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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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 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: 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
Have you ever noticed that during some interesting cell phone conversations (while you are driving your car!) that you forget your speed? Or that those bright green, yellow and red lights overhead actually have a meaning? Well, new research is good (or bad) depending on whether you are a chronic cel