One would expect that if a car hits a pedestrian crossing the street or rear-ends another vehicle, the at-fault driver would be responsible for the damages caused. But what happens if the pedestrian is not in a marked crosswalk or the car that was rear-ended…
During the winter months, an outing to a neighborhood store, mall or restaurant could quickly turn dangerous. If the weather produces snow and ice and it’s left to accumulate, the potential for a person to slip and fall increases greatly. If the hazards are not…
Proper lighting is important for public safety, which may seem obvious to some: after all, it’s hard to avoid safety hazards if it’s too dark to see them. Even so, many property owners — both residential and commercial — are unaware of their duty to…
This month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a notice with proposed changes to the Hours-of-Service (HOS) standards that regulate the operations of commercial heavy-duty trucks. This came after the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) submitted a 2018 petition to revise industry regulations…
By being among the first to assist at the scene of emergencies, first responders such as paramedics, police officers, and firefighters play a crucial role in keeping the public safe. While many recognize that being a first responder comes with risks, however, few stop to…
Most dogs are a source of outpouring love, but sometimes man’s best friend turns violent. About 4.7 million dog bites occur in the U.S. each year, 800,000 of which require medical care. Bills can be surprisingly costly for the nearly one in five dog bite…
While slippery winter walkways are gone for now, new tripping hazards have emerged in the spring and summertime. There are several hazards that cause dangerous trip-and-fall accidents this time each year, including sidewalk cracks, unsettled surfaces, and poor walkway maintenance. What causes trip-and-fall incidents? Trips…
As a follow-up to my post of March 8, 2019, another bill of interest and benefit to citizens of Virginia is Senate Bill 1543, which makes changes to Virginia’s Wrongful Death Statute (Va. Code § 8.01-50 et seq. By way of background, if a person…
From time to time, I will write about laws in Virginia that help shape our civil justice system and significant changes to them by the Virginia Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ralph S. Northam. As the 2019 legislative session concluded about a week…
Landowners across the nation are obligated to clear potentially hazardous ice and snow from their property. When a property owner fails to do so, uncleared walkways can easily lead to slip-and-fall injuries. For particularly vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, these falls can be life-threatening.…