Virginia Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Blog

Thomas Keller, the renowned chef and owner of The French Laundry and Per Se, has filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California County of Napa to recover losses attributed to the coronavirus outbreak. French Laundry Partners, LP and the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group are suing Hartford Fire Insurance Company “to establish legal precedent…

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new, novel respiratory virus that the World Health Organization (WHO) designated as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), a pandemic occurs when a new virus comes on the scene that infects people and is able to spread…

Numerous lawsuits are being brought throughout the country against the manufacturers and distributors of opioids. The drug makers are being accused of using aggressive and false marketing campaigns to promote the effectiveness of opioids for pain relief, while minimizing the dangers of opioid addiction and overdoses. Distributors are being accused of failing to monitor and…

With Super Bowl LIV come and gone (congratulations, Kansas City), it’s time to take another look at one of our favorite sports. The Super Bowl is definitely an American tradition and cultural touchstone, but viewership in both pro and college football has been dropping over the past few years – and many experts believe that…

Parents have the right to expect that the products they buy for their children won’t be hazardous to their children’s health. Products for children should be specifically designed and manufactured with the size, weight, and developmental abilities of the child in mind. When defective products cause deaths, those who placed profit before safety should be…

Brain trauma, also called traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a damage to the brain caused by a sudden trauma to the head.  TBI can be caused by such incidents as a blow, jolt, or bump to the head that creates enough force to cause the brain to impact the inside of the skull.  TBI can…

More than 165,000 reclined infant sleepers were recently recalled by four different companies due to a suffocation risk. This comes on the heels of an April 12, 2019 recall of almost 5 million Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleepers, after Consumer Reports uncovered over 30 infant deaths over the span of 10 years in that product,…

Are autonomous vehicles safe? Self-driving cars and self-driving trucks are the future of transportation.  These vehicles are are also referred to as autonomous vehicles.  The future may be coming too soon for the safety of the motoring public and pedestrians. Autonomous vehicles use a combination of radar, lidar (complex sensors that use laser lights to…

After a truck accident, your personal safety should be your top priority. While may you feel fine immediately after a wreck, it is not uncommon for people to experience increasing pain and symptoms days later. Unfortunately, delaying treatment can negatively impact your personal injury claims. In this article, Phelan Petty’s truck wreck lawyers discuss the…

At Phelan Petty, we have the utmost respect for our country’s service members. Unfortunately, when the unthinkable happens and they’re injured by another government employee, they cannot file a lawsuit and demand compensation. This includes active service members who fall victim to medical malpractice at a military hospital. A controversial rule called the Feres doctrine…

You were doing everything right, but then your life changed with the flick of an eye. As you were stopped at a red light with a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, a semi-truck suddenly slammed into your vehicle from behind. Your head snapped forward and back, hitting the steering…

The birth of a child should be a beautiful, joyful experience. Throughout the process, it is the doctors and nurses’ duty to ensure the health and safety of both the mother and child. Unfortunately, a single moment or series of poor decisions can lead to improper medical care and a birth injury for the child…

If you are a sexual assault survivor, you deserve to have your voice heard. Sexual assault or abuse is traumatic, devastating, and wrong. You have rights and deserve justice. Unfortunately, myths, misconceptions, and challenges around the reporting process keep many survivors silent. In this article, Phelan Petty’s injury lawyers clarify common issues and misconceptions surrounding…

Recently, a case was filed by TorHoerman Law on behalf of a 19-year-old young man who quickly became addicted to vaping, smoking multiple JUUL “pods” per day. The 85-page Illinois JUUL e-cigarette lawsuit alleges that by age 22, the young man suffered multiple seizures, cognitive impairments, balance problems, mood disorder, permanent brain damage, and back…

We place a lot of trust in our doctors. When something goes wrong, it’s tempting to give them the benefit of the doubt and ignore our concerns. However, no one is infallible. At Phelan Petty, we believe that victims of medical malpractice deserve answers and accountability. If you believe that you are a victim of…

Many of us assume that as science and medicine evolve, birth injuries are becoming a thing of the past. However, an average of 76 children suffer birth injuries every day in the United States, and 50-80% of mothers experience tearing and trauma during labor and delivery. Unlike birth defects, which develop before birth, birth injuries…

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can have a devastating impact on your way of life and mental health. Unfortunately, both doctors and victims often disregard the symptoms of TBIs, even when they present themselves immediately following an incident. To make matters worse, sometimes symptoms do not appear until days or even weeks later. Overlooked and often…

Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft make local travel simple and convenient, and more Virginia residents than ever are using these apps. However, if you have been in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, determining liability can be extremely difficult. If you or someone you love were in a car accident while riding in an…

There is nothing more emblematic of summer than a road trip, but summer is also one of the most dangerous times to be on the road. More fatal car accidents involving teen drivers occur during the 100 Deadly Days of Summer than any other time of the year. Distracted driving is a common cause of…

E-Cigarette Explosion Breaks Jaw In March of 2018, a teenager in Salt Lake City was smoking a vape pen when it exploded in his mouth.  The emergency room physician who operated on the teen compared the boy’s e-cigarette explosion injury to “kind of like a close-range gunshot wound.”  Another treating physician said, “[t]hat’s an injury…