What Clients are Saying November 2018

My case was handled by Attorney Jonathan Portner and his staff, Grace. They provided personal attention and prompt responses throughout the whole process. They were professional and knowledgeable. I was pleased with the outcome. I would highly recommend the attorneys of Portner and Shure, and Grace.

This case was handled our Paralegal, Mrs. Grace Chung, out of our Columbia, MD office.

Litigation News November 2018

In October of last year one of our clients was involved in a rear end accident while yielding for an oncoming vehicle. The person behind him failed to pay proper time and attention to the ahead traffic conditions, leaving him with a sore neck and back. Although the property damage to his vehicle was not extensive, he still sustained injuries as people often do after their bodies have been unexpectedly jolted. Although the liable insurance carrier accepted responsibility for the accident and was willing to pay for the damage done to his vehicle, they were not willing to accept liability for the injuries sustained. Therefore, once our client was through with treatment, his case was transferred to our litigation department and he was prepped for court. After our attorney, Ms. Theresa Teixeira, presented the case to Prince George’s County District Court, she received a verdict of nearly $12,000.00 plus court costs. Our client was very pleased with his final result and was thankful he had Portner & Shure as an advocate.

Litigation News October 2018

In March of this year one of our clients was involved in a Baltimore rear-end accident. Although there was not significant damage to the vehicles, our client still experienced a decent jolt. Human bodies are not meant to withhold the same impact as a vehicle. The other party’s insurance company did accept liability, however they only accepted liability for the vehicle damage; not our clients injury. After she was finished with the treatment her doctor recommended, it was time to put her demand in for settlement. However, because her bodily injury claim was denied, Geico wasn’t willing to make an offer. Our attorney, Mr. Simran Rahi, took the case to Baltimore City’s District court and obtained a verdict of $12,423.10 plus court costs. At first our client was afraid she wouldn’t receive any compensation after the accident, now she’s grateful she chose Portner & Shure for her accident case.

Recent Case Results September 2018

In December of 2015, our client was involved in an accident where she was rear-ended while sitting in traffic on Rt. 50. The defendant had claimed that she, herself, was rear-ended and the person fled the scene, which forced her into the back of our client’s vehicle. However, our client stated she saw no one drive off in an aggressive manner. Also after Maryland State Police examined the defendant’s vehicle at the scene, a minor scratch was noted, but nothing that would have resulted in her being pushed into another vehicle. Liability was accepted by the defendant’s insurance company, unfortunately there was only $30k available on the policy. After our client was through with treatment she had incurred almost $90k in medical expenses. Luckily, the assigned paralegal, Mrs. Christine Airey, is highly experienced and knew she could find additional coverage for her client. After accepting the $30K from the defendant’s insurance carrier, Mrs. Airey was able to obtain an additional offer of $188k from the client’s underinsured motorist coverage. Needless to say our client was very pleased with her final result and was thankful for all the hard work Mrs. Christine Airey put into her case.   

Employee Spotlight August 2018

Please help us put the spotlight one of our newest paralegals, Ms. Erica Cedillos. She has been with Portner & Shure for three years as a legal assistant and has recently been promoted to paralegal. Erica has lived in Maryland her entire life.  Her parents moved to America from El Salvador to achieve a better life for their children. Now as a mother of two, she understands the drive it takes to care for her children, and strives to give them their best life.

Erica has been in the personal injury industry for five years and has prior clerical experience working in medical offices for 10 years.  She is very detailed oriented and organized. When Erica was an assistant, she helped the paralegal she was working with become a member of the “Million Dollar Plus Paralegal Forum” she also assisted her in receiving recognition as a “2016 Top Paralegal in Maryland”. We are very proud of her accomplishments thus far and are eager to see what else she can achieve as a paralegal.

What to Know Before your Personal Injury Case Goes to Trial

When it comes to personal injury cases, 95% of all cases will settle before court, and for the 5% that do end up going to trial, it’s usually because an insurance carrier has either made a low offer or they have disputed liability

Once the litigation process begins, we file a complaint, the defendant will then have to answer our complaint, discovery is conducted to get all the information about the accident, and we will proceed to prepare our client for court. Our preparation process is very thorough. In fact, most clients find our conference room preparation is more difficult than the court appearance.

When our attorneys enter the court room, commonly the verdicts won are much greater than the insurance carrier’s highest settlement offer. Give Portner & Shure a call today if you or a loved one have suffered a personal injury.

