Latest | Virginia Beach Legal Examiner

Potential Jury Tampering Under Review After Plaintiff's Big Texas Vioxx Verdict

A Texas jury delivered a $32 million verdict against the makers of Vioxx. Now attorneys firm Merck want to obtain bank and cell phone records because one of the juror’s had just paid off a $10,000 loan from one of the plaintiffs that was a party to the case. According to an article in Lawyers Weekly

By Richard Shapiro

/ 21 Sep 2006

Are Damages Recovered In A Personal Injury Case Taxable When Paid?

We are often asked by our clients if the proceeds or damages from a personal injury case settlement are taxable. The general answer is that personal injury settlement proceeds are not taxable on their receipt by the taxpayer/client. There are some important exceptions.It is fair to say that a genera

By Richard Shapiro

/ 20 Sep 2006

New Rules On Black Boxes In Cars Enacted

Car manufacturers will be required to tell new car buyers when their car is equipped with a black box or “event data recorder” under new regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The formal description for the black box is “event data recorder” -which is any electroni

By Richard Shapiro

/ 19 Sep 2006

Motorcycle Safety Update: Some New Motorcycles May Include Airbags

Honda Motor Company recently announced that it is going to offer an airbag on one of its expensive Honda Gold Wing motorcycles for the next model year. Likewise, Yamaha Motor Corporation is developing an airbag system and is using a scooter with the airbags to research and develop the potential prod

By Richard Shapiro

/ 19 Sep 2006

Seeing "Both Sides" Of Product Safety-As Injury Lawyer and Inventor/Designer of Products

I don’t know how many product liability injury lawyers also are inventors in the United States, but I suspect it’s a tiny number, or maybe just me alone. Beginning in 1999, I filed my first patent application for a new type of folding wheel axle for typical wagons and carts which allows them to fold

By Richard Shapiro

/ 13 Sep 2006

Optional "Medical Expense" Auto Insurance-Why Its Good Coverage To Get

Many states, including Virginia, allow insurance agents to offer optional “medical expense benefits” along with a standard auto insurance policy. This coverage (“med pay” for short) provides for payment of 100% of any medical bills (up to the coverage amount, usually 1,000 to 10,000 dollars per cove

By Richard Shapiro

/ 9 Sep 2006

When Railroads Take Police & Legislators on Train Ride, Is It Really About Safety, Or About Their Liability?

There was a recent article in the local newspaper concerning Norfolk Southern Railway Company conducting a special train ride carrying one hundred people in two passenger cars behind a locomotive, to help these people understand rail safety and the dangers of railroad crossings. However, Norfolk Sou

By Richard Shapiro

/ 8 Sep 2006

Dog Bite Injury Laws Changed In Virginia

People have a strange attitude about a dog bite injury case, but there happen to be lots of dogs in our society and unfortunately people do get attacked or bit by dogs and some of the injuries can be fairly serious-many cause permanent scars. Virginia happens to follow the common law rule known as t

By Richard Shapiro

/ 7 Sep 2006

3.5 Million Verdict For Brain Damage After Botched Gastric Bypass

A jury recently awarded a 3.5 million dollar verdict in Fredericksburg Circuit Court to a plaintiff who underwent gastric bypass surgery (stomach staple surgery) and suffered brain damage. One doctor, President of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, testified that a leak from the plaintiff’s

By Richard Shapiro

/ 6 Sep 2006

Standing Her Ground Pays Off Against Allstate

By James C. Lewis, HSCLA Attorney One of the clients of our firm was recently involved in an automobile collision which resulted in personal injuries to her. She had the nerve to stand her ground against Allstate’s low and unfair offer–and we achieved a nice victory for her. The careless defendant r

By Richard Shapiro

/ 22 Jul 2006

Is the Tide Turning?

BY JAMES C. LEWIS, HSCLA ATTORNEY During the last five years, we have seen a dramatic surge in the passage of legislation that is intended to deprive victims of medical mistakes by the health care community from receiving full and fair consideration. These efforts have included capping victims’ righ

By Richard Shapiro

/ 21 Jul 2006

Working Carefully With Doctor's Treating Injured Clients Makes A Difference

By: John Cooper, HSCLA attorneyOne of the key things in any injury case is working with experts. The primary expert in any injury case is the treating doctor; typically, a specialist, like an orthopaedist or a neurosurgeon. Good communication between the attorney and the treating doctor is key to su

By Richard Shapiro

/ 7 Jul 2006