Under Maryland law, when you go onto someone’s property, you may be owed a duty to reasonably protect your safety. For instance, any hazards that could cause a slip\-and\-fall accident that the owner knows about, or should reasonably know about, must be fixed or removed. If you do suffer an injury due to a property owner’s negligence or failure to correct dangerous conditions, one of the first questions that may be asked is whether a duty was owed to you.

People who go onto someone’s property generally fall into one of three categories: invitee, licensee and trespasser. Depending on your status, you may be able to pursue restitution for any injuries you suffer on the property. As the name implies, invitees are those who have a business reason for being on the property such as shopping or applying for a job.  Property owners owe the highest standard of care to those who fit into this category.

It does not matter whether Maryland police officers are on duty or off duty. While they are behind the wheel, they must adhere to traffic regulations unless under certain circumstances. They owe the same duty, if not a higher one, to other motorists and pedestrians as anyone else does. Avoiding a motor vehicle or pedestrian accident should remain a priority for every driver, including those in law enforcement.

Recently, a police officer here in Maryland failed to avoid a collision, and it cost a 16-year-old his or her life. From what initial reports indicate, the teen was crossing the street shortly prior to 1 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. At the same time, a police vehicle attached to the Metro Transit Police K-9 Unit entered the intersection and struck the pedestrian.

After compiling highway accident figures from 2016, the National Safety Council found that traffic deaths increased 6 percent over 2015. The Council also conducted a survey about driving behaviors that revealed some unsettling results.

The NSC report shows that drivers are becoming increasingly complacent about drinking and driving as well as cellphone use while behind the wheel, despite knowing they are taking risks — with their own lives and others’.

Highway maintenance and rebuilding projects can be a nuisance to drivers. However, it is more important to think of the consequences if you do not take adequate safety precautions while passing through a construction zone.

Thousands of accidents occur in construction zones, causing the deaths of construction workers. Many times it is motorists and passengers who are injured or killed. We can all help to keep construction zones safer.

As is the case in other states, the law enforcement agencies here in Maryland have the often-unenviable task of investigating crashes — some of which involve multiple fatalities. When no one survives to help determine what happened, that task becomes even more of a challenge. This may be the case in a recent single-motor vehicle accident.

Law enforcement officials do know that the accident took place sometime before or around 12:55 a.m. on a recent Tuesday. The occupants of a passing vehicle saw the wreckage of the car and turned around to see if they could help. They discovered someone lying on the ground next to the vehicle and pulled that person to safety before the car burst into flames.

Maryland has its share of elderly who suffer from disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, among other conditions that affect mental capacity. Families with older members who suffer from these conditions often find themselves looking for a nursing home that can provide the care that relative needs. During such a search, family members may make inquiries about nursing home negligence or abuse and look for any signs of it as they tour facilities. The problem is that not all negligence or abuse can be easily detected.

For example, inappropriate use of certain prescription medications could easily occur right under a family’s noses. Residents and their family members alike often trust doctors who care for nursing home patients. However, it is possible that a medication is being prescribed without necessity that could cause significant harm to a loved one.

Many teens (and a lot of adults) are not keeping their eyes on the road and their focus on driving because they are sending or receiving text messages. This extreme form of distracted driving has caused thousands of car accidents. Sometimes those texting teens are injured or killed. Sometimes they injure pedestrians or innocent people in other vehicles.

A collection of smartphone apps seek to prevent distracted driving accidents from happening. Read on for more about these offerings, any one of which could help prevent a roadway tragedy.

Did you get injured while working here in Maryland? Do you know that you need to report that injury as soon as possible to your employer? This is only the first of many steps you must take in order to receive the workers’ compensation benefits you need to get you through your recovery. You may also need to know some additional information as you embark on the process of filing a claim.

Having even one employee obligates an employer to carry workers’ compensation insurance unless an employer falls into one of the narrow exceptions under Maryland law. If you do suffer an injury, it needs to have occurred during the course of your duties. If your injury fits the parameters, the law entitles you to payment of your medical care, along with replacement of a portion of the income you lose during your recovery.

Many veterans here in Maryland utilize U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers for their health care. For service and sacrifices as former members of the United States Armed Forces, they deserve the best care available. Sadly, a recent report indicates that the VA may knowingly hire doctors, including surgeons, who have been accused, and in some cases found guilty, of medical malpractice in the past.

For instance, one neurosurgeon at a VA hospital in another state has been accused more than 12 times of malpractice (and entered into many settlements of those claims) in two different states. Some of the patients involved in those claims ended up dead, paralyzed or maimed, and they, or their families, say it was due to his mistakes. Even with such a track record, the VA hired him to provide medical aid to the country’s veterans.

A disengagement letter guards against legal malpractice

Say you expected your attorney to represent you in a real estate dispute, but he declares he is no longer providing representation to you. He insists that your attorney-client relationship has ended.

This is news to you. You had originally retained the attorney to draft a real estate contract, and you had no idea that his services were no longer available to you.