- Tweeting May Land You In Prison
Posted November 30, 2009, 2:32 pm by Bradley S. Shear, Esq.
The World War II adage, "Loose Lips Sink Ships" applies to Social Media in the 21st century. It appears that Roger Avary, Co-Screenwriter of Pulp Fiction either never heard of this slogan or never thought his tweets would lead to his incarceration. Mr. Avary pleaded guilty earlier this year to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Mr. Avary was purportedly driving more than 100 mph when he crashed his car last year. A passenger in his car was killed and his wife was injured in the crash....
- MAMSI v. Wu
Posted November 30, 2009, 11:44 am by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.
I have been trying for a while to find the time to summarize MAMSI v. Wu, a Maryland Court of Appeals opinion holding that health insurance companies may make benefits secondary to PIP benefits available for medical bills suffered in a car accident. You can read the full opinion here.
- Maryland's Marital Property Issues Call For Early Consult With Divorce Lawyer
Posted November 29, 2009, 9:49 am by Robert Flanagan
Anyone facing the possibility of a separation and divorce that involves significant assets should confer at an early stage with a Maryland Divorce Attorney. Such a conference should include an evaluation of all property disposition issues. The potential for disappearing or undisclosed assets are just a couple of issues that should be explored at an early phase of separating from a spouse. In sitting down with a Family Law attorney, you need to understand the context in which property issues...
- Maryland College Student Dies in Fatal Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident
Posted November 29, 2009, 7:57 am by Lebowitz & Mzhen
Another late-October traffic fatality took the life of a University of Maryland junior who was apparently the victim of a hit-and-run pedestrian accident. Having represented victims of pedestrian injury accidents, I can understand the pain and grief of such a loss, not only to the family but to the friends and schoolmates of this young woman. When it comes to car and truck accidents, the occupants in the vehicles have a much better survival rate than the persons on foot. According to news...
- Baltimore Co. Police Officer Dies in Fatal Motorcycle-Car Crash
Posted November 29, 2009, 7:03 am by Lebowitz & Mzhen
A word to the wise: It doesn't matter how good a cycle rider you are, motorcycle accidents can happen to the best riders. Tragically, motorcycle accidents can be very unforgiving to many motorcyclists. As motorcycle accident attorneys, I and my colleagues understand how sudden a fatal traffic accident can occur; many motorcycle-car accidents can spell danger to bike riders. Just recently, a veteran police officer and avid motorcyclist lost his life while riding to work. According to news...
- The EEOC May Punish Employers Or Insurers Who Review Applicants or Employees' Social Media Posts For Insurance or Personnel Decisions
Posted November 28, 2009, 5:04 pm by Bradley S. Shear, Esq.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act ("GINA") that went into effect on November 21, 2009, prohibits employers from utilizing genetic tests or considering an applicant or employee's genetic background in hiring, firing, or promotions. The main change from the law is that in general, it will prohibit health insurers and employers from asking employees to provide their family medical histories. GINA applies to companies who have more than 15 employees. The U.S. Equal Employment...
- Maryland Trucking Safety News: Teamsters Back Regulations Pertaining to Hazardous Materials Transport
Posted November 28, 2009, 7:58 am
News out of Baltimore, Maryland, shows great support from the Teamsters Union for new trucking rules regarding the transportation of flammable liquids, specifically the regulations that would ban these liquids from being carried in the relatively vulnerable transfer lines on tanker trucks. This new Congressional legislation would most likely increase the safety of innocent drivers and pedestrians who may be killed or injured in tanker truck-related accidents in the future. According to news...
- Abandoment Is Grounds For Divorce
Posted November 28, 2009, 7:54 am by Robert Flanagan
Under Maryland Divorce law, what constitutes "abandonment" and when does it occur? This is a question recently posed on a public on-line forum by a wife who was upset when she found evidence that her husband have seen a divorce lawyer. Her response was to start spending nights at her mother's house. She was concerned that this might constitute grounds for her husband to obtain a divorce. The short answer is "no". However, it is important to understand the underlying principles involved. One of...
- Maryland Court of Special Appeals Vacates Same-Sex Visitation Case
Posted November 27, 2009, 9:00 am by Monica Scherer
The Daily Record reports that the Maryland Court of Special Appeals has decided to vacate the Baltimore County Circuit Court's decision to allow Larissa S. to visit with her ex-partner Melissa B.'s eight year old son. The couple dated for seven years, before deciding to have a child in 2001, through the help of a friend. After the couple broke up in 2002, Melissa gave birth to a second child. Larissa never adopted either child, but visited with both boys from 2002-2005 until she was denied...
- Big Boyz Bail Bonds Giant Inflatable Pen
Posted November 27, 2009, 7:56 am by Big Boyz Bail Bonds
Big Boyz Bail Bonds is proud to introduce the largest ever inflatable pink and yellow big boyz pen. The pen is currently located outside of our essex location at 217 Eastern Blvd. Our intention is to eventually have a giant inflatable Big Boyz Pen located outside of all 4 of our Big Boyz Bail Bonds offices. Enjoy a sample of the magificent bail bonds pen floating in the wind: Also, be sure to visit our official pen website at bigboyzpens.com for more on our infamous pink and yellow bail bonds...
