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Last Entry: November 20, 2009 at 17:17:57

Falling trees: The silent danger in storms

Posted on November 20, 2009
Last week's nor'easter has reminded us of a silent danger – large trees at risk of falling down in a storm and injuring someone. The risk of injury isn't trivial – a 17-year-old Newport News boy was badly hurt when a tree more than six feet in diameter fell into his family's trailer at Warwick Mobile Home Estates at 12095 Jefferson Ave...

FAA system failure raises safety concerns

Posted on November 19, 2009
The system that failed is the behind-the-scenes communication network the Federal Aviation Administration uses to track flight times and paths, The New York Times reported. Without it, The Times reported, airlines were forced to fax flight plans to the FAA, and then air-traffic controllers had to type the flight plans into the FAA computer manually...

Chain saws present another post-nor'easter danger

Posted on November 18, 2009
With the skies clear after last week's nor'easter, attention is turning to cleanup – especially the hundreds of trees and thousands of large limbs that were felled throughout Hampton Roads. The Norfolk Botanical Garden alone lost about 40 large trees, The Virginian-Pilot reported...

Nor'easter safety: take care when using generators

Posted on November 12, 2009
As the record nor'easter continues to churn through Hampton Roads Thursday, residents who lose electricity should exercise care when using generators. Most deaths associated with generators come from carbon monoxide (CO), the noxious gas that comes from generator use...

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A Trillion Text Messages in the Next Two Years?

Posted on November 12, 2009
There were 800 billion text messages sent in 2008, according to the Strategic Mirror Report. This increased by four times compared to 2006. If we continue on this trajectory, we'll hit one trillion text messages by 2010. Texting in-and-of itself is fine; a great advancement in mobile phone technology...

International Paper Killing Jobs in Franklin, Virginia (VA)

Posted on November 11, 2009
In today's tough economic times, no one can really be certain about keeping their jobs. This truth hit the people of Franklin, Virginia (VA) very hard, when they learned that a local paper mill was closing. This mill employed over 1,000 people, all of which are now going to be without work...

Nor'easter heightens drowning risks to Hampton Roads (VA) residents

Posted on November 11, 2009
The Nor'easter that blew into Hampton Roads Wednesday afternoon may be one for the record books – but hopefully residents will exercise common sense and stay safe. The greatest hazard to human life during Nor'easters and other severe coastal storms is drowning while behind the wheel...

High-Speed Rail Plan Moves Forward for Southside Virginia (VA)

Posted on November 10, 2009
Taking cars off Hampton Roads highways is the surest way to reduce traffic congestion, increase driver safety and ensure that economic growth in the area extending from Suffolk to Williamsburg doesn't stall in the face of transportation problems. Acknowledging that commuter rail is an essential solution to Tidewater's traffic tangles, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization on Oct...

Deer: A Major Danger and Expense on Virginia Roadways

Posted on November 07, 2009
Close to 50,000 Virginians will file insurance claims for deer-related accidents at an estimated cost of nearly $15 million, according to the Fairfax Times. Virginia (VA) is currently ranked fifth out of all 50 states for deer-vehicle accidents and the frequency in which these accidents occur has increased 18 percent in the past five years, according to Reuters...

Wrongful Death Suit Reinstated in Virginia (VA) Against Parents Hosting Visting Teen

Posted on November 06, 2009
Courts and juries can find adults who have temporary supervision or custody of children liable for injuries to those children even when the harm resulted from the actions of someone other than the supervising adults. Summarizing this Nov. 5, 2009, ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court in a single sentence is difficult...

Driver Fatigue Contributes to Serious Car Accidents

Posted on November 05, 2009
Millions of people were reportedly involved in car accidents, or came very close to getting into a serious car accident, due to driver fatigue, according to a study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation. Over 100 million people admitted they've driven while feeling drowsy...

Norfolk's Harbor Walk condos, built with Chinese drywall, to get new developer

Posted on November 04, 2009
The beleaguered Harbor Walk condo project in Norfolk's Ocean View neighborhood is being taken over by new developer Franciscus Co., months after it was revealed that the old developer – Henin Group of Florida – had been using defective Chinese drywall, The Virginian-Pilot reported...

Suffolk?s Dog Leash Law Slated for Long Overdue Review and Expansion

Posted on November 03, 2009
The Nov. 3 Virginian-Pilot contains a report that will probably surprise most people in Tidewater. To quote the article, 'The ‘enforcement areas'' for the city law requiring owners to keep their dogs on leashes when taking the animals off their own property, 'omit large swaths of rural Suffolk and some newer housing developments...

Budget Cuts Ground Virginia Aerial Traffic Monitoring, Will Traffic Accidents Increase?

Posted on November 01, 2009
You've probably seen the signs – 'Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft' - when traveling down Interstate 64 (I-64), Interstate 264 (I264) and other heavily traveled highways. However, due to the downtrodden economy, Virginia State Police decided to end aerial monitoring of traffic throughout the Commonwealth, according to The Virginian-Pilot...

Halloween Horror: Trick or Treating Leads to Higher Incidences of Pedestrian Traffic Accidents

Posted on October 30, 2009
Halloween is all about ghouls and goblins, dressing up, eating some delicious candy, and maybe even enjoying a scary movie. But there's a truly terrifying aspect Halloween few people seem to know: the number of fatal pedestrian accidents increases 4.5 times during the holiday...

Rail Operators Shift to Opposing Safety Upgrades for Being Too Costly

Posted on October 27, 2009
Federal rules due to become final before the end of 2009 will require freight, passenger and commuter rail operator to install safety systems along their tracks that automatically slow or shut down trains when they get too close to each other. The systems, known as positive train control, are particularly effective at preventing moving trains from crashing into trains stopped or traveling on tracks ahead...

?Wiihab? Proving to be a Powerful Rehabilitation Tool

Posted on October 27, 2009
Hospitals routinely struggle to keep their patients motivated and active in the traditional rehabilitation routine. Why? Because most routines are repetitive, cause pain, and are not very exciting. Enter the Nintendo Wii. This popular video game system is no longer the exclusive domain of teenagers...

Fall-Related Death of Worker at Norfolk Sanitation Plant Under Investigation

Posted on October 23, 2009
Randy Piche, a long-time Hampton Roads Sanitation District employee, died Tuesday morning after falling through an opening on a third-floor walkway at the Army Base Treatment Plant in Norfolk on Tuesday morning. Neither the wastewater and sewage-treatment organization nor the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health department have yet determined why Piche, a 37-year HRSD veteran, would have fallen to his death...

Rail Operators Failing to Maintain Safe Crossings

Posted on October 18, 2009
Last Wednesday, a Minnesota (MN) Washington County Court judge affirmed a $21.6 million jury verdict against rail operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. for failing to maintain a safe railroad crossing. The judge also assessed $4 million in penalties against BNSF for destroying evidence in the case and for paying unqualified individuals for supposedly expert testimony...

