Maryland Accident Law Blog

After a summer music festival in West Virginia turned tragic, a South Carolina man filed a lawsuit in federal court against the festival’s organizer, Maryland-based Walther Productions, and others. The man’s daughter, 20 year-old Nicole Miller, was killed while sleeping in a tent at the festival when a pickup truck rolled down a steep hill and crashed into her tent. Two friends with her suffered serious injuries. The two survivors, Yon Ten and Elizabeth Doran, each filed very similar lawsuits.

The lawsuit filed by Miller’s father names twelve defendants, including Walther, Virginia-based security provider Event Staffing, Inc., the owners of the festival venue, and the driver of the pickup truck. The suits claim that the defendants were negligent in failing to take “reasonable care” to prevent the accident that caused Miller’s death and Ten’s and Doran’s injuries. Miller’s suit also requests punitive damages.

The accident happened at the All Good Music Festival in Masontown, West Virginia on July 17, 2011. The driver of the pickup truck had parked at the top of a hill and allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll down the hill and into a campsite. Conditions at the festival were allegedly muddy, and the plaintiffs contend that festival organizers and vendors knew or should have known of the danger of parking vehicles uphill from concert attendees because of the lack of traction in the mud.

Walther filed a response last week denying liability, as well as a cross-claim against several co-defendants. Walther asks to be dismissed from the lawsuit and argues that Event Staffing should be held liable for the accident, as it had direct responsibility for controlling dangerous situations, including parking. Event Staffing also asks for dismissal, and argues that Walther should contribute to any damage awards the court may impose on it. Other defendants have not yet answered the suit.

Continue reading "Lawsuits Seek to Hold Maryland Company Liable for Death at West Virginia Festival" »

4th of July festivities in downtown Baltimore turned violent yesterday when one man was fatally stabbed and a 4-year-old was shot during the event. Thousands attended the celebration—almost twice as many attendees as last year—that was manned by almost 600 state and city officers. On Monday, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake condemned the violence.

According to Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III, 26-year-old Joseph Lorenzo Calo was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle by someone that he’d gotten into a shoving match with outside McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. Baltimore police are confident they can find the assailant.

Meantime, 4-year-old Kavin Benson was shot in the leg while walking with his father and the dad’s pregnant fiancé on Pratt Street. The boy, who was treated at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, had a small-caliber bullet lodged near his knee. Police are not sure how he was shot.

If you or someone you love was injured while at a public event and you believe that the Maryland accident could (or should) have been prevented, you may have grounds for a Baltimore injury case. Premise owners and those in charge of running an event must exercise the necessary precautions to make sure that visitors, participants, and others don’t get hurt. This includes making sure that there is adequate security, proper lighting, crowd control, proper supervision, and if the venue is one where there is traffic that vehicles are redirected so that no one ends up injured in a Maryland pedestrian accident.

Boy's Family Reacts To July Fourth Shooting, WBALTV, July 5, 2011

Baltimore fireworks violence: Shooting, stabbing in spite of heavy police presence, Baltimore Sun, July 5, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Baltimore Fourth of July Celebration 2011 Fireworks, Baltimore.biz

Premises Liability, Justia

More Blog Posts:
Transgender Woman Attacked at McDonald’s in Baltimore Says She Was Victim of “Hate Crime”, Maryland Accident Law Blog, April 27, 2011

Montgomery County Premises Liability: Nordstrom Ordered to Pay Nearly $1.6M to Two Women Injured in 2005 Bethesda Mall Stabbing, Maryland Accident Law Blog, April 21, 2011

Recent Shootings at Safeway and Walmart Raises the Question of How Liable Premises are for Violent Crimes, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, January 23, 2011

Continue reading "4-Year-Old Shot and 1 Man Fatally Stabbed During 4th of July Baltimore Fireworks Festivities " »

According to the journal Pediatrics, wading and inflatable pools pose just as big of a drowning danger as in-ground pools—especially for kids. This Maryland child injury risk is important for parents to know about. The study looks at data that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission had gathered about drowning and near-drowning accidents that took place between 2001 and 2009.

In the summers during that time period, a child drowned in a portable backyard pool once every five days. The incidents resulted in 209 deaths from submersion and 35 non-fatal accidents involving kids under 12. Although Gary Smith, the study’s author, isn’t saying that kids shouldn’t be allowed to swim in portable pools, he does note that parents need to realize the possible dangers involved and they should the necessary safety precautions to protect their children, including:

• Making sure that children are properly supervised in the pool—this includes not texting or getting drunk while watching the kids.
• Securing the pool when no adults are around so kids can’t get in the water without permission.

Remember, you need just a few inches of water to drown in so even if the pool at issue is a wading pool, it can still pose a drowning hazard.

