May 2007
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November 2006
There is no such thing as being overly cautious, especially when it comes to driving. Regardless of driving experience, every driver confronts dangerous situations. The following article, distributed by Amica Insurance Company, explains the benefits of reducing speed.
April
2006 - 2006 Class of Fellows
by Peter Burnett
There is no shortage
of bad press when it comes to lawyers. Unfortunately
a few bad apples do a pretty good job rotting the entire
barrel. It is even more unfortunate that the public is
usually unaware of the good deeds undertaken by many
fine lawyers, many of whom are friends or neighbors.
Such is the case with two outstanding attorneys here
in Loudoun County: Elizabeth Whiting and Alex Levay.
The Virginia Law Foundation recently announced the induction
of Alex and Liz in their 2006 Class of Fellows at a ceremony
on January 19, 2006, in Williamsburg. This honor is bestowed
upon less than one percent of the attorneys in Virginia
in recognition of commitment to the highest standards
of law practice and outstanding contributions to their
communities. There were only 18 inductees this year and
it is a wonderful credit to the Loudoun County Bar Association
that two of its members were chosen. Both Alex and Liz
have practiced in Loudoun County for many years and are
well recognized within legal circles for their talent
as lawyers and their commitment to our community. They
are deserving of recognition from the general public
they steadfastly have served with great distinction.
February 2006 - Medical Malpractice
in Virginia
by Peter Burnett
In July 2005, a new section
of law was added to the Virginia Code that changes the
environment for medical malpractice legislation. One
of the major changes is the new requirement of a “Certification
of Expert Witness Opinion” at the time of service
of process of any new lawsuit.
This Certification is “a written
opinion signed by the expert witness that, based upon
a reasonable understanding of the facts, the defendant
for whom service of process has been requested deviated
from the applicable standard of care and the deviation
was a proximate cause of the injuries claimed.” In
plain English, this means that when a plaintiff serves
a medical malpractice lawsuit on a defendant doctor,
the plaintiff needs to have obtained a written opinion
from another doctor stating that the defendant deviated
from the standard of care and that doing so caused the
plaintiff’s injuries.
Although the requirement for a Certification
is a significant change in Virginia law, it is not a
significant change at Burnett & Williams. It is our
practice to always consult with a qualified physician
when reviewing medical malpractice cases. After all,
we are lawyers, not doctors! Only another physician can
give an opinion as to whether a case has merit. We believe
that having a doctor review a potential medical malpractice
case at the very beginning makes good sense- it is important
for you, as well as our firm, to know up front whether
your malpractice case is likely to succeed. The July
2005 change to the Virginia Code simply put into law
a requirement
that was already our practice.
January 2006 -
Insurance Letter
by Peter Burnett
Car insurance is something that we all have but we seldom think about. To know if your insurance is right for you and your family, please read Burnett & Williams insurance letter. We make sure all of our clients receive this important information. It is helpful to know exactly what insurance is and the diferent types and limits that you should carry.
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