Fatal Accident on I-664 in Chesapeake, Virginia

Posted on October 16, 2009
Webster Keck of Suffolk, Virginia (VA) was driving his Dodge pickup truck along Interstate 664 (I-664) near the intersection of Interstate 64 (I-64) in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) when Seth Arnold Bailey didn't maintain control of his Jetta and crashed into the truck...

Chesapeake (VA) may lower speed limit after bicyclist's death

Posted on October 14, 2009
In the wake of the tragic death of bicyclist Charles F. McCarty Jr. in August, city officials in Chesapeake (VA) want to lower the speed limit on Johnstown Road, where McCarty was killed. Eric Martin, director of Chesapeake's Department of Public Works, told The Virginian-Pilot that he would like to lower the speed limit from 45 to 40 miles an hour on Johnstown Road, as well as improve the street lights on the same stretch of road...

Reduced Traffic Deaths May Mean More Serious Injuries

Posted on October 14, 2009
The percentage of people killed in highway accidents has been steadily decreasing over the past few years and we're at the lowest percentage of highway fatalities since 1961, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By all accounts, this is a good thing, but two important questions remain unanswered – how and why is this decline occurring? Some indicate it's due to the poor economy and people are simply driving less...

The Locomotive Inspection Act - Protecting Railroad Train Crews From Serious Injury On The Job

Posted on October 14, 2009
When it comes to legal liability and negligence, the threshold question is generally what attorneys call "duty." If I am injured in some way, I cannot recover any damages unless the person responsible for the injury had a duty of care toward me...

Congressmen, feds tour Chinese drywall homes in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach

Posted on October 13, 2009
Just last week, Hampton Roads victims of Chinese drywall trekked to Washington, D.C. to make their case to lawmakers and regulators, as I wrote about last week. My colleague John Cooper has also written about how the defective drywall sickens occupants and ruins appliances, wires and pipes...

Virginia Drivers Getting an Education in the Dangers of Driving Drunk

Posted on October 13, 2009
Tuesday afternoon saw the launch of a coordinated, and much-needed, public education campaign to drive home the message that drinking and driving puts everyone on Virginia's roads at risk for injury and death. The Virginia State police, the state's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Virginia's secretary of public safety announced the Help Eliminate Alcohol Related Tragedies, or HEART, initiative at the state police station in Chesapeake...

Questions remain after fatal tanker crash on I-664 in Newport News (VA)

Posted on October 12, 2009
Questions remain after an explosive tanker truck crash on Interstate 664 in Newport News (VA) near the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel in September that left the truck driver dead. The crash scene still bears the sad scars of the Sept. 4, accident, the Daily Press of Newport News reported Sunday...

Traffic Fatalities Drop, But Each Loss Is Tragic

Posted on October 11, 2009
Good news on the trend toward fewer deaths on the nation's roads and highways was tempered last Friday by a report of yet another fatal car crash in Newport News. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration released statistics on Oct...

Two Dozen Virginia Homeowners Journey to Washington to Discuss Toxic Chinese Drywall

Posted on October 10, 2009
Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb sad down with some perturbed Virginia homeowners whove been dealing with toxic Chinese drywall, according to WVEC.com. There have been over 1,500 reports of the lethal drywall with 3 percent of those reports in Virginia (VA), especially the Hampton Roads region...

Driver's ed returning to public high schools

Posted on September 30, 2009
USA TODAY had an interesting story Thursday about how driver's education, on the wane in public schools for many years, is becoming more popular. A generation ago, driver's ed was in almost every American high school. But as time passed, more and more students took the course from private instructors...

Field Hockey Team Bus Crash in Suffolk One of Too Many Such Accidents

Posted on September 29, 2009
I was alarmed to read that 11 members of the King's Fork High School field hockey team got injured when their school bus ran off the road in Isle of Wight, Virginia (VA), on Monday night. I was shocked when I checked around and learned that the girls and appeared to be just a handful of the dozens of teens, children and adults injured in school bus crashes on Monday and Tuesday of this week...

Franklin (VA) man tragically dies in Suffolk (VA) accident

Posted on September 28, 2009
A Franklin restaurant owner was killed when he was involved in a traffic accident in Suffolk around 1 a.m. Saturday. John K. Vann was driving in Suffolk at the intersection of Gates Road and Wildwood Drive when he apparently lost control and his car left the road, the Virginian-Pilot reported...

Fatal hit-and-run crashes increasing in Virginia (VA)

Posted on September 25, 2009
AAA Mid-Atlantic believes the Virginia-Maryland-Washington D.C. region is going through what it calls an 'alarming' increase in hit-and-run accidents, the Washington Post reported earlier this week. Evidence collected by AAA indicates that the number of hit-and-run crashes in Virginia and Maryland – 44 in 2008 – will be more in 2009...

Poquoson Pilot Honored for Five Decades of Accident-Free Flying

Posted on September 23, 2009
When you look up 'responsible pilot' in the dictionary, Luther Knaub's picture should be placed immediately next to the definition as a prime example. Luther, a resident of Poquoson, Virginia (VA) has enjoyed 50 years of accident-free flying as a recreational pilot, according to the Daily Press...

Workplace Fatalities Rebound After One-Year Low

Posted on September 18, 2009
"Exposure to Harmful Substances and Environments." "Contact with Objects and Equipment." "Transportation Incidents." These are the rather neutral categories the Virginia (VA) Department of Labor and Industry uses to group on-the-job incidents in which workers got killed each year...

On Wrong Way Drivers Causing Deaths: Civil Suits Available Even If No Criminal Charge Filed

Posted on September 17, 2009
Everyday, millions of drivers use America's roadways in their vehicles. For the most part, we all assume that the other drivers around us will play by the rules and drive in a reasonable way. However, sometimes, other drivers on the road do not drive reasonably and the results can be devastating and heart-breaking...

Area Boat Accidents Back on the Rise

Posted on September 13, 2009
Sunday's Daily Press delivered the unwelcome news that the Chesapeake Bay and rivers and lakes throughout Virginia (VA) had already seen more accidents this year than during all of 2008. Worse, the 124 reported accidents in 2009 almost match the 146 reported in 2007...

Drivers Continue Hitting Police Cars Despite Move Over Law

Posted on September 09, 2009
Virginia's year-old move over law may need strengthening or reinforcement. Monday, two state police cars were struck on the shoulder of Interstate 64 in Hampton. The two troopers, D.E. Jackson and W.T. Desper, suffered no injuries. A few weeks ago, a tow truck driver who had stopped along I-64 in the same area to assist a distressed driver was struck and killed by a drunk driver...

Portsmouth (VA) man dies in crash near Portsmouth Marine Terminal

Posted on September 01, 2009
Edgar R. Mansfield Jr. of Portsmouth (VA) died during the Monday rush hour when he crashed into the rear of an 18-wheeler, WVEC-TV reported. Mansfield, 53, hit the back of the truck when both were in the 300 block of Railroad Avenue, Matthew Bowers of The Virginian-Pilot said...

Family, community mourns Southampton deputy killed in crash

Posted on September 01, 2009
Southampton County sheriff's deputy Christopher Ray was buried at a graveside service Monday, three days after he was killed in a traffic accident while responding to a call. "Christopher was a special young man," Southampton County Sheriff Vernie Francis Jr...

Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance: It's Your Most Important Car Insurance and Here Is Why

Posted on September 01, 2009
As Virginia/Carolina injury attorneys, we are often contacted by persons injured in a hit and run and/or uninsured driver auto/car accident. The way that car insurance provides coverage in a hit and run or uninsured driver car accident is very misunderstood by the public...

Southampton County (VA) sheriff's deputy killed en route to call

Posted on August 31, 2009
Southampton County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Ray – on the job less than three months – died in the early hours of Saturday morning when the patrol car he was riding in crashed into a tree. Ray, 22, was riding in a car driven by Deputy Jason Brinkley, the Tidewater News of Franklin said...

Wrong Drug, Wrong Dosage - Medication Errors in Hospitals Can Kill

Posted on August 28, 2009
Every year approximately 100,000 people are given the wrong medication from a medical professional. Being given the wrong medication can lead to other medical problems and complications simply as a result of negligence. Patients are being given the wrong medication and wrong dosage in every medical profession setting, including hospitals, nursing homes, in home care, and pharmacies...

Simplicity-brand bassinets claim two more lives

Posted on August 21, 2009
Parents were warned this week about the dangers of Simplicity bassinets in the wake of two more infant deaths, the Associated Press reported. The infants died after they were trapped in Simplicity close-sleeper/bedside sleeper bassinets, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission...

Details emerge of lives lost in Suffolk (VA) crash

Posted on August 19, 2009
More is becoming known about Shane Blair and Thomas Ashburn, the two Suffolk men killed in a two-car head-on crash on Indian Trail Road in Suffolk Sunday morning. Blair, 18, had spent the weekend camping with family on the Chowan River in North Carolina, WAVY-TV reported...

Two dead in Suffolk (VA) head-on crash

Posted on August 18, 2009
Thomas W. Ashburn and Shane W. Blair have been identified as the two men killed in a head-on collision Sunday afternoon in Suffolk. Ashburn, 28, of Indian Trail Road, was driving a Volkswagen when crossed into the oncoming lane on a curve, a Suffolk police spokesman told The Virginian-Pilot...

Home electrical fire blamed in death of York County woman

Posted on August 14, 2009
Investigators believe an electrical problem caused a home fire Wednesday morning that killed Sandra Dudley, the Daily Press reported. A Dominion Virginia Power meter reader, spotting smoke coming from the home at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, called in the alarm, according to the Daily Press...

Driver charged in wake of I-64 tow truck crash

Posted on August 13, 2009
The driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a tow truck driver in Newport News on Aug. 9 has been charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter, according to The Virginian-Pilot. William Charles Burns, 51, of Newport News, was already in the Newport News Jail on drunken-driving charges, the Daily Press reported, and was served with manslaughter paperwork Monday night...

Drunk Driver Kills Tow Truck Driver on I-64

Posted on August 10, 2009
A drunk driver claimed another life Sunday night on westbound I-64 in Newport News. A tow truck operator was struck near the Victory Boulevard exit by another driver whose pickup truck ran onto the shoulder where the tow truck operator was hooking up a disabled Plymouth van...

Portsmouth motorcycle crash leaves one dead

Posted on August 07, 2009
A motorcycle crash in Portsmouth has claimed the life of a 63-year-old man, The Virginian-Pilot reported. David M. Henner was riding his motorcycle at Deep Creek and Portsmouth boulevards at 11:47 p.m. Wednesday night when he apparently lost control on the rain-slicked pavement while making a turn, Portsmouth Police Department authorities told the Pilot...

Beach Police Enforce Red Light Laws

Posted on August 06, 2009
Midway through National Stop on Red Week, Virginia Beach police officers on Wednesday paid special attention to whether drivers stopped and checked the oncoming traffic before making right-hand turns at the signals between Great Neck Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard, Lynnhaven Parkway and Holland Road, Witchduck Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard, and Kempsville Road and Princess Anne Road...

Williamsburg bridge accident reminder of dangers

Posted on August 05, 2009
A recent bridge accident on Colonial Parkway near Williamsburg serves as a reminder of the danger posed by aging or damaged bridges. The bridge, over Powhatan Creek between Williamsburg and Jamestown, was struck by an unidentified boat on July 24, the National Park Service told The Virginian-Pilot...

Suffolk Crash Is Latest Small Plane Accident

Posted on August 04, 2009
When a small plane crashed on Deer Forest Road in southern Suffolk on Monday afternoon, its pilot and two passengers became the victims of the 14th general aviation accident in Virginia in the past 12 months. The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that only the pilot of the Mooney M20F four-seater, James Williams Beauchamp, suffered injuries requiring medical attention...

Victim in fatal Norfolk DUI crash had hopes to become a flight nurse

Posted on August 01, 2009
More details have emerged about one of the two people killed in a Norfolk (VA) crash a week ago. Lauren Kok, 22, was a nurse vacationing in Virginia Beach when she and three other passengers climbed into a BMW driven by an alleged drunk driver early July 25...

Norfolk (VA) motorcycle crash claims life

Posted on August 01, 2009
A motorcycle crash in Norfolk (VA) – the third fatal crash in the last week in Hampton Roads – left a Virginia Beach man dead from his injuries, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Christopher D. Harris, 25, was eastbound in the 500 block of International Terminal Boulevard in Norfolk when he lost control of his motorcycle, Norfolk police told the newspaper...

Two die in Norfolk (VA) crash; driver charged with DUI

Posted on July 31, 2009
A Norfolk (VA) man has been charged with drunken driving in the wake of a nighttime crash last weekend that killed two of his passengers, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Richard B. Freeman was allegedly speeding when he crashed his BMW into a tree on Granby Street, Norfolk police told the newspaper...

Airplane crash claims for U.S. citizens on domestic flights.

Posted on July 24, 2009
The modern world is a complex place. Almost everything we wear, eat, and use has been made somewhere else from components that came from yet more places. As the world grows more complex and more interdependent, the laws governing it will do so as well...

High-Speed Chase Ends With Crash in Newport News

Posted on July 16, 2009
The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that a high-speed chase that began in Chesapeake and roared through Norfolk just before midnight Tuesday ended after the driver being pursued for suspicion of drunk driving and kidnapping hit state police cruisers. Only the driver, whom police have not publicly identified, was injured, and only the police vehicles suffered damage...

Bus Driver Caught Reading While Operating City Vehicle

Posted on July 14, 2009
The bad news continues for public transportation in and around the D.C. area. After the worst D.C. Metro crash in history, which killed nine people and injured over 40, and two embarrassing videos displaying employees texting and falling asleep while operating Metro trains, new photos surfaced showing an employee reading while operating a bus...

DC Metro Worker Caught Texting While On the Job

Posted on July 09, 2009
If you thought the news surrounding DC Metro couldn't get any worse in the wake of a horrendous Metrorail crash, the most devastating in the city's history, you'd be mistaken. A DC Metro worker was caught texting while operating a Metro train, according to NBC Washington...