Our Maryland swimming accident lawyers represent families whose children have suffered injuries because someone else was negligent. In some cases, the negligent party may be a property owner that didn’t take precautions to prevent kids from entering a pool without permission or adequate supervision. Examples of other possible responsible parties in a pool drowning accident: the manufacturer of a defective pool drain or the host of a swimming event who failed to properly supervise the swimmers.

Portable pools a summer risk for children, Reuters, June 20, 2011

Pediatrics

CPSC

More Blog Posts:
Dementia Patient’s Wandering Leads to Death—Nursing Home Fined $20K for Negligence, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, June 6, 2011

CPSC Offers Tips to Prevent Washington DC Pool Drowning Accidents, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, May 4, 2011

In Maryland, Accidental Drowning Of Anne Arundel County 5-Year Old Renews Calls For Greater Pool Safety, Maryland Accident Law Blog, October 13, 2006

Continue reading "Maryland Injuries to Minors: Portable Pools are Just as Dangerous as Swimming Pools, Reports Pediatrics " »

A high school freshman sustained rhabdomyolysis after undergoing a serious of conditioning exercises as part of a pre-football training program at a Montgomery County high school last month. Now, Brian Jordan, who had to undergo seven surgeries to fix the damage to his muscles following the Maryland injury accident, will also have to undergo three months of physical therapy.

WAMU.org reports that Jordan’s parents are demanding an apology from the principal of Wootton High. They are also reportedly planning to take legal action.

Rhabdomyolysis
This involves the breakdown of muscle fibers that causes myoglobin to be released into the bloodstream. Rhabdomyolysis can cause kidney damage or acute tubular necrosis.

Schools are supposed to make sure that activities and athletics programs are safe for kids to take part in. This includes making sure that athletes are not pushed to work out to the point that they could get hurt. In some incidents where this responsibility was disregarded, kids have died or sustained serious injuries.

Recently, a 19-year-old sued his former high school after he sustained head injuries when playing football during the 2007 season. Zachary Alt suffered three concussions and a traumatic brain injury. He says coaching staff told him to keep playing even after his initial injuries.

If you believe your child got hurt because another party was negligent, you may have grounds for a Montgomery County, Maryland child injury case. Our Baltimore personal injury attorneys know how upsetting it can be to see your child suffer.

Parents of Injured Wootton High Student Demand Apology, WAMU.org, June 9, 2011

Former high school football player sues Highlands over head injuries, Post-Gazette, April 8, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Head injuries in Football, The New York Times

Head injuries in youth football: Concussion risk alarms parents, The Palm Beach Post, October 23, 2010

More Blog Posts:
$1.5 Million Maryland Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed Against Howard County Following Alleged Physical Assault by High School Assistant Football Coach, Maryland Accident Law Blog, November 16, 2010

Maryland TBI: Call a Concussion a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Says Researchers, Maryland Accident Law Blog, January 23, 2010

Washington DC Playground Accidents are a Leading Cause of Injuries to Minors, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 19, 2006

Continue reading "Maryland Injury Accident: High School Football Player Injured in Pre-Football Training Program" »

Chrissy Lee Polis, a transgender woman, was brutally assaulted at a Baltimore McDonald’s in Maryland. Polis, 22, says she was the victim of a “hate crime” and that this is not the first time she has been attacked.

She says that this latest Baltimore injury incident happened on April 18 at a McDonald’s in the Rosedale suburb. In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Polis claims that two females attacked her after she came out of the restroom. She says that they kicked her, ripped her hair, spit in her face, and threw her to the ground. One woman allegedly accused Polis of talking to "her" man.

The attack was captured on video by someone since identified as Vernon Hackett, a McDonald's employee. The footage was posted online. Hackett can be heard in the background laughing while other workers are seen standing around. Hackett has since been fired.

Even after another McDonald’s worker and a customer tried to help Polis, the two women allegedly kept assaulting her. According to a police report, Polis sustained cuts and bruises and had a seizure after the attack. Two females, ages 14 and 18, have been arrested in connection with the assault. The 18-year-old suspect, Teonna Monae Brown, is charged with one count of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault. The 14-year-old was charged in juvenile court. McDonald’s has called the attack “unacceptable” and “disturbing.”

If someone you love was the victim of a violent crime on someone else’s premise, it is important that you speak to a Baltimore injury law firm right away to find out if you should file a Maryland premises liability claim. Property owners of premises frequented by the public are supposed to ensure that there is adequate security so that patrons and others don’t become victims of violent crimes or robberies. If a violent crime could have been stopped and the property owner/manager or others affiliated with the premise or business were negligent and failed to take such action, the victim might also be able to sue for Baltimore personal injury.

