Personal Injury

During your personal injury claim, it’s more than likely that the insurance company will want to negotiate a settlement. In fact, most accident victims will eventually settle their claims. However, unless you’re careful, it’s easy to make costly mistakes that can reduce your settlement’s value. Are you considering filing a personal injury claim? Rather than…

I was raised in the Catholic Church and it pains me to write this article.  What hurts me, even more, is that countless children endured sexual abuse while the Church did nothing. Recently, there has been an outpouring of admissions that the Catholic Church received “credible claims” of sexual abuse against thousands of priests. The…

Recently, two Catholic dioceses in Virginia publicly named 58 priests as having been “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children. The abuse went on for decades and involves an unknown number of innocent victims. This startling and seemingly transparent disclosure of the identity of pedophiles in the clergy has been viewed by many as an attempt…

From self-driving cars to smartwatches, we are all becoming more and more reliant on technology in our daily lives. Unfortunately, a defective “smart” device can cause catastrophic injuries. Below, the product liability team at Phelan Petty discusses the developing field of artificial intelligence (AI) liability. What Is Artificial Intelligence? Fueled by increasingly sophisticated software, chip…

What is Paragard? Paragard is a small, hormone-free IUD made of plastic wrapped in a layer of copper.  Remarkably, copper is its only active ingredient in the device. Copper wires coiled around the device produce an inflammatory reaction, which is toxic to sperm and eggs (ova), preventing pregnancy.  The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved this…

A recent article published in the Daily Beast focused on the uptick in e-cigarette explosion cases seen at Vanderbilt University’s Division of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. The surgeon interviewed for the article has treated 30 people for exploding e-cigarette injuries.  The injuries treated include third degree flame burns, chemical burns and damage to teeth and…

In September 2018, a series of violent natural gas explosions in Boston shocked the country. While the devastation caused by the Boston gas explosions stood out, gas leaks and resultant injuries happen throughout the country every year. Keep reading to learn more about the dangers of gas utility lines and find out how you can…

As the holiday season approaches, don’t forget about the potential hazard lithium-ion batteries pose to children. In the United States, emergency rooms treat more than 2,800 children each year who have swallowed the small button batteries found in devices like electronic toys, remote controls, key fobs, and musical greeting cards. Even more alarming, lithium-ion batteries…

In 2017, more than 20% of all car accidents in Virginia involved a distracted driver. Not only that, but distracted drivers contributed to one-quarter of all fatal crashes. Unfortunately, Virginia’s distracted driving laws have significant flaws and fail to make our roads safer. Keep reading to learn more about Virginia’s distraction epidemic and find out…