Maryland Premises Liability Injury Lawyers

Premises liability holds people and companies accountable when someone is needlessly hurt. There is a claims where there is a failure to properly maintain a property and someone is injured. Along with property owners, subcontractors for property management companies, maintenance and repair are often co-defendants in premises liability cases in Maryland. Our lawyers handle these claims.

Under Maryland law, a property owner must do what is reasonable to keep the property safe. Premises liability cases cover all claims where the owner or operator of a property fails to do what is should do to keep the property safe. Accordingly, Maryland premises liability law makes the person or company that owns or is in possession of the property responsible for injuries suffered by people that should not have gotten hurt if the right thing was done.

These claims tend to involve defendants with deep pockets which means they typically have the money to pay settlements and verdicts. As a result, victims usually collect the money they are awarded. The median award in a business negligence case is $150,000. But the good cases are worth a great deal more. This statistic gives you some idea: 25% of product liability verdicts are above $730,000. If it is a wrongful death claim, that number rises to $3.5 million.

Cases Our Law Firm Handles

Some of the cases we handle are:

• Asbestos Mesothelioma
• Slip and Falls
• Dog Bite/Animal Attacks
• Insufficient or Negligent Security
• Legionnaire’s Disease
• Failure to Safely Maintain the Premises
• Serious Food Poisoning

Who Are the Defendants in Premises Liability Cases in Maryland?

For hundreds of years the law in Maryland has been the same: property owners and business establishments have a duty to provide a safe environment for people who individuals on their premises. Premises liability cases can arise out of injuries on public or commercial properties, such as:

• Parking Lots
• Landlords with Lead Paint
• Big Box Home Improvement Stores Like Lowe’s, or Home Depot (also Wal-Mart and Target)
• Grocery Stores
• Restaurants
• Theaters
• Day Care
• Beauty Salons
• Shopping Centers
• Swimming Pools
• Homes
• Apartment Complexes
• Bars
• Nursing Homes
• Vacation Rentals
• Other Commercial or Public Properties

These are just some of the potential defendants in a premises liability case.

Maryland Slip and Fall Verdicts and Settlements

How are settlement amounts calculated in Maryland premises liability lawsuits? the first and often most critical factor influencing a settlement is the defendant’s ability to pay. If the property owner or business lacks adequate insurance coverage or significant assets, the chances of reaching a meaningful settlement are slim.

For instance, if a person is injured at a private residence where the homeowner has limited or no insurance, there may be no realistic path to compensation. These cases often result in no settlement, as pursuing a lawsuit may not be financially worthwhile for either party.

The extent of the plaintiff’s injuries is another key factor. Cases involving severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or permanent disabilities, typically result in higher settlements to cover medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. On the other hand, minor injuries may only result in small settlements, reflecting limited damages. The severity of injuries not only impacts the value of the settlement but also affects the willingness of defendants to settle quickly to avoid trial costs.

Lastly, the strength of the evidence showing negligence is crucial. To succeed in a premises liability claim, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant knew or should have known about the hazardous condition that caused the injury and failed to fix it.

Cases with clear evidence, such as surveillance footage showing the hazard or prior complaints about the same issue, are more likely to end in favorable settlements. However, if liability is unclear, defendants are more inclined to dispute the claim or proceed to trial, prolonging the process and lowering the likelihood of early settlement.

Below are sample verdicts and reported settlements from Maryland premises liability lawsuits:

$500,564 Verdict (Anne Arundel County 2023):  The plaintiff was caused to slip and fall in the bathroom at work in a building that defendant Wilburn Company Inc. was under contract to provide maintenance services. According to the plaintiff, the janitor had just sprayed the bathroom with disinfectant and told her she could use the bathroom. The plaintiff declined, but returned thirty minutes later and slipped and fell on a wet floor. The plaintiff reported injuries to her knee which required a total knee replacement, as well as unspecified cervical spine damage. The plaintiff claimed the bathroom was cleaned by an employee of the defendant, who failed to place warning signs up and allowed the building’s tenants use of the bathroom while the floor was wet.

