Miscellaneous

• Virginia Refunds 8,000 Alleged Tollbooth Violators

  Ben Glass | September 12, 2007 6:48 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Think technology is good for tracking speeders and red light runners?How about this story out of our own Fairfax County: Seems the tollbooths on the Dulles Toll road malfunctioned over several months. Drivers reported paying the toll, but not getting a green light. Since many of the tollbooths are unmanned, there was no one to fix the error. Meanwhile, drivers backed up at the tollbooth start...

• (More) Tricks of the Disability Insurance Companies

  Ben Glass | September 11, 2007 3:57 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Here's another major trick we see them use. They deny your claim and ask you to submit an appeal. When you do so they say that "The ability to produce a detailed document such as your personal profile is indicative of an ability to produce quality work" (and thus work).This is really a silly statement unless you know such facts as who prepared or assisted in the preparation of the document and...

• Tricks of the Disability Insurance Companies

  Ben Glass | September 08, 2007 3:51 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Here's one we still see with some frequency in ERISA governed long term disability insurance claims. The insurance company makes a decision that the claimant is not disabled, and writes (or calls) the treating docotor with this type of message: "Dear Doctor, our review indicates your patient could work a 40 hour week, no problem. If you don't agree with our review, let us know within 10 days or...

• How CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield Wastes Your Money

  Ben Glass | August 23, 2007 8:52 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  My family is insured under an individual health insurance policy with CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield here in Virginia. Every so often I get a letter from a law firm called Seidel Subrogation Associates, LLC, which demands information from me, on behalf of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.Someone is paying to send out the letters. Probably me since I am a policy holder.CareFirst has obviously...

• Michael Vick Sued for $63 Billion in Dog Fighting Case

  Ben Glass | August 15, 2007 12:38 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Ok, so you get yourself in hot water with the feds over your alleged dog fighting scheme and the nuts come out. Now, Michael Vick has been sued in Federal Court in Richmond, Virginia for $63 billion by an inmate in South Carolina who alleges that Vick:Stole pit bulls from him to use for fightingDamaged the RFID chips in his dogs' collars so they couldn't be trackedSold the dogs on EBAY (and used...

• 1-800 Flowers Lawsuit Update

  Ben Glass | August 13, 2007 5:00 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  MSNBC has pretty good video on this silly 1-800 Flowers lawsuit. Now he's complaining about all of the negative publicity he's gotten and the 'mental anguish" from the public feeback he's getting from his lawsuit.So let me get this straight. He cheats on his wife and buys flowers for his mistress. Then he complains when his wife finds out about the affair. Then he files a lawsuit that somehow...

• Where You Can Find Me Tomorow

  Ben Glass | August 11, 2007 11:44 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  Mid way through training for the Marine Corp Marathon, there's a terrific race this Sunday in Leesburg. Brian and I will be running, and we'll be joined by Herndon attorney Doug Landau and his better half, Melissa. Apparently we'll be hanging out with 1300 other runners at the 19th annual Leesburg 10K/20K Race along the W&OD Trail.This Fall I'll be running with Caitlin and Brian in the Marine...

• "The court sincerely regrets the unusual delay in issuing this opinion"

  Ben Glass | August 01, 2007 2:16 PM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  The District of Columbia Court of Appeals issued an opinion this week in a case called to Viola J. Scott v. Crestar Financial Corporation. Nothing particularly esoteric or difficult about the decision. Footnote 15 of the decision however sad "the court sincerely regrets the unusual delay in issuing this opinion." You see, the case was argued over seven years before was decided.In a time...

• Suing Foreign Companies in Virginia

  Ben Glass | July 22, 2007 10:13 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  A Virginia Federal Judge in Norfolk has ruled that a Chinese artificial Christmas tree manufacturer can be sued in Virginia, based on its selling $1.1 billion in artificial Christmas trees and its maintaining a web site that is accessible in Virginia.The fiber optic Christmas tree had allegedly caught on fire and caused damage.The case is Jones v. Boto Co. Ltd and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. For more...

• New Tort Reform Video You Must See

  Ben Glass | July 19, 2007 8:49 AM | 0 CommentsNorthern Virginia, VA

  For years the insurance industry and big business has cornered the market on the 'tort reform" discussion. They have spent millions and millions of dollars to poison the minds of the American jurors. This new tort reform video, recently produced (and, frankly, not yet finished) tells the other side of the story. In Virginia we are starting to see an increase in personal injury verdicts, after...