Hoffman v. Liberty Mutual Insurance

At issue on this appeal from the granting of appellee’s motion for summary judgment, is the question whether an insurance carrier may defeat the statutory lien of an attorney for his fee by applying funds held in escrow, pursuant to an order of the Workmen’s Compensation Commission, to satisfy an overpayment made to a claimant.

The facts in this case are not in dispute. The appellant, Leon Hoffman, a practicing attorney in Baltimore City, represented a claimant, Homer Ross, before the Workmen’s Compensation Commission for injuries sustained in the course of claimant’s employment. The appellee,…