Many clients are surprised to learn that they must pay more than just attorney’s fees from a personal injury settlement. All law firms are required to charge for advanced costs and other expenses. In addition, health insurance plans, a law known as ERISA and other rules require personal injury victims to reimburse lots of medical […]
Personal Injury
Summer Accidents
Summertime means more fun in the sun – and more accidents and personal injury cases. National statistics show that as the weather improves, the number of potentially serious accidents arises dramatically. A number of reasons come to mind: More Driving—More Accidents. AAA confirms that Americans put more miles on their cars during the summer. More mileage translates […]
A Warning About Warnings: Read the Fine Print
The printed labels on products these days can be downright humorous. Who hasn’t had a good chuckle (usually at the expense of lawyers in general) reading these things? Whether it’s a peanut brittle label which states “Warning: May Contain Peanuts” or lighter fluid with a warning that states “Caution: Combustible,” one has to wonder why […]
Slow Down: Tips on Avoiding a Car Crash from a Virginia Auto Accident Lawyer
This blog is being authored as yours truly is on the way back from arguments in the Virginia Supreme Court. (Perhaps more to come about that). The normal 1.5 hour drive has taken 3 hours primarily because of one accident after another on Interstate 64. At least the time has allowed me to reflect on […]
Getting Emotional About Damages
A prior female client of ours was changing in a local retail store when she heard rustling in the acoustical tiles above her. She saw a peeping Tom looking down at her while she was in a state of undress. Prior emotional trauma caused her to relive a number of horrors from her past, and […]
So How Much is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
It may not be the first or even the second question on your mind, but inevitably all of our clients want to know: How much is my personal injury case worth? Not only is that a reasonable question, it is the most important question. We don’t hide from answering questions like this, but we always […]
Your First Personal Injury Consultation and What to Bring
Accidents and injuries by definition are emergency situations. While protecting life, health, and property (in that order) are priorities, the legal action needs to take place immediately thereafter. We like to set up our initial consultations with new personal injury clients as soon as possible. But before new clients come in, they have typically been bombarded […]
Breaking the Chain in Chain Reaction Accidents
One of the most confounding types of vehicle accidents is the so-called “chain reaction” accident. Our office has handled multiple such cases, and each case comes with its own set of challenges and concerns. Take the so-called standard case. In the Hampton Roads area, unfortunately, such a case probably originates in one of our many […]
In Defense of Lawyers
When an accident or incident occurs, one party is outraged and seeks justice. The other side is equally upset. In the old West, the parties would have resorted to a duel, but in modern times, litigants can, and must, turn to the courts. In personal injury cases, it is important to remember that even in […]
When is “Just a Bump on the Head” a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Personal injury law and science are allowing us to better understand that minor blows to the head may not be so minor when it comes to an individual’s ability to function. As a result, our personal injury office is screening almost all injury cases for unusual symptoms, which require further investigation. Recent media has highlighted […]
Statute of Limitations: A Ticking Time Bomb
When it comes to things which can trip up your personal injury claim, there are a few less forgiving traps than the statute of limitations. Consider that an injury victim could be in the most deserving category having been completely blameless for a serious accident. The injuries could be catastrophic and the right to recover […]
How to Properly Document Damages in a Personal Injury Case
Everyone knows that you sustained serious injuries in your accident. Now, how do you go about proving it? Even the best personal injury lawyers cannot undo the damage a negligent driver has done. This realization is very sobering to us as we attempt to help put back the pieces of shattered lives. While the damage […]
Hidden Toll of Traumatic Brain Injury Jeff Brooke
Recent cases handled by our firm have underlined what many now know: traumatic brain injuries are taking a silent but crippling toll on people who receive blows to the head. The fact that people get hit in the head, of course, is not new. What is new is the evolving science and the knowledge that […]
Punitive Damages in Personal Injury Cases
The main consideration of injury cases, indeed most civil cases, is compensation. Unlike the criminal justice system where we need to be concerned about deterrence and public safety, the civil justice system strives only to put back what has been lost economically. This is true throughout the civil legal system with one notable exception: punitive […]
What Are Damages in Personal Injury Law?
Like many legal terms, the term “damages” can often be perplexing. Most non-lawyers consider damage to be something that their house may sustain in a storm or that a package may suffer during delivery. In legal terms, damages are related to these common considerations but are more specific. Black’s Law Dictionary defines damages as “pecuniary […]
Three Questions to Ask Yourself When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
Believe it or not, advertising is a good place to start. Unless you already know the name of a personal injury attorney, you will probably choose your attorney based upon name recognition and reputation alone. Advertising, or more particularly, public relations, is a good place to start. Television advertising is the most visible but not […]
There is Nothing Amusing about Amusement Park Injuries
Summertime typically means flocks of visitors to amusement parks and other entertainment venues. Ironically, while the purpose of such venues is entertainment, they also present a heightened risk for injuries and even death. Amusement parks typically try to strike a balance between rides which seem dangerous but are, in fact, extremely safe. Most of the […]
Serious Injury Claim Up In Smoke?
State Bar Required Disclaimer: The results of specific cases reported are not meant to be a prediction or guarantee of any other case. Each case depends upon a variety of factors specific to that case. While we have been representing injury victims for decades in this area, it is amazing how often new legal issues […]
Who Pays My Medical Bills in a Personal Injury Case?
First, no lawyer can pay your medical bills. This may seem obvious but the line is sometimes blurred in the case of consulting doctors who also afford treatment. For the purposes of this blog, it is sufficient to note that care that the doctor provides is treated as a regular medical bill. If the doctor […]
A New Avenue for Personal Injury Venue
Those who know a thing or two about legal matters probably know the term “venue.” Most often this comes up when one side or the other asks for a “change of venue.” The kind of jockeying around that lawyers do about venue is frequently perceived as the worst kind of petty tactics. Yet, for a […]