Judge Margaret P. Spencer « Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Patent Lawyer Suspended for No License

By Deborah Elkins
Published: February 7, 2012
Tags: Attorneys, Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Virginia Circuit Courts, Williamsburg/James City County Circuit Court

A patent lawyer who was licensed in Louisiana but represented she had a Virginia law license and practiced law in Virginia without a license is suspended by a three-judge panel sitting in the Circuit Court for James City County/City of Williamsburg for two years, with terms.
Pursuant to S.Ct. Rule Part 6, Section IV, Paragraph 13-6.H, [...]

High court to hear case on ‘civil death penalty’

By Peter Vieth
Published: December 1, 2011
Tags: Business, Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Million-Dollar Verdicts, Richmond Circuit Court, Supreme Court of Virginia News

A group of business litigators hopes the Supreme Court of Virginia will save them from a “civil death penalty” imposed by a Richmond judge as punishment for discovery abuse, leading to an $11.75 million judgment.
Richmond Circuit Judge Margaret P. Spencer dropped the hammer on defendant Cristol LLC and four of its members when 1,044 pages [...]

Social media: Ignore at your own risk

By Deborah Elkins
Published: November 14, 2011
Tags: Charlottesville Circuit Court, Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Personal Injury, Richmond Circuit Court, Social Media, Technology

Maybe you’re blasé about blogs, turned off by tweets, skeptical of the whole social media scene.
That hands-off policy may hurt you and your client.
Lawyers no longer have the luxury of ignoring social media, even if they choose not to use it personally or professionally.
Clients are using these online tools and more. Facebook claims over 800 [...]

Woman gets $4M award by summary judgement

By Peter Vieth
Published: November 10, 2011
Tags: Bankruptcy, Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Million-Dollar Verdicts, Personal Injury, Richmond Circuit Court

Smithfield woman seeking protection from financial exposure after being sued over a traffic accident torpedoed her own personal injury defense with her bankruptcy filings, a judge has ruled. The woman – and the insurance companies covering her – now faces a $4 million judgment in favor of the injured plaintiff.
Richmond Circuit Judge Margaret P. Spencer [...]

$2.4M for inmate’s death in Richmond

By Peter Vieth
Published: September 19, 2011
Tags: Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Million-Dollar Verdicts, Richmond Circuit Court, Wrongful Death

A Richmond jury has hit the city sheriff and his former chief jail doctor with a $2.4-million verdict for the 2008 death of an inmate from pneumonia that allegedly went untreated.
The verdict may be a record in Virginia for the death of an inmate. Plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Krudys of Richmond said he had not heard [...]

Defense alleges degenerative disk disease in 19-year-old – $125,000 Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: August 22, 2011
Tags: Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Personal Injury, Richmond Circuit Court

The 19-year-old plaintiff was injured in a motor vehicle accident on March 23, 2009. The defendant ran a stop sign and struck the plaintiff’s car on the right side, causing it to flip over approximately three times.
Liability was not an issue in the case. In regard to damages, the plaintiff had soft tissue injuries and [...]

Disk, shoulder injury alleged during gastric bypass surgery – Motion to strike granted

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: June 27, 2011
Tags: Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Medical Malpractice, Richmond Circuit Court

Plaintiff alleged that defendant bariatric surgeon was negligent during plaintiff’s gastric bypass surgery and caused plaintiff to sustain injuries to her right shoulder. Plaintiff asserted a theory of res ipsa loquitur to support her contentions of medical negligence. She presented no expert testimony on the standard of care, but offered two of her [...]

Car Owner Wins Damage & Fees Against Towing Company

By Deborah Elkins
Published: January 20, 2011
Tags: Consumer Protection, Judge Margaret P. Spencer, U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A plaintiff vehicle owner wins default judgment against a towing company that asserted a right to repossess plaintiff’s car, despite her evidence that her vehicle title showed no liens, and a Richmond U.S. District Court awards the owner $750 in statutory damages under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and $3,462.50 in attorney’s fees and [...]

Off-duty policewoman’s back injured in rear-end collision – $165,000 Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: March 15, 2010
Tags: Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Personal Injury

Plaintiff was a 37-year-old police officer with a local police department. The accident occurred in April 2007 when she was on her way home from an off-duty private security job. As she was approaching the intersection of Belvidere and Broad Street in the city of Richmond, she noticed a vehicle approaching from her right which [...]

Motorist’s elbow injured in tractor-trailer collision – $600,000 Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: January 11, 2010
Tags: Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Personal Injury, Richmond Circuit Court

The plaintiff was a 34-year-old woman who was traveling on a four-lane highway in Chesterfield County. The defendant, operating a tractor-trailer, changed lanes, and the front of the tractor-trailer struck the left rear of the plaintiff’s car, causing the plaintiff’s car to turn in front of the defendant’s tractor-trailer. The front of the tractor-trailer pushed [...]

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