Did you recently suffer abuse at the hands of an officer of the law in Baltimore, MD? If so, you may be eligible to file suit against the department to claim some much-deserved compensation. An experienced Baltimore civil rights and police brutality lawyer from WGK Personal Injury Lawyers can help you through the legal process.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers have over 80 years of combined experience, so contact our Baltimore office to schedule a free consultation, you can give us a call at (410) 837-2144 to speak with an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer.
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Why You Should Call WGK Personal Injury Lawyers If You’ve Been the Victim of Police Brutality in Baltimore
The skilled personal injury attorneys at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, believe that law enforcement officers should be held responsible for their negligent and malicious actions. When you hire our Baltimore personal injury lawyers to assist you with your police brutality case, we will:
Provide You with Astute Legal Advice
The actions that you take before and during your police brutality lawsuit will have a sizable effect on its eventual outcome. If you can consistently make smart moves, you may be able to improve your chances of walking away with a compensation check.
When you work with the team at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, you won’t need to figure out the right moves on your own. Our experienced lawyers will provide you with the advice you need to keep your case moving in the right direction.
Compile Evidence to Help Your Case
As part of your case against the Baltimore Police Department, you will need to prove that your rights were violated or you suffered an injury. To do so, you will have to present the court with a mountain of relevant evidence. This might include:
- Witness testimony
- Medical records, and
- Surveillance camera footage
The legal team at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers knows where to look and who to speak with to locate this evidence. When you hire us, we will be more than happy to handle your claim from start to finish.
Negotiate a Settlement with the Police Department
As your police brutality case progresses, the other party may reach out to offer you a settlement. Whether or not you would like to accept such a proposal is entirely up to you.
If you are interested in settling your case, the attorneys at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers will be on hand to help you negotiate the financial terms before you sign on the dotted line. We have been hammering out settlement agreements for years, so you can be confident that you will be well represented at the negotiating table.
Represent You in Court
If your case cannot be resolved through the settlement process, you will almost certainly need to take your pursuit of financial compensation to court – where it will be adjudicated on by a judge and jury.
Over the years, our personal injury lawyers have represented countless Baltimore residents in court. As such, we understand how to argue a case in a clear, concise, and convincing manner. When you hire us, we will use our skills to try to secure a favorable verdict for you.
Are you ready to have a civil rights attorney from WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, help you file a lawsuit against the Baltimore Police Department and the law enforcement officers that brutalized you? If so, please reach out and schedule a free consultation with a member of our team today.
Filing Suit Against the Police – Understanding the Law
When Baltimore residents become the victim of police brutality, they often believe that they do not have the ability to seek compensation through the civil justice system. In reality, however, almost everyone who suffers abuse at the hands of a law enforcement officer has the right to file suit against the department and the city.
An individual’s right to pursue financial compensation after a civil rights violation is federally codified in 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This statute states that:
“Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.”
The Maryland Declaration of Rights also offers Baltimore residents a degree of protection from police brutality. This portion of the state’s constitution guarantees them the following rights:
- Freedom of speech and debate
- Freedom of religion
- Right to petition
- Due process
- Right to avoid unreasonable search and seizure
- Right to avoid self-incrimination
Under Maryland law, if a police officer violates one or more of those rights, the impacted party has the right to pursue compensation.
Would you like to have a police brutality lawyer from WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, help you fight for the financial compensation you deserve? If so, please set up a free case evaluation at our headquarters in Baltimore.
Common Examples of Police Misconduct in the City of Baltimore
Police misconduct when law enforcement officers take illegal action or behave inappropriately during the course of their official duties. A brief list of some of the most common examples of this issue in the City of Baltimore would include:
- Assault
- Rape and sexual assault
- Use of excessive force
- Wrongful arrest
- Accepting bribes
- Harassment
- Fraud
- Illegal search and seizure
- Planted evidence
- Torture
- Wrongful death
The most well-known recent example of police misconduct in the City of Baltimore is undoubtedly the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015. This high-profile case resulted in a compensation payout of $6.4 million to the deceased’s estate.
The attorneys at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, have been helping the people of Baltimore with their civil rights and police brutality cases for many years. We have helped countless clients recover the compensation they need to pay their medical bills and other expenses. If you would like to have us stand up for you, please give us a call at your earliest convenience.
Compensation Available to the Victims of Police Misconduct in Baltimore
The amount of financial compensation doled out to the victims of police misconduct in the City of Baltimore depends on several factors, such as:
- The cost of their immediate medical care
- The expenses associated with their future healthcare needs
- The impact the officer’s actions will have on their quality of life
- The effect the officer’s actions will have on their career
- The physical pain or mental suffering they endured
Individuals who suffer severe injuries that leave them with life-long health challenges after their interaction with law enforcement tend to receive the most substantial compensation checks.
When the legal team at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, represents police brutality victims, we typically demand financial compensation for their:
- Medical expenses
- Ongoing healthcare costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
When our law firm files wrongful death suits on behalf of families who lost loved ones to acts of police misconduct, we also pursue compensation for their burial expenses as well as their loss of consortium.
Between 2015 and 2020, the City of Baltimore paid out a total of $2.6 million to victims of police brutality and misconduct and their families.
Would you like to have the lawyers from WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, review the details of your police misconduct case and provide you with an estimate of its worth? If so, please reach out to us today to schedule a free consultation at our headquarters in Baltimore.
Deadline for Filing Police Brutality Cases in the State of Maryland
In the state of Maryland, the statute of limitations for almost all civil assault actions is one year. This rule means that victims of police brutality must typically file suit against the city before the first anniversary of the day they were assaulted, tortured, raped, or wrongfully arrested. You may have up to three years to file a lawsuit if the police infringed upon your rights in other ways. Those who miss this deadline can lose their right to compensation.
The state of Maryland also has a three-year statute of limitations for wrongful death claims. Thus, families who lose loved ones to police misconduct must begin the process of fighting for compensation before that three-year deadline passes.
Do you need some help filing a lawsuit against the City of Baltimore before your statute of limitations expires? Then please contact the team at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, as soon as possible.
Need an Experienced Baltimore Civil Rights and Police Brutality Lawyer? Contact Our Law Firm Today
When the people of Baltimore need someone to stand up and help them fight for compensation after their civil rights are violated, they know they can count on the attorneys at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers. Our legal industry experience and statutory knowledge give us the ability to handle even the most complex cases. To learn more about our services or set up a consultation with a member of our team, all you need to do is give us a call or contact us online.
Our Baltimore, MD personal injury law firm also offers:
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