Get free answers to your Civil Litigation legal questions from lawyers in your area.
I want to understand the chances of winning a case against my college roommate. Despite setting clear boundaries, my roommate used my items, insulted me, and threw away or damaged them upon moving out. There are records of my complaints and attempts at mediation through the RAs, documented chats... View More 
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answered on May 21, 2025
In Maryland, there is no civil cause of action specifically for “harassment.” If someone is behaving in an aggressive, disrespectful, or invasive way, like your college roommate, the legal system generally does not provide compensation unless the conduct falls under a recognized tort, such as... View More
I've been receiving Social Security disability benefits for four years, and child support has been deducted directly from my checks. Despite submitting all the necessary paperwork to the child support agency, they claim there is no record of these payments, resulting in my driver's... View More
answered on Apr 25, 2025
No, they cannot be sued. However, it appears that the OCSE is not getting the money, so the issue probably lies with the SSA. I imagine the DOGE impacts on SSA with all the firing of telephone help, terminating the workers who process and manage the payments system, and freezes and delays on... View More
I am seeking to correct my deceased son's findings after his passing but have been denied access to his autopsy report. It's been 21 months since his passing, and I have not been able to meet with the medical examiner to discuss or understand the findings, despite disagreeing with their... View More
answered on Apr 20, 2025
Autopsy reports are public records, and unless there is an ingoing investigation, such as in a criminal case, they may be obtained by formal request. The request process is set forth here:
https://health.maryland.gov/ocme/Pages/Autopsy-Reports.aspx
The link to the site above also... View More
In 1992, a court ordered the father of my two children to pay child support, but I have not received any payments for over 30 years, except for a one-time payment of $300 when he was released from jail to avoid losing his driver's license. He's recently inherited money from his parents.... View More
answered on Apr 20, 2025
Generally speaking, a court order for unpaid child support first needs to be enforced by bringing a motion to enforce the order, which requires the court, based upon the evidence of nonpayment presented, to calculate the total amount of the child support arrearage. That amount is then reduced to a... View More
In 2018, my mother passed away, and I recently discovered in April 2025 that she and her granddaughter falsely claimed I was deceased in her will and estate documents. As a result, I was not named in the will, and my mother stated she had no children. The estate has already been probated and... View More
answered on Apr 11, 2025
If the Will was probated in 2018, you might be too late, but there is a chance that notice was improper or there is some other excuse for delaying seven years after her death to notice her absence. Then, it will be important to examine the Will and the facts. If your mother's intent was to... View More
In 2018, my mother passed away, and I recently discovered in April 2025 that she and her granddaughter falsely claimed I was deceased in her will and estate documents. As a result, I was not named in the will, and my mother stated she had no children. The estate has already been probated and... View More
answered on Apr 11, 2025
When was the estate opened? When did you become aware there was an estate opened? When was the estate closed? 2018 is 7 years ago. If the estate is now closed for several years, and if you knew that your mother had passed away and that an estate was opened before the estate closed, then you... View More
I am approaching the statute of limitations deadline of May 7, 2025, for filing a claim related to a failed retaining wall due to faulty engineering plans. The Professional Engineer Commission recently found the engineer's plans faulty, and he settled with them directly. I received this report... View More
answered on Apr 10, 2025
You toll the statute of limitations by filing the lawsuit providing adequate notice of the claim. This late, the defendants' best move is to pretend they have no problem with your delay in making the claim. Once you miss the deadline, they will move -- successfully -- to dismiss your case.... View More
Amazon's delivery truck damaged my driveway and lawn on January 31, 2025, causing deep ruts in the gravel and grass. Despite submitting the requested information, I have been ignored during my follow-ups for updates. They finally offered a settlement which I find insulting, as it covers only... View More
answered on Mar 20, 2025
The problem is that legal effort to help you will inevitably cost more than you will gain. I suppose a lawyer might teach you how to file a small claim in District Court, but that might take a couple hours, and the lawyer would want to be paid. It is also possible that your homeowner's... View More
I am renting a unit in a commercial building in Maryland for my business and have experienced significant water damage due to a leaking roof. We have been notifying the property managers through email for several months, but their responses are only about attempts to fix the roof without addressing... View More
answered on Mar 6, 2025
You need to retain counsel for a lease review. Commercial leases are not controlled by consumer rental laws. The lease is usually binding, but commercial leases are often longer and complex. You need to know what your lease says, and you should have had counsel review before you signed it. That... View More
I had a cousin staying with me temporarily while getting back on his feet after moving back to our home state he was very informed about the fact they my dog is reactive and has dog on dog aggression I keep signs posted I keep two out of three of my property gates permanently sealed to have the... View More
answered on Feb 7, 2025
If you have homeowner's insurance, you should report the claim to your carrier and they should cover the claim. They would hire an attorney to defend you and pay any judgment that is rendered.