Attack at McDonald's, The Baltimore Sun, April 25, 2011

Community Rallies to Support Victim of Beating at McDonald's, Patch.com, April 26, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Hate Crimes, FBI

Inadequate Security, Justia

Proving Fault in Accidents on Dangerous or Defective Property, Nolo

More Blog Posts:
Montgomery County Premises Liability: Nordstrom Ordered to Pay Nearly $1.6M to Two Women Injured in 2005 Bethesda Mall Stabbing, Maryland Accident Law Blog, April 21, 2011

Retired Teacher Shot to Death in Glen Burnie Shopping Mall Parking Lot, Maryland Accident Law Blog, February 9, 2011

Man Assaulted at Westport Light Rail Station in Baltimore, Maryland Dies From Injuries, Maryland Accident Law Blog, November 8, 2010

McDonald's

A Maryland jury has ordered Nordstrom to pay Jacqueline Greismann and Sarah Paseltiner nearly $1.6 million in Montgomery County personal injury damages. The two women were injured on May 25, 2005 when they were stabbed by a woman wielding four butcher knives at the Nordstrom in the Westfield Montgomery Shopping Mall in Bethesda.

Their assailant, Antonia Starks, is a paranoid schizophrenic who is now at a Maryland psychiatric hospital. She had been released from prison just the day before she entered the mall and started chasing shoppers. Both Paseltiner and Greismann were stabbed multiple times.

The plaintiffs contend that Nordstrom failed to attempt to evacuate the store or adequately warn shoppers that Antoinette Starks was armed and on the loose. Greismann’s attorney contends that even though the store has an emergency manual, it did not adequately train its workers on how to follow it.

The jury awarded Greisman $1.25 million and Paseltiner $345,500.

Maryland Premises Liability
Premise owners of property frequented by the public must make sure that there are no hazards or dangerous situations on the grounds that could place a patron, guest, or visitor at risk of serious injury, illness, or death.

Some possible causes for a Maryland premises liability case:
• Parking lot falls
• Escalator malfunctions
• Slip and fall accidents
• Trip and fall accidents
• Poor lighting
• Car accidents in parking lots
• Fall merchandise
• Construction accidents
• Dangerous debris
• Inadequate maintenance
• Poor inspection
• Elevator malfunction
• Electrical hazards

You should speak with a Bethesda injury lawyer to find out whether you have got a case.

Jury orders Nordstrom to pay $1.6 million to Bethesda stabbing victims, Washington Post, April 18, 2011

Maryland jury orders Nordstrom to pay $1.6 million to stabbing victims , SeattlePI, April 19, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Nordstrom

Westfield Montgomery Shopping Mall

More Blog Posts:
Retired Teacher Shot to Death in Glen Burnie Shopping Mall Parking Lot, Maryland Accident Law Blog, February 9, 2011

Recent Shootings at Safeway and Walmart Raises the Question of How Liable Premises are for Violent Crimes, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, January 23, 2011

Escalator Malfunction at DC Metro Station Injures Four, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 31 ,2010

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City says it is “not possible” to pay almost $12 million in existing Maryland lead poisoning judgments. According to City Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano says that the agency just cannot afford to pay.

The nearly $12 million is for nine court judgments, and the housing authority is still facing 175 Baltimore lead paint cases, which could up the amount the city owes for these claims to $800 million. Some lawmakers are outraged the city’s response.

Although Maryland’s lead law, which was passed in the 1990’s, has decreased the number of lead poisoning incidents that occur each year—the lead risk reduction law mandates that owners of rental units constructed before 1950 fix them to reduce lead exposure risks—incidents of lead poisoning are still diagnosed on a regular basis. According to a 2010 report by the state’s Department of the Environment, more than 500 kids under the age of 7 were diagnosed with lead poisoning in 2009. 347 of the cases were in Baltimore, the leading city for exposure to lead because of the age of the city’s housing. There are still homes and building that have lead paint on windows, walls, or molding—even if they have been painted over.

Lead paint on a property is a hazard and can be grounds for a Baltimore personal injury lawsuit if injuries or illness result. Young kids are especially at risk of serious harm from exposure to lead paint, which can affect physical and mental development and in certain cases lead to death. Adults are also prone to injuries from lead poisoning.

