When an accident happens, victims are often unsure of where to turn for help. Many choose to hire an attorney to assist them with collecting compensation for damages. This raises the question of how accident victims choose their attorneys, and the answer for many is advertising.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley recently got a nod for their advertising style in a recent podcast. In fact, the hosts of the series declared some of the firm’s ads worth of placement in the legal advertising record books.
99% Invisible’s host, Roman Mars, talked about Stanley’s use of flaming cars and explosions in his ads as a practice once prohibited by the American Bar Association. That restriction was lifted by a Supreme Court ruling stating that lawyers have the same rights to free speech as anyone else.
Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley and his team of attorneys are proud to take their place in legal advertising history books, and they encourage the public to stay aware of our media appearances by checking our Legal & Firm News.
A study conducted by the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee found that 30 percent of nursing homes in the United States—5,283 facilities—were cited for almost 9,000 instances of abuse over a recent two-year period.
One such case of Norfolk nursing home abuse has come out of a facility in Staunton after allegations of sexual assault on a resident surfaced. According to the News Leader, the allegations came after an inspection by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) found numerous cases of safety violations and staff negligence.
Documents show that 47-year-old staff member sexually assaulted a 53-year old patient when he inappropriately touched her in May. Since then, a 43-year-old female patient has also come forward saying the same staff member assaulted her.
The man has been fired and charged in connection with the incident, along with a hospital administrator who failed to report the abuse. Another staff member could also be charged in connection to the incidents.
The findings came after the VDH cited negligence on the part of staff for such violations as medication errors and infection risks to patients.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley say that there is no excuse for elderly folks living in these types of facilities to be treated without the upmost respect and care and are here to help you if your loved one has been injured by another person’s neglect.
Two Virginia teens were killed as the result of a motor vehicle accident they were involved in yesterday morning. According to ABC 13 News, the crash happened just after 8:00 a.m. at the intersection of Route 633 and Pine Log Road in Greensville County.
Reports state that the 18-year-old driver veered off the road and collided with a tree, leaving herself and her 18-year-old passenger severely injured, as neither was wearing a seat belt at the time of the Norfolk car accident. Rescue crews were able to free the girls and transport them to a local hospital, but they both died shortly after arrival as a result of their injuries. Investigators are also examining whether or not alcohol may have played a part in causing the crash.
Limits being set on the number of passengers a teen driver can carry in the vehicle is a step in the right direction, considering that the AAA Foundation recently culminated data showing that a young driver with a passenger younger than 21-years-old in the vehicle with them is 44 percent more likely to be involved in a crash.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley say the best way to keep young drivers safe is for parents to set reasonable rules and limits for their children. The firm says it is also important for parents to explain why following these rules is so important to their safety.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are roughly 150,000 accidents involving workers at construction sites each year. These accidents, many of which result in Norfolk workers’ compensation claims, make the construction industry one of the most dangerous jobs a person can hold.
That seems to be the case in an accident that injured two construction workers in Leesburg, Virginia, earlier today. According to CBSDC News, the incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. at Evergreen Methodist Church. Reports say that the men were part of a crew erecting the church and were working nearly 40-feet off the ground when the support beams beneath them gave way. The men plummeted to the ground and were then covered by falling debris.
Rescue crews were able to free both men so that they could be transported to a local hospital where they will remain until they recover. Investigators say that the Occupational Health and Safety Administration will likely look into the incident to ensure that all safety rules are followed. If negligence is found, the company responsible for the project could be found to be negligent.
The Norfolk personal injury lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley say that employers have a responsibility to provide their workers with a safe environment in which to do their jobs and would suggest exploring your legal rights if you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.
Law enforcement in the Suffolk, Virginia, area will be conducting a special traffic enforcement campaign to reduce the number of accidents at the intersection of Whaleyville Boulevard and Copeland Road. According to WVEC 13 News, the intersection has been the site of several serious crashes.
Most recently, two vehicles were involved in a Norfolk car accident in the intersection this past Thursday afternoon. The victim stated that she was attempting to make a left hand turn at the intersection when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction attempted to illegally pass a vehicle in front of it and struck her car. “When I turned around and came back I threw my signal on. Next thing I know, I’m turning and boom!” she said.
In response to the growing number of accidents at the location, the Suffolk Police Department stated that they would be performing saturation patrols along roads in the area that will focus on catching those who speed, run red lights, and commit other traffic infractions. Officials have also asked the city’s Department of Public Works to look into what could be done to reduce the number of crashes occurring at the intersection and create a safer roadway.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley are glad that local officials have recognized the problem and are hopeful that the campaign will be successful in reducing the number of collisions occurring in the area.
The dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol are being highlighted as a man charged with manslaughter in connection to an August Norfolk car accident pled guilty in court last Friday. According to The Virginian-Pilot, the man could face up to 10 years in prison for his crimes when sentenced in October.
