PROFILE
Michael V. Nakamura is an experienced and compassionate lawyer committed to achieving justice for his clients, primarily those who have suffered devastating injuries as the result of the negligence of others.
Clients often come to Mike when they are confused, intimidated or overwhelmed by the legal process, and are unsure about their rights as a victim. As a result, Mike is often hired because of his calming manner and willingness to take the time to explain the legal process. This comforting patience coupled with more than 20 years of experience in protecting and enforcing victims’ rights in situations involving personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice, makes Mike an ideal choice for many clients.
Mike has a national practice with noteworthy experience in catastrophic motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death cases of all kinds and brain-damaged baby cases, both in state and federal courts. He also has handled many Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and Military Claims Act (MCA) cases, successfully representing family members of armed service personnel who were injured by medical malpractice at military hospitals in the U.S. and overseas, including in Japan, England and Germany. He has significant jury trial and bench trial experience, and is skilled in mediation and negotiated settlements. His past experience as a judicial law clerk and as a business litigation attorney encompassing a wide range of legal areas serves his clients well in the balanced evaluation of legal issues, including insurance coverage disputes, consumer protection cases, automobile dealer-manufacturer issues, and other business litigation. Mike has litigated in 11 states and federal courts in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
As an authority in the fields of personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice, he has served as a moderator or speaker at countless seminars. He has also appeared on several local television programs on such topics as dog bite liability, gun liability and premises liability.
As a testament to Mike’s integrity and sound judgment, he is one of a few individuals selected to serve on the Character Committee of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals of Maryland, the court-appointed group of volunteer lawyers responsible for reviewing the character and fitness of applicants, maintaining the court’s Code of Professional Responsibility and upholding the ethics of the profession of law.
In addition to his leadership role within the court, Mike has been deeply involved in premier legal organizations, including the American Association of Justice, Maryland Association of Justice and the Trial Lawyers Association for the District of Columbia. He is routinely asked to give presentations before these groups, and participates in their various education-related committees, which continually strengthens his ability to help protect his clients’ and achieve justice on their behalf.
PRACTICE AREAS
- Claims Against the Government (Federal Tort Claims Act- FTCA)
- Commercial Litigation
- Medical Malpractice Claims
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
EDUCATION
- Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia, 1989, J.D.
- St. Anselm College, 1986, B.A., Honors: Summa Cum Laude
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
HONORS & AWARDS
- Montgomery County Bar Association Chairman of the Year, 2007 (Personal Injury Section Chair)
- Washingtonian Magazine, Top Personal Injury Lawyers, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Super Lawyers Maryland, 2007-2013, 2021 – 2023 (Medical Malpractice)
- Super Lawyers District of Columbia, 2009-2013, 2021 (Medical Malpractice)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated Preeminent (Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards)
- AVVO: Superb Rating
FIRM POSITIONS
- Past Chairman, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Department
- Shulman Rogers, Board of Directors 2011 – Present
- Shulman Rogers, Mergers and Laterals Committee
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
- Brain Injured infants and adults
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Wrongful Death
- Federal Tort Claims Act
- Military Claims Act
- Consumer Protection
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate Clients
- Automobile Dealerships
RECENT SUCCESSES
2021
Multiple Six Figure Settlement For Young Mother in PA
A young mother, age 22, was injured in a rear-end collision, which resulted in multiple trips to the hospital and other treatment. She incurred over $58,000 in medical expenses and other losses. Mike and his team recovered a multiple six figure settlement for her in February 2021.
$425,000 Total Settlement in Limited Insurance Wrongful Death DWI case
A tragic head-on collision caused by a drunk driver resulted in the death of a 22 year old man in Montgomery County, Maryland. Despite limited insurance, Mike and his team recovered $425,000, an amount far in excess of the available insurance, for the young man’s family, also in February 2021.
2020
Over $930,000 Recovery for Gaithersburg Passenger
Mike’s client, a passenger traveling in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was severely injured when the driver made an improper turn, causing the vehicle to tumble and flip upside down. The passenger suffered multiple injuries to her head, neck, shoulder, back, legs and feet. She incurred over $250,000 in medical expenses and was left with residual physical issues. Mike was able to recover over $930,000 for his client.
$4.85 million recovered in Trucking Tragedy
An out of control tractor trailer crushed a car containing a mother and her 7 year old child. The mother was rushed to the hospital and her young child was killed. The mother will struggle with her injuries, physical and emotional, for the rest of her life. Mike and his team assembled a comprehensive plan to address all of her needs and then recovered $4.85 million from two different insurance companies to fully cover the client for the rest of her life, and recovered the maximum allowable amount for her grief damages, which are capped under Maryland law.
Bethesda Pedestrian Collision Results in Multiple Six Figure Recovery
Mike’s client, a local Bethesda resident, was lawfully walking in the crosswalk when an inattentive driver ran into her, propelling her over 15 feet in the air and causing several injuries. After many months of treatment, recovery for the full policy limits in the multiple six figures was swiftly obtained for the client by Mike and his team.
