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Program Description

  Litigation

Through this program, OCA represents the County (and other members of the Self-Insurance Fund) before all courts and administrative agencies in which claims for relief are sought in connection with alleged wrong-doing by members of the Self-Insurance Fund and their employees. The Litigation program also provides the County with legal representation in State and Federal courts in connection with legal actions brought by the County to enforce County law. All attorneys and staff in this program are fully charged to the Self-Insurance Fund (SIF).

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Program Contacts

Contact Carolyn Kilgariff of the Office of the County Attorney at 240-777-6766 or Veronica Jaua of the Office of Management and Budget at 240-777-2782 for more information regarding this department's operating budget.

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Program Performance Measures

Program Performance MeasuresActual FY23Actual FY24Estimated FY25Target FY26Target FY27
Number of workers' compensation hearings1,6531,6471,7521,7521,752
Total prayer amount demanded by plaintiff (Self-Insurance Fund only) ($000) 1$55,204$40,811$48,000$48,000$48,000
Total number of settlements (Self-Insurance Fund only)2422222222
Total judgment amount paid to plaintiff by the County (Self-Insurance Fund only) ($000)$953.64$31.22$40.00$40.00$40.00
Percent of wins in Self-Insurance Fund litigation 286%100%95%95%95%
Number of judgments in the County's favor (Self-Insurance Fund only)3033303030
Number of judgments against the County (Self-Insurance Fund only) 375555
Total net gain to the County in worker's compensation cases ($000) 4$4,798$6,439$5,658$5,658$5,658
1  The amount of money Plaintiffs said they were seeking decreased. The Maryland Rules now provide that when a Plaintiff files suit in Circuit Court to recover damages that are more than $75,000, their complaint should not specify the entire amount of damages they seek. Instead, their Complaint should simply say that their damages exceed $75,000 in value. While this Rule has been in effect since 2014, it has taken a while for Plaintiffs’ attorneys to limit their prayer amounts to “in excess of $75,000” but most attorneys in Circuit Court are now doing so.
2  "Win" includes verdicts in favor of the plaintiff where the County pays a judgment below last demands.
3  Five judgments paid in FY24 were below last demand, which is still in the County's favor.
4  The Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission issues awards on the nature and extent of an employee's job related injuries. Independent medical evaluations are performed by the injured worker's physician and the employer/insurer's physician. The Commission's award is typically a number between the employee's and employer/insurer's evaluation. If the amount the Commission determines that the County must pay is below the average of the two evaluations, that is considered a net gain to the County.
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Program Budget Changes

FY26 Recommended ChangesExpendituresFTEs
FY25 Approved1354851.00
Multi-program adjustments, including negotiated compensation changes, employee benefit changes, changes due to staff turnover, reorganizations, and other budget changes affecting multiple programs.-135485-1.00
FY26 Recommended00.00