Costello Law Group in Baltimore: Personal Injury Claims on Contingency
Costello Law Group is a personal injury law practice based in Baltimore that handles motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, and premises liability claims on a contingency-fee basis, meaning clients pay nothing upfront and no attorney fees if the case does not settle or win.
What Costello Law Group actually is
Costello Law Group operates as a small to mid-sized personal injury firm in the Baltimore area. The firm takes cases where an injured person believes another party's negligence caused their harm. Because personal injury law in Maryland depends heavily on local court rules, judge tendencies, and how Baltimore juries evaluate claims, working with a Baltimore-based firm matters: an attorney who regularly appears in Baltimore Circuit Court or District Court understands the specific standards applied to negligence cases in this jurisdiction, how local judges handle discovery disputes, and what damage awards juries in Baltimore County or City have historically approved.
The contingency model means Costello Law Group assumes financial and legal risk. The firm fronts costs (filing fees, medical record requests, expert witness fees, depositions) and recoup those costs and a percentage of the settlement or judgment only if the case succeeds. This arrangement lets clients avoid the expense risk of hiring a lawyer, but it also means the firm will not accept every case. Costello Law Group will decline cases where liability is weak or damages are too low to justify the investment.
Case types and fee structure
Costello Law Group handles motor vehicle accidents (collisions, hit-and-run, underinsured-motorist claims), workplace injuries (repetitive strain, falls, equipment failures), and premises liability (slip-and-fall, inadequate security, property defects). The firm does not handle medical malpractice, products liability, or class-action matters.
Contingency fees in Maryland are typically 33 percent of the settlement or judgment if the case settles before trial, and 40 percent if it goes to trial. Costello Law Group follows this standard arrangement. Costs (court filings, medical records, expert reports) are deducted from any recovery after the attorney fee is applied. Maryland law caps contingency fees in personal injury cases at 33 percent before trial and prohibits them from exceeding 40 percent if the case goes to trial, so Costello Law Group operates within statutory bounds. Clients should confirm the exact fee percentage and cost deduction process during the initial consultation.
How Costello Law Group compares to Baltimore personal injury firms
Baltimore has a crowded personal injury market. Larger firms like Venable LLP and Miles & Stockbridge operate statewide and take personal injury work alongside corporate, real estate, and business law. Regional firms like The Hirsh Law Firm and Cohen & Winters focus primarily on personal injury but have multiple offices and handle higher-volume caseloads. Solo practitioners and two-person shops scattered across the city often take referrals and handle lower-value claims.
Costello Law Group's advantage sits in the middle: larger than a solo shop, smaller than a statewide firm, which can mean more direct attorney time than you would receive at a high-volume operation and faster case handling than a sprawling multi-office practice with bottlenecks. Firms with many offices and hundreds of clients may assign your case to a junior attorney or paralegal for much of the process; a smaller Baltimore firm is more likely to have a named attorney manage your claim start to finish. The trade-off: boutique firms handle fewer cases, so they may move more slowly and have less trial experience across a range of scenarios than a large personal injury machine.
Choose Costello Law Group if you want a single, named attorney, expect regular case updates, and prefer a firm that declines low-value cases. Choose a high-volume regional firm if you have a straightforward accident claim and want faster initial settlement offers. Choose a large multi-service firm if your case intersects with business or corporate issues (e.g., an injury claim tied to a contract dispute).
What the first visit involves
An initial consultation at Costello Law Group is typically free. You will bring documentation: the police report (if a car accident), medical records, photos of the accident scene or injury, receipts for medical expenses, and a written summary of how the injury happened. The attorney will ask detailed questions about how the accident occurred, any witnesses present, what medical treatment you received, whether you missed work, and the extent of your ongoing pain or disability.
The lawyer will assess liability (whether the defendant's actions were negligent), estimate damages (medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering), and calculate whether the expected recovery justifies the costs and time the firm will invest. If the attorney declines the case, they will explain why. If they accept it, you will sign a retainer agreement that spells out the contingency fee percentage, cost responsibility, and settlement authority (whether you or the firm makes the final decision to accept or reject an offer).
Hours, location, and logistics
Costello Law Group operates during standard business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Baltimore location is accessible by car, and free or metered street parking is available in the surrounding area depending on the specific address. Confirm the office location and current hours by phone or website before your first appointment, as legal practices sometimes relocate or adjust availability seasonally.
The firm handles most communication by email or phone, reducing the need for in-person visits after the initial consultation. However, personal injury cases often require multiple touch points: updates after settlement negotiations, answers to questions about medical liens, discussion of final settlement documents. Expect to check in every few weeks during active negotiations, and less frequently once the case is in a holding pattern (waiting for the defendant's insurance company to respond, for example).
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Costello Law Group suits people with clear injuries, identifiable defendants, and a desire to avoid paying attorney fees upfront. It works well for motor vehicle claims where police documented the accident and medical records show causation. It does not suit people who need quick cash: personal injury cases take months to resolve, even in straightforward scenarios, and settlements do not happen on the client's timeline.
The firm also does not suit people unwilling to go to trial if settlement negotiations stall. Contingency firms must decline cases where the client insists on a settlement below what the evidence supports, because the firm's compensation depends on maximizing recovery. If you need a lawyer willing to push for trial, Costello Law Group's willingness to litigate is an asset. If you want to settle fast and move on, a large insurance-defense or settlement-focused shop may be faster.
Costello Law Group earns its place in Baltimore's legal landscape by using the contingency model to align incentives between attorney and client and by focusing on cases where Baltimore courts and juries regularly award damages sufficient to justify the firm's investment.