Court documents show that the 22-year-old man was driving down Blackwater Road in a 2005 Ford F-150 pickup truck at around 2:30 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The driver was not properly restrained at the time of the accident and the force of the impact caused him to be ejected from the vehicle. The 19-year-old female passenger in the pickup was killed instantly.
Rescue crews transported the man to a local hospital where tests showed he had a blood alcohol level of .17, more than twice the legal limit. He suffered serious fractures in both legs that left him hospitalized as he underwent numerous corrective surgeries. He remains bound to a wheelchair today and will likely have to go under the knife several more times before he makes a recovery.
The Norfolk personal injury lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley say that the implications for drinking and driving can cost the victims physically, emotionally, and financially. That is why the firm asks that motorists never get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
The Norfolk Police Department staged a mock crash scene this past week to educate the public on the dangers of drunk driving and speeding, according to Anglia News.
The mock Norfolk Car Accident was set up to include two vehicles that had collided, resulting in one being turned on its side. The driver of one vehicle had died as a result of the crash, while the passenger of one of the vehicles was seriously injured. The driver who was responsible for the crash failed a field sobriety test and was placed under arrest. The crash scene was cleared as the public observed.
Sargent Ade Hales, a spokesman for the Norfolk Police Department touted the event not only as a great way for emergency responders to brush up on certain skills, but also as a chance for the public—especially young people—to become more educated on the dangers of the road. Hales claimed that in Norfolk, young people make up a disproportionate number of traffic fatalities. He added, “16 to 24-year-olds make up 25 percent of all our casualties on the road a year. At this moment, we’re running at a figure of 50 percent of all casualties on the road in respect of fatal collisions.”
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley ask that parents keep younger drivers safe by talking with them about the risks involved with driving.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently ordered the Norfolk, Virginia-based freight train company, Norfolk Southern Railway Co., to pay more than $800,000 in damages to three former employees who were fired after they filed Norfolk Workers’ Compensation claims. According to EHS Today, the company is also being forced to pay more than $500,000 in punitive damages.
The fines are in response to three cases of wrongful termination after an employee was injured. The first accident occurred on August 14 2009 when an employee was injured after being struck by a company vehicle. The employee filed an injury claim and was fired a short time later for improper performance of job duties.
Just seven months later, another worker was fired after filing an injury claim stemming from a fall, on the grounds that the claims were falsified. The company attempted the same tactic with another employee in July 2010, just days after declaring him an excellent worker for never having missed a day of work due to injury.
A closer look at the cases by OSHA investigators uncovered the flaws and resulted in the awarded damages.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley would encourage anyone who is injured while working at no fault of their own to report the injury to OSHA. Then, it is vital that you only discuss your case with an experienced attorney from that point on.
Two people were injured, including a state trooper, as the result of a car accidentthat occurred over the Fourth of July holiday. According to WAVY-TV 10 News, the crash happened just after 3:00 a.m. in the westbound lanes of I-64, near the ramps for North King Street.
Sgt. Michelle Anaya, a spokesperson for the Virginia Highway Patrol, said that a trooper had stopped and arrested a driver on suspicion of DUI charges at the scene of the crash. The trooper had placed the suspect in the rear passenger seat of his vehicle and was completing paperwork when a Ford Mustang, driven by a 19-year-old man, plowed into the rear of the squad car.
The trooper and the DUI suspect weren’t wearing seat belts at the time of the collision, and both suffered injuries and were taken to a local hospital.
The driver of the Mustang was uninjured in the crash and later told officers that a motorcycle in front of him had slammed on its brakes, forcing him to swerve onto the shoulder and hit the trooper’s vehicle. The driver of the Mustang was cited for reckless driving for causing the accident.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley would like to remind drivers to move their vehicles to the left lane when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle. Doing so could help prevent a Norfolk car accident from occurring.
Last year in Virginia, 245 lives were lost as a result of DUI accidents, according to the non-profit organization, Mother Against Drunk Driving. The group added that a majority of those accidents were caused by repeat offenders, many of whom were well above the legal blood alcohol limit of .08 percent.
In response to the problem of drunk drivers—repeat offenders in particular—Virginia recently passed a law that will make it a requirement for anyone convicted of DUI to have an ignition interlock system installed in their vehicle.
According to WVEC 13 News, the ignition interlock is a device designed to have a driver blow into a piece of equipment in order to start their vehicle. If the person has any amount of alcohol on their breath, the vehicle will not start.
Beginning this week, anyone convicted of DUI will have to have the device installed on their vehicle for no less than six months at their own expense, which could cost several thousand dollars. Past laws only required an ignition interlock be imposed upon a second-time or subsequent offender, or when the offender’s BAC is 0.15 percent or above.
With the Fourth of July holiday fast approaching, the Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley would like to encourage motorists to use a designated driver or call a cab if you’ve been drinking to help avoid causing a preventable Norfolk car accident.
