Trial Lawyers Continue Assault on Maryland
Monday, March 5th, 2001 LitigationMaryland trial lawyers are continuing to push legislation that will increase the number of lawsuits filed in the state and drive up costs for the sole purpose of increasing their own profits, according to the American Insurance Association (AIA). Two such bills were considered by the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee last week: SB 483, which would replace the state‘s current contributory negligence standard with a comparative fault standard, and SB 242, which would allow punitive damages to be awarded in cases involving drunk drivers. Under Maryland‘s current contributory negligence standard, if a plaintiff causes or contributes to his own injury, he or she cannot recover damages. Under a comparative fault standard, a plaintiff can recover damages in proportion to his or her negligence.
