General

April 16, 2008

Personal Injury Settlement Finance Loans

I saw today an interesting blog post by a Massachusetts law firm advocating that Massachusetts ban finance companies that offer loans to people using their personal injury cases as collateral. The post (and comment on the post) argues that by making the loans non-recourse loans contingent on the settlement, these companies get around existing usury laws. Particularly where liability is not an issue and payment is a near certainty, using non-recourse seems like a backdoor around the law.

Mixed Feelings on These Loans

The Lure of Quick Money Is Hard to Resist

March 19, 2007

Maryland Drivers Who Get Speeding Tickets Continue to Speed According to University of Maryland Study

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Ever wonder why your insurance rates go up when you get a speeding ticket? A study of 3.7 million licensed Maryland drivers shows that ticketing does not reduce drivers’ likelihood of getting another ticket for speeding.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine looked at Maryland’s licensed drivers and found that getting a speeding ticket almost doubles the risk of receiving a subsequent speeding citation.

The study also turned up interesting data comparing those who go to court for speeding tickets and those that do not. As every Maryland driver knows, if you get a speeding ticket and you were not doing a complete Dale Earnhardt impression, you can either go to court (where you will invariably be found guilty so your best bet is to plead guilty) or you can pay the fine by mail. The University of Maryland study found that the likelihood of receiving another speeding ticket was 12 percent among drivers who had opted to pay fines and received points on their driving records compared to eight percent among those who received probation before judgment (PBJ). This makes sense. The driver who cared enough to go to court is probably more likely to slow down.

January 31, 2007

Prince George’s County Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

prince george's county pedestrian bicycle accidents

Click to enlarge

Prince George’s County recorded 285 bicycle and pedestrian deaths between 1994 and 2003, far more than Montgomery County, Fairfax County, or the District of Columbia, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. More pedestrians and bikers are killed Prince George’s County than in any other jurisdiction in the region.

Every year approximately 5,000 pedestrians are killed in motor vehicle collisions in the United States. There are many causes for bicycle and pedestrian deaths but we see a lot of these cases in P.G. County.

December 28, 2006

Auto Accident Statistics

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

A chiropractor soliciting business sent to our law firm these auto accident facts listed below. This chiropractor did not provide any support for his statistics so I pass them along on a for what they are worth basis because (1) they are interesting and (2) they also give you some food for thought as to the best and worst times to grab your kids and take them out on the road.

•More car crashes occur between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday than any other time of the week.

•Monday has the most morning rush hour crashes. More reported crashes occur on Monday between 6 a.m. and 9. a.m., followed by the same times on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

October 31, 2006

Drunk Driving Deaths on Halloween

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

I heard on the radio yesterday that there are four times more fatal auto accidents from drunk driving on Halloween as there are on New Year’s Eve. While statistics do not support this, drunk driving crashes cause more fatalities during Halloween than the New Year’s holiday. Four out of ten accidents today will be alcohol-related. Moral of the story: be safe and keep your kids safe tonight.

October 1, 2006

Maryland Cap on Non-Economic Damages

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The cap on pain and suffering damages in Maryland for claims arising after today has increased to $680,000. This is also the maximum cap on any non-medical malpractice wrongful death case if there is only one claimant. The wrongful death cap with two or more beneficiaries in a non-medical malpractice case is now $1,020,000.

The pain and suffering cap in Maryland in medical malpractice cases as the result of a bill that the General Assembly passed last year remains at $650,000. This is also the maximum cap on medical malpractice wrongful death cases if there is only one claimant. The wrongful death cap with two or more beneficiaries in medical malpractice cases that arise after today is $812,500.