Popular Diet Drug Linked to Liver Damage – FDA Recalls Hydroxycut

Author: Attorney Jason W. Konvicka

Attorney Jason W. Konvicka

On May 1, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued a warning letter recommending that consumers immediately stop using the popular weight loss supplement Hydroxycut. In addition, the FDA requested that Iovate Health Sciences, Inc., the manufacturer of Hydroxycut, recall various versions of the product completely from the marketplace. The warning letter by the FDA was in response to reports of serious health problems experienced… [ read more ]

Auto Insurance – The Coverages You Should Have BEFORE You Are Involved In An Accident

Author: Attorney P. Christopher Guedri

Attorney P. Christopher Guedri

As a lawyer who specializes in the handling of personal injury claims, I often encounter clients that have been injured in serious motor vehicle accidents. Over the years, I have found that many clients don’t know what types of coverage they have on their vehicles, the amount of the coverage they purchased, or how the… [ read more ]

Premises Liability: The Duties of a Store or Business Owner

Safety is a Legal Responsibility

Author: Attorney R. Clayton Allen

Attorney R. Clayton Allen

In the law, civil responsibility for one’s actions is based on violating a duty. The duty can be created by a statute or by the common law. Statutes are written laws enacted by the legislature. The common law is the body of law that has been created over time based on… [ read more ]

Stop Texting and Keep Your Eyes On the Road – It’s Soon To Be the Law

Attorney J. David Douthit

Author: Attorney J. David Douthit

Distracted drivers. We’ve all seen them, doing things like talking on a cell phone, adjusting the radio, or reading the newspaper. Maybe we’ve even been one of them. In its most recent session, the Virginia General Assembly decided to take action against one form of distracted driving: drivers who are texting while driving.

Effective July 1, 2009,… [ read more ]

Head Injuries – You Can’t Be Too Cautious

Attorney Courtney Van Winkle

Author: Attorney Courtney Van Winkle

The caller ID on my cell phone showed the call was coming from the middle school. It was only 1 o’clock in the afternoon and my heart skipped a beat. I stepped out of a meeting to retrieve the call. As soon as I heard the nurse’s voice, my son’s name and the words head… [ read more ]

Don’t Let The Insurance Company Pressure You Into Settling By Signing a Release Too Early

Article by Bree King & Attorney Melinda H. South

Bree King, Claims Consultant

Attorney Melinda H. South

Recently I received a call from a young man who had signed a Release to settle his personal injury claim. He wanted to know if he had any recourse. It turns out he had signed a Release only three weeks after his motor vehicle accident even though he was still in pain. He… [ read more ]

Defamation Liability and the case of Vicki Iseman v. The New York Times – A Recap

Attorney W. Coleman Allen, Jr.

Author: Attorney W. Coleman Allen, Jr.

The tort of defamation occurs when an individual, corporation or media outlet negligently publishes a false statement concerning a private individual, or in the case of a public figure, publishes a false statement with malice. The higher standard that must be met with regard to a public figure reflects the court’s efforts to balance the… [ read more ]

Damages Cap Now on Tap – A VA Lawyers Weekly Article

Attorney Malcolm P. McConnell

Article Summary by Attorney Malcolm P. McConnell

In Virginia, there is no justice for catastrophically injured victims of medical malpractice. Since 1976, their inalienable rights as American citizens to trial by jury and to equal justice under the law have been stripped from them for no better reason than to keep insurance companies profitable. Meanwhile, insurance companies charge higher and higher premiums to doctors, blaming victims’ lawyers and American citizens who… [ read more ]

What is Tort Law?

Attorney Melinda H. South

By Attorney Melinda H. South

A tort is a wrongful act resulting in injury or damages, for which the civil law provides that the injured person (or the person suffering damages) may seek recovery from the person who caused the injury. The person or “party” who suffers harm from the wrongful conduct of another is known as the plaintiff or… [ read more ]

What is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

Attorney Charles Littlepage Allen

By Attorney Charles L. Allen

“What is my case worth?” I am often asked this question by clients when I am first getting to know them. The simple answer is this; whatever a jury says it is worth.

Some people with personal injury claims are surprised to find out that they are not automatically entitled to a… [ read more ]