Automobile Accidents

• The "Magic Bullet" Question to Ask Your Attorney

  Ben Glass | December 21, 2006 5:12 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  I spoke to a very nice lady earlier this week who was searching for an attorney to represent her in her Virginia car accident case. She told me she had spent a lot of time searching on the Internet and then calling attorneys. She had read Five Deadly Sins That Can Wreck Your Virginia Car Accident Case.She told me she basically had just one question:Her question was this:My injury is [she...

• School Bus Accident Victim's Recovery Limited

  Ben Glass | November 30, 2006 5:40 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  A Henrico County judge has ruled that the family of a child who was injured when a school bus driver negligently failed to operate safety equipment is limited in its recovery to $50,000.00. Virginia law says that where a school board is qualified as a self-insurer the amount that may be recovered by a plaintiff is the minimum amount set forth in the Code. The amount of liability the school...

• Ban Cell Phones During Vehicle Use

  Ben Glass | November 27, 2006 3:07 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  We may be getting closer to a ban on all cell phone use while driving. The National Transportation Safety Board has come out with a recomendation that bus drivers be banned from using a cell phone while driving except in an emergency. The report recomendation is that:The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the 50 States and District of Columbia prohibit CDL holders with a...

• From the Witness's Viewpoint

  Ben Glass | November 12, 2006 7:40 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  I have a newfound respect for those who witness car accidents and then stick around to make sure the facts are known to the authorities. Last week I witnessed a terrible accident on Northern Virginia's beltway. Travelling about 60 mph, I watched as a car whizzed past me on the left at a high rate of speed, then made a quick change of about 3 lanes going to his right. "What a jerk" I...

• "No Fault" is No Answer

  Ben Glass | October 24, 2006 5:21 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  A new paper published by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies debunks the myth that "no fault" insurance is the answer to a percevied "tort problem."Sixteen states have adopted a no fault system whereby your own automobile insurance company pays for your damages. This means that even though you may be a good driver, you are really paying the premium of the "average" driver in...

• No More "Runners" In Washington, D.C.

  Ben Glass | August 03, 2006 9:01 AM | 5 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  No, no, I'm not talking about the heat wave here and how no one is out jogging. I'm talking about the refreshing law change that will permit unscrupulous lawyers and chiropractors from obtaining accident reports and calling and visiting car accident victims shortly after an accident to solicit cases/patients. While technically an amendment to the D.C. Theft and White Collar Crimes Act, I like to...

• Get Off That Cell Phone While Driving

  Ben Glass | July 06, 2006 4:38 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  It should come as no surprise that there is increasing data that driving while talking on a cell phone, even a "hands free" device, is causing death and injury on our roads. There are groups of people who study this. It's called "human factors." Now a brand new study of cell phone using drivers shows that cell phone use can make you as "impaired" as a drunk driver. The researchers concluded: "We...

• Allstate Lawyer Wins $11 Million--From Allstate

  Ben Glass | July 06, 2006 4:28 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Now here's an interesting story. It seems that one of Allstate's car accident personal injury defense attorneys sued Allstate, claiming that the company had "ruined her practice." According to the Insurance Journal Website Allstate Insurance Co. routinely hired Suzanne Guest to represent the company in accident claims.But when two accident victims sued Allstate and Guest, the company went back...

• "We'll Take Care of Your Medical Bills For You"

  Ben Glass | May 24, 2006 5:48 PM | 1 CommentNorthern Virginia, VA

  I thought the insurance companies had stopped the practice I am about to describe but maybe I've just been missing it. I call it the "don't worry, we'll cover everything and give you a little for pain and suffering" gambit. Here's how it works:You get into an auto accident and the person who hit you is clearly responsible. You spend some time in the emergency department and start treatment with...

• No Recovery When Dog Injured in Accident

  Ben Glass | April 23, 2006 9:42 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  The Supreme Court of Virginia has again ruled that a car accident victim could not recover her her emotional distress arising out of injuries to her pet dog after both were injured in an car accident.The case is Vladimir Kondaurov v. Eve Kerdasha.Kerdasha contended that she could recover damages for all the "injurious consequences" she suffered which naturally resulted from the accident. Her...