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 Posted on December 22, 2012 in News

On Monday, November 26, 2012, a school bus transporting students was involved in a four-vehicle crash in Washington DC. Unfortunately, many students were injured in this collision.

According to police reports, a school bus managed by the Reston Limousine company was traveling westbound on Nebraska Avenue in Washington DC at approximately 8:00 a.m. when another car was coming towards it on the roadway. The car had turned into oncoming traffic and was traveling in the wrong direction. The school bus driver swerved to miss the car and left the road before hitting two other motor vehicles.

The bus was transporting students from the Friendship Heights Metro Station to the Field School, located at 2301 Foxhall Road. One 14-year old boy was ejected from the back of the school bus and was critically wounded. Eighteen other students on the bus were evaluated. The bus driver broke an ankle in the crash.

Reports indicated that five people involved in the crash were rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital and 16 others involved in the crash were transported by a mass casualty bus to the hospital.

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 Posted on December 19, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

We all know that texting and driving is dangerous, as well as illegal, in Virginia. But there is one group of drivers who enjoy being reckless and fearless – teenage drivers. Unfortunately, when these drivers are on the roadways, whether alone or with friends, there may be no stopping them from texting and driving.

Distracted Drivers Cause Serious Accidents

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 more than 5,400 died and 448,000 were seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes due to distracted drivers. So what steps can we take to stop teens from texting and driving?

• Discuss the dangers of texting and driving, as well as distracted driving, with your teen. Explain to them why it is so dangerous.
• Do not text and drive, or even talk on the phone, while driving. Be a good example for your children.
• Ask your child's teachers or school staff to discuss the dangers of texting and driving with the students.
• Do not call or text your teen at a time you know he or she will be driving.

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 Posted on December 14, 2012 in Brain Injuries

Head and brain injuries are extremely scary, as they can cause permanent brain damage and death without much warning. On average, nearly two million people suffer from a traumatic brain injury every year, and nearly 50,000 of those injuries are fatal. Washington D.C. has an alarmingly high percentage of these injuries; it has been ranked sixth in the United States for brain trauma fatalities.

Now, most people have had moments in their lives where they've bumped their heads on something hard. Sure it may hurt, but you get over it. However, there are times-depending on circumstances-when that pain or disorientation could be an indication of brain swelling, bruising, or bleeding that could result in death. Therefore, it is very important to know the difference between minor and major head injuries, and to remember to seek medical attention if you are unsure of the severity of your head injury.

Some Head Injuries Are More Severe Than Others

Minor Head Injuries. Most minor head injuries are just small bumps and bruises to the exterior of the head that occurred without a lot of force. These could result from walking into a door or from being slapped in the head. This category also includes external injuries to the head, such as scrapes and cuts. These injuries will most likely be fine without emergency medical attention, depending on the severity of the cuts. Again, you should use your best judgment, and if you're unsure of the force or damage of the injury, contact a medical professional immediately.

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 Posted on December 04, 2012 in Catastrophic Injuries

If you have had a limb amputated, you probably feel like your world has fallen apart and that your life is over. If you lost a limb in an accident, our Fairfax catastrophic personal injury lawyers at Shevlin Smith take this very seriously. We have seen the devastating toll a lost limb can have on an individual and on his or her family- we have also seen lives rebuilt and we want you to know that you can recover and return to a normal life.

Prosthetics Can Lead You Back To A Normal Life

Prosthetics have come a long way over the years. While a prosthetic device will not be as natural to you as your own arm or leg, it will help you do the things you were able to do before the accident. As a part of your recovery process, a medical professional or therapist will work with you on rehabilitating the muscles before fitting a prosthesis. A prosthetic device will not be provided, however, until you are completely healed.

Our Virginia catastrophic personal injury attorney explains the therapy associated with the use of a prosthetic device:

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 Posted on November 28, 2012 in News

A new bill approved by the Virginia Senate allows a mother to sue for the wrongful death of her fetus. This bill allows parents to have a cause of action for the death of their fetus that was a result of a wrongful act or neglect.

While many states already allow parents to sue for the wrongful death of a fetus, Virginia is one of the few states that does not distinguish between a viable and a nonviable fetus. In Virginia, a lawsuit can be filed for both. However, the bill, which is a part of several abortion rights bills that went in front of the current legislative session, does not allow for a cause of action for lawful abortions performed in the state.

Only the natural mother can bring a lawsuit based on a wrongful act or neglect. If the natural mother is not available because of a death or disability, the estate can sue on her behalf. A lawsuit cannot be brought against the natural mother of the fetus.