$1,500,000 Verdict (Baltimore City 2023): A dishwasher was injured when stairs detached from the back of a restaurant in Fells Point, resulting in him falling 12 feet onto a concrete patio. The lawsuit claimed the stairs were negligently constructed and violated building codes. The individual suffered brain damage, as well as neck, back, and shoulder injuries. The accident happened at Thames Street Oyster House, but the restaurant wasn’t a defendant in the lawsuit. The stairs were built during a 2010-2011 renovation, and an investigation revealed they weren’t constructed according to proper plans and standards. A jury awarded the dishwasher $1.5 million in noneconomic damages after a three-day trial.

$30,000 Verdict (Baltimore City 2023): The plaintiff was walking down the exterior back steps at his residence that he rented from the defendant when the metal steps and surrounding concrete structures collapsed, causing him to fall and strike the ground. The plaintiff allegedly suffered headaches and injuries to his neck, back, and right leg. Verdict included $21,000 for pain and suffering.

$1,277,733 Verdict (Baltimore City 2023): The plaintiff tripped and fell while exiting an elevator near the Baltimore Arena that failed to level properly at a parking garage owned, operated, maintained, and/or repaired by defendants Arrow Parking Corporation. The plaintiff said the elevator failed to level by about one inch, causing her to trip and fall forward onto the garage floor. The plaintiff claimed another garage customer had tripped and fell exiting the same elevator prior to her incident. She asserted the defendants failed at that time to immediately shut down the elevator or prevent it from being used. The plaintiff reportedly suffered shoulder and knee injuries which required surgery. The plaintiff alleged negligence, asserting the defendant had exclusive control and management of the premises, failed to properly maintain and/or repair the premises, and failed to warn of the dangerous condition.

$400,000 Verdict (Baltimore County 2022): Plaintiff said she was attending her wedding reception under a tent in the parking lot of a restaurant operated by defendant Ocean Pride Seafood a/k/a Seafood Brothers Inc. She reportedly stepped into a pothole and fell. The plaintiff said she suffered unspecified injuries. The plaintiff asserted negligence in failing to keep the premises in a safe condition and failing to warn of the dangerous condition. The defendant contended the plaintiff was contributorily negligent and assumed the risk.

$33,871 Verdict (Baltimore City 2021): The plaintiff said he was struck in his head and other parts of his body by falling debris when the kitchen ceiling collapsed while he was in his neighbor’s home. The neighbor lived in a property owned, managed, and/or operated by defendant JR Realty LLC. The plaintiff said he suffered unspecified personal injuries which required medical treatment due to the incident. The plaintiff filed a complaint against the defendant, alleging the defendant was negligent in maintaining the premises. According to the plaintiff, the defendant failed to inspect and repair the defective ceiling despite having actual and/or constructive knowledge of the defect and condition of the ceiling.

$300,000 Verdict (Fed. Ct. 2021): The plaintiff was at the Frederick County Fair when she reportedly stepped from the platform to board the ‘space ride,’ which was set up, placed, and/or operated by the defendant Reithoffer Show Inc., when she fell. The plaintiff asserted she suffered injuries to her left foot, left ankle, left leg, chest/left breast, right shoulder, right arm/elbow, back, and ribs, as a result of the fall. The defendant asserted it assumed no actionable duty of care, and there was no admissible expert testimony from which it could be concluded that the defendant violated any standard of care, breached such a standard, or caused the injury.

$74,512 Verdict (Baltimore City 2019): The plaintiff reportedly sustained a trimalleolar left ankle fracture which required open reduction and internal fixation surgery and resulted in permanent impairment when she stepped off of a city curb and onto a broken storm drain cover and fell into the drain owned and maintained by Baltimore City. The plaintiff filed an action against the City with counts of negligence and premises liability, with contentions that the city had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition, failed to maintain a safe entrance and exit to its premises by failing to keep its storm drain cover safe and secure and was otherwise negligent in causing this incident.

Our law firm has brought successful lawsuits against architects and builders for design or other defects that they should have known existed at the time they were building/designing a system.

If you have a serious premises liability case in Maryland, our lawyers will be glad to speak with you. You can reach a Maryland slip and fall lawyer at 1-800-553-8082 or click here for a free Internet consultation.

More Maryland Premises Liability Information

• Slip and Fall Cases in Maryland
• Sample Deposition Subpoena to Property Owner (premises liability)
• Sample Premises Liability Complaint (sample premises liability lawsuit)
• Help Center (samples of interrogatories and other discovery and trial materials)
• Why Hire Miller & Zois for Your Premises Liability Lawsuit