Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Portsmouth Circuit Court

Jun 2, 2021

‘Feres’ doctrine does not bar suit between service members

Where plaintiff, an active member of the U.S. Navy, sued defendant, also an active navy member, for injuries sustained in a car accident, defendant is not immune from suit under the Feres doctrine because plaintiff’s injuries were not “incurred incident to military service.” Background Both parties lived off-base and each was on their way to […]

Sep 28, 2020

Portsmouth officer shot at man fleeing alleged burglary — $200,000 settlement

Defendant, a Portsmouth police officer, fired several shots at plaintiff as he was fleeing the scene of an alleged burglary in process. Body camera footage showed that at least one of defendant’s bullets struck plaintiff in the back. Defendant is currently awaiting trial for aggravated malicious wounding. [020-T-105] Type of action: Excessive force/personal injury Injuries […]

Aug 24, 2020

Woman injured neck and back in rear-end collision — $100,000 verdict

This case arose out of a rear-end car accident on Oct. 4, 2016. The defendant struck the plaintiff’s vehicle in the rear and pushed it into the car in front of her. The plaintiff injured her neck, back, shoulder and hips. Her neck, back and shoulder pain resolved after a course of physical therapy. Her […]

Jul 20, 2020

Woman injured neck, back in rear-end collision — $100,000 settlement

This case arose out of a rear-end car accident on Oct. 4, 2016. The defendant struck the plaintiff’s vehicle in the rear and pushed it into the car in front of her. The plaintiff injured her neck, back, shoulder and hips. Her neck, back and shoulder pain resolved after a course of physical therapy. Her […]

Jul 6, 2020

Driver hurt when truck turned in front of her — $400,000 verdict

Plaintiff was a professional driver operating a Freightliner at the time of the collision. She was traveling straight when defendant turned left in front of her in a smaller commercial vehicle. The defense admitted negligence but contested liability, asserting contributory negligence. Plaintiff sustained a non-displaced fracture of her L3 right transverse process. She was seen […]

Mar 8, 2019

Pregnant woman hit driving over bridge – $100,000 Verdict

Plaintiff was driving over the Berkley Bridge toward Chesapeake when the defendant crossed multiple lanes of traffic and violently struck the plaintiff, forcing her car onto and almost over the jersey wall at the crest of the bridge. The plaintiff, 14 weeks pregnant at the time, was trapped for close to 30 minutes while her […]

Jan 24, 2019

Limits, comp lien complicated resolution of wreck case – $862,500 Settlement

Plaintiff, an on-duty truck driver, was struck head-on by a wrong-way speeding driver. Plaintiff suffered cervical injuries overlayed on pre-existing stenosis. Acute stress symptoms were present immediately at the scene. The PTSD and claimed TBI persisted. The combination of physical and psychological injuries prevented plaintiff’s return to work. Limits of insurance and a large workers’ [[...]

Aug 10, 2018

Passenger gets one driver’s limits, gets defense verdict from other – Defense Verdict

Plaintiff was a passenger involved in a two-car collision. One driver settled for her policy limits. The remaining driver and defendant denied liability and brought the case to trial. Following the presentation of testimony and evidence, the jury returned a defense verdict. [18-T-083] Type of action: Personal Injury Injuries alleged: Neck, back, and knee injuries, […]

Jun 11, 2018

Long-time business deal unravels, ends in fraud lawsuit – $657,434.80 verdict

Plaintiff, Multi Textiles Inc. (“Multi Textiles”), is an importer, wholesaler, and distributor of textiles. For over 30 years, Multi Textiles supplied defendant, Tidewater Area Central Laundry, Inc. d/b/a Share Hospital Services (“SHS”), a cooperative laundry servicing multiple hospitals in the Hampton Roads region, with specialized textiles, all of which were ordered and m[...]

May 13, 2018

Va. Cir.: Terminal owner struggles to prove property values

The owner of a tract of land housing a marine container terminal challenged municipal tax assessments on both real and personal property. Neither party presented credible expert testimony on real property value, and the court rejected the owner’s calculation of “fair market value” for high-tech terminal cranes for which no market currently exists. Background Plaintiff […]

Feb 7, 2018

Man suffered hurt leg in wreck caused by drunk – $1,600,000 Verdict

Plaintiff, a 19-year-old at the time of the incident, was driving home from a friend’s house on the Eastern Shore to his home where he lived with his mother at about 11:00 pm on the main shore highway U.S. Route 13. At the same time, defendant was on her way home from visiting in New […]

Aug 8, 2016

Pat Down Needed for Hidden Hands

An officer investigating a citizen com­plaint of suspected drug activity after dark, in a neighborhood known for drug and prostitution activity, who encountered a group of five men standing in the roadway, was entitled to pat down defendant, who refused to keep his hands in the officer’s view after two requests; where officer safe­ty is […]

Verdicts & Settlements

See All Verdicts & Settlements

Opinion Digests

See All Digests