Serious lead poisoning side effects:
• Learning difficulties
• Developmental problems
• Decrease in mental functioning
• Mood disorders
• Muscular weakness
• Miscarriage
• Lower sperm count
• Memory loss

Baltimore’s Housing Authority Says It Can’t Afford To Pay For Lead Paint Poisoning Claim, CBS Local, April 5, 2011

Officials focus on gaps in lead paint law, Baltimore Sun, August 27, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Lead in Paint, Dust, Soil, Environmental Protection Agency

Lead Poisoning, Mayo Clinic

Baltimore Housing

More Blog Posts:
Maryland Jury Awards $2.5 Million Baltimore Lead Paint Verdict to Siblings, Maryland Accident Law Blog, November 5, 2009

Hundreds of Washington DC Children May Have Been Exposed to High Levels of Lead in City’s Tap Water, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, January 27, 2009

Lead Paint Discovered on Washington D.C. Park Fence Near Where Hundreds of Kids Play, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, September 20, 2007

Continue reading "Baltimore's Public Housing Authority Says It is “Not Possible” To Pay Judgments in Maryland Lead Poisoning Cases" »

Myra Elizabeth Cason, a retired schoolteacher, was found fatally shot inside her vehicle in a Glen Burnie shopping mall parking lot. According to police, robbery appears to have been the motive. They think that the shooter was in the vehicle with the 63-year-old and made her drive to the parking lot where she was then shot.

Maryland Premises Liability
Inadequate security is one of the more common grounds for filing a premises liability case. Was there adequate lighting on the property? Was there adequate parking lot surveillance? What about security personnel? Does the area where the property is located have a history of violent crimes? What time of day did the crime occur? Could the property owner have prevented the crime from happening?

Obviously, not every violent crime warrants a Glen Burnie personal injury claim but you won’t know for sure unless you start exploring your legal options.

Examples of scenarios where negligent security might have played a role:
• Sexual assault in a public library bathroom
• A mugging in a parking garage
• A robbery at a gas station
• Rape in a campus building
• Molestation in a church
• A shooting in a nursing home
• A physical assault crime in a hotel

If negligence on a property allowed someone to become the victim of a violent crime, the property owner can be held liable for Anne Arundel County premises liability.

63-year-old shot to death in Glen Burnie parking lot, The Baltimore Sun, January 29, 2011

Retired Anne Arundel Co. Teacher Murdered, CBS Baltimore, January 29, 2011

Related Web Resource:
Premises Liability, Justia

Related Blog Posts:
Recent Shootings at Safeway and Walmart Raises the Question of How Liable Premises are for Violent Crimes, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, January 23, 2011

DC Metro Assault Crimes: Does WMATA Provide Adequate Security?, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, August 10, 2010

Family of Murdered Baltimore Woman Files $14 Million Wrongful Death Lawsuit, Maryland Accident Law Blog, December 11, 2007

Continue reading "Retired Teacher Shot to Death in Glen Burnie Shopping Mall Parking Lot" »

According to The Baltimore Sun, Department of Housing and Community Development assistant commissioner Eric Booker says the rowhouse that was the scene of a deadly Baltimore carbon monoxide poisoning accident did not have a CO detector even though one should have been installed and working properly. The victims, 40-year-old Vonita Gibbs and 30-year-old Mikeia Lucas, died on Tuesday after a gas oven was left on with the door open. Three others people, two adult males and a child, were admitted to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in serious condition.

City officials are reporting that the lower part of the oven had been covered with aluminum foil, which caused the gas to build before coming out. The gas then entering a heating duct that allowed it to spread to practically every room. According to fire officials, CO readings were as high as 500 parts per million in the unit.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, while carbon monoxide poisoning can pose a serious threat, it can be especially deadly during the winter, when people are trying to stay warm. In addition to the Baltimore accident, this week, a couple and their child, age 7, were taken to the hospital in Connecticut on Monday afternoon because of a CO poisoning incident in their apartment that was caused by a defective furnace. That same day, a maid found the bodies of five teenagers in a Florida hotel room. A car that had been left running in the private garage underneath the room is believe to have caused their fatal CO poisoning.

With over 400 people killed and thousands ending up in emergency rooms in the US each year from carbon monoxide poisoning, it is important that product manufacturers and premise owners make sure that they do not create or fail to remedy any type of hazard that could cause a CO poisoning accident to occur. The risk of carbon monoxide leaks go up in the wintertime with people using heating appliances and ovens to stay warm.

Open oven determined to be culprit in carbon monoxide poisoning, The Baltimore Sun, December 29, 2010

Family rushed to hospital after carbon monoxide poisoning, CT Post, December 27, 2010

Carbon monoxide poses a real, and needless, threat, USA Today, December 28, 2010

5 found dead in Florida motel room, CNN, December 28, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Carbon Monoxide May Be Greater Threat in Winter, US News, December 27, 2010

A Guide to Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Continue reading "No CO Detector in Rowhouse Where Fatal Baltimore Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Occurred" »

According to Baltimore County Fire Department Divisional Chief Michael Robinson, the rental house in Pikesville where Nelvin Salguero and Enael Lemus died from carbon monoxide poisoning on Sunday was not equipped with a CO detector. County ordinance requires that a rental property come with the device. Firefighters said the carbon monoxide levels at the home was over 11 times greater than the level of CO there would have to be for a detector to go off.