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.

Three Reasons You Must First Seek an Attorney Before Calling a Chiropractor After an Accident

Chiropractic treatment can be an enormous benefit to accident victims, but to think that the chiropractor should be your first call is a serious and often costly mistake. When an unrepresented accident victim begins treating with a chiropractor who wants to treat first, and then recommend an attorney later, three unfortunate things can occur.

First, a chiropractor may have you to sign an “A&A”, which is a document that guarantees full payment of all bills out of your settlement.  An attorney will advise you that you don’t need to sign this document. You are actually only responsible for bills that are considered fair and reasonable under the law. Judges routinely cut healthcare bills.

Second, a chiropractor may submit bills to your PIP insurance before you can use this limited amount of insurance to pay for the bills of your choice strategically. For example, hospital bills that quickly go into collections and affect your credit should be paid first. Further, often hospitals don’t reduce their bills. So, in this fashion you are paying the provider who could reduce, instead of the one that never will.

Third, some chiropractors even contact the other driver’s insurance for payment, leading to unwanted phone calls to you from the insurance company. If you’re represented, the insurance company can’t call you. The smallest seemingly harmless comments to an adjuster, often lays the ground work for a reduced recovery. 

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you need a top rated personal injury lawyer to immediately protect your interest and guide you in the best direction. Call Portner & Shure today.

What Clients are Saying June 2018

Wonderful experience with Portner & Shure!
Especially Grace, she was such a good communicator with an understanding and warm heart. Due to her hard work and caring nature, we were comfortable throughout the process. Also, we really appreciate Jonathan Portner for bringing the best result. If anyone asks us to recommend a law firm, we would definitely recommend Portner & Shure!

This case was handled by Mr. Portner and our Paralegal, Mrs. Grace Chung, out of our Columbia, MD office.

Litigation News May 2018

A client sustained injuries in Baltimore City after a City truck, carrying a large tractor trailer, backed up into our client’s vehicle while he was stopped at a red traffic light. At trial, City argued that our client had ample time to back up once he saw the trick begin to back up. However, when one of our attorney’s, Ms. Molly Cross, cross examined the driver of the City truck, the testimony revealed that there were other people in his vehicle that could have helped, he required a special license to operate that vehicle, and was unable to see through his rear view mirror. A Baltimore City Judge agreed with our position that the Baltimore City Driver had a responsibility and in a case where they weren’t offering any recovery, $7,200.00 was awarded.

What Clients are Saying May 2018

My experiences with Ms Sauer and Portner and Shure were nothing short of professional. Everything was clearly explained and all communication was great!

This case was handled by our Paralegal, Ms. Jennifer Sauer out of our Frederick, MD office.

Litigation News March 2018

This month in litigation news, our Attorney, Mr. Kevin Ruby, tried a case where liability was not being accepted and the defendant was a judge for the State of Maryland Court of Special Appeals. The case ended up in litigation because the defendant was stating our client had caused to the accident. Our firm tried several times to set a court date for our client, however other judges in the state would not hear the case due to conflict of interest, stating they knew the defendant and therefore, would not hear the case. It was not until we made a request to specifically set our client’s case to be heard before a visiting judge. That judge found in our clients favor, and ruled the defendant 100% at fault for the accident. This just proves that Portner & Shure is willing to litigate any case, no matter who may be involved.

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.

What Clients are Saying August 2017

Immediately following my motor vehicle accident, I was left emotionally and physically injured and nervous about the future. There was so much to think about, so much to worry about and unsure of how to move forward and proceed with my life. It wasn’t until it was recommended by my Doctor that I reach out Portner and Shure that I felt like I was moving in the right direction. From the first interaction with Rachel Dawes at Portner & Shure, I felt like I had someone in my corner. She was kind, patient, positive, reassuring and genuine. I never had to worry about my case and IF I DID WORRY, Rachel was a text message away (a text message!!!). She was always quick to respond and every response was informative and clear. I am VERY happy to say that it’s been 4 months since my accident and saying “Good Bye” to Rachel was bittersweet as I have really relied on her in the past few months to assist with the rebuild of my life. Rachel embodies the culture, passion and professionalism that you want your paralegal to have as you navigate your way through a difficult time.

I highly recommend Portner and Shure!!

