PRACTICE AREAS
Personal Injury
Medical Malpractice
Nursing Home Neglect
Wrongful Death
Labor/Employment Law
Family Law
Criminal Law
Mortgage Fraud
Predatory Lending
Personal Injury/Accident
No one ever plans on being involved in an accident. However, when you are involved in an accident, you must know your legal rights. Under Maryland and District of Columbia law, a victim of an accident must establish that the other driver's negligence was the cause of his/her injuries. In many cases the defendant will argue that the victim was partly responsible for causing the accident or that the victim's injuries are not related to the accident. At Smith Graham & Crump, LLC, we work with a team of paralegals, investigators, medical experts and liability experts to present the best possible case on your behalf.
What am I entitled to?
There are numerous factors that must be considered before settling a claim. Maryland and District of Columbia law allows recovery for pain and suffering, disfigurement, lost wages, past and future medical bills, and future loss of earning capacity.
How long will my case take to resolve?
At Smith Graham & Crump, LLC, we always strive to resolve your personal injury claim quickly, but each case varies. The most important factor in the timing of your settlement is your medical treatment and prognosis. Sometimes your doctor will assess your injuries over a period of time to determine the extent of your injuries and whether they are permanent. If you continue to suffer pain after your treatment and your doctor determines your injuries to be permanent, then you should be compensated for all of your future losses.
What are the attorney's fees?
If we accept your personal injury case, then we take the risk. You pay no attorney's fees unless we recover on your behalf. We get our fees and out of pocket expenses after we settle or obtain a favorable judgment on your behalf. This is typically referred to as contingent fee agreement.
To read more about Maryland accident lawyers, please click here.
Back to TopMedical Malpractice
Malpractice occurs when a doctor improperly treats or diagnoses a medical condition which results in an injury to the patient. It is important to note that just because there was a poor result does not mean there was malpractice. There are very few cases where medical malpractice is obvious. In the majority of cases, there are complex medical issues which need to be thoroughly evaluated before your case is filed in court. At Smith Graham & Crump, LLC, we believe it is essential that your case be reviewed by qualified medical professionals. Often, several medical specialists are retained to evaluate your case. In order to have a valid claim, two elements must be established: (1) did the doctor's care of the patient fall below the medical standard; and (2) did the mistake cause the condition, death or increase the risk for future harm.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home negligence occurs when a resident is abused or neglected in a nursing home. Unfortunately, this neglect or abuse can result in significant injuries including death. There are many indicators of neglect including: rapid weight loss, bed/pressure sores, dehydration, and/or multiple falls. If one or more of these conditions exit, then it may indicate overall staff inattention and should immediately be addressed. If you suspect that you or your loved one has been the victim of neglect or abuse, contact our staff to review your case.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death occurs when a death is caused, in whole or part, by the negligent or willful conduct of another. A claim grounded in negligence or strict liability may be made on behalf of a loved one by a surviving spouse, children, beneficiaries or dependents. Once negligence is proven, the surviving spouse, children, beneficiaries, and/or dependents are entitled to monetary damages as a result of the negligent or willful conduct.
Back to TopLabor/Employment Law
The doctrine of employment at-will is prevalent in all United States jurisdictions including the District of Columbia and Maryland. This concept suggests that an employment relationship may be terminated by either the employee or employer for good cause, bad cause or no cause at all. However, there are few exceptions. These include theories of a contract, retaliatory discharge and violation of certain federal and state statutory provisions. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), an employer may not discriminate against an employee in any aspect of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or age. An employer may never sexually harass its employees. It is important to note that even if you have been terminated because you feel that your employer didn't like you; it doesn't always mean that you have a viable claim against your employer.
If you are a member of a union, you may be afforded more protection from automatic termination by your employer. You must be aware of the provisions of your union's collective bargaining agreement with your employer. Most collective bargaining agreements require mandatory arbitration between employee and employer whenever there is a dispute. However, these agreements can never waive your federal and state statutory rights.
Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, an employee may recover punitive and compensatory damages in cases of intentional discrimination. The Act also provides for recovering attorney's fees if the Court rules in your favor.
If you feel as though you have been treated unfairly by your employer in any aspect of your employment, contact Smith Graham & Crump, LLC, as soon as possible to speak with one of our experienced attorneys in this area.
Family Law
Family law includes adoption, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support (alimony), separation agreements, divorce, marital property division, premarital (pre-nuptial) agreement and other legal issues pertinent to our families. It is the one area of the law that touches our emotions and every aspect of family relations.
Whether you are contemplating executing a prenuptial agreement (an agreement prior to marriage) or negotiating a separation agreement (an agreement during separation or divorce), having the right attorney is essential.
If you are involved in a contested family law case, we encourage you to seek legal assistance because decisions made regarding alimony, custody, child support or marital property division can have a long lasting emotional and economical effect.
Criminal Law
When people are accused of a crime, they face the terrible possibility of going to jail. A good attorney can represent anyone committed with a crime to the best of his or her ability. If you and/or your love ones have been recently charge with a crime and/or arrested you need to talk to an attorney as soon as possible. The most urgent priority is often getting a lawyer to help arrange release and provide some information about what's to come in the days ahead.
At Smith Graham & Crump, LLC both attorney Michael Smith and Anthony Graham have extensive experience practicing Criminal Law. Mr. Smith worked as a probation officer for ten (10) years prior to practicing law. He has handled criminal cases in both Federal Courts and State Courts in the State of Maryland for the past seven (7) years.
Mr. Graham has practiced criminal law in District of Columbia for over ten (10) years.
If you need an attorney that will fight for your freedom, please give us a call.
Back to TopNext Practice Area