Woman Accidentally Declared Dead in Maryland Faces Serious Issues

A woman in Maryland was mistakenly declared deceased by the state’s motor vehicle administration, causing her significant distress. Nicole Paolino, a resident of Gaithersburg, was attempting to renew her driver’s license when she was shocked to discover that she was listed as dead in the official records.

Upon receiving the news, Paolino said she was both “scared and stunned,” as she was presented with a document stating that she was officially deceased in the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s system. “After finding out, it felt like I was dead. I got a little scared. I’m not going to lie, I was confused because I’m alive and here, but I was declared dead,” she said.

The situation worsened when Paolino received a letter from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, declaring her a “deceased taxpayer.” This clerical error led to multiple complications, including the cancellation of health insurance for her three children, resulting in mounting medical bills. Additionally, she was unable to obtain the inhaler she needed for her asthma.

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration explained that this was a misunderstanding caused by a clerical error, where the wrong Social Security number was entered into the system during the registration of another deceased person. The Social Security Administration has since corrected the mistake and confirmed to Paolino that her records have been updated, officially declaring her “alive” again.