In an article published by the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys in its Journal of Civil Litigation, Vol. XXI, No. 4, Winter 2009-2010, Julia Judkins and Dawn Boyce outline successful sovereign immunity challenges to tort claims against governmental authorities, such as local water authorities. There are now a significant number of lower court decisions, many litigated by Ms. Judkins, that have found that authorities created by statute are entitled to sovereign immunity from tort claims because the particular entity was created by an immune entity or because of the language of the enabling statute. To obtain a copy of the article, please contact Dawn Boyce, Esquire or Julia Judkins, Esquire, 703 385-1000.
BMHJ Blog: Legal Information, Resources, & News
Directed Verdict in D.C. Construction Litigation Case
Judgment for the Defense in Construction Litigation
In a case between two subcontractors, D.C. Superior Court Judge Odessa Vincent granted judgment for the defense in a breach of contract case. The plaintiff, a waterproofing subcontractor, sued a concrete subcontractor to recover for payments made to its employee for injuries sustained as a result of an alleged breach in safety protocols.
Motion to Dismiss when Amount Sued for is Increased
Viability of Motion to Dismiss when new case filed with increase in amount sued for
There is now a conflict in circuit court opinions regarding whether a plaintiff brings a new action as a result of increasing the amount sued for after a nonsuit. Last summer, Judge James H. Chamblin of the Circuit Court of Loudoun County dismissed plaintiff’s action after she increased her ad damnum to $500,000.00 after the nonsuit of her original action in which she sought only $325,000.00. Judge Chamblin agreed with the defendant’s position that raising the amount sought makes it a new case which is subject to dismissal if the statute of limitation period has expired. The plaintiff appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of Virginia and filed her Petition for Appeal in December 2009. See Spear v. MWATA, Record No. 092451. Oral argument for a writ should occur sometime this Spring.
Defense Verdicts in Rear End Accidents in General District Court
After the General Assembly repealed the removal statute, Va. Code Section 16.1-92 in 2007, there was concern by insurers whether the cost to litigate cases in general district court was worthwhile since defense verdicts often seemed unattainable, especially in rear end motor vehicle accidents. In reality, it is very cost effective to try cases in general district court since discovery is limited under Virginia law and the case can usually be tried within 3 to 6 months from the return date.
Expert Testimony in TBI cases
Psychological Testimony Under Evidentiary Attack in Traumatic Brain Injury Cases—12-7-09
One of the central components of defending a traumatic brain injury case is the neuropsychological testing. The testing is critical to both plaintiff and defendant. The testing is important because frequently diagnostic imaging is negative and there are no objective measures to confirm the presence of any injury.
Disclaimer
This blog and the information provided has been prepared by Bancroft, McGavin, Horvath & Judkins, P.C. (“BMHJ”) for information purposes only and is not intended nor to be construed as legal advice. This blog may contain the opinions of the members and associates of this firm on various legal issues and is not legal advice. Read More