Maryland Personal Injury Lawyers
Our Columbia personal injury lawyers represent catastrophic injury victims in auto accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, and other types of personal injury cases. We have a long track record of success in Columbia personal injury lawsuits.
Columbia Auto Accident Lawyers
Our Columbia auto accident lawyers get a steady stream of calls from individuals who have been injured while driving in Columbia. Columbia is a very densely populated suburban area and it hosts an extremely high volume of traffic. Interstate 95 forms the eastern boundary of Columbia and Route 29 and Route 100 are major state highways that cross Columbia. Over 75% of all auto accidents in Howard County occur in the Columbia area.
At Miller & Zois we represent victims who have been seriously injured in an auto accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident. We have an excellent track record of success in Columbia accident cases. We get maximum compensation value for our clients in accident cases by leveraging our firm’s reputation.
Unlike many other Columbia accident lawyers, we don’t push for quick settlements in all our cases. Instead, we push for full and fair value. If we don’t get a fair settlement offer in our Columbia accident cases, we will absolutely go to trial. The insurance companies and their adjusters are well aware of this and it motivates them to make better offers to our clients.
Columbia Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Our law firm has never lost a medical malpractice case in Baltimore City. We have not lost a case in Prince George’s County. Our malpractice lawyers have lost our last two malpractice trials in Howard County. If you have a Columbia malpractice case, you go to trial starting at the 20 year-line, not the 50. The juries go into a medical mistake trial willing to err on the side of the doctor.
Why are we telling your this given that this webpage is basically a job interview if you have a medical malpractice lawsuit in Columbia? We want you to know the truth. We do not know any malpractice lawyers who have won a malpractice trial in Howard County. (There is a humble brag here, too: most medical malpractice lawyers in Maryland have never lost a Columbia malpractice case because they have never tried one. We are willing to throw punches and risk our own money to fight for victims if we think they have a shot.)
Most of our malpractice cases have settled in Howard County. But, circling back to the theme, you need to know from the beginning: Columbia/Ellicott City a tough venue, especially for malpractice victims.
Venue for Columbia Personal Injury Lawsuits
Columbia, Maryland is an unincorporated city in Howard County, a rapidly growing county west of Baltimore. Personal injury cases in Columbia often wind up in Howard County Circuit Court or Howard County District Court, both of which are in Ellicott City. Columbia is a largely populated city of over 100,000 people.
You would never know how big Columbia is when you walk into a Howard County courthouse because it is not a busy courthouse. To put its size in context, there are six times the number of Circuit Court judges in Baltimore than there are in Howard.
From a personal injury accident and medical malpractice standpoint, this is a little misleading because the crime rate is so much higher in Baltimore City. For example, there are 27 times more carjackings in Baltimore City than in Howard County. Still, you get the point: there are, relatively speaking, not a lot of personal injury accident cases that got to trial that originated in Columbia.
Why? The reason is that most view this county as a below-average jurisdiction to try personal injury cases on behalf of injured victims. But opinions vary wildly on it as a venue in accident cases. In malpractice cases, as we discuss below, you can get compensation but it is a battle.
Certainly, there are some types of plaintiffs that do extremely well in front of these juries. They tend to be credible people that are very seriously injured…. and remind the jury of themselves. Howard County jurors are a little bit like Walmart shoppers. They will buy, but they want to get value for their money. From a juror’s standpoint, they want to reward someone who is really hurt and really deserves to be compensated.
Conversely, plaintiffs with minor accident claims with soft tissue injuries are almost invariably going to struggle. So the more serious the injury claim is, the less impact the jurisdiction will have on the verdict.
Filing Columbia Personal Injury Lawsuits in Other Venues
Our lawyers are not afraid to try a good case here. But, let’s be honest: there are better jurisdictions. You cannot assume that the case can only be filed in Howard because the accident or malpractice occurred in Columbia.
Some of these lawsuits are more appropriately brought in neighboring jurisdictions and it is sometimes foolish to proceed with a case in this jurisdiction if there are other viable options in sister jurisdictions that are appropriate and better suited for the case. The best lawyers consider all possible venue options before determining where to file suit.
Recent Verdicts in Columbia Personal Injury Cases
Below are summaries of recent verdicts in Columbia personal injury cases.
- 2019 – $80,360 Verdict. A 51-year-old woman was broadsided at the intersection of Thunder Hill Road and Route 175 in Columbia. She suffered cervical and lumbar sprains and underwent physical therapy, steroid injections, and other treatment. She presented medical evidence to show that her injuries were permanent in nature. The case went to trial on damages only.
- 2019 – $10,500 Verdict. Vehicle was rear ended in truck accident on I-95 and Route 100 intersection. 3 passengers sued alleging various back and neck injuries against truck driver and truck company for vicarious liability.
- 2018 – $6,500 Verdict. Driver was t-boned on ramp off Snowden River Parkway in Columbia and suffered various soft tissue injuries. An Anne Arundel County jury awarded $6,500.
- 2016 – $13,879 Verdict. Howard County jury awarded $13,879 for soft tissue neck and back injuries resulting from a collision on Route 175 in Columbia.
- 2016 – $5,000 Verdict. Head-on collision on Route 100 in Columbia resulting in relatively minor neck and shoulder injuries.
Hiring a Columbia Personal Injury Lawyer
We handle a substantial number of serious personal injury cases in Columbia, Maryland. Our law firm handles serious personal injury, wrongful death, birth injury, and medical malpractice lawsuits.
We know the area well. One of our partners has lived most of his life in Howard County and still lives in Western Howard County.
More importantly, our accident and malpractice know the jurisdiction well and fight hard – really hard – to get our clients as much money to compensate them for their injuries and losses as possible.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle acciden
t or by medical malpractice in Howard County, call us at 800-553-8082 or get a free consultation on-line. Other Jurisdictions