Maryland Personal Injury Attorneys of Jordan & Tell LLP
Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

MARYLAND VEHICLE ACCIDENTS:

Legal claims that arise from vehicle accidents are typically governed by the law of negligence. Any individual who negligently operates a motor vehicle may be required to pay damages to an injured victim. A personal injury case involving a vehicle accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings, or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed. Vehicle accidents can include aviation accidents, bicycle accidents, car accidents, boating accidents, motorcycle accidents, semi tractor trailer accidents, school bus accidents, train accidents and truck accidents, to name a few. Anyone injured by a drunk driver in a traffic accident, or surviving family members of a fatally injured accident victim, may be able to bring wrongful death charges against the defendant.

The Maryland personal injury law firm of Jordan & Tell has years of practice and a successful track record representing clients who have suffered significant injuries in motor vehicle accidents of all kinds. The Firm works closely with doctors and other health care providers to discuss the short and long-term medical consequences of an injury. The personal injury attorneys of Jordan & Tell possess a detailed understanding of Maryland's automobile insurance and liability laws and understand the different sources of recovery available to car accident victims and their families.

MARYLAND MEDICAL MALPRACTICE:

Medical malpractice is the failure of a health care provider to treat and care for a patient with a reasonable degree of expertise and compassion. If a physician was careless, lacked proper skills or disregarded standardized rules, a jury may find the health care provider negligent. If damages result from such negligence, monetary compensation may be awarded. Hospitals can be liable for the negligence of their employees, including staff nurses and technicians.

Other examples of Medical Malpractice include:

• Failing to diagnose a tumor while reading an x-ray
• Puncturing a nearby organ or tissue during surgery
• Failing to order necessary and appropriate medical tests
• Failing to diagnose a condition in time to treat it properly
• Failing to refer a case to a medical specialist
• Prescribing incorrect medication
• Birth Injury
• Incorrect diagnosis that results in a failure to treat a medical condition
• Failing to properly administer anesthesia
• Emergency room negligence

BIRTH INJURY:

Birth injury malpractice is the failure of an obstetrician to properly perform his or her duties; i.e. failure to administer blood tests to detect abnormalities that can result in death or serious injury to both the mother and fetus. If you have been injured because of improper medical care, you may have a claim against the obstetrician/gynecologist who treated you. However, statutes of limitations bar the filing of claims after a certain period of time following the negligent act. Consultation with the personal injury attorneys of Jordan & Tell can help determine the value of your claim.

MARYLAND WRONGFUL DEATH:

A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization. A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents. Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death. In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action in Maryland, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being
• Caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct
• The survival of family members who are suffering
  the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision,
  guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased

The general rule in Maryland in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one. Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his wife, children and/or parents had he or she survived. It also includes the recovery for funeral services in memory of the decedent and for burial costs. Non-economic damages include loss of love, companionship, comfort, affection, society, solace or moral support.

MARYLAND DEFECTIVE CONSUMER PRODUCTS:

Products liability law deals with the liability of any party or all parties involved with the manufacture of a product for damages caused by it. Products liability claims can be based on negligence, strict liability or breach of warranty of fitness depending on where the claim originates. Most of the time, products liability is considered a strict liability offense. This means that the plaintiff only has to prove that there is a defect in the product. Then, the manufacturer or supplier causing the damages is considered to be 100% responsible regardless of any degree of carefulness on their part or any lack of care by the consumer, nullifying any possibility of comparative or contributory negligence.

MARYLAND WORKERS' COMPENSATION:

The Maryland Workers' Compensation Act is intended to provide wage replacement, as well as medical treatment, for those employees who have been injured, disabled or killed while performing their jobs. Employees injured or ill due to a work-related accident or due to working conditions are eligible for benefits under the Workers' Compensation Act. Generally, employees are prohibited from suing their employers or co-workers for causing their injuries unless they can prove that their employers or co-workers intended to cause them injury.

However, injured workers may sue a third party if they believe that another party was responsible for an employee's injury or illness. Also, if an injury was caused by a co-worker's operation of a motor vehicle, Maryland law allows an injured worker to sue a co-worker for the negligent, reckless or intentional operation of a motor vehicle. For more information, contact the attorneys of Jordan & Tell.

PREMISES LIABILITY:

Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and can cause serious personal injury. Most slip and falls happen in commercial settings, including grocery stores, drug stores, office buildings, construction sites, and even gas stations and malls. These accidents may also happen on private property. Either way, there exist duties on the part of the property owners to maintain the property responsibly and avoid the existence of dangerous conditions.

Dangerous or defective conditions may be large or small, temporary or permanent. Therefore, investigation of the claim is essential to a successful case. Temporary conditions such as water on the floor of a grocery store or snow and ice on the stairs of a restaurant need to be investigated quickly. If a claim is against a Town or the State of Maryland, then notices are required within a few months of the injury. For more information, please contact the personal injury Attorneys of the Columbia, Maryland law firm Jordan & Tell.

If you or someone you know in Columbia, Maryland, or within the surrounding cities and counties of Maryland needs the assistance or trusted legal advice of an experienced personal injury lawyer, please contact the attorneys of Jordan & Tell, today at (443)535-0040, or complete the contact form provided on this site to begin your free consultation with a skilled Maryland catastrophic injury lawyer.