Car Insurance Coverage
We see far too many accident victims with not enough insurance coverage to pay for all the injuries and medical bills caused in a car accident. While Virginia has laws regarding some minimum coverages and what coverages an insurance company must offer, the minimum coverages required by law do not meet the needs of many of those injured in a car accident.
Medical Benefits Insurance
In this post we will discuss medical benefits coverage. This coverage pays for an injured person's medical bills regardless of fault if the bills were the result of a car accident or the use of an automobile. However, this coverage is not mandatory. It must be requested. The amount that an insurer must offer if the coverage is requested but no amount is asked for is only $2,000.00 per person which may not even cover an emergency room bill. However, the insurance company and the insured may agree on a different amount. Medical benefits coverage limits are multiplied by the number of cars on the policy. For example, if the medical expense benefit per person listed on the policy is $5,000.00 and there are three cars insured by the policy, there is a total of $15,000.00 in medical expense benefits payable to cover medical bills. This insurance can be very important if the driver who caused the accident has little insurance. Also, medical expense benefits are payable as soon as the insured gets billed while liability insurance cases can drag on for years.
The law firm this year joined the http://www.legalfoodfrenzy.com/. The firm joined up with the local food bank, http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/, to assist with feeding the underprivileged. We have been honored this year to participate in this charity and look forward to doing so again next year. If you would like to help with this wonderful effort, please click the capitalareafoodbank link above and then click the "Donate" button, or drop by the office with some food before Friday!
Since we had snow in Roanoke last week and are expecting snow in Fairfax and Roanoke this week, it seems like a good time to talk about accidents on slippery roadways. Legally, these accidents can be more complicated than regular car accidents. For example, normally a rear end car accident is considered to be the fault of the driver who does the "rearending." In snow or ice fault can be harder to place.
If a driver is keeping a good following distance and driving the same speed as the drivers around him, it is harder to convince a jury that the driver is negligent if he slides on a slippery road. In icy conditions, it can also be easier to prove that the driver in front was negligent. If an argument can be made that the front driver over-reacted and braked too hard or without good reason, it might be considered the front driver is at fault. There are many legal doctrines at play that can make a slippery road accident tricky. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help analze these issues for you
Serious injuries can occur from a dog bite. The first thing to do after a dog bite is contact animal control. That is the only way to make sure the dog has its shots up to date. It is also important to go to the doctor so the doctor can determine if the injured person needs to get a tetanus shot or the rabies vaccine.
If a dog has shown dangerous characteristics in the past, the owner can be responsible for allowing the dog the opportunity to bite or injure someone. Virginia has a statute that addresses dangerous dogs and the responsibilities owners have towards the public regarding those animals.
Winter is here. Not every fall on snow or ice can result in a legal claim. Claims for slip and fall injuries and premises liability are filled with complicated legal issues. For example, a business does not have to remove snow or ice until a reasonable time has passed after the precipitation has stopped. Also, in any Virginia case, the injured party has to be able to show that there was no act or omission on his/her part that contributed to the fall. So always take extra precautions such as watching where you step and choosing the safest possible route.
The goal of Turbitt, O'Herron and Leach is to offer aggressive and informed advice and trial service to our clients.
