Blog Posts in 2014

• How Juries Are Picked in Maryland Auto Accident Lawsuits

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 29-Dec-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky One of the biggest factors that will determine the outcome of a trial is who is in your jury. Jurors come in with their own beliefs, leanings, and prejudices, which will affect how they view the testimony and other evidence at trial. That's why picking a jury can be very important to the outcome of your case. There are twelve jurors in a criminal case in Maryland, but in a ...
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• Holding an Employer Liable in a Maryland Auto Accident Case

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 17-Dec-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky When a driver negligently injures you, of course you have the option to sue the driver. But you also have the option to sue the driver's employer, if the driver was on the job at the time of the collision. In that case, Maryland holds that the employer shares the driver's responsibility, under a doctrine called respondeat superior – an employer is responsible for ...
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• Airplane Crashes into Montgomery County Home, Leaves 3 Passengers & 3 Residents Dead

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 8-Dec-2014

  By: Allan M. Siegel Earlier today - Monday, December 8 - a small, private jet crashed into a residential home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, killing at least three passengers. According to safety officials with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue, there were at least three passengers fatally injured in the crash. Officials suspect that there may have been a fourth passenger on board, and are continuing ...
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• When You Think You May Have Suffered a Concussion in an Auto Accident

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 4-Dec-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky A concussion is an injury that causes a temporary dysfunction in brain activity. It is, literally, a brain injury (although it is a milder form of brain injury). Part of what makes a concussion so scary is that it is invisible – there is generally no way to directly detect it through a brain scan (unlike a broken bone, which can be found on an X-ray). You can even suffer ...
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• How a Maryland Lawsuit Begins

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 3-Dec-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky Everyone has a vague idea of what it means to "file a lawsuit." But, many of our clients wonder, what does it actually entail? What do we lawyers need to do, in order to get a lawsuit off and running? There are two major steps we need to take before a lawsuit can really begin. The first step is to file what is called a "complaint." A complaint is a statement ...
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• Kentlands Man Killed in Bicycle Accident with WSSC Truck

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 25-Nov-2014

  By: Allan M. Siegel A Kentlands man was tragically struck and killed yesterday morning in an accident involving a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) truck. According to police reports, the accident occurred Monday morning shortly after 9:30 a.m. as the 60-year-old man was cycling east on Darnestown Road near The Shops at Potomac Valley. The utility truck, making a left at an ...
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• Where Are You Allowed to Cross the Street in Maryland?

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 17-Nov-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky It seems that many people believe that the driver of an automobile is always required to yield the right of way to a pedestrian. As a matter of safety and common decency, of course, a driver always should yield the way to a pedestrian to avoid an accident. But if you are crossing the street, it is important to know that legally, you only have the right of way if you are ...
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• Whose Responsibility is it to Avoid a Rear-End Collision in Maryland?

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 12-Nov-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky One of the most common types of auto accidents that we see are rear-end collisions, in which one car (the following vehicle) hits the back of another car (the leading vehicle). When this happens, who is at fault – the leading driver or the following driver? It could be the fault of either driver. Or it could be the fault of both drivers. Maryland law imposes a duty on the ...
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• How a Pre-Existing Condition Can Affect Your Auto Accident Lawsuit in Maryland

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 5-Nov-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky Maryland, like the country in general, follows what is called the "eggshell skull rule." The idea is that if you are unusually vulnerable to being injured – as if you had a skull that was eggshell-thin – and, as a result, someone else negligently injures you, then the wrongdoer is liable for the full damages you suffer (even if a healthier person would ...
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• Gonzaga High School Senior Killed, Several Injured in Beltway Shoulder Collision

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 3-Nov-2014

  By: Allan M Siegel A 17-year-old senior from Gonzaga College High School was tragically killed this past weekend following a two-vehicle car accident on the Capital Beltway. According to officials from the Maryland State Police, the accident occurred in the northbound lanes of the Beltway, just south of Persimmon Tree Road in Bethesda. Three other Gonzaga students were injured as a result of the ...
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• Be Careful What You Sign After an Automobile Collision

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 31-Oct-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky Putting your signature on a document can have powerful, irreversible, and sometimes very unfortunate consequences in the legal system, if you do it without care. If you sign a document, a court will likely presume that you read and understood the document -- even if you didn't have a lawyer, and even if the document was complicated. When it comes to an automobile collision, ...
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• Getting Your Car Fixed is Important - Make Sure You Have the Right Coverage

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 20-Oct-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., we are generally focused on making sure that receive compensations for your bodily injuries, after a car accident. But, of course, fixing your car itself is a concern as well. In the best-case scenario, you have " collision coverage " on your automobile insurance policy. (If you don't, we advise you purchase it ...
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• What are "Punitive Damages," and When are they Awarded in a Maryland Automobile Collision Lawsuit?

