Recent Blog Posts
Know Your Rights When You’re Pulled Over
No one wants a surprise encounter with law enforcement on the road. Nevertheless, most of us have been pulled over at one time or another. As you ease to the shoulder, you should mentally prepare for the upcoming police interaction. Now, more than ever, it is essential that you understand your rights. Goal One:… Read More »
The Risk of Driving When Drowsy
If you’ve ever started to nod off when behind the wheel of your vehicle, you’re not alone. The fact is, six in ten adults say they’ve driven when they were tired, and about a third of them admit to actually falling asleep behind the wheel. If it makes you feel unsafe being out on… Read More »
Police Interactions: Know Your Rights!
You’re driving along when you see the dreaded red and blue lights flashing in your rear-view mirror. You get a pit of fear in your stomach, hoping beyond hope that maybe the police are after someone up ahead. But no, as you pull to the shoulder of the road, the lights follow you, and… Read More »
Wrong-Way Driving
It was the last thing 22-year old Ronet Aching ever saw: a Ford F150 barreling toward her on the Capital Beltway. Aching’s Xterra was no match for the truck in a head on collision at high speed and was killed on scene. The driver of the truck was charged with manslaughter by vehicle and… Read More »
Changes to Hate-Crime Standards
Getting a conviction for a hate-crime, along with the associated stricter penalties, just got a lot easier in Maryland. If you are charged with a hate-crime, you are looking at some pretty serious sentences, as the hate crime designation increases incarceration lengths and fines above those associated with typical convictions. The best thing you… Read More »
More Arrests & Jail Time for “COVID-19 Crimes” Here in Maryland, But Are They Constitutional
In late September, a Maryland man was convicted and sentenced to prison time for violating Governor Larry Hogan’s COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. According to reports, the defendant held two parties that had at least 50 people in attendance while, at the time, Gov. Hogan’s emergency order prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people. According… Read More »
Premises Liability Claims in Maryland
Sadly, injuries due to shootings and other security issues on property, including at schools, are becoming more and more common, including here in Maryland, where students and staff have been injured after shootings in Baltimore, for example, due to inadequate security being in place. While the Maryland Tort Claims Act places a damage cap… Read More »
New Federal Hours of Service Regulations Likely to Increase Large Truck Crashes
Many have expressed concerns over the new federal hours of service regulations, which are set to take effect in late September, and which provide trucks with a significant amount of flexibility, allowing them to drive for longer periods of time in adverse weather conditions, eliminate certain breaks, and expand the number of trucks that… Read More »
Your Right to Protest and “Unlawful Assembly” Charges
There is no question that, in recent months, America has seen widespread protests denouncing police brutality, including here in Maryland, which has had thousands of people march in demonstrations statewide just over the death of George Floyd alone in cities such as Baltimore and Annapolis. In response, both local and federal law enforcement have… Read More »
A Close Look at COVID-19 Injury Claims for Customers & Employees in Maryland
Premises liability claims as a result of the coronavirus pandemic have already been filed in Maryland and in other parts of the country, with a number of plaintiffs arguing that they contracted COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus while visiting and/or working at a specific property, all due to the property owners’ negligence… Read More »
