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 […]
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 […]
A few weeks ago I wrote a piece discussing whether or not someone who contracts COVID-19 while at work has contracted an “occupational disease” for which he or she could receive workers’ compensation benefits. As I mentioned in that article, COVID-19 presents novel legal questions. In this article, I will consider whether or not COVID-19 […]
People are stuck inside their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, causing long-standing friction to come to a boiling point. Anger and arguments are arising in some families – sometimes escalating to the point of violence. Soon after the pandemic hit, there was a sharp rise in domestic violence reports. Children and spouses are at a […]
The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on many couples’ custody agreements causing disruptions in schedules and co-parenting relationships. Maryland’s stay at home order specifically delineates that parents are required to follow whatever custody order they have for their minor children. However, many parents are withholding their children from the other parents, stating that they are worried […]
