Shield v. State of Maryland

Outcome: Plaintiff awarded compensatory damages

Description: While camping with her family at Assateague Island, young Abigail was severely burned by unseen smoldering embers left in a fire ring not located at her campsite. Campsites were equipped with metal rings for campers to build and burn a fire for heat, cooking, etc. Abigail's attorneys argued that the State was negligent in, among other things, failing to timely clean the embers from the fire ring and failing to follow its own procedures. The State argued that the parents were negligent and that such negligence was an intervening cause of Abigail's injuries. The jury agreed with Abigail's attorneys and awarded her compensatory damages.