Families usually reach out to us a few weeks after the funeral. The shock has started to wear off, the bills are arriving, and the questions won’t go away. Can we do anything? Who is allowed to file? Is it already too late? These are fair questions, and you deserve plain answers to them.
Silmi Law helps families across Maryland whose loved one died because of a careless driver, an unsafe property, a dangerous job site or a medical mistake. As a Maryland wrongful death attorney, Sharif Silmi meets with families himself, at our Catonsville office, at home or by video, and takes on the legal work so you don’t have to carry it.
Sharif has practiced law for more than ten years. He earned his law degree with honors, is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, and holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating. His injury practice has recovered more than $25 million for clients, and when a case goes to trial, longtime litigation partner David Albright tries it alongside him.
From an Avvo review: “Their professionalism and reassurance made a challenging process much easier to navigate.” A client named Thakur wrote that about a different kind of case in a May 2026 review on Avvo, but it’s what we try to offer every grieving family.
Call (443) 329-2929 or book a free case evaluation.
Preventable Deaths in Maryland
Most wrongful death cases start with something that should never have happened. State and federal data show how often that is:
- 621 people were killed in traffic crashes in Maryland in 2023, up from 566 in 2022 and the highest yearly total from 2019 to 2023, according to the Maryland Highway Safety Office’s statewide crash summary.
- Prince George’s County had 129 fatal crashes that year, and Baltimore County had 83, the two highest counts in the state.
- 93 workers died from on-the-job injuries in Maryland in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics fatal occupational injuries data.
Two Kinds of Claims After a Death
Maryland law gives families two separate claims, and most cases involve both.
The Wrongful Death Claim
This claim, under Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-904, is for the family’s own losses: the income and support they’ve lost, and the grief of losing someone they love.
The Survival Action
This claim belongs to the estate and is brought by its personal representative. It covers what the person who died lost, such as pain before death, medical bills and funeral costs. If no estate has been opened yet, we help the family do that through the Register of Wills in the county where the person lived.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Maryland
The statute is specific about who can bring the claim:
- Primary beneficiaries: the spouse, parents and children of the person who died
- Secondary beneficiaries: if there is no spouse, parent or child, a relative by blood or marriage who was substantially dependent on the person
- One case for everyone: all eligible family members are included in a single action, so the claim is handled together rather than in pieces
What a Family Can Recover
Damages in a wrongful death lawsuit in Maryland can include:
- Lost income and financial support the person would have provided
- The value of household services, care and guidance
- Mental anguish, emotional pain and loss of companionship
- Medical and funeral expenses, usually through the survival action
Maryland caps non-economic damages. For claims arising on or after October 1, 2026, the cap is $980,000, or $1,470,000 when two or more family members share the award, under § 11-108. Lost income and other financial losses aren’t capped.
Deadlines You Shouldn’t Miss
Time limits in these cases are strict, and missing one can end the claim.
- Three years from the date of death is the general deadline for a wrongful death claim.
- One year is the usual window for written notice when a city or county is responsible, under § 5-304.
- Medical negligence deaths have extra steps and their own timing rules. Our Maryland medical malpractice attorney page explains them.
How We Support Your Family
Grieving and fighting an insurance company at the same time isn’t something anyone should have to do. Once you hire us, we:
- Take over all calls and letters from insurers
- Gather police, medical and employment records
- Work with experts to put a value on your family’s losses
- Explain each step in English, Arabic or Spanish
- Keep you updated without rushing you into decisions
Talk to a Maryland Wrongful Death Attorney
There’s no cost to talk with us, and no fee unless we win. If your family’s loss came from a highway crash or a job-site accident, you may also find our Maryland truck accident lawyer and Maryland construction accident attorney pages helpful, along with our wider Maryland personal injury practice.
Call Silmi Law at (443) 329-2929, or visit 5707 Calverton Street, Suite 2A, Catonsville, MD 21228, to book a free case evaluation with a Maryland wrongful death attorney.
