When I am asked “What type of work do you do?”, I often respond that “I help people get their lives back.” I am A Virginia Personal Injury Trial Lawyer. I help people RIGHT WRONGS! Every day, someone suffers a personal injury, through no fault of their own, because someone else has been careless, and there are remedies available to the injured party.
The concept of being held liable for an act that damages another party, known as a tort, has a long history in our society, all the way back to the common laws of England. Over the years, the legal concepts and procedures of tort law have evolved to become comprehensive and complex. Visit SandlerLaw.net to find answers to many of your questions regarding your rights if injured by someone else’s conduct: FAQ.
There are three categories of torts: 1) negligence, 2) strict liability, and 3) intentional wrongs. Each of these types of torts involve a personal injury of some kind and degree. The majority of tort cases litigated involve the negligence of one party resulting in injury to another.
To win a case involving negligence in Virginia, an injured party must show that the wrongdoer had a duty to act in a certain way but failed to do. In some cases, someone may have acted in an illegal manner and caused harm. In these cases, it can be asserted that there was negligence per se, which means that it can be assumed negligence was involved since the wrongdoer was breaking a law. For example, a motorist who is speeding and involved in an accident as a result of the speeding would likely be considered to have been negligent per se. The beauty of this kind of case is that once you prove the violation, you have already proved negligence!
In the absence of a legal obligation that is disobeyed resulting in harm, negligence is established by demonstrating that a wrongdoer had a duty of reasonable care to meet. A stable operator, who provides horseback riding to customers, for example, would have a duty of reasonable care. Obviously, one of the necessary aspects of horseback riding is the use of a saddle. If a customer was injured by an improperly affixed or defective saddle, it could be said that the stable operator failed to exercise reasonable care in assuring the safety of the rider.
An intentional wrong is when a person commits an act intentionally that results in harm. Liability can be found even if the person did not intend to do harm. An example of this would be if someone placed a slippery substance on a floor because she thought it would be funny to see people slip around. Though maybe not intending to see someone hurt, if that occurred, she could be held liable for her intentional act.
Strict Liability involves injuries resulting from ultrahazardous or abnormally dangerous activities. In these kinds of industries, it is known that there is danger associated with the use of the products; therefore, there is a known duty to safeguard those who may be injured.
A Virginia personal injury trial lawyer lives in this WORLD OF TORTS! We deal with all kinds of personal injuries that are caused by negligence, intentionally wrongful acts, and hazardous products. If you need the services of a personal injury lawyer, Contact The Sandler Law Group toll free 800-9-THE-LAW or (757) 627-8900 to schedule an initial FREE consultation. You may also contact us online at www.sandlerlaw.net or email us at GSandler@Sandlerlaw.net.