may face more serious punishment if your dog has not had updated rabies shots. 

If you or a family member has been injured or killed as a result of a Maryland dog bite and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on dog bites please feel free to contact our office at (410) 995-1515 or visit us on the web at www.portnerandshure.com

Maryland Dog Bite Attorney|Pit Bulls are No Longer "Inherently Dangerous"

The two-year fight is finally over. Animal advocates sighed with relief when Governor Martin O'Malley negated the 2012 Court of Appeals ruling that found pit bulls to be inherently dangerous, and that they should be held to a strict liability standard.  This ruling infuriated dog lovers across the state and sparked a heated debate for two years. The court decision also opened the door for dog bite victims to sue landlords for injuries, causing difficulties for tenants who owned pit bulls. Many pit bull-owning tenants faced the hard decision between their homes and their pets.

The new legislation now applies the same legal standard to all dog breeds. The owner has the burden of proof to show that there was no previous reason to believe that a dog was dangerous. This allows for dog bite victims to seek the justice they deserve without singling out pit bulls as an inherently dangerous breed. Furthermore, the new legislation makes it more difficult for dog bite victims to pursue lawsuits against the landlords. 

Maryland Dog Bite Attorney|New Bill Seeks to Make All Dog Owners Liable For Bites

In 2012, the Court of Appeals made the controversial ruling that outraged dog lovers across the state: owners of pure bred pit bulls would be held strictly liable for all bites because pit bulls were deemed inherently dangerous. To top it off, landlords could be held liable as well. This court ruling caused many pit bulls to be put into shelters and many landlords to ban pit bulls from their property.

A new bill has been proposed to take another look at dog bites and liability. This bill would set a measure that applies to all dogs, no matter their breed, and would presume that all dog owners are liable for a dog bite, even if that dog has not bitten anyone before. In addition, the law would allow for owners to neutralize that presumption by showing that their dog had been docile before the bite occurred.

The previous breed-specific law caused uproar amongst dog lovers and made many disproportionately wary of pit bulls. This new proposed law holds all dog owners equally responsible for the actions of their dogs and is sure to gain favor in this respect, but some remain wary that the ability to neutralize the presumption would allow dog owners to escape responsibility entirely.  We will have to wait to see what a dog owner will actually have to show in order to prove that their dog was 'docile' before a fight. For the sake of dog bite victims, I hope that the standard is high.

What Makes Portner & Shure Better than Other Personal Injury Attorneys in Howard County?

1. Familiarity with Columbia and the surrounding area. We opened in Ellicott City eighteen years ago, and now have our main office in Columbia. Since that time we have settled or tried over 15,000 personal injury cases, many for Howard County clients. We know how to best handle a Howard County accident case just by shear experience. Our verdicts and settlements in Howard County reveal that we can recover fair compensation from every insurance carrier including Allstate, MAIF, and GEICO. Further, the Howard County criminal defense attorneys on staff here at Portner & Shure have been to court with thousands of criminal defendants and have obtained excellent results. I have lived in Ellicott City for over ten years and am active in the community. In addition, half of our staff resides in Columbia or Ellicott City. As a result, we know the tendencies of the citizens who make up juries in Howard County and we know the tendencies of most of the Howard County District Court and Circuit Court Judges. This knowledge is a great asset in Howard County personal injury jury and Howard County criminal cases.


2. Does Portner & Shure do anything special to help represent the diverse make up of the residents of Howard County?Howard County has an extremely large and active Korean community. Our Korean Department allows our Howard County personal injury law firm to help Korean speaking accident victims and Korean speaking criminal defendants in Ellicott City and Columbia. In order to assist the Spanish speaking population, we currently have a Spanich department, including Elizabeth, Norma, Claudia, Will and Cynthia, to help with Spanish speaking automobile accident victims and Spanish speaking residents charged with DWI or other criminal offenses in Ellicott City and Columbia. Lastly, we have a Chinese department, consisting of Rosanna, Jane and Christine, to help Chinese speaking automobile accident victims and Chinese speaking criminal defendants in Columbia and Ellicott City.


