On May 18, we wrote about new laws that have since taken effect (as of July 1), increasing the minimum amount of liability insurance that could be purchased for a covered automobile, and also increasing the jurisdictional limits of our state’s general district courts when hearing auto accident injury trials. In that article, we also

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By law, Virginia drivers have long been required either to buy car insurance, or pay an uninsured motorist fee. (The main purpose of the fee has always been to incentivize you to just buy the insurance.) In order to prevent people from buying a policy that covers next to nothing, the state has always had

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As we enter May, we have finished with the need to register for a COVID vaccine and then wait for the opportunity to schedule an appointment.  Now, there are more vaccine doses available than there are people coming forward.  Scheduling no longer involves long waits, and the previous prioritizing of who can get shots has

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Though passed without much notice or publicity, a new law that took effect July 1 is now threatening to cause havoc in Virginia’s construction industry. The law specifies that in many situations, general contractors may be held liable if their subcontractors fail to pay their employees, or if they pay them less than what the

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A combination of new laws enacted during last winter’s General Assembly session and a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision have suddenly expanded employer responsibilities and exposure to liability. Laws passed by Virginia’s legislature typically go into effect July 1 of each year.  This year, the Assembly enacted new employment protections for LGBTQ workers, bringing discrimination

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Two new Virginia laws taking effect Wednesday, July 1, attack the misclassification of employees as if they were independent contractors with a vengeance.  As a result, those who have been sliding by, misusing the “independent contractor” label to evade obligations for minimum wage laws, payroll taxes, or fringe benefits, must change their practices immediately, or

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As governments begin relaxing business closure mandates and the slow move towards a return to normalcy, more and more businesses are wondering if they could face lawsuits if they reopen too soon. As is often the case with media discussions, the worst fears of floods of lawsuits are not warranted. Such lawsuits would be handled

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Businesses suffering closures under state orders issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic have begun a wave of claims under business interruption insurance policies, but insurance companies are pushing back. Business interruption insurance is not included in every business’s coverage package.  When purchased, it typically covers losses not handled by hazard insurance.  For example, if

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You may have heard our current radio ad, focusing on our approach to handling personal injury cases.  The ad emphasizes how important it is to deal with lawyers you already know and trust. The natural tendency, when first meeting with any lawyer, is to assume that he wouldn’t have a license if he weren’t dependable. 

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Although Governor Northam’s recent Executive Orders do not explicitly address construction activity, reports indicate that many job sites are limiting access to 10 or fewer workers at a time.  Both general contractors and subcontractors could be prevented from manning their jobs the way they had planned, with the result that delay in completion will become

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