Life after vaccinations — a look at hotel safety
(AP) Do I need to take precautions at hotels if I’m vaccinated? Most people won’t need to, but it depends on your situation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of COVID-19 is low if you’re fully vaccinated, and that you can resume indoor and outdoor activities without wearing a mask […]
In limbo: Eviction moratorium in flux, Virginia tenants and landlords may feel impact
A federal judge’s ruling earlier this month that a nationwide eviction moratorium ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is unconstitutional has left unanswered questions for Virginia’s landlords and tenants. U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the District of Columbia wrote that the CDC acted outside of the scope of the Public […]
Virginia law firms will return to a modified workplace
The COVID-19 pandemic altered the working lives of nearly every worker in the United States. The legal field was no exception. Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons on March 16, 2020, declared a judicial emergency, effectively pausing nearly all matters in Virginia’s court system. Over a year later, the emergency declaration has been […]
Home work: Remote jobs complicate insurance issues
If a messenger slips and falls on the sidewalk while delivering a business document to a person working at home, is the subsequent claim covered by the person’s homeowners insurance policy? With the COVID-19 pandemic causing more people to work full-time from their homes than ever before, Alexandria attorney Daniel Borinsky pondered this potential issue. […]
Reimagining work: a post-pandemic strategy
The seeds of this article were planted during a discussion about the overwhelming number of meetings via videoconferencing. To be fair, it has been impressive what businesses have done to rapidly pivot during this pandemic. For the remote worker, we’ve generated makeshift home offices complete with laptops, microphones and cameras; we’ve built proficiency in Zoom […]
When employees work remotely out of state
Telecommuting rose dramatically last spring as employers adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and government guidance by directing employees to work from home if their jobs allowed. As the lengthy duration of the pandemic became clearer, some of these employees began telecommuting from a state other than their employer’s home state or their prior location. Faced […]
Legal Food Frenzy adapts to pandemic challenges ahead
With an estimated 275,000 more Virginians facing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the legal community is stepping up to fulfill the increased need. Entering its 15th year, the Legal Food Frenzy is an annual competition open to law firms, legal departments, law schools/programs and individual practices. Private firms with fewer than 100 employees […]
Suit after failure to give COVID info nixed
A man who was terminated for failure to provide his employer information about his COVID-19 status or that of a family member who tested positive cannot sue the company, a federal judge in Norfolk has ruled. The plaintiff sought to use the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, to bolster his […]
Alexandria firm helps families connect during COVID-19
An Alexandria law firm is helping residents of two local healthcare facilities stay in touch with their loved ones during COVID-19. Curcio Law is donating video conferencing devices as part of the seventh annual “Injury Board Day of Action” — a collaborative effort by the nation’s plaintiff’s attorneys to make a difference in their local […]
Relief bill to offer paid sick leave to workers
The coronavirus emergency relief package, which became law March 18, gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off work because of COVID-19. The legislation follows a first emergency funding bill, which allocated roughly $8 billion for coronavirus prevention, preparation and response efforts. The latest package, named the Families First Coronavirus […]
Carry on
The gym and the lodge may be shut down for the duration of the pandemic response, but Virginia lawyers and the businesses that support them have been hustling to keep the wheels turning, often by remote control. For most lawyers and their firms, staying in practice means staying at home and using teleconferencing technology to […]
A wary eye
Officials with Virginia courts and state bar groups were keeping a wary eye on developments as preparations intensified to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. As of March 12, 15 people in Virginia had tested positive for the virus, according to state officials, and colleges and universities were announcing plans […]
Verdicts & Settlements
- Plaintiff injured in crash with oncoming vehicle — $235,000 settlement
- Driver killed in rear-end collision with tractor-trailer — $1.5M settlement
- Man died from pancreatic cancer after delayed response — $1.8M settlement
- Worker fell off roof, rendering him a paraplegic — $1.25M settlement
- Driver sustained permanent hearing loss after traffic collision — $240,000 settlement
- Plaintiff suffered concussion in rear-end collision — $81,000 verdict
- Builder misrepresented home status to buyers — $675,000 verdict
- Low potassium led to cardiac arrest, death of patient — $1M settlement
- Excessive propofol caused death in dialysis patient — $850,000 settlement
- Pedestrian struck in crosswalk in hit-and-run incident — $300,000 settlement
- Navy veteran killed in collision with box truck — $1.85M arbitration award
- Motorcyclist ejected from bike in collision with SUV — $1.5M settlement
Opinion Digests
- Company owner dodges breach of contract suit
- Employee’s own allegations doom minimum wage claim
- Federal government defeats former employee’s claims
- Principal wasn’t entitled to exclusively remote work
- USPTO properly redacted info in responsive documents
- Untimely lawsuit allowed to proceed
- Engineering consultant dismissed from suit
- Rule 60 motion was filed too late
- Nonprofit directors immune from ex-employees’ claims
- City, employees immune from whistleblower claims
- Experts excluded in condemnation damages suit
- Judgment entered against company for horse’s death