Carroll County Maryland is not a venue known for large jury verdicts. In fact, many plaintiff lawyers bend over backwards to avoid filing suit in Carroll County because of its reputation for lower jury verdicts than neighboring Baltimore City. But last week a Carroll County jury awarded $11,800,000 to a Westminster Maryland gentleman injured in a Carroll County car accident in which a drunk driver caused a rear end collision.

The case was a rear end car accident negligence case.

Although there was not a lot of property damage to the vehicles involved in the crash, the plaintiff lawyers proved that Michael Wayne Harris suffered from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (known as and RSD Injury). In this case the Maryland jury verdict exceeds the insurance policy limits available. The Daily Record reported that there was $1.3 million in insurance coverage, and apparently the defendant insurance companies State Farm and Brethren Mutual did not make a pre-trial settlement offer.

The jury compensated Mr. Harris with $2.6 million for future medical expenses, $800,000.00 for past and future lost income/earnings and/or lost earning capacity, and $256,000.00 for home modifications. The Carroll County Maryland jury also awarded $5.6 million for non-economic damages and the effect of the car crash injuries on his marital sexual relationship (sometimes referred to as loss of consortium.) Maryland’s cap on non-economic damages may reduce the amount the jury awarded for non economic damages but will not affect the economic damages awarded (economic loss in Maryland includes medical expenses, lost earnings and other provable economic/out of pocket losses.)

The driver of the vehicle that struck the plaintiff in this Maryland car wreck case fled the scene of the crash and was working for a lawn company at the time of the crash (thus involving a commercial insurance policy which typically has more coverage than a smaller individual car insurance liability policy.) The driver failed two sobriety tests and was booked for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI.) The Carroll County jury that compensated Mr. Harris with the $11 million verdict did not hear evidence of the alcohol or the fact that the driver who caused the crash was drunk. The case was tried by attorney Robert Weltchek and other lawyers from his firm.

In the event that you are injured in a car accident that was caused by the negligence of another driver, having a lawyer by your side can help to obtain the justice that you deserve. Since 1993, the Silver Spring auto accident lawyers at Goldberg Finnegan have been helping to protect the rights of injured motorists against large corporations and insurance companies, and we have an established track record of success. Call a personal injury lawyer at our firm today at (888) 213-8140 for your free case review.