Salguero and Lemus were construction workers who boarded with the family that rented the home. They each leave behind a wife and kids. Eight other people, including two children, fell ill during the Maryland CO poisoning, as did three of the police who responded to a 911 call and arrived at the scene. At least 10 of the Pikesville injury victims were treated at Maryland Shock Trauma Center or University of Maryland Medical Center.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Winter is a time for carbon monoxide leaks to commonly occur. Many CO leaks happen because an active furnace is improperly vented is turned on or because of result of improperly vented hot water heaters or generators run with kerosene or gasoline.

As our Baltimore personal injury lawyers have reported in the past, carbon monoxide poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the US. The Journal of American Medical Association attributes 2,100 deaths annually to CO poisoning, which can also cause brain injury, heart damage, endocrine damage, and cellular injuries.

There are steps that premise owners can take to reduce the chances that a carbon monoxide incident will occur, including:

• Installing a carbon monoxide detector in the building
• Making sure that the central heating system, appliances, vents, and chimneys are properly maintained and cleaned
• Ensuring that the flues are open when using a fireplaces,
• Making sure the appropriate fuel is used in paraffin space heaters
• Not using paint remover containing methylene chloride

2 dead, 10 sick in Pikesville carbon monoxide poisoning, The Baltimore Sun, December 13, 2010

Pikesville CO victims identified, ABC2News, December 13, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, eMedicineHealth

Protect Your Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, US Environmental Protection Agency

Continue reading "Baltimore County Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Incident Kills 2 People and Sickens At Least 10 Others" »

Investigators are now saying that the apartment fire that killed Frostburg State University students Alyssa Salazar, 20, and Evan Kullberg, 23, occurred because of an overheated flue pipe. The fatal Maryland fire occurred early Friday.

According to the state fire marshal’s office, the three alarm fire was caused by the flue pipe that went from a wood-burning stove through a wooden-frame wall on the first floor to the structure’s exterior. There is no indication that the smoke alarms in the couple’s apartment were working. Also, the building was constructed before the enactment of a 1990 law requiring new multifamily structures to set up sprinkler systems.

The state medical examiner’s preliminary findings is citing smoke inhalation as the two students’ cause of death. Salazar died on her birthday.

Maryland Premises Liability
Property owners and managers are supposed to make sure that their buildings are free from any hazards that could contribute to injury or death. This means making sure that there are no safety violations and that the appropriate devices, such as smoke detectors and fire alarms, and exit routes are in place in the event of the emergency. The building, its facilities, and utilities should also be properly maintained.

If someone you love was killed in an accident on a property that is owned or managed by another party, you may have grounds for a Maryland wrongful death lawsuit. If faulty maintenance or a product defect was a factor in causing the fatality, you also may have reason to seek damages from the product manufacturer or the company that provided the inadequate maintenance.

Fire that killed 2 Frostburg students was caused by overheated pipe, Baltimore Sun, December 6, 2010

No Smoke Detectors Found in Fatal Fire Near Md. Campus, Firehouse.com, December 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Fire Protection and Prevention, Maryland Code (PDF)

Fire Safety

Premises Liability, Maryland Accident Law Blog

Burn Injuries, Maryland Accident Law Blog

Continue reading "Maryland Fire Deaths of Two Frostburg State University Students Caused by Overheated Pipe" »

The 44-year-old man who was physically assaulted at the Westport light rail station last month has died from his Baltimore injuries. Winslow Thomas, who managed to walk to a home after the attack on October 22, received treatment at Maryland Shock Trauma for blunt-force injuries and cuts. He died on November 3.

Unfortunately, crimes at light rail, train, and subway stations do occur. This is why their premise owners and supervisors must exercise the proper safety precautions to prevent such incidents from happening. Security personnel, surveillance cameras, alarm systems, and proper lighting are examples of possible safety precautions that can be implemented to discourage/prevent robberies, sexual assault, physical assault, and murder from happening.

It was just in August that our Washington DC personal injury law firm reported on a brawl involving 70 people that started in a rail car before continuing on a L’Enfant Plaza Station platform. Not long after that two adults were assaulted on a Green line train.

Even if the property owner did not directly cause a crime to occur on a premise, liability can still be found if the owner should have and could have acted to prevent the incident from happening.

Baltimore Premises Liability
Crimes on a premise are not the only potential danger that can occur on a premise. Premises liability cases have been brought against a property owner by those who have been injured in Maryland slip and fall accidents or because of falling merchandise, inadequate maintenance, defective conditions, or other hazards that caused personal injury or wrongful death.