- University of Maryland Grad Killed in Fatal Single-vehicle Crash on George Washington Parkway
Posted November 27, 2009, 7:47 am by Lebowitz & Mzhen
Any traffic death is a tragedy, but those automobile accidents that take a young, promising life are all the more horrendous. As a Maryland car accident lawyer, I try to help the families of these victims find some sort of closure. Though nothing can bring back a loved one killed in a car or truck accident, the monetary awards that some victims receive can help the family to recover after a loss of this magnitude. News of a recent traffic death on the GW Parkway illustrates the senseless waste...
- MoneyGram To Pay Millions to Consumers Who Were Scammed Using Their System
Posted November 27, 2009, 4:50 am by Sonya Smith-Valentine, Valentine Legal Group
MoneyGram International will have to pay 18 million dollars to consumers who were scammed by fraudulent groups posing as telemarketers or agents for MoneyGram. MoneyGram received the punishment because of their unwillingness to take action about the scheme while they were aware that it was happening. Also, some MoneyGram's agents even participated in the scheme to defraud their own customers. From 2004 to 2008, fraudulent MoneyGram agents were able to convince US citizens to wire more than $84...
- Malpractice Jury Verdict
Posted November 26, 2009, 12:01 pm by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.
An Illinois jury awarded $22.3 million to the parents of a boy whose leg was amputated soon after birth at a Chicago area hospital. According to the medical malpractice lawsuit against the hosptial, the injury was caused by the hospital's doctors failing to meet the standard of care in treating a congenital heart problem that required a shunt procedure. In addition to the loss of his leg, the boy suffers from cognitive deficiencies and developmental delays.
- Pointing to the Empty Chair
Posted November 26, 2009, 11:48 am by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.
One favorite - and legitimate - tactic of defendants at trial is to point to "empty chairs", someone not a party to the trial. The empty chair are either potential defendants that were not or could not be sued or defendants that settled before trial. The Texas Supreme Court offers its thoughts on this issue this week in a case involving the lawsuits stemming from the bondfire deaths that killed 12 people before a Texas A&M game 10 years ago.
- Police conducting Facebook drinking stings
Posted November 25, 2009, 1:22 pm by Caryn Tamber
We know Facebook has helped police solve all sorts of crimes, from burglary to vandalism. But did you know it's also being used to fight a far more pernicious crime? No, not child sex abuse. Underage drinking. Apparently, a college student in Wisconsin accepted a Facebook friend request from a cute girl he didn't know. Shortly thereafter, he got ticketed for underage drinking on the basis of a picture he'd posted of himself holding a beer-in his own home, no less. True, it's not smart to post...
- "12 Secrets" Interview with Your ABA
Posted November 25, 2009, 11:15 am by Paul Mark Sandler
This article in the November issue of Your ABA provides an overview of The 12 Secrets of Persuasion, a book I co-authored with JoAnne Epps and Ronald Waicukauski.
- Modification of Child Custody in Maryland
Posted November 25, 2009, 11:06 am by Monica Scherer
Clients often ask if their soon to be ex-spouse, ex-spouse or co-parent of their child(ren) will be able to change a custody order after it is entered at their free will whenever they want to? The answer is that the other parent may file with the Court to modify the existing order at anytime. Meeting the two-prong test required to change and/or modify custody is however not an easy task. First, the moving party must show a material change in circumstances. That begs the question, what is a...
- Head-on Car Crash in Frederick, MD, sends Two Injured Drivers to the Hospital
Posted November 25, 2009, 7:36 am by Lebowitz & Mzhen
Sport utility vehicle (SUV), pickup truck and car accidents can happen any time with little or no warning. The lucky drivers in traffic accidents such as these receive minor to moderate injuries. The unlucky ones can end up permanently handicapped or, worse, pronounced dead at the scene of the car or truck crash. As Maryland auto accident attorneys, I and my colleagues help to represent accident victims and their families to help recover some or all of the medical expenses, lost wages and other...
- Big Boyz Bail Bonds Posts Bond for Defendant held on Fugitive from Justice Charges
Posted November 25, 2009, 7:08 am by Big Boyz Bail Bonds
Recently we were contacted by Steve Silverman of the Maryland law firm, Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White in regards to posting bond for a defendant held in Baltimore City Central Booking. At first glance this would appear like a normal bond. However, we soon discovered that the defendant locked up in Baltimore City was being held on Fugitive from Justice Charge out of the state of Connecticut. To make matters more difficult for Big Boyz Bail Bonds is that the defendant himself was not...
- Side Effects of Yaz
Posted November 25, 2009, 6:24 am
/**/ We have spent the past month or so taking the Bayer Corporation to task over their line of birth control pills, which go under the names Yaz, Yasmin and Oscella. We have been doing this for quite a few reasons, chief among them the fact that they have decided to use an ingredient called drospirenone. This synthetic variant of progestin has been shown to increase the likelihood of blood clots not just in women who smoke or women over thirty five, but in any woman who uses the pill at all....