Despite an enormous drop in traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland’s roads are more dangerous than ever. Why? Bad drivers. They’re distracted. They’re drunk. They’re speeding. They’re stressed out by the pandemic. And often, they’re just plain careless toward others on the road. It’s like a second pandemic that’s plaguing our streets, causing additional […]
Across the U.S., DUI arrests are down dramatically during COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t drinking and driving right here in Baltimore. On a weekend in May when 103 people were charged with violating Governor Hogan’s stay-at-home order, police made 29 DUI arrests in the Baltimore area. The police themselves are struggling to deal […]
As of August 28, 2020, Honolulu firefighters are asking the mayor of their city to make it easier for them to obtain workers’ compensation benefits related to COVID-19. Specifically, the firefighters are hoping that the mayor will enact a legal presumption in their favor. This would mean that if a firefighter gets sick with COVID-19, […]
As the country continues to reel from the coronavirus pandemic, new legal issues also arise. There has been talk in the media of people bringing wrongful death lawsuits against companies, alleging that the companies are responsible for the deaths of their loved ones who contracted COVID-19 while at work. Employers and employees alike are wondering: […]
The State of Maryland’s Roadmap to Recovery has hit phase two and we’ve “flattened the curve” by limiting COVID-19’s impact on the state. Many types of businesses are now at least partially open to the public, including restaurants, amusement parks, gyms, casinos, malls, manufacturing, professional services, retail outlets, and more. So what does this mean […]
Worldwide concern about animals infecting humans with COVID-19 grew in March 2020 after Hong Kong officials quarantined a dog that tested positive. Soon afterward, a tiger at a U.S. zoo also had a positive COVID-19 test. Since then, there have been conflicting news reports about whether animals can truly transmit the virus to humans. Is […]
In Part I of this blog post, I gave a basic overview of permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. So what kind of permanent partial disability benefits might someone who gets infected with COVID-19 at work expect to receive? Permanent partial disability benefits usually involve lasting physical effects. I found at least one news article describing […]
When someone in Maryland is injured on the job, the Workers’ Compensation statute allows that person to receive certain benefits. Those benefits include Temporary Total Disability (TTD) payments, which provide for two-thirds of the person’s average weekly wage during the time the person is totally unable to work due to the work accident. Another class […]
The current COVID-19 pandemic is obviously an unprecedented public health crisis in American society. Numerous industries and organizations, including the legal community, are facing uncharted questions and challenges. I’d like to examine one such question that is relevant to my particular area of legal practice, Workers’ Compensation in Maryland: whether someone who is deemed an […]
As the nation and the world grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, it is critical that we protect our front-line in this battle, our healthcare workforce. Doctors, nurses, physicians’ assistants, and everyone else at our hospital setting are at enhanced risk for contracting the virus, and it is vital that we do everything possible o keep […]