Man, 44, who was beaten at light rail stop dies, Baltimore Sun, November 5, 2010

DC Metro Assault Crimes: Does WMATA Provide Adequate Security?, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, August 27, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Premises Liability, Justia

Proving Fault in Accidents on Dangerous or Defective Property, Nolo

Continue reading "Man Assaulted at Westport Light Rail Station in Baltimore, Maryland Dies From Injuries" »

A second person has died from injuries sustained during a fire in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The victim is 70-year-old Helen Bernice Logan. She died of smoke inhalation.

The deadly fire broke out at about 4:30am last Tuesday in Logan’s apartment. Some 25 firefighters were called to quell the fire, and they were able to keep the flames contained to her unit. Logan’s companion, 60-year-old Keith Richard Dowden, died at the accident site.

Investigators say that the fire started in Logan’s apartment, which is located in a Victorian-style building that had been converted into several rentals. A male resident from one of the other units was transported to the hospital for treatment of mild smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The apartment building had working smoke alarms, but it unclear at this time whether the one in Logan’s unit were working. Approximately 10 people have been displaced by the fire.

Apartment Fires
If you or someone you love was injured in a fire at an apartment complex or another common-living environment, it is important that you explore your legal options as you may have grounds for a Baltimore premises liability claim or another type of Maryland injury case. The owner of the building and/or the management company may have acted negligently so as to create (or fail to remove) a fire hazard on the property that placed people’s lives at risk. There also may have been a defective smoke alarm, fire alarm, or another appliance or item that could have caused the blaze. The condition of the building may not be up to current fire safety code standards. Or, there may be another party that acted carelessly or recklessly, such as a negligent tenant, visitor, or maintenance worker/company.

Maryland burn injuries can be very painful and medical and recovery expenses can be very costly.

Woman dies of injuries suffered in Md. fire, WTOP, October 20, 2010

Man, 60, dies in Havre de Grace fire, The Baltimore Sun, October 19, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Burns, MedlinePlus

Apartment Fires, WhatHappensNow

Continue reading "Two Dead from Havre De Grace Fire at Harford County, Maryland Apartment Building" »

Maryland State Police have charged El Soudani El-Wahhabi, also called Saladin Taylor, with first- and second-degree murder. El-Wahhabi, who is a patient at the at the Clifton T. Perkins mental hospital, is accused of killing Susan Sachs, who was also a resident at the Jessup facility.

According to the Washington Post, Sachs’ dead body was discovered on Sunday morning by her roommate. There was string around the 45-year-old woman’s neck. State investigators later arrested El-Wahhabi, who authorities say admitted to strangling and kissing Sachs.

Sachs had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. She and El-Wahhabi lived in separate rooms in the same hallway in a medium-security wing of the hospital.

This is not the first violent crime allegedly involving El-Wahhabi. In 1993, El-Wahhabi was released on parole after serving time for assaulting a patient during an earlier stay at the Jessup mental hospital. He was charged in 1995 with the murder of Mona Johnson. Part of his tongue was discovered at the crime scene. According to the Baltimore Sun, a judge found him unfit to stand trial on sexual assault charges involving his sister-in-law as the alleged victim.

Maryland nursing homes, hospitals, and other facilities where patients reside are responsible for protecting them from nursing abuse, nursing neglect, and violent assailants. This means hiring qualified workers that don’t have a criminal background and also making sure that if there are potentially dangerous residents staying at the facility, that steps are taken to protect the other patients from becoming the victims of sexual assault, assault and battery, rape, molestation, or murder. Failure to protect patients from violent crimes can be grounds for a lawsuit seeking damages for Maryland personal injury or wrongful death.

If you or someone you love was injured or killed while staying at a Maryland nursing home or hospital, contact our Baltimore nursing home abuse and negligence law firm today.

State mental hospital patient accused of killing another patient, The Baltimore Sun, September 27, 2010

Patient at Maryland mental hospital was strangled, police say, The Washington Post, September 27, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, US News & World Report

Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog

The Court of Appeals has upheld a state law that limits how much plaintiffs can receive for pain and suffering. They issued their decision regarding Maryland’s damages cap in the Anne Arundel County wrongful death case involving Connor Freed, the 5-year-old boy who drowned in a swimming pool at the Crofton Country Club in 2006.

A jury had awarded Connor Freed’s parents, Thomas Freed and Debbie Neagle-Freed, about $4 million against DRD Pool Service Inc., the company that provided lifeguards to the pool. However, because of Maryland’s cap on non-economic damages, the payment was reduced to about $1 million. The Freeds then filed a claim contending that the cap was unconstitutional since it does not give equal protection to all people.

In its ruling, Maryland’s highest court said that the cap’s existence has a legitimate purpose as it keeps liability insurance affordable. The court did, however, side with the Freeds regarding their claim that the original jury should have been given the opportunity to consider additional damages for their son’s conscious pain and suffering prior to his death.