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 8-Oct-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky When you file a lawsuit arising out of an automobile collision in Maryland, the jury may award you two different types of damages. You are always entitled to "compensatory damages." Compensatory damages are awarded to make you whole again, to compensate you for everything you've lost (or will lose) as a result of the automobile collision. There is also a second ...
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• Ocean City Goes Smoke Free

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 10-Sep-2014

  By Matthew Tievsky On Tuesday, August 26 th the Ocean City, Maryland, Town Council voted to draft a law restricting smoking on its beaches and boardwalks. The restrictions will go into effect this spring on May 1 st. The Town Council is currently considering partial restrictions, which would limit smoking to designated areas. 150 metal cigarette receptacles would be placed at all street beach ...
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• What is a Contingency Fee?

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 8-Aug-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky Our firm, like many personal injury firms, operates based on contingency fees. This means we do not charge a client any money to hire us. We also don't charge a client during the case. Nor do we charge for every hour of work we put into the case. Instead, we only charge a fee if a certain condition (a contingency) comes to pass: that is, if we win your case. If we recover ...
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• Maryland Court Ruling Changes the Law of Rear-End Automobile Collisions

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 30-Jul-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky On this blog, we have previously discussed the important Maryland case of Andrade v. Housein, decided back in 2002. In that decision, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals appeared to hold that the Court held that, when a plaintiff's vehicle is lawfully stopped on the road, and the defendant rear-ends the plaintiff, then (absent extenuating circumstances) the defendant is ...
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• Attorney Matthew Tievsky Represents Injured Taxicab Driver, Secures Award Over Four Times Insurance Company's Offer

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 11-Jul-2014

  Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. is pleased to announce the successful outcome of a case handled by Associate Matthew Tievsky on behalf of a local injured taxicab driver. In the case, Attorney Tievsky represented a taxicab driver who was injured outside of a Metro station after being rear-ended by another taxicab driver. As a result of the collision, our client's vehicle suffered ...
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• GM Victim Amber Marie Rose

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 7-Jul-2014

  By: CSCS In the last blog of our GM series, we brought you the story of Shara Lynn Towne, a 37-year-old mother of five children. This week we want to bring you the story of 16-year-old Amber Marie Rose. Amber was born in Maryland and was raised by her adoptive mother Terry DiBattista. In 2005, Amber was reunited with her birth mother Laura Christian. Ms. Christian described herself as overjoyed to ...
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• The Importance of Keeping Your Doctor Informed After an Auto Accident

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 20-Jun-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky In an auto accident lawsuit, when we attorneys have to prove how you were injured, we have to rely upon your medical records. Your doctors aren't going to personally remember what they heard and saw when they examined you, so they will have to look at what is written down in the records, and recite those records when they testify about your health after the collision. This ...
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• The Police Report Alone Will Not Win Your Auto Accident Case in Maryland

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 11-Jun-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky When we take on a new client, one of the first documents we try to obtain is the police report. The police report includes plenty of useful information – contact information for the defendant, so that we can locate him or her; contact information for any witnesses; and the police officer's assessment of who was at fault, which gives some indication of the strength of ...
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• What You Can Learn From Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 2-Jun-2014

  By: Allan M. Siegel The Month of May has been declared Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in the United States, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been working with local agencies across the country to educate motorists and riders about safely sharing the road. As Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month comes to an end, our legal team would like to remind all local ...
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• Partner Allan M. Siegel Wins Top 10 Client Satisfaction Award

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 30-May-2014

  Partner Allan Siegel has been a dedicated member of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel P.C., for the past twenty years. He has a proven reputation of fighting passionately on behalf of his clients to win just compensation for their injuries. Recently, his commitment earned him the 2014 Client Satisfaction Award for Personal Injury Attorneys in the State of Maryland. The award is given to ...
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• Motorcycle Crashes in Maryland Claim Four Lives in Four Days

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 28-May-2014

  By: Allan M. Siegel It is well known that motorcycle riders face some of the highest risks of accidents, injuries, and fatalities of anyone on the road. Still, when multiple motorcycle accidents claim the lives of several victims in a span of just a few days, there is enough reason for everyone to be reminded of these risks. This was the case this past Memorial Day weekend, when a total of four ...
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• What Effect Does Health Insurance Have on The Value of Auto Accident Claims in Maryland?

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 16-May-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky The short answer is: nothing. The value of your claim doesn't go down at all when you use your health insurance. Maryland follows the "collateral source rule." This means that if you suffer losses in an automobile collision caused by a defendant, but you are partially compensated by a third party – such as your health insurer – the defendant is not let ...
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• In New Decision, Maryland Court of Appeals Protects the Rights of Seriously Injured Auto Accident Victims

  Posted By Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel, P.C. || 6-May-2014

  By: Matthew Tievsky Victims of negligence in auto accidents won an important victory before Maryland's high court, the Court of Appeals, in the recent decision of Brethren Mutual Insurance Company v. Buckley. In this case, Brethren provided what is called "underinsured motorist" ("UIM") coverage, to its customer, Buckley. When a person (like Buckley) is hurt by a negligent ...
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