Night in the Hospital II: An Injury Lawyer?s Diagnosis

Posted on July 08, 2009
Why are preventable deaths and prolonged illnesses resulting from hospital neglect and malpractice more common during weekend and night shifts? As a Virginia medical negligence attorney, I think it is perhaps because many veteran employees prefer and have the seniority privilege of working during the day, which leaves the less experienced workers with the night hours...

A Patient?s Rights: Night in the Hospital

Posted on July 08, 2009
According to an article in Reader's Digest, fatal accidents in a hospital tend to be more common during late night shifts and weekends, leading to an increase in medical malpractice. Hospital neglect is an absolutely unnecessary reason why many patients have suffered from illnesses that could have otherwise been prevented...

Recalled Unsafe Products for Children Pose Risks of Injury or Death

Posted on July 08, 2009
If you're a new parent and have a young child, you're probably going to be in the market for a crib and, if you have or live near a pool, you'll want a baby float. During your research, be aware of Simplicity cribs and Aqua-Leisure baby floats. Both products were recalled due to major safety issues...

GM Aims to Shirk Responsibility with Current or Pending Lawsuits

Posted on July 01, 2009
General Motors Corp. is currently re-organizing itself and plans to emerge as a new company post-Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company will be aptly named 'New GM.' Unfortunately, this 'new' company is still utilizing old tactics to free itself from legal liability...

Fentanyl Patch Claims: A History of Death and a Dangerous Drug

Posted on June 30, 2009
Fentanyl, a drug approximately 100 times stronger than morphine, has been linked to many fatalities due to inappropriate use and medical error. Fentanyl, developed in 1959, is used to treat post-operative and chronic pain, and also used in clinical practice as a general anesthetic...

Veterans Affairs Centers Lack Proper Training to Perform Endoscopies and Other Common Procedures

Posted on June 29, 2009
When a member of the military visits a Veterans Affairs (VA) center to get a check-up, treatment, or procedure they put their trust in the employees of that center to be up-to-date and capable of performing basic medical tasks. Unfortunately, 57 percent of VA centers do not have standard operating guidelines or properly trained staff to perform endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies, according to the Associated Press...

Virginia Lawsuits Against Doctors and Hospitals for Medical Errors are not a Main Reason for High Health Insurance Costs

Posted on June 29, 2009
Anyone in Virginia Beach/Norfolk, Virginia (VA) who watches the news knows that the country has an extremely expensive medical system that doesn't always deliver quality care. In figuring out the solutions, some of the loudest voices are the lobbyists for the doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies who often try to blame injury lawyers and medical malpractice actions as the reason for 'defensive medicine' and higher healthcare costs...

Restaurants at Waterside Receive New Alcohol Permits, Could Increase Risk of Drunk Driving and Dangerous Behavior

Posted on June 28, 2009
Waterside is a popular market area in downtown Norfolk, Virginia (VA) that's been opened for 26 years. However, there has been a spike in raucous behavior – 258 calls for police assistance - and even a shooting in a Waterside parking garage, according to The Virginian-Pilot...

Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough Food Poisoning Connected to Virginia

Posted on June 27, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently inspected the Danville, Virginia (VA) factory which produced the Nestle Toll House cookie dough which contained E. coli, according to the Daily Press. The reports show a complete lack of compliance on the part of Nestle USA...

Blaming the Train Operator is Typical Initial Response to Disasters Like the D.C. Metro Train Crash

Posted on June 25, 2009
I am an injury lawyer in Virginia who specializes in railroad accidents and works with the national plaintiff's bar group, the AAJ, as their railroad law section chair, so I follow these kinds of metro train disasters closely. The city officials for the District of Columbia, the federal officials at the NTSB, and the officials from Metrorail have been relatively measured in saying who did what wrong to cause one Metro train with six cars to crash into and jump over the back of another on Monday, June 22, 2009...

Washington, DC Metro Opens $250,000 "Relief Fund" for Metro Crash Victims

Posted on June 24, 2009
The Washington, DC Metro Board of Directors decided to create a relief fund totaling $250,000 for victims to help cover medical expenses, funerals, and other financial needs, according to foxbaltimore.com. So far, nine people have been killed and over 50 people have been injured due to the Metro train accident, which occurred on June 22, 2009...

Death Toll Rises from DC Metro Train Crash

Posted on June 23, 2009
The number of casualties from the June 22, 2009 Washington, DC Metro crash is now officially up to 9. It is the worst accident in the 33-year history of the Metrorail system. When the DC Metro crash initially occurred, reports indicated four people died, but that number has steadily increased with further examination by police and other investigative agencies...

At least 6 Dead, 60 or More Injured in Washington, DC Area Metro Train Crash

Posted on June 22, 2009
Two Metro trains collided between the Takoma Park and Fort Totten Metro stations on the red line just outside Washington, DC, and there are at least 6 confirmed deaths and at least 60 or more people injured. Pictures and video from the scene show one of the Metro railroad train cars literally still situated partly on top of a partly crushed metro train that was stationary ahead as the collision was on above ground railroad track...

Coffee Grinder Recall: Starbucks Barista Blade Grinder and Seattle's Best Coffee Blade Grinder May Cause Injury

Posted on June 21, 2009
If you own a Starbucks Barista Blade Grinder or a Seattle's Best Coffee Blade Grinder, stop using the device immediately. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced these particular coffee grinders may turn on inadvertently or fail to turn off and injure a user...

Will Dangerous Ammonia Refrigeration Systems be Phased Out?

Posted on June 20, 2009
Every year ammonia refrigeration systems cause accidents and explosions in large commercial factories across the United States. Although large companies are aware of the risks of using ammonia refrigeration, it is very important that companies inform their workers of these risks as well...

Makers of Zicam Nasal Spray Deny Loss of Smell as Side Effect

Posted on June 19, 2009
Matrixx Corp., the makers of Zicam nasal spray, denied the allegations that their product caused a permanent loss of smell when taken by consumers. This denial came after settling multiple lawsuits worth millions of dollars for plaintiffs who stated they did indeed lose their sense of smell after taking Zicam...

Home and Car Invasions Are on the Rise - Tips to Keep You and Your Family Safe

Posted on June 18, 2009
Last week, a good friend of mine when out to her car in the early morning to retrieve her laptop and some work files from the trunk of her car. When she got there, she immediately realized that something was wrong – the map light in the passenger's side was on...

Experienced Injury Lawyers in a Navy/Military Town: Why Navy/Military Families Need Top Navy/Military Town Injury Lawyers

Posted on June 18, 2009
The Virginian-Pilot wrote about military members recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) due to battle-related injuries...and car accidents. In a Navy/Military area such as Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA) the chances of a military member getting in a car accident or simply suffering an injury is higher than other parts of the country...

Zicam Permanent Side Effects: Nasal Spray Causes Loss of Smell and Serious Injuries Due to Loss of Smell

Posted on June 18, 2009
If you're currently taking Zicam nasal spray or have taken Zicam nasal spray, consult your physician immediately. The FDA recently warned consumers about Zicam and its connection to a permanent side effect – the complete loss of smell, known clinically as anosmia...

