MAJ award recognizes legal excellence and advocacy in historic Mack v. Stella Maris litigation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—April 26, 2024
Baltimore, MD – Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC, a Maryland-based national law firm focusing on medical malpractice, sexual abuse, wrongful death, and other personal injury claims, today announced that attorney Tara Eberly has been honored with the 2024 Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ) Trial Lawyer of the Year Award. This annual accolade is bestowed upon the Maryland trial lawyer or team of trial lawyers who have made exceptional contributions to the public interest through their groundbreaking legal work.
Eberly is being recognized for outstanding advocacy and legal excellence as part of the legal team that secured a $9 million verdict on behalf of the surviving family members of Randolph Mack, a Baltimore County nursing home resident. Mack died from a painful, infected pressure injury (also known as a bedsore) caused by the negligence of Stella Maris, Inc., the second-largest nursing home in Maryland.
After a seven-day trial in August 2023, the jury returned with the highest verdict ever awarded in a Maryland nursing home case, including $8 million for pain and suffering and $1 million for the emotional harm suffered by the Mack family.
“We are proud that Tara is being recognized for her legal expertise and advocacy as part of the legal team in this landmark case as an example of the tireless work she and our entire dedicated team undertake every day in serving our clients and their families,” said Andrew S. Janet, Partner, Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC. “Her work inspires us all to continue fighting to seek justice for those who have suffered due to the negligence of others.”
Eberly is being honored with the MAJ Trial Lawyer of the Year Award with fellow award winner attorney Reza Davani from Ketterer, Browne & Associates, LLC, who served as part of the legal team that won the historic verdict. The MAJ Trial Lawyer of the Year Award recognizes individuals or teams who have tried or settled a case of precedential value, impacting Maryland law in a manner that benefits its citizens or sends a powerful message about upholding the rights of Marylanders. Winners have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice and advocacy for those in need.
“I am humbled to be awarded for my role in the Mack case by my colleagues at MAJ for the work we all do every day on behalf of our clients who turn to us in their pursuit of justice,” said Tara Eberly, Attorney, Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC. “As one of the few female trial attorneys in this field, I am also proud to be seen by others as someone who strives for and achieves legal excellence while tirelessly advocating for our clients in difficult cases.”
Previously, Eberly has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 in the Civil Plaintiff category and The National Women Trial Lawyers Association. Eberly is a graduate of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and Widener University Commonwealth Law School.
While Janet, Janet & Suggs’s named partners have won this prestigious award in the past, this is the first time that an associate at the firm has won the MAJ award. Howard Janet won the award in 2015, jointly with Jonathan Schochor, for their work on the class action lawsuit against Johns Hopkins for the sexual misconduct of Dr. Nikita Levy.
Nominations for the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award are sourced from diverse channels, including the general public, legal professionals, and MAJ members, including the esteemed members of MAJ’s Board of Governors. Finalists are selected by MAJ’s Executive Committee, with the ultimate winner determined through a vote by the Board of Governors.
The 2024 MAJ Trial Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented to both Tara Eberly and Reza Davani at the 70th Annual MAJ President’s Dinner on June 1, 2024. For more information about the Maryland Association for Justice, visit: www.mdforjustice.com.
About Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC
Janet, Janet & Suggs is a Maryland-based national law firm with offices in ten states and Washington, D.C. The firm is noted for its expertise and accomplishments in cases involving birth injury and other medical malpractice, sexual abuse, defective medical devices, dangerous medications, other personal injuries, and numerous other high stakes matters. The firm has decades of experience handling catastrophic injury cases and has won over three billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients across a wide range of serious and complex cases.