Author Archives: Site Administrator
Are You Ready For ABLE?
As you may have heard, Congress enacted the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014 (the “ABLE Act”) on December 19, 2014. Many have deemed this a monumental step toward the betterment of the lives of individuals faced with mental and/or physical disabilities. While many experts would agree this piece of legislation is… Read More »
Welcome To The Party: Third Party Cases
When a worker is injured on the job by the fault of another person, she has the right to make a worker’s compensation claim, but may also pursue the at-fault person for damages. The claim or lawsuit against the at-fault person is called a third party claim. Why is it a third party claim?… Read More »
Pay My Bills! Or, Brother Can You Spare A Dime, For Just A Little While?
After you have been injured in a car crash, someone has to pay your bills. That someone is generally YOU. It doesn’t matter whether you were at fault or if someone else caused your injuries, the legal responsibility to pay those bills is yours. So what do you do? First, if you have personal… Read More »
Transfers To Minors: Where Do I Start? What Should I Consider?
Two of the most commonly used methods of transferring money and assets to minors are a Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) Account or a Trust. A UTMA Account is relatively simple to create and fairly inexpensive, but you cannot exercise any control over the assets. While a trust allows you to maintain a… Read More »
3 Suggestions To Increase Your Chances Of Winning A Claim For Social Security Disability Benefits
The Social Security Administration (SSA) denies a whopping 72% of the initial disability benefit applications and denies about 90% of reconsiderations (the first level of appeal). (Annual Statistical Report, 2011). Though these numbers might make you think poorly of SSA, in most of these cases the evidence in SSA’s record just does not support… Read More »
The End Of The 12 Year Maryland Estate Tax Experiment
The Maryland legislative session of 2014 began with a bang. Specifically, the House introduced HB 739 that presumably could cause major changes to the way you and I plan for the inevitable. Yesterday, the Maryland Senate approved HB 739 that will recouple the Maryland estate tax exclusion with that of the federal government. For… Read More »
Fire Fighters In Maryland Have A Great Day In The Court Of Appeals
It is nice to be able to toot the horn of somebody you respect greatly. It is even nicer when that person is your partner. Yesterday, the Court of Appeals unanimously found in favor of a Maryland fire fighter injured in a car accident while on the way to his station to check the… Read More »
You Must Replace Your Car Seat After A Moderate Or Severe Collision
Most car safety seats work by holding your child snuggly in place during a collision, and by absorbing or redirecting the energy in a collision away from your child’s body. Quality car seats also drop the child vertically to redirect the energy from the collision, and prevent the child from striking the backs of… Read More »
Hearing Loss And Tinnitis Claims – Maryland Workers’ Compensation Law
Occupational Deafness claims under Maryland Workers Compensation generally involve two different medical problems. The first is actual inability to hear sounds. This is referred to as hearing loss. The second often shows up as “ringing in the ears” and frequently is caused by tinnitus. Despite the fact that they both impact your ability to… Read More »
Dear Maryland, Please May I Sue You? Or, Rex Non Potest Peccare
Believe it or not, the only reason you can sue the State of Maryland, its counties, or other governmental entities is because the State of Maryland allows it? It is true; the concept arises from when the U.S. was part of England. The legal concept, and of course the latin, is Rex non potest… Read More »