Zicam nasal spray causes loss of smell

Posted on June 17, 2009
The FDA announced consumers should avoid the nasal spray Zicam due to the risk of permanent loss of smell. 130 people have reported losing their sense of smell after using Zicam products since 1999, according to MSNBC. Zicam is an over-the-counter product which contains zinc, an ingredient scientists say could potentially damage nerves in the nose needed for the sense of smell...

Heavy Metal Toxins Found in the Water Surrounding Chesapeake Golf Course Could Pose Risk to Residents

Posted on June 17, 2009
We've all heard the three rules of real estate: location, location, location! It's no wonder that homes on waterfront property or those nestled beside pristine golf courses sell for much higher than others of comparable square footage – it just feels better when the view from your front porch is tranquil, and most of us are willing to pay more for that feeling...

Sexual Assault in Nursing Home Highlights Need for Oversight

Posted on June 14, 2009
An inexcusable act occurred at the Chesapeake Health and Rehabilitation Center. Mark S. Albright, a licensed nurse working at the facility on the 600 block of Kingsborough Square in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) sexually assaulted a comatose woman. A nursing assistant witnessed Albright place his mouth on the woman's breast, but waited several minutes to report the incident, according to The Virginian-Pilot...

Less Independent Doctors Could Mean More Medical Mistakes

Posted on June 14, 2009
Medical errors are a leading cause of death and injury, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that roughly 44,000 to 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of medical errors...

Swine Flu Persists in Peninsula Area of Virginia

Posted on June 10, 2009
Schools in Newport News, Virginia (VA) recently reported three cases of the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as Swine Flu. The schools in question include Richneck Elementary on Tyner Drive and Mary Passage Middle School on Atkinson Way, according to the Daily Press...

Doctors Handling Independent Medical Exams May Be Sued For Wrongly Concluding No Medical Care Required

Posted on June 06, 2009
Doctors conducting medical evaluations or exams for medical-legal or forensic purposes are usually careful to place in the consent form that they are not providing actual medical care. These doctors do not want to be saddled with the patient-doctor relationship issues under state medical-legal requirements...

Hydroxycut Imitators Should Be Avoided

Posted on June 02, 2009
The FDA urged people to stop taking the popular weight loss product Hydroxycut due to a link with liver damage and one death, according to The Virginian-Pilot. You should also be on the lookout for knockoff Hydroxycut supplements. These imitators can use the same ingredients which could lead to the same devastating health effects as the original Hydroxycut...

Who's Regulating Who? Allied Terminals Tank Spill Sparks Discussion on Tank Regulations

Posted on May 29, 2009
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board held a news conference Wednesday to release its final report on the Nov. 12 tank collapse at Allied Terminals. They concluded that the collapse of a liquid fertilizer tank along the Elizabeth River was the perfect example why the inspection and maintenance of above-ground fertilizer tanks should be regulated by the state...

Accident Emphasizes Importance Of Seatbelts In Car Safety

Posted on May 29, 2009
Jacqueline Yarborough of Hampton, Virginia (VA) and Marion Benson of Chesapeake, Virginia (VA), were involved in a serious car accident on May 28, 2009 and had to be airlifted to the hospital from the accident site on I-664, according to the dailypress...

Man Pleads Not Guilty to DWI Charge, and Now Faces Homicide Charge

Posted on May 28, 2009
They say the third time is the charm. Blessings come in threes, right? Not so, for Matthew Ray Burch, 35, of New Kent, VA. He was charged with his third DWI in April, after a head-on collision that left 19-year-old Williamsburg resident Christopher Mellis dead just before midnight on April 10...

Allied At Fault For Fertilizer Tank Collapse

Posted on May 28, 2009
It's been determined by an independent federal agency that Allied was at fault for the 2008 fertilizer tank collapse which occurred at Allied Terminals in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) resulting in four people being injured. According to The Virginian-Pilot, the agency discovered a lack of proper post-welding inspection led to the collapse...

Social Networking Can Have Devastating Impact on Car Accident Cases in Virginia

Posted on May 26, 2009
I have become a fan of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter as a way to stay in touch with old school friends and help market my injury practice in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). The public needs to be aware of the harm that they can cause to themselves by using these sites to post sensitive or private information in the situation where they are involved in a serious injury lawsuit...

Workers Suffering From Brain Injuries Deserve Equal Compensation Rights

Posted on May 26, 2009
You're better off dying than suffering a brain injury in the state of Virginia (VA). This is the opinion shared by State Sen. Richard Stuart and many others, according to The Virginian-Pilot. A heart-wrenching example is Art Pierce, a truck driver who, in 2006, suffered a traumatic brain injury in Stafford, Virginia (VA)...

Chesapeake Water Supply Contaminated With Fly Ash

Posted on May 24, 2009
A legal battle persists between 400 residents of Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) and Dominion Power due to fly ash contaminating the water supply surrounding the Battlefield Golf Course. Dominion Power developed the golf course and used 1.5 million tons of fly ash as the foundation of the course, according to wvec...

Reglan Connected To Serious Movement Disorder

Posted on May 23, 2009
Studies show a link between the prescription drug Reglan and a very serious movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia, according to the FDA. The symptoms for this disorder are almost never reversible and there is no known treatment available. Reglan is commonly used to help treat acid reflux and GI Ulcer symptoms...

Chinese-made Drywall is a Major Health Hazard

Posted on May 20, 2009
<p>U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye (D) of Norfolk, Virginia (VA) visited families driven out of their homes by toxic Chinese-made drywall, <a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2009/05/nye-meets-homeowners-affected-chinese-drywall">according to The Virginian-Pilot</a>...

Has Swine Flu Made its Way to Hampton Roads Schools?

Posted on May 20, 2009
Unless you've been living under a rock on a moon in another galaxy, you've heard about the mania swine flu has been causing lately. Until recently, you may have thought it couldn't affect you. Think again. David Trump, acting director of the Norfolk Department of Public Health, announced early last week that Norfolk's first probable case of swine flu showed up at East Beach Montessori School...

Military Must to be Held Accountable for Medical Malpractice

Posted on May 18, 2009
Tech Sgt. Connie Wilson gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia (VA). Twelve hours later, she was dead. The circumstances leading up to her death indicate a level of negligence by the doctors who delivered Connie's child...

Hail, Pouring Rain and Giant Puddles on Interstate 64 (I-64) in Norfolk, Virginia

Posted on May 07, 2009
As a personal injury lawyer practicing in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), I constantly am thinking about car wrecks as I drive around the Hampton Roads area. I was driving recently on the highway from Norfolk to Virginia Beach, near the Norview exit, when out of nowhere there is torrential rain and then it quickly turns to hail...

Unique Virginia (VA) Government Setup for Cities and Counties Affects Injury Cases

Posted on May 07, 2009
Virginia is the only state in the country that has a system where cities are not also considered within counties. For example, the City of Norfolk is not within any county. There is no Norfolk County. So, as a personal injury lawyer filing a car crash wrongful death suit in Virginia if it happened in Virginia Beach, I file in the Circuit Court for the City of Virginia Beach...