The natural mother may bring a cause of action against the doctor for negligence or a refusal to follow accepted medical practices. Further, a lawsuit may be brought against the hospital if the inferior health and safety standards caused the death.

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 Posted on November 17, 2012 in Catastrophic Injuries

There are many law firms to choose from in the Northern Virginia area. So what separates us from those other firms? Why would you pick us over them? In this article, we will discuss the type of lawyer you want handling your wrongful death lawsuit and why we may be different from some of the other attorneys in the area.

What to Look for

Not all attorneys have the same background, years of experience, or knowledge of specific laws that pertain to your case. For this reason, it is critical that you find a lawyer who meets the following criteria:

• Handles the practice area that your claim is about. Because there are many different types of attorneys, from personal injury lawyers to bankruptcy and divorce lawyers, you want to make sure you are giving your case to someone who has experience in the same area of law as your case. For example, if you have a wrongful death lawsuit on your hands, you will want to hire a lawyer who knows this area of law and has represented clients in similar cases.

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 Posted on November 16, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

We've all seen the terrifying news headlines: Truck Overturns in Virginia. Passengers Killed When Struck by 18-Wheeler. It seems we can't go a day without reading about a Virginia truck accident on I-66, I-495 or Route 1-and more often than not, these accidents have proved fatal for at least one person.

Main Causes of Semi and 18-Wheeler Crashes

You may wonder: what's causing all these Virginia semi crashes?

• Weather.Winter has arrived, and that means slick roads, heavy snow, and fewer hours of daylight. These conditions are dangerous for all drivers, but can easily be fatal for truckers hauling tons of cargo behind them.
• Heavy loads. Truckers are often paid per load of cargo, so if they pack their trucks past the legal limit, they can collect a bigger paycheck. However, overloading the rig decreases the truck's stopping time and increases the force of impact, making an accident more likely-and more deadly.

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 Posted on November 15, 2012 in Traffic Accidents

Think about how many times you've run a yellow light. How about how many stop signs you've coasted through, or how many times you've cut someone off because you figured he would slow down?

Now imagine what would've happened if the car across from you decided to turn when you ran that yellow. What if there was a car crossing at the stop sign that you didn't see, or the car you cut off was on a patch of ice and couldn't stop in time?

You may think that the odds of getting in an accident or the odds of seriously injuring yourself are low…but you'd be wrong. The truth is exactly the opposite.

U.S. Auto Accident Statistics

The U.S. averages over 12 million car accidents a year. A third of these accidents result in fatalities, while the remaining majority cause severe injuries. In fact, the odds of notsustaining an injury from a car accident are extremely low, and you're lucky if you can walk away unharmed. However, if you're one of the unlucky majority, car accident injuries are an unfortunate consequence of reckless driving and can range from minor to fatal, even when the collision seems to be minor.

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 Posted on November 08, 2012 in Birth Injuries

You took classes on natural birth for nine months, and you were prepared-but nervous-as the big day approached. You didn't know what to expect, but you knew that you didn't want to have your baby by c-section unless it was absolutely necessary.

The question is, if you were prepared to have a c-section, why wasn't your doctor?

Consequences of Delayed C-Section

When a necessary cesarean section is delayed, the consequences for the infant can be disastrous. The child may suffer cerebral palsy, brain damage or other birth defects; in some cases, the delayed c-section may cause infant death in Virginia.

A physician should consider delivering a child by cesarean section if:

• The mother is physically incapable of assisting in the birth because she is unconscious or suffering from a medical condition.
• The child's head is too large for the mother's birth canal.
• The baby is facing backward (breech) and there is no way to turn him around for a normal birth.

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 Posted on November 04, 2012 in Birth Injuries

No parents want to see their new baby suffer from any sort of pain. Unfortunately, sometimes an injury that occurs during birth goes unnoticed by doctors, nurses, and parents. One type of relatively common injury that may not be detected is a broken bone. Unfortunately, without immediate treatment, the injury may worsen over time.

Types of Serious Birth Injuries

At Shevlin Smith, our experienced Fairfax birth injury attorneys don't believe that your baby should suffer as a result of complications during birth. We also believe that the parent should not suffer or feel helpless. Therefore, we encourage you to look for the following signs if you think that your little one may have suffered a fracture during delivery:

• Baby cries in pain when held in a certain position
• Baby fails to move a limb
• Baby has a stiff limb
• Bruising
• Hard lump in the area that may have been fractured
• Baby has an area that is tender to the touch

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