(757) 552-6055Virginia Dog Owners Can Be Liable for Dog Bite Injuries The scene unfolded like every parent’s nightmare: A mother and her five-year old child were invited by a neighbor into his backyard to play with his dog. The pit bull immediately attacked the child, who suffered complex facial injuries, including a large gaping wound on […]
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Hotel and Resort Accidents and Injuries in Virginia: Who Is Responsible?
Staying at a hotel or resort on vacation or for business should be a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, hotel accidents and injuries sometimes occur. Slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents, gym or pool injuries, and escalator / elevator accidents are not uncommon. If you’re in Virginia on vacation or as a business visitor, and you suffer injuries in your […]
Can Social Media Posts Ruin My Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury litigation is a creature of our society and reflects all that is going on. For example, when television became hugely popular, attorneys introduced the concept of lawyer television advertising. Nothing is hotter today than social media. And social media is changing many aspects of the way personal injury cases proceed. You may have […]
Proper Care and Feeding of Your Lawyer
You have a good and substantial legal case, and you have retained the best possible personal injury lawyer. Is it reasonable to expect smooth sailing from the outset of your representation? A brief survey of local personal injury attorneys suggests that the answer is not simple. Indeed, it is quite common to hear personal injury attorneys gripe […]
Is A Car Making A Left Turn Always At Fault In An Accident?
(See our updated September 2018 article on fault in Virginia left turn accidents.) The need to complete a left turn in busy traffic can test the patience of any driver. You are required to yield, and sometimes the rush of traffic makes it seem as though your turn to make your move will never arrive. However, […]
Do I Need To Have Car Insurance To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer?
The decision whether to seek out a personal injury attorney for an accident that was your fault will depend on a number of factors, including the extent of the injuries suffered, extenuating circumstances and your insurance coverage. Typically, attorneys for your insurance company will serve as your defense against personal injury claims made by others […]
Breathe Deep: The Power of the Civil Law
These are troubled times for the law. Both our criminal justice system and our discourse about public affairs in general seem to be in a permanent downward spiral. The shooting cases in middle American cities: Dallas, Milwaukee, Baton Rouge, and too many other places to name, have created the impression that we live in the […]
With the Graying Comes a New Challenge for Civil Litigation: An Avalanche of Falls
Over the years, the lowly “slip and fall” case has gotten a bad reputation. Perhaps it is well-deserved. In popular culture, perhaps nothing eptiomizes the fraught role of a personal injury attorney more than the injury victim tripped up by a banana peel and headed to court. But recent statistics from the Center for Disease […]
Personal Injury Case in Virginia Beach
“I enjoyed working with The Jeff Brooke Team on my personal injury case. He kept me informed and really fought for me in the negotiation part of the settlement. I would recommend Jeff as a personal injury attorney to anyone.”
Settling for a Win
Lawyers like to advertise the cases that they pursue aggressively through trial and to total victory. And, well they should. Trying cases is what all good trial lawyers love to do, and it is the lawyer’s skill in the courtroom that ultimately helps establish his reputation. But, since 85 percent (or more) of civil cases […]
To Not Be a Statistic, Know the Statistics
This holiday season you and I (euphemistically referred to as “motorists” in the press), will be bombarded by the usual warnings. The state police will have standard public relations campaigns against drunk driving. Local police departments will issue press releases about DUI checkpoints. The common thread in all of these well-intentioned warnings is not to […]
When to Call a Lawyer After an Injury: Timing is Everything
The potential client sounded frantic on the phone. How could she get to our office to see us for legal representation when she was being admitted to the hospital? If only such diligence were more widespread. In fact, the retention of counsel in personal injury cases tends to run gamut from the very prompt to […]
Another Hidden Benefit of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney: Fighting Against “Liens”
Injury victims usually call attorneys for obvious reasons: they want to know the value of their case and to make sure they get the maximum settlement. Recent changes in the law however have created another problem that needs to be dealt with. Whether the injury victim is represented by counsel or not, they will likely […]
Can A Passenger Sue a Driver?
Can a passenger sue a driver? The short answer is yes. Decades ago, a series of rules known as “Host Driver Acts” used to prevent passengers from suing their drivers. The reasons for these rules no longer apply, although it is not uncommon for passengers to express reluctance to sue their drivers even these days. […]
How Do I Know if I Even Need a Lawyer?
Most legal cases these days seem to arise from automobile accidents. Yet victims of auto accidents quickly find that if the accident is clear cut, the insurance companies will take care of the damage. This may seem odd coming from an accident attorney, but frequently matters work themselves out, and no attorney is needed to […]
Should I Go After My Own Insurance Company When I Have Been in an Auto Accident?
Our office handles a number of complicated issues when it comes to personal injury work. But, often we find that our clients are more troubled by mundane issues (and are glad to leave the big issues to us). Many personal injury lawyers are excited to charge off and to assert your personal injury claim, but […]
How Much Tax Will I Have to Pay on My Personal Injury Settlement?
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 […]
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 […]
