Domestic Criminal LawFinancial Crimes

Maria Patterson started her legal career in 1997 as an insurance defense attorney.

Maria worked with several former Assistant State’s Attorneys and handled numerous insurance defense cases involving allegations of fraud. Many of these cases were sent to her by the fraud divisions (special investigation units) of the major insurance companies. One case involved a known drug lord who was making fraudulent insurance claims to help finance his drug business. The FBI was involved, along the insurance company’s surveillance team.

Maria later defended a case involving a D.C. man believed to have set his car on fire to collect the insurance proceeds. At trial, Maria Patterson called arson and key expert witnesses to prove that the D.C. man’s only key was the last key to start his car and that an accelerant was used to quickly spread the fire. She also demonstrated that the car’s lack of oil had caused significant engine damage, rendering the car almost useless, which was the motive for collecting insurance proceeds.

Other claims involve valuable property or merchandise left in unlocked cars or cars that are allegedly broken into. There can be a pattern of comprehensive claims that are red flags to insurance companies. In fact, a person with a history of numerous insurance claims can be a red flag to insurance companies, whether or not they are legitimate and lawful claims. Often, people who live in high crime areas can be repeat victims to theft and vandalism.  It is important to have a lawyer who is fully aware of these factors and intimately familiar with the insurance industry.

Maria Patterson worked for State Farm insurance company as a trial attorney in Greenbelt, Maryland for almost a decade. She continued learning the policy defenses and legal obligations of insurance companies and their insureds. She conducted Examinations Under Oath for State Farm.

• Most insurance fraud charges start with a request for an EUO.
• Most insurance fraud cases arise out of vehicle fires, vehicle thefts, arson, and injury claims.
• One common scenario is where a car is reported stolen and is later found abandoned after it had been set on fire.
• In vehicle theft and vehicle fire cases, the insurance companies hire experts who examine the car to try to determine who last drove it.

As a former insurance defense attorney who handled cases involving EUOs, Maria Patterson is well suited to defend those who have been charged with insurance fraud or who have been asked to submit to an Examination Under Oath. Her experience helps her determine why the insurance company perceives the claim as fraudulent and she can assist her clients to prove otherwise, or, in some cases, make sure her client’s 5th Amendment privileges are protected.