Practice Areas of Expertise

Personal Injury Law:

Personal injury law covers injury suffered by a person. Personal injury is part of the law of torts, the legal term that includes all kinds of injuries to people and their property. State law usually governs personal injury lawsuits, but federal law may apply in certain circumstances. The concept of bodily injury to a person is a very broad one.

Depending upon the law of the state in which an incident occurred, bodily injury may include not only ordinary physical injury such as a broken leg, but also mental or emotional injury, such as emotional upset caused by witnessing a serious physical injury done to a close family member. Injury to property includes loss or damage to property such as a house, a car, or even a pet. Economic injury includes loss of pay and other types of money damages.

Medical Malpractice and Other Forms of Medical Liability:

Medical malpractice is the failure of a medical professional to meet the standard of good medical practice in the area in which the medical professional practices. A medical professional may be a doctor, a nurse, a medical technician, or other health care provider. If the medical professional fails to meet the standard of good medical practice and harm results to a patient, the medical professional may be liable for any resulting damages. In the case of a doctor who is a medical specialist, the standard of care is determined by the standard of good medical practice in that specialty.

Nursing Homes:

Few decisions are more difficult than the one to place a spouse or parent in a nursing home. The decision is usually a last resort, which makes the violation of trust all the worse in abuse or neglect cases. In 1987, Congress enacted the Nursing Home Reform Law that has since been incorporated into the Medicare and Medicaid regulations. In its broadest terms, it requires that every nursing home resident be given whatever services are necessary to function at the highest level possible.

If you feel that your rights have been violated, you should and must receive answers. We work hard to ensure that people wrongly injured are treated with respect, dignity and receive the compensation that they deserve. If needed, we fight the insurance companies to get the best possible settlement for our clients. To ensure this goal, we prepare every case on the assumption that it will proceed to trial. We have proven trial experience that is needed to produce results for you.

Wrongful Death:

Wrongful death is a term used to describe the type of lawsuits brought by the surviving relatives of a deceased person, against the person who caused the death to occur. A wrongful death action is separate from the lawsuit that may be brought on behalf of the deceased person (for example, by the deceased persons estate) for damages resulting from injuries to the deceased. For procedural purposes, these actions are typically combined into one lawsuit.

Workers' Compensation:

The Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission administers the Workers Compensation Act. This is the law that sets rights and benefits for workers who are injured on the job or who suffer from occupational diseases. Injuries can be catastrophic, resulting in loss of life or loss of lifetime earnings for injured workers and their families. You may be entitled to medical care, temporary disability, permanent disability and/or vocational rehabilitation. Under some circumstances you may be able to receive a lump sum settlement. If you have lost a loved one you may be entitled to death benefits from that job injury. We work to assure that nothing is overlooked, know or learn your rights!