Baltimore County Woman Awarded $350,000 In Lawsuit Against Police Officer For Rear-End Collision

BALTIMORE COUNTY - A Baltimore County woman was awarded more than $350,000 for injuries suffered when a Baltimore County Police cruiser rear-ended her car in 2019.

The plaintiff, Ethel Seidman of Owings Mills, was stopped in a merge lane on Kenilworth Drive in February 2019 when Baltimore County Officer Eric Heyman rear-ended her car. The complaint alleges that the officer hit her vehicle with "great force and violence," causing Seidman to suffer serious injuries.

In the complaint, Steven R. Freeman, Seidman's attorney, wrote that the officer was looking at incoming traffic when he accelerated into Seidman's Jeep. The Maryland Daily Record Reports that Heyman was returning to Baltimore City to issue a warrant after an all-night shift at the time of the crash.

Freeman said that Seidman suffered "severe and permanent physical injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills, and mental anguish" due to Heyman's negligence. She also sought financial compensation for property damage.

Court records show the jury awarded Seidman a total of $350,451.

Baltimore County Police Spokesperson Joy Stewart said the department "respects the jury's decision" in a statement.