Fog, Rain or Ice Can Result in Car Wrecks and Death

Posted on May 02, 2009
Difficult weather and road conditions can contribute to major collisions on the highways in Virginia and leave drivers and passengers dead on the roadway. Every day there are serious automobile accidents with fatalities on Virginia (VA) highways as I am aware of having practiced personal injury and wrongful death law for over 25 years...

Plane Crash Destroys Home

Posted on May 02, 2009
A small plane crashed into a house shortly after taking off from Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, Friday morning, April 17, 2009. The crash virtually sliced a vacant home down the middle into two charred pieces. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane, believed to be a twin engine Cessna 421, crashed around 11:20 a...

Arm Amputation Is The Kind Of Serious Injury Leading To Landmark Cases

Posted on April 19, 2009
The loss of an arm is the kind of damage that cries out for justice when caused by a negligent company or doctor. Other than paraplegia, quadriplegia or death there are not many injuries that are more tragic than the unnecessary loss of a limb because of someone else's mistake...

Man is thrown from motorcycle and dies in Norfolk, Virginia accident

Posted on April 03, 2009
Around 6pm on April 3, 2009 a man riding a motorcycle on East Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk, VA ran into a car. The car was attempting to make a left turn and upon impact the motorcycle driver was thrown from the bike. WVEC 13 News reported the motorcycle driver was pronounced dead at the scene...

West Virginia (WV) Supreme Court Reinstates Railroad Engineer's Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Suit, Ruling Railroad's Release Of Claims Was Void

Posted on March 22, 2009
West Virginia Supreme Court Reinstates Railroad Engineer's Mesothelioma Wrongful Death Suit, Ruling Railroad's Release Of Claims Was Void The West Virginia Supreme Court reversed a summary judgment ruling in favor of Norfolk Southern Railway Co., and reinstated a Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA) mesothelioma wrongful death claim of his widow, Freda Ratliff, in a 5-0 decision handed down on March 12, 2009 (Ratliff v...

Scuba Diving Accidents & Product Recall: Know Your Equipment and Your Dive/Sports Companies

Posted on March 19, 2009
Recently Silent Diving Systems made a voluntary recall on their Crimped Low Pressure Diving Hoses. The reason for the recall was due to the possibility that diving hoses may have been made without crimps which can allow gas to leak or water to enter into the re-breather unit of the scuba diving equipment, posing a drowning hazard to the diver...

Bankruptcy and Your Virginia Car Accident Case

Posted on March 12, 2009
If you were injured in a car wreck in Virginia, what happens if you have to go into bankruptcy because of the financial strain on your family? What effect does a bankruptcy have on the value of your injury case? Do you need to tell the bankruptcy court about the car crash case? Do you get to keep the money for the injuries even though you have had to file bankruptcy? The basic answers to these legal questions are addressed in a 'frequently asked question (FAQ)' item on our law firm's web site...

Car Cell Phone Use as Dangerous as Drunk Driving

Posted on March 09, 2009
If the driver who struck your car with his pickup truck was talking on the cell phone causing your wife to be hospitalized, it is just as if he was driving while intoxicated. As a Virginia injury attorney, I follow the studies about cell phone use in automobiles which show that drivers talking, even on a hands free device, are driving with only half of their brain...

Diagnostic Mistakes Do Happen at Virginia Hospitals

Posted on March 09, 2009
My law partner John Cooper wrote an interesting piece about misdiagnosis at emergency rooms. Although our area is blessed with many great hospitals, including Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD), Sentara Norfolk General, Sentara Leigh and Portsmouth Maryview Medical Center, emergency rooms are more prone than other types of healthcare settings for misdiagnosis resulting in catastrophic injury...

Severe Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Posted on March 09, 2009
I am a baby boomer lawyer and love to be on the road in my daily commute from the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina to my law office in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). There are a lot of people my age who have taken up motorcycling for fun to enjoy the pleasure of the open road...

Virginia Beach Woman's Family Recovers Nominal Damages for Wrongful Death/ Negligent Homicide against German Government Official in Skiing Death Case

Posted on March 05, 2009

Kansas Jury Awards $23 Million To Family Members in Trucking Accident

Posted on February 15, 2009
A Kansas jury awarded $23.5 million to a husband and wife for injuries they suffered in a truck/semi-trailer accident that arose in New Mexico (involving their tractor trailer struck by a second truck operated by Robin Getchell). The actual verdict was reduced because the judge found the truck driverwith Swift Transportation was liable for 65% of the total fault of the accident...

Consumers Suffering Peanut Butter Salmonella Poisoning or Death Still Have Valid Claims Despite Bankruptcy Filing By Peanut Corporation

Posted on February 15, 2009
Consumers and/or persons suffering peanut butter related illness or wrongful death still have valid personal injury claims despite the bankruptcy filing of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Most food companies have liability insurance to protect them from liability claims for food poisoning (or wrongful death from food contamination) such as peanut butter related Salmonella poisoning that is involved in the recent outbreak...

Recovery of Colorado Airplane Crash Victims Delayed Until the Spring

Posted on February 06, 2009
My law partner James Lewis wrote an article on a Canadian couple that were killed in a plane crash in the Colorado Mountains. According to an article on FoxNews.com, Costilla County officials say the bodies of 67-year-old Gerrit Maureau of Calgary and his 65-year-old wife, Sheila Malm, will be recovered when it is safe to send a recovery team to Vermejo Peak...

Mediation is Key to Best Outcomes in Virginia (VA) Wrongful Death Cases

Posted on January 24, 2009
The handling of a wrongful death case in Virginia or any state is one of the hardest kinds of cases that a personal injury lawyer is called upon to handle. The need to really get to know your client by visiting the family home and perhaps going to the gravesite of their deceased loved one is critical to understanding and being able to present the losses and grief caused by someone else’s fault...

Wrongful Death Cases and Family Stress

Posted on January 23, 2009
When our law firm handles a wrongful death matter in a car accident case in Virginia (VA), North Carolina (NC) or elsewhere, we try to not only do a great job at getting the most money we can from the insurance company, but also helping the survivors to cope with the emotional toll that the situation has put the family into when someone has been killed as the result of the fault of another driver...

Virginia Has Special Medical Malpractice Law on Retained Surgical Towels

Posted on January 22, 2009
The law of Virginia (VA) related to lawsuits against hospitals or doctors for leaving a foreign object like a surgical towel in your body after an operation has a special discovery rule that gives the patient one year to bring the claim forward after realizing that the surgical sponge or towel has been left in their body...

Obama Administration Quickly Halts Effect of Bush Administration Pending Regulations That Snuff Out State Civil/Tort Remedies

Posted on January 21, 2009
One of the first official acts of the Obama administration was to halt the effect of any “last minute” Bush administration “corporate protection” regulations that would wipe out consumer rights to pursue state court lawsuits...

