Deciding the best place to try a case – forum selection – is important in many ways to a lawsuit. How long it takes for a case to conclude, the likelihood of victory and the amount of damages awarded by a judge or jury can be vastly different, depending on the county where the case is heard. As a result, lawyers on both sides of the case carefully scrutinize the places where a lawsuit can be filed so as to determine the best location for handling the case.

The fact that venue is important means that lawyers often maneuver for the best judicial forum for their clients even before the trial begins. In a case of first impression, Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals has clarified the law on the question of whether a trial court’s denial of a request to transfer a lawsuit before trial has begun can be immediately appealed.

Relying on what had been written about the issue in lawsuits dealing with other matters, the appeals court said it was persuaded to refuse Aleksey Kulikov’s attempt to immediately appeal the court order denying his request to take his case to another court.

The winter of 2010 was memorable for the record amount of snow that it dumped on Maryland. For several days, Charm City businesses, courts and public transportation remained closed because of blizzard conditions. Many Maryland homeowners also remember the damage caused by the snow and ice – many roofs needed repair and some failed under the weight of the wintry weather.

An Anne Arundel couple’s attempt to have their insurer reimburse them under their homeowners’ insurance policy for the damage caused by the February 2010 collapse of their carport was stymied by Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals when it upheld their insurer’s refusal to pay their claim. State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance (State Farm) denied the claim on the ground that the carport was not a building and that the policy only covered losses due to collapse of buildings.

Under more than a foot of snow and ice, Moira and Gregory Taylor’s carport collapsed. The Taylors had built the detached carport in 2007. Before construction, Mrs. Taylor had called her State Farm insurance agent to ask whether the carport would be covered under the policy. Taylor recollected that the agent said the carport would be covered. The 20×20 structure was built on an existing asphalt pad next to the house. It was not attached to the Taylor’s house. When the carport fell, it landed on the Taylors’ two cars, a snow blower and a power washer.