Personal Injury Lawyer
maria patterson
The art of persuasion is critical to practicing law and a trial lawyer must persuade a judge, jury or claim representative to see their client's point of view.
Maria Patterson, Trial Lawyer
As a child, I watched LA law and wanted to be a lawyer. I loved the excitement of trial work and the thrill of fighting for people that needed help and had been ‘wronged’ in some way. With this inspiration, I started trying car accident cases. I tried these cases on behalf of many of the largest insurance companies. As a result of my success, these insurance companies entrusted me with bigger and bigger cases to try. After awhile, I realized that the idealized lawyer who I hoped to become was being stifled. I did not feel that my job for the insurance companies was to help people but, rather, was to minimize or attack their injury claims from car accidents. I often tried cases against plaintiffs’ lawyers that lacked my trial experience and I was able to obtain great results that deep down I considered unfair. Looking for more, I stopped working for insurance companies and became an attorney for Prince George’s County. Again, I was defending the County for injury claims made against the police and other County employees. I was frustrated.In 2012, I opened the Law Offices of Maria K. Patterson and began helping those who were injured. Finally, I was fighting for people and not governments or corporations. My very first jury trial as a plaintiff’s lawyer was against an insurance company that I had previously worked for. I knew what they would do and it was my job to stop them. I obtained a verdict over the policy limits for a client who was not credited by his insurance company. That thrill has stayed with me and is why I feel like I have become the lawyer that I always wanted to be as a child.
My Experience
Over 15 years of trial experience
Maria Patterson has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers since 2014. She is a 1996 graduate of the Catholic University School of Law with 17 years of trial experience. Early in her career, at Sasscer, Clagett & Bucher in Upper Marlboro, Maryland she honed her skills as a trial attorney. Thereafter, Maria Patterson worked as a trial attorney for State Farm Insurance Company at the Law Offices of Timothy S. Smith in Greenbelt, Maryland. Before starting in private practice, Maria Patterson worked as an Associate County Attorney for Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, handling numerous high profile jury trial cases. These cases frequently involved allegations of police misconduct and abuse. Some of these cases were chronicled in the Washington Post and other national media outlets. She was appointed as one of 7 board members to the Anne Arundel County Board of Appeals by Jessica Haire, the District 7 council member. This board hears appeals from decisions of Anne Arundel County Agencies including animal control, personnel and planning and zoning matters. She has also been appointed by Governor Hogan to the Anne Arundel County Judicial nominating committee. The Judicial Nominating Committee interviews and recommends nominees for judges of the Circuit Court and District Court for Anne Arundel County. Maria Patterson has also been appointed by the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission as a peer review committee member. A peer review committee panel hears matters brought by bar counsel involving allegations of professional misconduct or incapacitation.Maria Patterson also offers mediation services for family law matters including separation, divorce, child custody, and financial decision. She has completed the parent coordination training in order to serve as a parent coordinator for Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. She is also available as a mediator for civil cases including personal injury matters. Her experience as a plaintiff's attorney and an insurance defense attorney makes her well suited to bring both sides together for a practical resolution.Attorney Maria Patterson has tried over 100 jury trials and has cross examined hundreds of witnesses. Her extensive trial experience in adversarial cases makes her extremely effective at handling Protective Order cases. Her success as a trial attorney while at State Farm Insurance Company earned Maria Patterson the designation as a Top 1% Car Accident Attorney.Lawyer Maria Patterson also has experience as a Maryland criminal defense attorney. Protective Order cases frequently involve allegations of criminal misconduct such as child abuse, assault, stalking and telephone misuse.Maria Patterson frequently receives referrals from prominent Maryland Family Law attorneys to pursue and defend Protective Order cases. These cases are almost always contested and often viewed with skepticism by the trial judges. Protective Order cases have been misused by some spouses to gain temporary use over the family home and as leverage in divorce and child custody cases. On the other hand, abusive spouses rarely admit to transgressions that usually are only witnessed by the complaining spouse or a child. The seriousness and potential consequences of a faulty ruling have landed several Maryland judges in the national media spot light. Judges are often conflicted by concerns that the failure to enter a Protective Order may be followed by a serious domestic violence incident or on the other hand that the dispute should be handled through more traditional family law proceedings. It is essential to have an experienced attorney to help organize and present evidence to convince the trial judge of legitimate Protective Order cases and to highlight the weaknesses of legally insufficient claims.If you need a Protective Order issued or a Protective Order has been sought against you please contact attorney Maria Patterson at 301-888-4878 to arrange a consultation at her Anne Arundel County offices in Annapolis, Maryland. Attorney Maria Patterson handles Protective Order cases in Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Charles, Calvert and Montgomery Counties.
"The most rewarding practice of law is making a judge, jury or claim representative see my clients’ cases for the reason I was hired to represent them."
Maria Patterson
Attorney, Patterson Law
Honors and Awards
2020 Washington DC Super Lawyers 2020 Maryland Super Lawyers 2019 Washington DC Lawyers 2019 Maryland Super Lawyers 2018 Washington DC Super Lawyers 2018 Maryland Super Lawyers 2017 Washington DC Super Lawyers 2017 Maryland Super Lawyers 2016 Washington DC Super Lawyers 2016 Maryland Super Lawyers 2015 Washington DC Super Lawyers 2015 Maryland Super Lawyers 2014 Washington DC Super Lawyers 2014 Maryland Super Lawyers Top 100: 2016 Maryland Super Lawyers Top 50: 2016 Women Maryland Super Lawyers Top 50: 2016 Women Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Top 100: 2015 Maryland Super Lawyers Top 50: 2015 Women Maryland Super Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers for Civil Plaintiff law in Maryland. , Top 100 Trial Lawyer, National Trial Lawyers, 2014-2017 2016 Global Directory of Who's Who, Who's Who (Top Lawyer), 2016 Top 100 Trial Lawyer by The National Trial Lawyers for Civil Plaintiff law in Maryland. , Top 100 Trial Lawyer, National Trial Lawyers, 2015 "10 Best Attorneys" for the State of Maryland by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. 2014 10 Best Attorneys for the State of Maryland by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys (AIOPIA), 2014
Education
Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Washington, District of Columbia
University of Delaware
B.A. Major: Criminal Justice Minor: Psychology
Our Successes
Patterson Law takes pride with every client that recovers. Recovery is more than the settlements and verdicts obtained for our clients. Each and every one of these clients had been shepherded through a process where powerful insurance companies fought to defeat or minimize their claims. Each result represents a client’s dignity being affirmed.
Wrongful Death Claim
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Texting While Driving
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Hotel Security
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Head-On Car Accident
Montgomery County Circuit Court is considered unfriendly to personal injury clients. Attorney…
FTCA
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Fatal Car Accident
Attorney George Patterson identified an insurance company failure to obtain required documentation…
Car Crashes into Store
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Baltimore County Car Accident Verdict
George Patterson pursued a soft tissue injury case before a Baltimore County and obtained a verdict…
Beltway Truck Accident
Commercial trucks are heavily regulated. Most of the regulations are safety rules. If you were…
Tenant Fell on Black Ice
Tenants develop an expectation that pavement that appears wet has been treated to prevent the…
Get Started Today
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident or suffered a serious personal injury due to someone else's negligence please contact the best personal injury lawyers at Patterson Law. George Patterson has been featured in an article published in the Best Lawyers in America. The "best" injury lawyers may be reached at their Annapolis or Bowie offices at 301-888-4878.