In June 2006, Connor was found floating face down in the country club pool. There was a lifeguard on duty at the time. There were also defibrillators available. However, the lifeguard was not trained to use one. In their Anne Arundel County drowning death complaint, the Freeds had argued that not only was the pool insufficiently staffed but also, the lifeguards were improperly trained.

Maryland Damages Cap Survives in Horrific Drowning Case, Forbes, September 24, 2010

Family Sues Country Club Where 5 Yr. Old Drowned, WJZ, July 20, 2010

Md. court upholds state cap on lawsuit payouts, Washington Examiner, September 24, 2010

In Maryland, Accidental Drowning Of Anne Arundel County 5-Year Old Renews Calls For Greater Pool Safety, Marylandaccidentlawblog.com, October 13, 2006

Related Web Resources:
Maryland State Law Library

DRD Pool Service Inc.

An autopsy conducted on the body of a man found in a downtown Baltimore apartment building trash chute indicates his injuries are “consistent with a bad fall,” says the police department and reports the Baltimore Sun. Also, police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi says that if another person had inserted the body into the chute, there would have been “more signs {of a struggle} on the body.” Homicide detectives and the state medical examiner are continuing to investigate his death.

Building employees found the man's body on Thursday morning. According to police, the man seems to have fallen into the chute from around the 20th floor. The 26-floor building, located on N. Charles Street, houses offices and apartment units.

According to ex- and current tenants, each of the building’s trash chutes have a spring mounted door that must be pulled. The chute opening is approximately 3 feet high by 2 feet wide. It opens at an angle. One resident says that he usually must “push a little” to get a regular-sized garbage bag to go through the chute opening.

Trash Chute Accidents
In the event that someone falls through a garbage chute because it was poorly designed or faulty in some other way, the injured party may have grounds for a Maryland products liability and/or Baltimore premises liability. Property owners must make sure that there are no hazards on the premise that could cause serious Baltimore personal injuries.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that someone has been injured from falling down a trash chute. In February, a 38-year-old man accidentally fell into his apartment complex trash chute. According to the county coroner, the man was trapped upside down in the chute for a long time and died from suffocation. Last year, another man died after falling down a narrow garbage chute. He was drunk at the time.

Police: Man found dead in trash chute may have fallen, Baltimore Sun, August 13, 2010

Central IL man's trash chute death an accident, KMOV, February 5, 2010

Jersey City man plunges 25 stories to death down NYC trash chute, NJ.com, April 13, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Products Liability, Nolo

Premises Liability, Justia

Continue reading "Maryland Fall Accident?: Police Probe Death of Man Discovered in Trash Chute" »

Robin Vanderlip says she suffers from Foreign Accent Syndrome because she was injured in a Maryland fall accident three years ago. The 42-year-old says that because a handrail at the conference center in Chevy Chase was faulty, she fell backwards down a staircase and hit her head.

Vanderlip, who is American, claims that because of her head injury, she had a stroke and now can only speak with a Russian accent. She also suffers from fatigue and memory problems.

The single mother of two is seeking over $1 million in Maryland personal injury compensation from the National 4-H Council. Meantime, she continues to undergo treatment at the University of Maryland and the National Institutes of Health. Vanderlip says that her daughter is embarrassed by her foreign accent.

Foreign Accent Syndrome
This rare brain disorder causes people to speak with an accent that sounds different from their native tongue and can be triggered by a brain trauma. According to ABC News, one woman, CindyLou Romberg, was diagnosed with FAS 15 years after she fell out of a moving truck and sustained a depressed skull. She recovered from her serious brain injury and could speak normally until in 2006 when she went to see a chiropractor and lost her voice for two days.

When Romberg's voice returned, her American accent had disappeared and she could only speak English with a foreign accent. According to neuroscientist Julius Fridriksson, Romberg may have experienced decreased blood supply to the brain during manipulation, which could have resulted in FAS.

The first case of FAS was reported during World War II and involved a Norwegian woman who woke up from a coma with a German accent after she got hit in the head by shrapnel. Her countrymen alienated her because of her accent.

Woman says fall changed her accent, The Washington Post, May 24, 2010

US woman with Russian accent suffers from 'Foreign Accent Syndrome', UK Telegraph, May 30, 2010

Foreign Accent Syndrome Gives Sufferers an International Sound, ABC/Good Morning America, November 13, 2008

Related Web Resource:
Foreign Accent Syndrome

National 4-H Council

Investigators are trying to determine what caused a fatal fire to break out at Cecil County townhouse early Saturday. While 29-year-old Jewel Johnson was able to escape through a second-story window, three of her four young children were not as lucky.

Neighbors say they couldn’t rescue the children, who were screaming for help, because the flames were too high to walk across. Johnson’s oldest son, age 10, wasn’t there that night.

