Washington DC Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Archive for July, 2008

District Court Practice

Monday, July 28th, 2008

More personal injury cases are being brought in the District Courts of Maryland. The District Courts in Maryland handle civil cases, like lawsuits for injuries, with a value below $30,000.00. Filing auto accident cases in these Courts brings a number of advantages for our clients in the form of a substantial decrease in the expense and time in getting the case to trial.

The savings realized in expenses are seen in that is it less expensive to file a lawsuit, no depositions are allowed without a Court Order, and doctors do not have to be called to testify concerning our client’s medical treatment. Not having to pay a doctor to come to court to testify saves $1,500 — $3,000 for each doctor. Of course, since each client is responsible for the costs of bringing their case in Court, all of these cost savings benefit our client because the money saved increases the money in the client’s pocket at the end of the case.

There is also a substantial decrease in the time it takes to get the case to the ultimate end point: trial. When a lawsuit is filed in District Court, a trial date is immediately assigned for 90 days after the lawsuit was filed. Most times, that trial date is postponed. However, most cases are completed within six months of the lawsuit filing. This is a significant time-savings from a case filed in one of the other Courts in Maryland, where a case may not get to trial for 18 months after a lawsuit is filed.

by Steven H. Kaminski, Esq.

Posted in auto accidents; district court | Comments Off

Partner Allan M. Siegel Testifies in front of D.C. Council

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Partner Allan M. Siegel testified before the D.C. Council regarding a very important piece of legislation which the Council is considering implementing. The legislation would require that all public spaces, including city recreation centers, make defibrillators available. A defibrillator is an electronic device that applies an electric shock to restore the rhythm of a fibrillating heart. The legislation would place these devices at city recreation centers, where citizens are engaged in strenuous physical activity and cardiovascular emergencies can occur suddenly. The legislation has the potential to save hundreds of lives.

Mr. Siegel, testifying as President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC, supported the bill, but expressed concern that the legislation as written provided overbroad immunity to the District of Columbia. The proposed legislation provided that a facility that made a defibrillator available which did not work because it was not properly maintained, or that failed to have a staff member available who can operate the defibrillator, could not be sued.

This was clearly contrary to the intent of the legislation which was to have a working defibrillator at these sites, and qualified people on site who could use it to save lives. Mr. Siegel proposed an amendment to eliminate this problem. The testimony was well received, and we are hopeful that the Council implements the proposed amendment. See the full text of Mr. Siegel’s testimony below:
/AMS%20testimony%20re%20defibrillator%20bill.doc

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Partners Ira Sherman and Joseph Cammarata Present Radio Show On “Brain Injuries 101”

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Partners Ira Sherman and Joseph Cammarata taped a radio show entitled “Brain Injuries 101” for Ringler Radio during the national American Association for Justice convention in Philadelphia in July 2008. Messrs. Sherman and Cammarata alternated in responding to questions presented by Ms. Cindy Chanley, the moderator. The program emphasized the importance in recognizing the significant, but yet often subtle, symptoms of a brain injury. Also addressed were the methodologies by which one could have a traumatic brain injury, including but not limited to, automobile accidents, slip and falls, and medical malpractice. Attorneys Sherman and Cammarata discussed several of their cases including incidents which occurred as a result of collisions with tractor trailers, medical malpractice cases involving the delivery of babies and near-drownings resulting in severe permanent brain injury. Ms. Chanley was extremely complimentary regarding the presentations of both Mr. Sherman and Mr. Cammarata and believed that the audience will find it very helpful. The law firm of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. will obtain a copy of the entire radio show and make it available on the website in the next several weeks.

Posted in brain damage, near-drownings, tractor trailer | Comments Off

A Family Injured by a Negligently Driven Tractor Trailer in Virginia and a Family Injured by a Negligently Driven Tractor Trailer in Pennsylvania

Monday, July 14th, 2008

The Washington, D.C. trial attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. represent two separate families out on a family get-together when a severe motor vehicle collision was caused by the negligence of the operator of a tractor trailer. One accident took place on I-295 when a tractor trailer in a lane to the left of our clients’ vehicle changed lanes and struck our clients’ vehicle, causing it to spin out and strike the guardrail.

In the Pennsylvania case, our clients were literally run off the road in a tractor trailer resulting in numerous injuries to all of the members of this family, including broken fingers, brain injury, head, neck and back injuries.

Tractor trailers pose a particular threat to the safety of others on the roadway. In the two cases described, the accident affected the lives of every member of the entire family.

Posted in brain damage, tractor trailer | Comments Off

Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. Represents Individual Permanently Brain Damaged as the Result of the Careless Act of a Drunk Driver

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Our client, a young man who was employed in the important task of serving as an English/Arabic translator, was struck and permanently brain damaged as a result of the extraordinarily careless acts of a drunk driver. Our client was sitting at a red light in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. when a drunk driver, travelling perpendicular to him jumped over the concrete median divider and crashed into his car broadside. The drunk driver was immediately arrested and he has been indicted. The law firm of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. will attempt to hold the bars that served this individual, if they did so when he was visibly drunk, responsible for the permanent injuries caused to our client. The Washington, D.C. trial attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. will vigorously pursue the wrongdoer and anyone else partially or wholly responsible for his condition.

Posted in brain damage, drunk driving | Comments Off

How to Stop Drunk Drivers- Utilize the "Dram Shop Liability"

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

We are all aware that individuals that drive intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol are liable for the damages that they cause to individuals because of their negligence. Drunk drivers may not have enough insurance to compensate an individual for the catastrophic injuries frequently caused as a result of their careless behavior. When a corporation or another responsible person owns the vehicle driven by the drunk driver, it is usually possible to collect the insurance from of the owner of the vehicle or the person for whom the drunk driver was working. However, there may be another available alternative. There may be an opportunity to sue a bar for serving individuals who are already visibly intoxicated. A decision by a bartender to continue to serve a visibly intoxicated individual can result in liability to the bar for the careless behavior of the bartender. This is called “Dram Shop Liability”. Accordingly, if you or a loved one was injured, or a loved one was killed, as the result of the actions of a drunk driver, you should call the Washington D.C. trial lawyers at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. for a free consultation to determine who can be held responsible for the injuries and damages sustained.

Posted in dram shop, drunk driving, dui, dwi | Comments Off

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