Today, November 10, 2020, we celebrate the birthday for the United States Marine Corps. It was established by Congress in 1775 and a Philadelphia gentleman by the name of Samuel Nicholas was commissioned to recruit two battalions of Marines. His preferred place of recruiting duty: Tun Tavern. From this Philadelphia based bar, Samuel Nicholas was able to recruit two battalions of men which became known as the Continental Marines. 

In 245 years, the Marine Corps has evolved into something much greater than just two battalions of men found in a bar. From the first amphibious raid on Fort Nassau in 1776 to the current Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, the Marine Corps has proven time and again that it is a force to be reckoned with, defending the innocent on both foreign and domestic soil. We are happy to celebrate this year’s Marine Corps birthday with our newest Associate Attorney, John H. Anderson, Jr.  

John Anderson joined the Marine Corps in 2007 at the age of 17. He spent the next 5 years in the infantry, concluding his service after his last deployment to Afghanistan. Upon exiting active duty, John Anderson opted to use his GI Bill to go to college to receive his Associates degree. However, his time in the Marine Corps taught him the lessons he needed to be able to go above and beyond just an Associates, continuing to earn his Bachelors, and ultimately, his Juris Doctor. 

While at work and at home, John continues to apply the Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment to everything he does. The Core Values transfer perfectly into our profession as we strive to maintain our integrity, do the right thing, in the right way and stay devoted to our clients. They are the perfectly executed illustration of everything an attorney should be or strive to be.

In closing, though the Marine Corps has a history for being born in a bar, we hope that each of you stay safe and make smart choices when celebrating this year. Have a plan and a backup plan if all goes wrong. Designated drivers, rideshares, taxis and public transportation save lives. Lastly, as we have all heard over the past year, maintain your social distancing, wear your mask, and wash your hands. 

Dear Clients & Friends,

When you are driving your car and there is an accident in which the other driver is at fault, you rely on their insurance company to pay for medical bills, vehicle repairs, and lost wages from work. But what happens if the other driver carries minimal insurance and it is not enough to cover your losses?  What if the other driver has no insurance at all? What if you are unable to locate the other driver?

You need to look at your car insurance policy to check your liability protection. That liability protection amount protects you when you are the one who caused the accident – it is how much you are insured for the medical bills and vehicle damage that you had caused. You also need to check your uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist coverage. The UM/UIM protects you when the at-fault driver has minimal (or no) insurance. If the at fault driver only has the minimum $15k policy and you have a $100k in coverage, you can reach into your own policy for an additional $85k for coverage. But would that be enough in a serious accident?

You can increase your insurance protection that will fit your needs and the needs of your loved ones but be smart about any changes to your insurance policy. If you have any questions about your policy, feel free to call or email me. If you are ever involved in an auto or motorcycle accident, make sure to call The Angelos Legal Group for a private consultation.

Be well. John CM

As you may be aware, a rare type of meningitis is spreading through the state of Maryland. This rare type has been found to be linked to spinal injections for back pain. Specifically speaking, patients who have visited certain facilities between July 30^th and September 28^th were potentially exposed to a steroid drug that was contaminated with a fungus, Aspergillus. The steroid was mostly used as an epidural (spinal) injection for back pain, but some patients may have received the injection in other joints: knees, ankles, and shoulders.

Our public health community is working with physicians to locate all persons who may be affected, including some 300 individuals who received orthopedic treatment from Greenspring Surgery Center at Quarry Lake. Please note that Maryland Pain Specialists of Towson have stated that no patients of theirs received spinal injections of the compromised steroid.

If there is any question in your mind about whether you received the contaminated injection, please contact your doctor immediately. This form of meningitis, unlike bacterial or viral, is NOT contagious. Health officials advise that those infected may experience symptoms of fever, headache, neck, stiffness, photophobia, nausea, or vomiting. And be aware that the gestation period can be more than four weeks.

On October 17^th, Reuters reported that FDA agents raided the company and had announced that they will be expanding their investigation of the outbreak to other drugs that were produced by the pharmacy. If you believe that you or a loved one has been sickened due to contaminated steroid shots, call me directly for legal guidance and assistance.