Following her rescue, Johnson was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where she is being treated for smoke inhalation and burns. She was admitted in critical but stable condition.

According to Maryland State Fire Marshal spokesperson Bruce Bush, the fire started in the first-floor living room. The townhouse, built in 1974, did not have sprinklers. Fire crews have yet to determine whether the smoke detector alarms went off after the blaze broke out.

Maryland Premises Liability
Property owners are supposed to make sure that there are no fire hazards on a premise. Appropriate fire prevention measures and warning systems must also be in place so that in the event a fire does break out, residents, patrons, visitors, and others can attempt to douse the flames and/or escape in time. You may be able to file a Maryland premises liability lawsuit against a negligent landlord, business owner, or another responsible parties.

Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are incredibly painful and disfiguring and can also lead to nerve damage, internal injuries, respiratory injuries, muscle injuries, shock, depression, electrolyte imbalance, infections, physical deformity, and death. The medical treatments required can be extensive and costly.

3 children killed in Cecil Co. townhouse fire, Baltimore Sun, May 15, 2010

3 Children Die In Cecil Co. Fire, WJZ, May 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Burn Survivor Resource Center

Smoke Detectors and Sprinkler Systems, Peoples-Law.org

Continue reading "Cecil County Townhouse Fire Kills Three Young Children and Leaves Mother with Maryland Burn Injuries" »

Four years after a 14-year-old girl was fatally electrocuted at a softball field on Druid Hill, her loved ones are considering whether to seek a motion asking a court reevaluate its decision to dismiss the Maryland wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Baltimore. Green, a Deer Park Middle School student, died on May 5, 2006 when she was electrocuted while stretching against a steel fence before a church league softball game.

The fence was in contact with an underground power line. Green grabbed hold of another fence and her body completed completed an electrical circuit. She was knocked down immediately and never regained consciousness.

In 2009, Green’s family filed a Maryland wrongful death complaint against the city of Baltimore, Del Electric Inc., and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. A judge later dismissed the case against the city and BGE.

Now, the family’s Baltimore wrongful death attorneys are saying that on more than one occasion the city hired Del Electric to deal with electrical problems that took place at the field prior to Green’s death. Their attorney contends that this new information sheds additional light on the role that the city of Baltimore may have played as the owner of the premise where Green died. The family also says that following her death, the city never took steps to rework the electrical system at the field.

Electrocution Accidents
Maryland electrical shock accidents can result in serious injuries, including burn injuries, brain damage, heart damage, muscle damage, nerve damage, and tissue damage. If you or someone you love was electrocuted on another party’s property and the premise owner was negligent in causing the injury accident, you may have grounds for filing a Maryland premises liability or wrongful death case. Signs of electrical shock include burns, respiratory failure, spinal cord injury, cardiac arrest, headaches, hearing problems, unconsciousness, tingling, weakness, numbness, seizures, muscle pain, broken bones, deformity, and heart arrhythmia.

Answers Sought In Girl's Death, Baltimore Sun, September 9, 2010

Family of Girl Electrocuted at Baltimore Softball Field to Return to Court, ABC2, May 12, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Electrical Injuries, eMedicine

City of Baltimore, Maryland

Noah Asid, the 9-year-old who was injured on December 29 when a large hickory tree fell on him at the Hashawha Environmental Center has died at a Baltimore hospital. Asid, who was attending a nature camp, was getting ready to go hiking with a group of children and counselors when the tragic accident happened.

According to reports, the 60-foot tree fell against a maple tree. This caused the maple branches to give way and the hickory and a number of large branches to hit the ground, striking Asid and another child. The girl, 10, has been released from Carroll Hospital Center.

The Carroll County sheriff’s office is determining what caused the tree to fall. Winds hitting speeds of up to 35 mph on the day of the accident may have been a factor.

Falling Tree Accidents
Falling tree accidents are not as uncommon as they sound and can cause catastrophic injuries to children and adults. Trees in parks, public areas, and other places frequented by children and other members of the public must be properly maintained so that they don’t pose a premise liability. If a property owner or overseer could (and should have) been taken to prevent the premises liability accident from happening, the victim or surviving family members can sue for Maryland personal injury or wrongful death.

Just last year, a 30-year-old man died after he was hit by a tree branch that fell in New York’s Central Park. In December, a wrongful death settlement was reached with the family of a woman who died after a tree fell on the car that she and her daughter were riding. The tree’s decaying root system contributed to its fall.

Falling tree injures children, Carroll County Times, January 6, 2010

Update: Boy, 9, injured by falling tree at Hashawha Environmental Center, dies, Carroll Eagle, January 1, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Hashawha Environmental Center

Recognizing Tree Hazards, Trees are Good