Automobile Accidents

• So Often Misunderstood: Virginia Uninsured Motorist Insurance Law

  Rick Shapiro | March 07, 2006 10:20 AM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  Uninsured motorist coverage is probably the most misunderstood form of car insurance in the State in Virginia and probably in most other states as well. I have had injured clients tell me that they are not happy about having to pay money for darn uninsured motorists operating on the Virginia highways. What they do not realize is that the uninsured motorist coverage on their own car insurance...

• What If There Was No Accident Report Made?

  Rick Shapiro | March 03, 2006 10:01 AM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  Can you recover for a personal injury if the investigating officer or company representative never filled out an accident report? For example, if a police officer in Virginia believes that the damage to the cars involved in the wreck are minimal, he or she may not fill out a formal accident report. Sometimes we are contacted by clients who are wondering whether they can bring a personal injury...

• $250,000 Verdict for Bus Passenger

  Ben Glass | March 01, 2006 10:38 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  A Fairfax County, Virginia jury has awarded a 74 year old wheelchair bound passenger $250,000 for injuries she sustained when her wheelchair fell over during a trip.The plaintiff claimed she sustained fractures to her face and femoral neck and that the femoral neck fracture could not be surgically repaired.The plaintiff's claim was that she would require narcotic medication for the rest of her...

• Lost Wages and Sick or Vacation Time - What Does Virginia Allow Recovery For?

  Rick Shapiro | March 01, 2006 9:11 AM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  I am often asked by my clients if they can recover for vacation time or sick time that they have to use because of injuries from a motor vehicle accident or other type of personal injury claim. Are these compensable and recoverable--even if the person was paid while out of work but had to tap into sick leave?The answer is usually "yes". Virginia's courts have long held that having to utilize...

• VA Beach Officer Injured in Motorcycle Accident

  Staff Writer | March 01, 2006 6:55 AM | 0 CommentsVirginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk, VA

  A Virginia Beach police officer was injured Monday morning when a car made a left turn in front of him. Officer Troy Cornett was traveling north on Princess Anne Road around 8:30 AM when Mary Homesly pulled out in front of him while making a left turn from Newstead Drive. The force of the crash threw Cornett from his motorcycle. At last report, he was at the hospital in stable...

• School Bus Safety

  Jeff Krasnow | February 24, 2006 8:46 AM | 0 CommentsRoanoke, VA

  Last week, a 15 year-old child was struck by a car while crossing Route 11, south of Buchanan, Virginia. The child had been let off of an activity bus from his high school which was stopped there with its lights flashing while the child crossed Route 11, which at that location was a four-lane, 55mph highway. The problem was that it was 6:30 p.m. and it was dark and the high visibility that our...

• Getting Full Value for Your Damaged Car

  Ben Glass | February 24, 2006 8:09 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Boise personal injury attorney Jeff White has written a great note about insurance companies are working to keep their payments to you low (surprise, surprise) for losses to your cars. It seems that the insurance companies are once again reaching deep into the "black box" of computer databases to find the "truth" after an automobile accident.

• You're Not In Good Hands With Allstate

  Staff Writer | February 24, 2006 8:02 AM | 1 CommentRoanoke, VA

  According to an article published in the July 2005 issue of "The New Mexico Trial Lawyer" Allstate insurance company has devised a plan to increase it profits at the expense of its policyholders and those injured by Allstate insureds. The article entitled "False Promises -- Allstate, McKinsey and the Zero Sum Game" by David J. Berardinelli describes how Allstate has discovered that it can...

• Your Health Insurance May Only be a Glorified Loan

  Ben Glass | February 20, 2006 5:12 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Most people believe that if they are in an accident their health insurance will pay the bill, acting as an insurer. In most cases, however, the health insurance company is only loaning you the money, to be repaid if you recover that money in an lawsuit. So, for example, you are in a car accident and incur $25,000 of bills. Your health insurance company pays. You later recover $100,000 for your...

• You Are Allowed to Check Out Your Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer

  Ben Glass | February 18, 2006 7:33 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  I was in court Friday. Unfortunately I was suing two lawyers who had given bad advice to a car accident victim and then had let the statute of limitations run. His claim against the drivers and insurance companies for his personal injuries was forever barred.Problem is that neither of the two lawyers who represented him carry legal malpractice insuranceIncredible as it may seem, while most...