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

Litigation News April 2017

On March 6, 2015, our client was involved in a rear-end accident when she was stopped at a red light in Montgomery County, Maryland. She suffered injuries to her neck, back, and legs. An offer of $4,300.00 was made to settle the case, but this was less than half the total of our client’s medical bills. Our client rejected this offer and we filed suit to handle this matter in court. The District Court Judge awarded our client $14,758.40 plus all court costs. Here, the insurance company refused to make a good-faith offer of settlement, and as a result, they lost in Court and were required to compensate our client more than $10,000.00 more than their highest offer. Our client was very happy with this result in her case.

Fatal Pedestrian Accidents are Rising Dangerously

A new study has been released, which shows that the number of fatal pedestrian accidents has risen dramatically over the last two years. The numbers released in the study are very surprising considering all the advances made in vehicle safety. Since 2014, the number of fatal pedestrian accidents has risen 22%. In 2015, pedestrian fatalities numbered 5,376 and in 2016, it was projected that there were 5,997 pedestrian fatalities occurred.

What's behind this recent spike in pedestrian-involved fatal accidents? Distracted drivers are a major cause of the dramatic increase in fatal pedestrian accidents. Cars may have become safer with more and more features installed to prevent accidents, but they cannot provide much help if the driver is not even paying attention to the road ahead. Distracted driving is a major cause of countless accidents on the road. Drivers using their cell phone to text, talk to someone, get directions, or even take pictures are all resulting in accidents, especially pedestrians. These accidents are not just occurring in big cities, but also happening more in rural areas. Pedestrians cannot just assume that because they have the walking signal that a driver will automatically give them the right of way because that driver may not even be paying attention.

Next time you cross the street, look both ways and beware of distracted drivers. You may see them, but drivers may not see you because their head is buried looking down at their cell phone. Stay safe as you cross the street, and always remember to cross with the signal and stay inside the crosswalk.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident, call the attorneys at Portner & Shure today for a free consultation: (301) 854-9000, (410) 995-1515.

Injured in an Auto Accident? Don't Miss Your Chance to File a Claim

Every state has a time limit or statute of limitations that prevents someone from being able to file a claim after a certain period of time has passed. In Maryland, there is a 3 year statute of limitations for auto accident claims, and the clock starts ticking from the date of the accident. There is also a 1 year time limit for being able to file a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claim. PIP claims are important because that money can be used to pay for some, if not all, of your medical bills. That means that, when a settlement is reached or a verdict in court is awarded, that money can be given to you (after attorneys' fees are distributed). In other words, your settlement money will not have to be used to pay back medical bills because PIP already paid them.

Sometimes we have people who will call our office and tell us they were injured in an auto accident, they have been treating their injuries, and now they are ready to file a claim to collect compensation. Then, they will tell us that their accident happened 5 years ago. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done because they are well past the 3 year statute of limitations period in Maryland to be able to file a claim.

We always recommend to anyone calling our office for car accident injury consultations that it is very important to hire an attorney soon after an accident has occurred. We always want our clients to have plenty of time to file the necessary claims that can help maximize their compensation.

If you've been injured in an auto accident in Maryland, seek medical attention for your injuries and hire an attorney to represent you. Don't miss out on your chance to be compensated for injures suffered in a car accident. Call us today for a free consultation: (301) 854-9000, (410) 995-1515.

Employee Spotlight September 2016

Join us in welcoming Cindy to the Portner & Shure family. She has been with us for one month now and works as a receptionist and legal assistant. Cindy was born in the United States, but her family is from El Salvador. Cindy is fluent in Spanish and works with our Spanish department. She currently attends Bowie State University and is finishing up her last year. Cindy has a younger brother and a dog named Prince that she likes to spend time with. Outside of work, Cindy is a diehard Redskins fan and a Barcelona soccer fan. She also enjoys cooking and travelling.

Litigation News August 2016

This month, our attorneys were successful against Geico yet again in an auto accident case where liability was denied and no settlement offer was made.  In this accident case, our client had a green light and was proceeding straight when the defendant made a left turn directly in front of our client, cutting her off and resulting in the crash.  Our client suffered numerous injuries, including to her back, foot, shoulder, and eye.  Medical expenses totaled more than $7,000, yet Geico refused to accept liability or make our client an offer to settle the case and avoid litigation.  Our attorneys were forced to file suit because of Geico’s refusal to negotiate a settlement.  Our client received a verdict of $8,448 plus court costs.