Maryland Injury Lawyer Blog

I have been writing a bit lately about Metro Verdicts Monthly Verdicts. There really is a wealth of information in this publication. This week, I reconnected with a defense lawyer I have not spoken to in years who I used to workout with in Howard County at the Columbia Athletic Club. (Interesting, this month's publication reported that this attorney's client got hit with a $199,396 verdict in a Prince George's County personal injury case where the defendant only offered $90,000.)

Every month, on the cover of Metro Verdicts is a graph of some kind comparing settlement amounts in different regions or different types of injuries. This month, they had a fascinating graph comparing fractured shoulder injury verdicts and settlements in Maryland and Virginia since 1987, omitting defense verdicts. The average fractured shoulder verdict or settlement in Maryland was $154,800 whereas, in Virginia, it was only $52,500. This is a remarkable disparity that I think would surprise a lot of personal injury lawyers in Maryland and Virginia. It is the first comparison of any kind that I have seen that comparing verdicts in Maryland and Virginia. I would like to see more data and comparisons like this. It would be invaluable to personal injury lawyers, especially in cases where the auto accident occurred in one location but the personal injury lawsuit could be rightfully filed in one of several jurisdictions.