3. Why Portner & Shure in Howard County?

• Our foreign departments allow our Howard County law firm to help the diverse population


• Our Howard County attorneys are always available


• We have a convenient, main office located in Columbia in Howard County


• Our Howard County attorneys have experience in Howard County from working and living here for approximately eighteen years.


• Our track record of great results


• We are respected by every insurance company

Howard County Automobile Accident Attorney

If you are involved in an automobile accident in Howard County, you need access to an attorney who knows the local courts and has considerable past personal injury experience. You need to be assured that when you hire your Howard County personal injury law firm, you are in competent, experienced and qualified hands. In your search for the right Howard County accident attorney, your research will have been a success if you call attorney, Jon Portner, Richard Shure, Kevin Ruby or Nick Parr at Portner & Shure.

The auto accident Team at Portner & Shure understands that the best auto accident case results aren't just earned in the courtroom. In order to succeed, a proper investigation must be conducted in the early stages of the process including a thorough case review and discovery. Our personal injury legal team has a desire to win and does not back down to the Howard County insurance defense attorneys, unlike some other personal injury law firms in Howard County. We prepare extensively for automobile accident cases and treat these cases with the utmost importance. A strong desire to win and exceptional preparation have enabled us to obtain an excellent track record in the Howard County District Court and the Howard County Circuit Court.

Our reputation in Howard County places us at or near the top among our peers in both settling and trying auto accident cases. A respectable personal injury litigation firm must excel at both. Combined Mr. Portner and Mr. Shure have negotiated and/or tried thousands of automobile accident cases throughout Maryland. Mr. Portner has considerable experience and a proven track record in Howard County District and Circuit Court.

In an attempt to be the best automobile accident attorneys in Howard County, the personal injury team at Portner & Shure constantly works to improve their knowledge in the personal injury arena and educates others. In this regard, Mr. Portner and Mr. Parr have researched and written numerous blogs concerning case values, tendencies of insurance companies, jurisdictional analysis, and litigation strategy.

The passion of that our automobile accident trial team displays in and out of the courtroom, as well as our advocacy experience and belief in our clients, has enabled us to convince judges, juries, and even insurance companies' attorneys to see the case from our prospective. Call Portner & Shure for your Howard County automobile accident representation, and experience our winning team's passion, experience and talent. Portner & Shure handles Howard County automobile accident cases throughout the county including, Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Fulton, Laurel, Glenelg, Jessup, and Sykesville.

Dog Bite Cases and Methods of Recovery

Dog bite cases can often be very lucrative because of the potential to name multiple defendants.  In many cases where a dog owner is renting their home or apartment, successful claims can be made against both the landlord and tenant.

For example, a Baltimore City woman was recently able to obtain a verdict of over $325,000 for injuries she suffered as a result of a dog bite.  In this case, the Plaintiff was walking her dog down a public street when another dog broke free from a nearby apartment.  The loose dog then attacked the Plaintiff, causing a flesh wound that would later require 25 stitches to repair.  The Plaintiff subsequently filed suit against both the dog owner and the landlord of the dog owner's property. 

In her suit, the Plaintiff claimed that the dog owner was liable for not adequately securing his dog, and that the landlord was vicariously liable because the property being rented to the dog's owner was not sufficient to house a large dog (the dog in this case was a rottweiler).  Only the landlord presented a defense at trial, claiming that he was not liable for the actions of the dog involved in the attack.  A Baltimore City jury took just 1 hour to return a verdict against the dog owner in the amount of $175,025, and against the landlord in the amount of $150,025.  The amount rendered for the pain and suffering of the Plaintiff was not provided by the Court. 

In dog bite cases, a good attorney should be careful to identify all possible individuals or entities that could be held liable for the actions of the attacking dog.  Specifically, an attorney should focus on whether the attacking dog had escaped the control of its owner.  If the dog did break loose from its owner, an attorney should uncover initially how the dog was being restrained, how the dog was able to break free, and where the dog was able to break free from.  Further, the attorney must investigate the past history of the dog.  If the dog previously demonstrated violent tendencies, the owner is on notice that the dog would be violent, or would bite again.  The issue of notice should be given considerable attention in all dog bite cases.

The attorneys at Portner & Shure are among the most experienced in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia in representing victims of dog bites.  If you, a friend or a loved one has been attacked by a dog, please contact Portner & Shure.