A storekeeper seaman in the U.S. Navy was participating in a training exercise on the James River in Virginia (VA) when a barge hit his boat and dragged him underwater into the barge’s propeller.
The family of the naval officer probably realized that this boat accident was not just some random occurrence. If proper precautions had been taken, maybe this tragedy could have been averted. They decided to file a wrongful death claim against Vulcan Materials, the company that owned the barge, and the federal government. After a five-day trial, the court awarded $1.25 million in damages to the family, which included the naval officer’s parents and siblings, according to allbusiness.com.
Congratulations to the attorney, Mike Imprevento, who represented the naval officer in this lawsuit. Wrongful death claims can be extremely difficult since they routinely involve emotionally distraught loved ones and defendants looking to avoid to deny liability.
Our firm has handled numerous wrongful death accident claims so we fully appreciate these challenges and are pleased when a court sides in favor of the family who is seeking justice for the sudden, unexpected loss of a loved one.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers. PA
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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