Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

A major tobacco maker of menthol cigarettes, was ordered by a jury to pay a widow $25 million in punitive damages and $16 million in compensatory damages.The state jury awarded the full amount that the widow's attorney had requested as punishment for her husband's death. The victim and his widow met in high school and were married for 38 years until he died of lung cancer at age 59.As an experienced trial attorney I have reviewed many cases of wrongful death and have completed same with favorable results. One of the most difficult things in life is to lose your husband who was the love of my life, and then to have to go on and fight one of the largest corporations in America, and fight for justice," the widow said said after the jury announced the punitive damages verdict.
After a month long trial, the jury decided last week that the victim's widow was entitled to $20 million in compensatory damages for the loss of her husband. The jury reduced the tobacco corporation's responsibility for his death by 20 percent, for a final award of $16 million.The tobacco company is disappointed with the jury's decision, and the company plans to appeal said a company spokesman. An attorney for the tobacco corporation had argued that his client shouldn't be forced to pay punitive damages because cigarettes are not illegal. The corporation complies with all of the laws and all of the regulations that govern the manufacture, marketing and sale of cigarettes, he told the jury.
The widow hopes this verdict will send a message to all tobacco manufactures that cigarettes are dangerous and can kill.
If you or a loved one are a victim of wrongful death please call my offices at 1800-320-0080 for a free initial consultation or visit one of my offices conveniently located in either Baltimore or Rockville.

A jury has awarded $15 million to a female truck driver who suffered massive spinal injuries while delivering frozen food to a major retail store.The plaintiff, 41, slipped and fell on grease and ice as she delivered a load of food to the major retail store.Since the fall,the victim has undergone four surgeries and can no longer work as a truck driver.The jury found that the store had failed to use reasonable care to protect the plaintiff against danger on its property.The jury awarded the plaintiff $5.5 million in non economic losses; $4.5 million in economic losses; and $5 million for injuries.The plaintiff was a contract driver working for a trucking company and was injured as she delivered frozen dairy and deli goods from a distribution center to the major retail chain store.She claimed that the ramp to the store's loading dock was covered with used cooking oil and other greases that she couldn't see and she tried to report the fall to the store's employee who met her at the receiving door, but he refused to take a report.As an experienced trial attorney I have reviewed many cases of slip and fall and have completed the same with favorable results.
The retailer denied that the plaintiff fell at the store and also denied that a grease spill ever occurred.At trial, however, the plaintiff lawyers presented evidence that the city officials had investigated a complaint about grease coming out of a manhole cover south of the retail building in the store's parking lot. City inspectors who went to the store found a blockage in the store's grease interceptors.A man who identified himself as the store manager said the problem had been going on for a week. Four days after the victim's fall,the city inspectors returned to the store and found that two companies were attempting to fix the problem with the grease interceptors.The company's workers indicated the grease interceptors had been cleaned twice but they had called in another company several days later to try to remove and correct whatever was blocking the outlet from draining and flowing properly.If you or a loved one has been a victim of a slip and fall accident please call my office at 800 320-0080 or visit one of my conveniently located offices in either Rockville or Baltimore.