If not, your cousin may jointly and severally liable and you could sue him for... View More
Person hanged himself on January 6th and it was determined be a suicide by the coroner. Law enforcement said they seal suicide notes after investigation and that I would need a lawyer to get it unsealed?!
answered on Jan 16, 2025
Suicide is deemed a criminal offense; therefore, the suicide note is direct evidence in a criminal investgation. Items of evidence in police criminal files are not public records and cannot ordinarily be released, but when they can be released following the closure of the criminal proceedings or... View More
answered on Sep 28, 2024
So I'm going to jump and make an assumption that you need the resident agent information because you are pursuing a lawsuit and need to serve Sysco Corp's Resident Agent. A few things - This is a huge company so be sure you are suing the correct entity is it Sysco Corp. or is it Sysco... View More
My ex girlfriend had moved in with me a few months ago and I've let her use my car while she was with me so she could save money. After our relationship was broken up recently she moved to a new place and disappeared with my car. I've contacted her a couple times trying to her to bring my... View More
answered on Sep 7, 2024
If your name is on the title, it’s your car, and you can take it any time you choose. Unless she paid you an agreed price to buy it from you, she has no “equitable” legal claim to try and keep it. The MVA and the courts will only recognize the owner whose name appears on the title. If both... View More
I got served with a peace order in the evening hours of Friday July 12th. On the peace order there was already a hearing for this morning Monday July 15th at 9am at the Silver Spring, MD court house. I live in Gaithersburg and since I had got served late Friday I did not have time to talk or reach... View More
answered on Aug 6, 2024
Go to court and represent your defense. Gather your information and organize your reasoning for the false statements. However, it is important to keep in mind that the court will be weighing the evidence in the light most favorable to the person requesting the peace order. This means that your... View More
answered on Aug 6, 2024
More than likely, yes. When you, the Plaintiff, fail to appear, the court typically dismiss the case because they have determined that you are not prosecuting the case and therefore do not need relief from whatever injury or loss you are claiming. There are typically two different types of... View More
If a commercial vehicle (semi) hits a pedestrian (fatal) in a crosswalk after coming to a complete stop, with expired tags (3yrs expired) while turning on a residential road that has posted no trucks over 3/4 ton, automatically responsible if the pedestrian followed all the rules and laws for... View More
answered on Aug 11, 2024
An attorney could offer more in-depth insight with the police report and additional details. I'm very sorry for the loss of life of the pedestrian. A likely citation could be "Failure to Yield" to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. But that's without knowing details, such as whether... View More
Cab company won’t/can’t identify the driver. I feel the cab company should cover my damages as driver worked under their company name. I am getting nowhere. How can I get cab company to pay for my damages?
answered on Jun 10, 2024
Usually, the driver of a cab is an independent contractor and the cab company will not be liable for the driver's negligence. The easiest and quickest way to fix your car is to make a collision claim with your own insurance company. You will have to pay a deductible, but will get it back if... View More
Cab company won’t/can’t identify the driver. I feel the cab company should cover my damages as driver worked under their company name. I am getting nowhere. How can I get cab company to pay for my damages?
answered on Jun 16, 2024
I agree with my colleague - the easiest route is a first-party claim through your own carrier. Some people are averse to that because of the deductible and the principle that they did nothing wrong. Then the alternative is to pursue the company, which is going to take time and effort, or a fee if... View More
My dui case was dropped but I still lost my license. The officer lied about EVERYTHING (video proof), e.g., said I was going 110 mph but I was doing 74 mph; lied saying I was disoriented, slurring my speech, & falling; lied about the blood profusely spilling out of my ear; & SO much more.... View More
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answered on May 1, 2024
Falsifying police reports is illegal, and officers who do so can face disciplinary actions and legal consequences. If an officer's dishonesty in a report leads to someone's harm or the mishandling of a case, this could be grounds for both civil and criminal penalties against the officer.... View More
I was falsely arrested for a dui while having a medical emergency. The criminal case was dropped but my court date was 7 months after the arrest. Every lawyer I spoke to said in order to pursue this the case 1st needed to be dismissed/dropped/not guilty. Details: My ear was profusely bleeding &... View More
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answered on Apr 10, 2024
In your case, the concept of equitable tolling may be applicable. Equitable tolling is a legal principle that allows a court to extend the statute of limitations (the time limit for filing a lawsuit) in situations where extraordinary circumstances prevented a plaintiff from filing a claim within... View More
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