Fall 2015
DeCaro Doran Prevails Again in Preserving the Rights of Property Owners Before Maryland Appellate Courts
By Jennifer A. King
The long established premises liability law in Maryland clearly states that in order to establish a case of negligence arising out of a slip and fall, a plaintiff must show that a business proprietor had actual notice of a dangerous condition on the property or set forth admissible evidence to…
Recent Developments - Maryland
Smith v. Rowhouses, Inc.
Plaintiff, Myishia L. Smith, filed suit against Defendant, Rowhouses, Inc., for negligence, alleging that she suffered injuries as a result of ingesting lead-based paint inside a property managed by the Defendant. Plaintiff appealed the trial court’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of the Defendant. The trial court had…
Cooper v. Rodriguez
This action surrounds the murder of an inmate by another inmate during a ride on a prison transport bus that was staffed by five correctional officers. On appeal, the issue(s) faced by the Court of Appeals were whether the correctional officer who was in charge of the bus was grossly…
Myles v. Rent-A-Center, Inc.
The Plaintiffs, Craig Myles, individually and as parent and next friend of K.M. and A.M. filed suit against Defendants, Rent-A-Center, Inc. and Rent-A-Center East, Inc., alleging negligence, breach of warranty, violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act and fraud. Plaintiffs were seeking compensatory and punitive damages. The suit stems from…
Recent Developments - Virginia
Collett v. Cordovana
Plaintiff, Gina Collett, owned property in the city of Norfolk. The Defendants, Margaret Cordovana and 1273 West Ocean View, LLC (“1273 WOV”), owned property on either side of the Plaintiff. In her complaint the Plaintiff alleged that the Defendants were responsible for directing massive quantities of water run off and pollutants…
Cosby v. Clem
In Cosby v. Clem, the Supreme Court of Virginia upheld a jury verdict awarding Plaintiff $9,000 in damages despite claiming nearly $200,000 in medical bills. Plaintiff, Susan Clem, was rear-ended by the Defendant, Glen Cosby, and Plaintiff subsequently claimed that the accident caused her spinal cord stimulator to malfunction, requiring corrective…
Recent Developments - District of Columbia
Constantine Cannon, LLP v. Mullen Management Co, Inc.
In Constantine Cannon, LLP (“Constantine”) v. Mullen Management Co., Inc. (“Mullen”), the D.C. Court of Appeals considered whether a contract was valid when one of the parties to the contract was a foreign corporation, whose registration in D.C. was revoked at the time the contract was entered. Mullen is a Delaware…
Updated Superior Court Rules for Civil Procedure
D.C. promulgated new Superior Court Rules for Civil Procedure. These rules will take effect on October 12, 2015 and will govern all proceedings filed after that date, as well as all proceedings already pending, to the extent it is fair and practicable. Many of the changes are minor changes that…
About the Firm
About the Firm
DeCaro Doran is very pleased to announce that Kira E. Zuber and Diane E. Moir have joined the firm as Associate Attorneys. Kira joins us after completing a judicial law clerk position and Diane comes to the firm after relocating from Great Neck, New York. Kira Zuber graduated from St.…