Not a jury verdict, and not a judge deciding who wins after a trial. It is a court judgment entered because the parties agreed to it. Usually, one side agrees that judgment can be entered for a set amount or under specific terms, often as part of a settlement deal. Once signed and entered by the court, it can carry the same force as other judgments, even though the case did not go through a full trial.

In practice, this often comes up when an insurer refuses to settle within policy limits and leaves its insured exposed. The injured person and the insured may agree to a settlement that includes a consent judgment, sometimes along with an assignment of the insured's rights to bring a bad faith claim against the insurance company. That can matter because it creates a fixed amount of damages and avoids the cost and risk of dragging the case through trial.

For a Maryland injury claim, the details matter a lot. Maryland follows contributory negligence, meaning if the injured person is even 1% at fault, recovery can be barred. So before agreeing to a consent judgment, make sure the facts, the amount, and any release language are solid. A consent judgment is not automatic proof that an insurer acted wrong, but it can become key evidence in a later fight over coverage, policy limits, or failure to settle.