Readers of this website know that Maryland auto liability insurers make a routine practice of offering inadequate and unfair compensation. see https://www.maryland-law.com/library/the-devolution-of-maryland-personal-injury-settlement-offers.cfm
But fear not, the judges of the District Court of Maryland appreciate the absurdity of the offers that compel injured crash victims to seek redress in their courtrooms. Obviously not every case will be the same but recent District Court decisions we have obtained vindicate the idea that the judges understand that offers being made by insurance companies are grossly insufficient.
Today I tried a case where the client had $6000.00 in medical bills and $1000.00 in lost wages. The crash totaled our client's vehicle but the duration of treatment was two months and one week.
The adjuster offered our client's " specials" ( medical bills plus lost wages) and ultimately coughed up another thousand dolars for a dazzling $8000.00.
I explained to the adjuster that this offer if accepted would leave the client receiving nothing. I explained the basic math to her as I have so many adjusters before her. On the $8000.00 offer 1/3 would go to attorneys fees ( yes most of our competitors charge a 40% fee) meaning $2666.66 would be paid to us.
That would leave $5334.00 to pay the $6000.00 in medical bills which is also obviously not enough and leaves the client over six hundred dollars in the hole without even considering the $1000.00 in lost wages.
The adjuster suggested that we ask the doctors to reduce their bills and I explained that hey aren't invariably willing to do so. Then I filed suit and tried the case. The verdict? Twenty thousand dollars. Eminently fair and enough money to leave some modest compensation in my client's pocket.
