Maryland Accident Law Blog
Several news outlets have reported that a man who was shot in the head during the course of a police training exercise in Maryland earlier this year has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department.
The victim was working as a campus police trainee for the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He was injured when another officer reportedly used a “live” weapon to scare him away from a window during the course of training. Due to the officer’s alleged intentional or negligent conduct in firing the weapon in the man’s direction, he was critically injured. He has since lost an eye, and has been undergoing rehabilitation.
The lawsuit, which accuses the city of selecting a dangerous training site, and negligence in failing to ensure safety procedures were followed, names as defendants the individual officers involved, the City, and the Police Department, and seeks millions of dollars in damages.
The plaintiff’s attorney stated that, “His motor skills, his memory and all of those things are affected, and he will be impaired and have to receive medical attention for the rest of his life,”
Additionally disconcerting is the fact that according to the plaintiff’s attorneys, a similar style of training was conducted with live weapons just a few weeks ago. Luckily no one was hurt during that incident.
This case is a classic example of a personal injury lawsuit based on a negligence cause of action. The plaintiff is reportedly alleging that the city was negligent in its selection of the training site, which was apparently some sort of closed down mental hospital, and further that its agents failed to follow proper safety procedures. It is unclear from the facts set forth what those safety procedures are in particular, but a strong possibility is the use of live weapons during a training. If this case were to go to trial, for example, those responsible for decision-making would have to make a compelling case regarding why live bullets were necessary or justifiable throughout the course of this training session for campus police officers. The fact that that decision allegedly led to the extensive injuries and loss of an eye of the victim, suggests the incredible damages sustained as a result.
If you or a loved one have sustained a personal injury as a result of somene else’s negligence in Maryland or Washington D.C., consult the experienced negligence attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, a full service personal injury law firm. Our Maryland accident attorneys have extensive experience in helping victims of negligent driving recover the damages they are entitled to. Let us focus on the legal aspects of your recovery, so that you can focus on the physical and emotional. Contact us today in order to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach us through our website, or by calling 1-800-654-1949.
More Blog Posts:
Baltimore Sun Reader Suggests Penalties for Negligent Drivers at Railroad Crossings, Maryland Accident Law Blog, published June 6, 2013
Commonwealth Court Panel Rules Maryland Couple Cannot Sue PennDOT, Maryland Accident Law Blog, published May 27, 2013