Maryland Injury Law Center

March 11, 2023

Hair Relaxer Lawsuits

Chemical hair relaxer (also known as hair straightener) is a product used by millions of African American women. New medical research now shows that chronic exposure to the chemicals in hair relaxer products disrupts the hormone system and leads to an increased risk of uterine cancer. Product liability lawsuits are now being brought against cosmetic companies by women who used hair relaxers for years and developed uterine cancer.

The product liability lawyers at Miller & Zois are now seeking cases from women not only in Maryland but nationwide who used chemical hair relaxers or hair straighteners on a regular basis for a minimum of 5 years and were subsequently diagnosed with uterine cancer. Contact us about a hair relaxer lawsuit today by calling 410-779-4600.

Where We Are Right Now in the Hair Relaxer Class Action Lawsuit

March 7, 2023

Average Knee Injury Compensation Payout

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Our lawyers handle knee injury accident lawsuits in Maryland. This page is about how to project settlement amounts and jury payouts in knee injury lawsuits in Maryland and around the country.

Knee injuries make up probably 10% of our law firm’s car accident caseload. This is consistent with studies that show how often knee injuries occur in car accidents.

What is the settlement value of a knee injury case? Below we discuss the average and median settlement amounts of these knee injury claims. We also list more statistics, relevant medical literature, and the importance of expert testimony.

March 6, 2023

Average Disc Injury Verdicts and Settlements

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Disc Injury Values

JVR has done a national analysis of jury awards for spinal nerve with disc damage.

The study underscores what every plaintiffs’ lawyer has figured out by osmosis, if nothing else: age matters. Young people recover much better than older people.

The overall median award to plaintiffs age 18 and under was $43,997, while the median award to plaintiffs between the ages of 19 and 29 was $67,612. Plaintiffs between the ages of 40 and 59 who suffered spinal nerve with disc damage received a median award of $103,723, and plaintiffs age 60 and older received a median award of $100,000.

The interesting thing about the age numbers is that at some point, you see they turn again as juries increasingly blame age for the injuries. I bet if you took this up to 70 and 80, you would see the numbers continue to drop.

Anyway, these are the numbers:

March 6, 2023

Premises Liability Settlements and Verdicts in Maryland

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Metro Verdicts Monthly’s graph this month is non-fatal settlements and verdicts in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia in premises liability cases since 1987.

The median non-fatal premises liability case in Maryland was $69,000. The recoveries in Virginia and the District of Columbia are slightly less, $50,000 and $65,000, respectively.

If you look at the national data, you see an enormous difference between Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia and the rest of the country. What is the common thread? Contributory negligence is still the law in all three jurisdictions.

As I have said before, I love seeing these different verdicts in Maryland each month. It is always interesting to see different lawyers that you know and see what cases they had and how they fared. What diminishes the value of Metro Verdicts, in my mind, is the turnaround time. I have a case in this month’s edition that I tried 6 months ago. It does not diminish the quality of the information, but in the Internet era, it is not as enjoyable to read stale news.

Premises liability case value: national verdict statistics (keep in mind that, unlike the figures above, these do not include settlements)
Verdict statistics and settlement value of slip and fall cases in Maryland and nationally

March 6, 2023

Fractured Shoulder Verdicts and Settlements in Maryland

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

$fractured shoulder verdicts$

Value of Shoulder Separation Cases

Some time ago Metro Verdicts had a graph comparing settlement amounts in different regions or distinct types of injuries. This month, they had a fascinating graph comparing fractured shoulder injury verdicts and settlements in Maryland and Virginia since 1987, omitting defense verdicts. The average fractured shoulder verdict or settlement in Maryland was $154,800, whereas, in Virginia, it was only $52,500.

This is a remarkable disparity. If you have a choice over the venue – not common, but it happens – it would seem that a smart lawyer with a client with a shoulder injury would choose Maryland. In reality, it is probably more complicated than that and would depend on the injury, the client, and what county in Maryland would have an appropriate venue for the lawsuit. While I love verdict data, all of it is suspect and should be just a weapon in a lawyer’s arsenal trying to figure out the value of a tort case.

March 5, 2023

Back Fracture Settlements and Verdicts

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

$back fracture$

Back Injury Verdicts

Metro Verdicts Monthly graphs the median verdict and settlement value of back fracture cases over the last 23 years. The median settlement/verdict in Washington D.C. is $52,500. Maryland has a slightly lower median of $43,126. The median settlement/verdict in a back fracture lawsuit in Virginia is $125,000. These are back fracture cases where there is no paralysis. These statistics are not a bit dated but the numbers still track.

Most back factures come from some trauma, usually from a motor vehicle crash or falling. The reason the numbers may sound lower than you are might expect is because many back fractures are not as serious as the ominous-sounding “back fracture” would suggest. When I was in high school, I hurt my back swinging a baseball bat at baseball camp in Florida. A chiropractor worked on me for a while but I made no progress. I went to an orthopedic doctor and, low and behold, I had a fractured back. It ruined my baseball season, and I had to wear a back brace for eight weeks but I suffered no ill effects after removing the back brace. Continue reading

March 3, 2023

Police Liability for Emergency Accidents

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

This is an old post from 2006 we wrote in 2023 to include

settlement and verdicts in police emergency car accident claims,
recent police emergency case law and statutes in other jurisdictions, and

March 3, 2023

Wrist Fracture Settlement and Verdicts

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Click to enlarge

Over the last 20 years, our car accident lawyers have handled many wrist fracture cases. We have seen wrist fracture cases with very high, very low, and everything in between. Our firm has a history of maximizing the trial and settlement value of wrist injury lawsuits.

What Is the Settlement Value of the Average Wrist Fracture Claim?

The settlement value of a wrist fracture claim will vary wildly with the severity of the fracture. Some time ago, Metro Verdicts Monthly provided the median verdict and settlement value of wrist fracture cases over the last 22 years. The average settlement/verdict in Washington D.C. is $105,000. Maryland is less than half that: $50,000. The average settlement/verdict in a wrist fracture case in Virginia is $52,583.

March 3, 2023

How to Authenticate and Admit Email in Evidence at Trial?

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Obviously, emails are hearsay evidence that are admissible at trial. Donati v. State is a criminal case that teaches us a lesson in how to get an email into evidence at trial.

Emails are admissible in court. You just have to know what the law requires to admit emails into evidence. In medical malpractice and product liability cases, this is something you often need to do. This case shows us how to present an email at trial and get it into evidence.

The Facts of Donati v. State

If I will have to read a criminal case, I want some whacked-out facts to keep me interested. This case delivers. And this example helps explain how to get emails authenticated and in evidence.

March 1, 2023

Can I Sue for a Auto Accident If I’m Not Injured?

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The most common question I get from friends and acquaintances is whether you can sue if you are not injured in a car accident? The answer is yes, but with caveats.

Most auto accidents do not result in any physical injuries (75% according to the NHTSA). Even when your vehicle is the only thing that is damaged, you can still file a lawsuit after an auto accident if you were not at fault. This is what is known as a “property damage” auto accident lawsuit. If you file a property damage auto tort case, you can get compensation for the full cost of any damage to your vehicle.

Can I Still Sue If I'm Not Insured in the Auto Accident?

Let’s set aside the property damage because I address that below. The question here is do you have pain and suffering in a car accident where you either had no physical injuries or did not seek medical treatment?