Legal

This section highlights updates on Virginia laws, important court rulings, and consumer protection issues. We also analyze how state and local legal developments impact individuals and families. From new legislation to high-profile cases, our goal is to keep readers aware of how the legal system shapes life across Virginia.

NFL Brain Injury Settlement May Be in Jeopardy

A much anticipated 765 million dollar concussion settlement between the NFL and retired players was denied by federal judge Anita Brody, citing skepticism about the setlement amount and its ability to pay for victims’ injuries over their projected lifetime. “It is difficult to see how…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 20 Feb 2014

AT&T Sued For Retaliating Against Injured Workers

We’ve previously discussed how some employers, especially those in the railroad industry, have been known to take action against employees who were either injured on the job or who have come forward with worries about workplace safety. We’d like to believe these cases are isolated…

By Randy Appleton

/ 19 Feb 2014

West Virginia Residents Warned They May Be Inhaling Formaldehyde During Showers

A recent article by the Associated Press discussed how a state official from West Virginia has come forward to warn residents of the state that they may be breathing in a dangerous carcinogen while taking an otherwise ordinary shower. The news came during a briefing…

By Jim Lewis

/ 7 Feb 2014

Two Successive Judges Reversed by Appeals Court For Failing to Honor Jury’s FELA 8.6 Million Verdict

After a myriad of appeals, the tides of justice are finally turning in favor of a plaintiff whose case was decided by a Tennessee jury back in 2010. The case is Payne v. CSX Transportation Inc., No. E2012-02392-COA-R3-CV, 2013 WL 6857947 (Tenn. Ct. App. Dec. 27, 2013). Rick…

By Patrick Austin

/ 4 Feb 2014

Distracted Driving Claims Another Victim in Virginia

A 22-year-old man was killed in a single-vehicle accident in Southampton, Virginia and it appears this tragic accident was the result of distracted driving. Eye witnesses reported to police that the driver was swerving and driving recklessly while using a handheld device. Investigators ruled out sp

By Richard Shapiro

/ 30 Dec 2013

Justice May Finally Be Served Upon the Spoiled, Reckless Rich Kid Who Killed Four People in a Car Wreck

Affluenza. This phrase is now making its way into the public lexicon because of a tragic car wreck caused by an intoxicated 16-year-old boy who hailed from a well-to-do family. The wreck resulted in four victims losing their lives and nine people suffering serious injuries,…

By Patrick Austin

/ 19 Dec 2013

Proposed Changes to Legal Rules Unfairly Benefit Corporations

Corporations rule, and the American public may be at risk. Washington, DC – President Burton LeBlanc, of the American Association for Justice, alongside other top justice advocates, testified this past November 7, 2013, in opposition of the proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. T

By Richard Shapiro

/ 2 Dec 2013

Despite New Law, Many Drivers Continue to Put Their Lives at Risk and Text and Drive

Eight in 10 crashes in Virginia occur because of distracted driving, many of those involve a cell phone, according to DriveSmartVA.org. In Virginia, there is a law banning texting while driving. Since its passage, an estimated 328 motorists have been cited. The new law makes texting while driving…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 15 Nov 2013

Pediatric Group Says Some Concussions Could Require Time Away From School

Though it is now widely understood that any student athlete who suffers a head injury should be kept off the playing field until a doctor has cleared them to return, it was never investigated whether the same logic should apply to other activities such as…

By Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

/ 14 Nov 2013

The Company You Keep – How Ethics and Results Impact Which Virginia Personal Lawyer a Client Hires

Let’s be honest, personal injury lawyers don’t have a great reputation. As a practicing Virginia personal injury attorney for over 20 years, I’ve learned that the best way to overcome inaccurate stereotypes about personal injury attorneys in this field is to simply focus on representing…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 13 Nov 2013

Safe Haul Act: Raising Insurance Minimum for Tractor-Trailer Injuries

Anyone who has ever traveled on the interstate has at one point or another driven lane to lane with a tractor-trailer. These massive vehicles tower above passenger cars and drivers have a right to be cautious and wary. The average passenger car weighs only 3,250…

By Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

/ 2 Nov 2013

New Survey Reveals Financial Harm Caused By Asbestos Exposure

A recent study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine has noted the disastrous consequences of asbestos exposure on the American workforce. The research, conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, discovered that between 1999 and 2010, more than 427,000

By Legal Examiner Staffer

/ 30 Oct 2013