Maryland Injury Law Center

March 21, 2023

Average Premises Liability Verdicts

The average premises liability verdict is $643,099, according to Jury Verdict Research’s review of premises lawsuits around the country. The median verdict in these cases is $98,160. Claims against recreational facilities were higher. The average verdict is $1,007,704 and the median verdict is $125,000. JVR defines these cases as a lawsuit that is brought against an individual, business, landlord, or organization responsible for the maintenance and safety of a property or structure.

Average v. Median Verdicts

When possible, I try to include the average and median data. Average verdict data includes large, often uncollectable verdicts that distort the reality. While both the silly case that never should have been filed and the $58,000,000 verdict don’t really apply to the valuation of your case, the former distorts the result more than the latter.

March 21, 2023

Femur Fractures Settlement Amounts

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

In the past, I have written on the settlement amount for fractured legs. Now, in a relentless, unyielding effort to cover the settlement and trial value of every bone in the human anatomy, let’s thin-slice broken legs a little thinner.

So we will look at femur fractures generally but drill down on settlement amounts in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia.

The median verdict or settlement amount of a femur fracture case in the District of Columbia is $250,000.00; in Virginia, it has been $200,000.00. However, the median verdict or settlement in a femur fracture case in Maryland has been $75,000.00. The national average is $167,000.

March 21, 2023

Vertebrae Fracture Settlement Amounts

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Our law firm has handled a lot of vertebrae fractures in car, motorcycle, and truck accident cases over the last 20 years. A vertebrae fracture can be a serious, significant, and permanent injury to the musculoskeletal system. You wouldn’t wish this fracture on anyone.

What is the Settlement Value of a Vertebrae Fracture Case?

One study found that the national median award at trial in personal injury cases for a vertebra fracture is $112,537. The median award for multiple vertebrae fractures is almost double the single vertebra amount, $207,000.

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This is far lower than our law firm’s average settlement in vertebrae fracture cases. Why? There could be some jurisdictional differences. Because this is not Maryland data, but national data. The pool for these statistics may also include hairline fractures. When I’m talking vertebrae fracture claims, I’m not talking about hairline fractures.

March 16, 2023

Should Maryland Require Auto Insurance Companies to Provide Enhanced UIM Auto Insurance Coverage?

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The Maryland legislature is currently considering a new law that would force auto insurance companies to offer enhanced uninsured motorist coverage (also known as “stacking” or “stacked” UIM coverage) as the default option for Maryland drivers. The new bill would make this enhanced coverage an opt-out policy feature (similar to PIP) rather than an opt-in feature, which would effectively mean that the majority of insurance policies would have the enhanced coverage.

In this post, we will explain exactly what the new law will do and how it will directly benefit you as a Maryland driver. Please use the follow links for instructions on how you can make your voice heard by telling the Maryland Senate Finance Committee that you fully support this new bill as benefit for Maryland drivers:

My primary coverage was insufficient

March 13, 2023

Maryland Shoulder Surgery Verdicts and Settlements

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

What is the median verdict and settlement value of shoulder surgery lawsuits? . The average settlement/verdict in Washington D.C. is $59,500. Maryland is less than half that: $42,636. The average settlement/verdict in a shoulder surgery case in Virginia is $60,000.

Our law firm has handled many shoulder surgery cases from the trauma of a car or truck accident. These statistics are not very helpful in figuring out the settlement value of your shoulder injury case. Why? Because the settlements and verdicts in these cases are all over the map.

An “average” shoulder injury verdict tells you nothing about your case. Also, liability and insurance matter. So if it is a medical malpractice or premises liability case with iffy liability, you can’t compare that to a rear-end motorcycle accident case.

March 13, 2023

Vision Loss Settlement and Verdicts

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

What is the Average Value for Vision Loss Cases?

Metro Verdicts Monthly graph this month is the median verdict and settlement value of “vision loss” personal injury cases. Omitting defense verdicts, the average settlement/verdict in Washington D.C. is $500,000. What do you think the average is in Maryland? Somehow, I doubt you would guess anything in the neighborhood or even the zip code of $192,700. The difference between these two numbers is inexplicable. The average settlement/verdict in vision loss cases in Virginia is $450,000.

I suspect something is wrong with this analysis because I really don’t think Virginia juries value vision loss twice as much as Maryland juries. I’d pay extra if they would include in an appendix the data they used for these graphs.

March 11, 2023

Hair Relaxer Lawsuits

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

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 9, 2023

Firefighting Foam Lawsuit

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Firefighting foam (aqueous film-forming foam “AFFF”)) is a chemical product that has been used for years by firemen and in other commercial applications to extinguish fires.

However, various studies have recently shown that chronic use or exposure to firefighting can cause certain types of cancer. This discovery has led to a wave of firefighting foam lawsuits by former firemen and others who developed cancer after long periods of occupational exposure to AFF.

Our lawyers are accepting new clients in all 50 states for inclusion in the nationwide AFFF class action lawsuit.

March 7, 2023

Osteomyelitis Misdiagnosis Medical Malpractice Claims

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Osteomyelitis is a serious bone infection characterized by inflammation of the bone/bone marrow that can prove fatal if not properly treated. Usually, when it is not properly treated, it is because a doctor has misdiagnosed the condition. This happens far more often than it should.

Osteomyelitis is caused by bacterial or fungal infections. If caught early, the condition is treatable with antibiotics and, sometimes, surgery. However, if left untreated because of misdiagnosis, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. If bone death occurs, amputation may be the only option to prevent the spread of infection. We are focusing our attention on humans, obviously. But osteomyelitis is not limited to humans. Elephants, in particular, are prone to this condition, which is often misdiagnosed and leads to their death.

If you have a potential osteomyelitis medical malpractice claim in Maryland, call us at 800-553-8082 or visit our website for a free online consultation.

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.