$225,000 Recovered in Washington County, Maryland Rear End Collision
Mike’s client was stopped in traffic lawfully waiting for a red light in Hagerstown, Maryland. She was rear-ended and the impact caused a concussion, which led the client to endure multiple medical procedures and left her with residual severe headaches. Mike was able to resolve the claim for $225,000, which was nearly the entire insurance policy limit of $250,000.
Recovery for Bethesda Dog Attack
Mike’s client, a military veteran and local resident, was jogging in Bethesda when he was viciously attacked repeatedly by an unleashed dog. His wounds became infected, requiring invasive and painful treatment at the hospital. After deeper investigation into the case, it was revealed that the dog was a repeat attacker, with 4 known prior attacks in the past 4 years. After receiving a lowball settlement offer, the case was litigated and subsequently settled for an amount over 4 times the original offer.
2019
Over $3.4 million Recovery in Potomac Auto Tragedy
In a complicated and tragic auto accident involving several vehicles, and a number of injured parties, including two deaths, Mike obtained the highest recovery for his clients. This case involved multiple layers of insurance, multiple insurance adjusters and lawyers, and competing claims. Mike was chosen to spearhead the negotiations by the fellow plaintiffs’ lawyers, pushed the case to a mediation, resulting a global settlement for all parties.
Multiple Six Figure Recovery for Premises Liability Client
The client slipped on a negligently mopped floor, with no wet floor or other warnings present. The fall resulted in a complete rupture of his hamstring tendon off the bone. Surgical repair was necessary, followed by months of painful physical therapy. Mike’s client had over $41,000 in medical expenses and sustained a significant wage loss as well. This case involved a complex interplay between the liability and worker’s compensation carriers, and the case was settled after depositions.
$2.3 Million Recovery for Family of Deceased Georgia Baby After Initial Birth Injury
A young military family in Georgia sustained a terrible one-two loss. First, medical malpractice in the birth of their child. There was a delay in delivery which resulted in a brain injury to the baby, called Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy or HIE. Then, eighteen months later, the child died of issues related to HIE. After two years of litigation in Federal Court in Georgia, Mike and his co-counsel obtained a $2.3 million recovery for the family.
Multiple Six Figure Recovery for Virginia Client Injured By Legionnaire’s Contamination
The client attended a convention and became severely ill. Upon returning home, she was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks with chest pain, difficulty breathing and walking, and shortness of breath. It was revealed that she had contracted Legionnaire’s bacteria at the facility. Mike and his team held the facility accountable and obtained a multiple six figure settlement for her.
$550,000 Recovery for Family of Deceased Teen
A tragic medical error at a local hospital resulted in irreversible brain damage and the death of an 18 year old. After other law firms rejected the case, Mike and his team reviewed the case with a fresh set of eyes and filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family. After a heavily disputed litigation, including whether the teen’s death was inevitable regardless of the medical error, Mike recovered $550,000 for the family.
*Due to client confidentiality, we are not able to post actual names of our clients or the parties involved.
NEWS
- Michael Nakamura featured on Ask the Investigator podcast
- Four Shulman Rogers Attorneys Named to Washingtonian Magazine’s 2017 Top Lawyers Listing
- Shulman Rogers’ Mike Nakamura Secures $5M for Birth Injury Victim and Family
- Shulman Rogers Has Sixteen Attorneys Named to the 2013 Maryland Super Lawyers Listing
- Twenty-three Shulman Rogers Attorneys Recognized in The American Lawyer’s “Top Rated Lawyers” Series
- Sixteen Shulman Rogers Attorneys Named to the 2012 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Listing
EVENTS
- Working with the State’s Attorney in Your Personal Injury Cases: A Discussion with John McCarthy and Mark Anderson – September 16, 2015
- The Office of Consumer Protection IS a Civil Attorney’s Friend – May 5, 2015
- What’s New in Mediation and Arbitration – January 10, 2013
- Clients of Diminished Capacity and Potential for Abuse – November 5, 2009
SEMINARS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Speaker and Moderator, Trial Lawyer’s Association for the District of Columbia
- Speaker, Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland
- Speaker, Asian-Pacific American Bar Association
PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
- Board of Directors, Rock and Roll Foundation for Children, non-profit organization directly benefiting the Children’s Inn for The National Institute of Health
- Seventh Appellate Circuit, Court of Appeals of Maryland, Character Committee
- Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland, Member, Personal Injury Section, Past Chair, 1997-2007
- Trial Lawyers’ Association for the District of Columbia, Member, Education Committee, 1998-2003, 2007-2014
- Bar Association of Montgomery County, Maryland, Past member, Judicial Selections Committee
- American Association of Justice, Member, Motor Vehicle Negligence Section, Professional Negligence Section
- Maryland Association for Justice, Member
- Men of St. John’s, Member