Hampton Roads Car Accident Lawyers Need Multi-State Skills

Posted on January 19, 2009
As a personal injury lawyer in southeastern Virginia (VA), you often face issues of car accident and insurance law that involve more than one state at a time. First, we have the North Carolina (NC) border which touches the cities of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk, Virginia (VA)...

Farm Trucks Can Cause Serious Injuries

Posted on January 18, 2009
My law partner, John Cooper, an experienced automobile accident lawyer, makes a good point in an article he recently wrote about wrecks involving farming equipment in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Some trucks and motor vehicles used by farmers on the regular highways and roads are not kept in the best condition...

$500,000.00 settlement in bar/nightclub case in Norfolk, Virginia

Posted on January 16, 2009
I recently settled a case against a bar/nightclub in Norfolk, Virginia for $500,000.00. Check out the full article below. http://www.hsinjurylaw.com/case-results-detail.cfm?id=2597Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Emily Mapp Brannon

Tragic Car Wreck Takes Life of ODU Football Player

Posted on January 16, 2009
In my hometown of Norfolk, Virginia (VA), the excitement about Old Dominion University and its new football program is mixed with serious sadness over the death in a car accident of Monarch player Osric Robinson. On December 12, 2008, the junior linebacker was killed on the road near his home in Alma, Georgia (GA)...

Virginia State Bar Does Not Demand Lawyers Have Malpractice Insurance

Posted on January 15, 2009
Your Virginia (VA) injury lawyer does not have to have liability insurance to cover you if he makes professional errors on your case. I know this sad fact from an article in Virginia Lawyers Weekly reporting on a decision not to make lawyer malpractice insurance mandatory here in Virginia...

Please Read a New Posting by My Law Partner John Cooper About the Top Three Reasons to Hire a Virginia Injury Lawyer for Your Serious Car Wreck Case

Posted on January 14, 2009
This new, interesting item explains some of the best reasons why you should consider hiring an experienced accident lawyer to help you in dealing with the insurance companies after a motor vehicle accident. Whether your crash involved a motorcycle, a truck or walking around as a pedestrian, it is crazy to go it alone without the professional legal help necessary to win fair compensation...

Three Best Reasons to Hire an Experienced Lawyer for Your Virginia Car Accident Claim

Posted on January 14, 2009
In my 20 years of handling automobile accident and insurance claims for injured persons in Virginia, I have come to realize the main reasons why a person should hire a specialized injury lawyer, if they or if someone in their family is seriously hurt in a car...

The High Rise Bridge in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) is a Scary Place for a Car Accident

Posted on January 14, 2009
Anyone who drives around Hampton Roads, Virginia has probably crossed the high rise bridge on Interstate 64 (I-64) near the intersection of the highway with Route 17, Deep Creek/Portsmouth exit. Traffic often backs up on this part of the highway for commuters coming from Suffolk toward Virginia Beach or people headed from Norfolk to Route 58 toward Emporia or 460 toward Petersburg...

Railroads Try New End Run Around FELA Jury Verdicts: Motions For Verdict Offset Due To Railroad Retirement Collateral Source Payments

Posted on January 07, 2009
The new strategy for railroads in railroad worker personal injury cases (FELA cases), is to try to reduce the sums juries are requiring them to pay by filing legal motions that ask judges to give them a "setoff" or "credit" for the amount of money the railroad has paid to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) for the employer's portion of RRB Tier II benefits (paid in the past by the railroad to the RRB)...

Personal Injury Law: Hospitals and Clinics Hit With Increased Infection Injury Malpractice Cases-The Standards Are Rising

Posted on January 03, 2009
Personal Injury Lawsuits: Hospitals and Clinics Adjust To Increase in Infection Injury Malpractice Cases Medical malpractice lawsuits are on the rise against hospital and other clinics for victims of serious or life-threatening infections-infections that could have been prevented...

Car or Truck Personal Injury Accidents: Never Overlook The Separate Insurance on the Trailer Towed Behind The Primary Vehicle

Posted on December 25, 2008
In Trailer/Towed Vehicle Accidental Injury Case, The Separate Insurance on the Trailer Behind The Primary Vehicle May Provide Further Insurance Coverage The question a personal injury lawyer must investigate is exactly how many possible insurance sources apply to provide full compensation for a client who suffers personal injury or a wrongful death, especially if any trailer was being towed and was involved-whether being used by the victim, or the negligent driver...

Personal Injury Or Death Caused By Drunk Driving/DUI/DWI in VA,WV,NC,SC

Posted on December 23, 2008
I posted a series of articles on our law firm's home website, exploring Virginia (VA), West Virginia (WV) and North/South Carolina (NC/SC) personal injury or wrongful death car accident cases where the damage is caused by a drunk driver/drunk driving/DUI/DWI...

Why Families Need Personal Injury Lawyers-Another Medical Error Horror Story

Posted on December 19, 2008
There has been a recent trial verdict report out of North Carolina by some fine personal injury/medical malpractice lawyers who represented an 11-year-old named Kaleb Davis and his family. Davis suffered an injury when a tree limb fell suddenly on his left shoulder...

2 Million Dollar FELA Verdict For Railroad Engineer Against CSX: Improperly Mounted Seats/Seatbacks and Repetitive Rough Couplings

Posted on November 21, 2008
Pennsylvania FELA attorneys Mike Olley and David Lockard reported an important FELA personal injury verdict in favor of railroad engineer that was returned May 2008, in Philadelphia state court in a case called Lockley v. CSX. Lockley, age 53, had been a yard railroad engineer for about 33 years and complained that he had been subjected to multiple rough couplings of train cars, which caused stress on his cervical spine...

Commercial Trucks Can Cause Serious Injury, So Are Required to Have Large Insurance Policies

Posted on October 17, 2008
The tractor trailers which haul so much of the products to stores in Virginia (VA) and throughout the United States are everywhere in our cities and towns, and especially on the major highways like Interstate 64 (I 64), Interstate 95 (I 95), and Interstate 81 (I 81) which are the major arteries in Virginia (VA) headed to neighboring states like North Carolina (NC), West Virginia (WV), Maryland (MD), and the District of Columbia (DC)...

Interstate 64 (I64) is Often the Scene of Car Accidents Says Norfolk, Virginia (VA) Lawyer, John Cooper

Posted on October 09, 2008
The variable speed of traffic on the highway, going from 70 miles per hour down to 25 miles per hour or stopping for no apparent reason, is often the cause of car crashes. Drivers may not be paying enough attention to be ready to react to the sudden slow down of other vehicles...

One of our own attorneys featured in Virginia Lawyers Weekly, again!

Posted on September 16, 2008
As a lawyer in a firm of seasoned attorneys, I always take pride when one of my colleagues is featured in the Virginia Lawyers Weekly for a noteworthy case. This week, Virginia Lawyers Weekly published a summary of attorney Rick Shapiro's $1,500,000...

Liability of nightclub/bars for drunken patrons

Posted on September 16, 2008
As a busy Virginia personal injury attorney, I was recently pondering about a case I have against a Norfolk nightclub/bar. Here is the scenario. My client is in the bar minding his own business when he is struck by a glass being thrown at someone else...

