Author: Kevin Wise

23 Mar 2017

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

One of the most important pieces of evidence in a civil trial is photographs of the damages a plaintiff is claiming. In the same way that you want to share pictures of your tropical vacation with friends on Snapchat or Instagram, share photographs of your client’s injuries with the judge/jury to get them thinking and talking about your case. (more…)

23 Mar 2017

On Punitive Damages, A New Year But the Same Legislative Agenda

Over the last two decades, there has been a push to overturn the closely scrutinized punitive damages law in Maryland. Punitive damages cases in Maryland are extraordinarily rare since the Court of Appeals, in its 1992 ruling in Owens-Illinois v. Zenobia, held a plaintiff’s entitlement to punitive damages must be established by clear and convincing evidence and can only be based on actual malice. The court defined actual malice as an act characterized by evil motive, intent to injure, ill will or fraud. (more…)

23 Mar 2017

The New Lawsuit Frontier: Hospitality Wage-and-Hour Suits

I always find it interesting to hear about what types of cases other lawyers are handling and litigating. After reading a recent Daily Record article concerning the federal lawsuit filed by two line cooks against Bryan Voltaggio claiming damages for violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, I noticed a growing trend in these wage-and-hour lawsuits. A similar lawsuit was filed by pastry cooks at Woodberry Kitchen earlier this year. (more…)