FELA Attorney, John Cooper, Wrote Recent Article About Remote Control Operations (RCO) of Freight Trains.

Posted on September 08, 2008
Have you ever heard of a freight train going down the tracks with no one in the engine compartment of the locomotive? A train with no engineer sounds like a headless horseman. Unfortunately, that nightmare has come true as the major railroads have started using a device called a remote control unit to run the hundreds of tons of locomotive engines and cars as if they were a child's toy...

Virginian Pilot Headline Screams "Woman Dies in Motorcycle Accident on I-64"

Posted on August 13, 2008
Police out of Norfolk, Virginia (VA) are looking into why the woman on the motorcycle got thrown from the bike and hit by a car. The tragedy of this lady's death was shocking, even to me as a veteran personal injury attorney in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA)...

John Cooper Elected as Chair of the Railroad Law Section

Posted on July 24, 2008
John M. Cooper of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton in Virginia Beach has been elected to a one year term (2008-2009) as Chair of the Railroad Law Section of the American Association for Justice during AAJ's 62nd annual convention in Philadelphia, PA...

Saving Gas with a National Speed Limit?

Posted on July 24, 2008
Senator John Warner (R-VA) recently proposed to Congress that they should consider implementing a national speed limit in order to curb gasoline consumption and lower gas prices. Senator Warner points to studies that show that a national 55 mph speed limit saved not only 167,000 barrels of oil a day, but avoided 4,000 traffic deaths a year...

Amusement Parks and Lawsuits

Posted on July 22, 2008
As a parent and an injury lawyer, I am amazed and scared by the threats posed to the public at theme parks. On June 29th, 2008, a 17 year old boy climbed two six foot fences and strolled into a restricted area at a Six Flags in Georgia where he was decapitated ( his head was cut off ) by a roller coaster called Batman...

CSX Stock Up 58% Because of Mismanagement?

Posted on June 30, 2008
All the railroad stocks have done well in recent years, the stock of CSXT may have increased not just because of increase in freight and the higher cost of gasoline but also because of the weakness of its management team. I read in a newspaper article how the large institutional investors like pensions have been raising the price of CSX in part because there may be so much room for improvement if they could get better management...

John Cooper to Speak at Upcoming Personal Injury Seminar

Posted on June 27, 2008
Seminar: Preparing and Trying the Bodily Injury Case sponsored by National Business Institute When: September 25, 2008 at 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Where: Holiday Inn Executive Center , 5655 Greenwich Road , Virginia Beach , VA 23462, Phone 757-499-4400 Registering: www...

New Virginia Law Gives Car Insurance Limits Information

Posted on June 25, 2008
As a personal injury lawyer practicing throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia in the area of automobile accident law, I make sure to stay informed about any new laws related to car crashes and automobile insurance. I recently went to a Virginia Beach Bar Association meeting where they provide an update on what new laws were passed by the Virginia General Assembly for 2008...

Interstate Buckle In Virginia (VA) Causes Motorcycle Crash

Posted on June 13, 2008
Authored By: John M. Cooper and Guest Author, Amanda Turner, Intern In Norfolk, Virginia (VA) on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:50 pm a part of I-64, the main interstate highway, buckled, possibly due to the heat which reached 101�F according to weather...

Are Government Subsidies to Railroads Serving The Public Interest?

Posted on April 11, 2008
The nation freight railroads such as CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS) are posting healthy profits, but should state and federal governments be paying Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads for infrastructure improvements or for benefits that the railroads will reap privately? Gregory Richards, of the Virginian Pilot, based in Norfolk, Virginia near Norfolk Southern's headquarters, recently published a thoughtful analysis on the public benefit vs...

Women Awarded $7.5 Million From Norfolk for Son Who Was Hit by City Truck

Posted on February 06, 2008
The city of Norfolk is awarding a woman $7.5 million because her son was hit by a truck which was driven by an employee of the city. The circuit judge hearing the case must approve the settlement so the case is scheduled to go to trial next week. Council approval isn't necessary but the judge sought approval anyway...

DRIVERS ON CELL PHONES SLOW YOU DOWN

Posted on January 18, 2008
Authored by: Randall Appleton As a personal injury lawyer with a long commute from Nags Head, NC to Virginia Beach, VA each day, I was amazed at some news about cars and cell phones in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper. Recent studies have indicated that drivers talking on cell phones are making commutes longer...

Malpractice Settlements Not a Lottery for Injured Plaintiffs

Posted on December 03, 2007
Authored by: James C. Lewis A recent study, "What We Know About Malpractice Settlements," which appeared in the Iowa Law Review establishes that the likelihood of payment in a malpractice claim against a negligent physician and the amount paid to the injured patient by that negligent physician was "closely related to the merits of the underlying claim of medical negligence...

Nursing Homes Bow to Big Money

Posted on October 04, 2007
Authored by: John M. Cooper A disturbing trend is emerging across the county regarding the quality of care and treatment that nursing home residents are receiving from nursing home operators. This trend involves the purchase, by wealthy investors, of numerous nursing homes...

Virginia (VA) Cities May Be Responsible For Injuries

Posted on September 18, 2007
Authored by: John M. Cooper As a personal injury attorney practicing in Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA), I am all too aware of the special rules that apply to injuries caused by a city employee.

Stunt Plane Pilot Crashes and Dies Before Air Show

Posted on September 08, 2007
On Friday, September 7, a stunt plane crashed just hours before an air show. The pilot was practicing his stunts when the plane crashed; the pilot did not survive. Jan Wildbergh, the flight leader with the Skytypers Air Show Team, died following the crash at the Oceana Naval Air Station...

Bunk Beds Recalled Due to Collapse Hazard

Posted on September 04, 2007
d-Scan Inc., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 500 Jubee Bunk Beds because the upper bunk may collapse on top of the lower bunk which could seriously injure or kill consumers. The recalled bunk beds do not comply with federal safety standards and have wooden side slat supports that can separate from the bed frame causing the upper bunk to collapse...

One Woman Is Dead After A Collision With A Mack Truck

Posted on August 23, 2007
Authored by: John Cooper The driver of a Toyota Camry was confirmed dead at the scene by Norfolk, Virginia (VA) police officers Monday morning after her car collided with a Mack truck hauling dirt.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers for Injured People Need To Learn Simplicity

Posted on August 02, 2007
The lawyers in my law firm Hajek, Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis and Appleton exclusively handle injury and wrongful death cases and only do them on behalf of the injured people and families never the insurance companies.

Florida Lawyer Brings Class Action Against UnitedHealthcare

Posted on July 25, 2007
Attorney Joe Saunders, of Pinellas County, filed a class action suit against UnitedHealthcare yesterday. The lawsuit accuses UnitedHealthcare of Florida of misrepresentation and fraudulently marketing some of their health care plans.

Fairfax, Virginia (VA) Man Paralyzed for Life in Accident

Posted on July 11, 2007
According to a published article in the Virginia Lawyers Weekly, on December 27, 2005 at 3:45 am, Jerome Stewart of Fairfax County, Virginia (VA) was in an accident that left him a quadriplegic.