Virginia's New UM/UIM Law: An FAQ on Policies, Renewals, and Elections
Virginia's UM/UIM stacking law is in effect, but only for some policies. An FAQ on renewals, offset elections, and which rule governs your crash.
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Plain-English articles on the court decisions and rules that shape injury cases in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Grocery and Big-Box Store Falls: Building the Maryland Notice Case
Maryland store-fall cases live or die on notice. The three ways to prove it, created hazard, actual notice, constructive notice, and the evidence for each.
What happens if someone with little or no auto insurance injures you?
Hit by a driver with little or no insurance? Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may be the most important protection you have.
Rideshare Crash Claims in DC, 2023 Edition: The Insurance Layers, Eight Years On
Uber and Lyft insurance in DC, 2023: how the app-period coverage layers work, what changed since 2015, and the traps in rideshare crash claims.
July 1, 2023: Virginia's UM/UIM Offset Is Dead, Stacking Arrives
As of July 1, 2023, Virginia UIM coverage pays on top of the at-fault driver's insurance: no more offset. Before-and-after examples and what to check.
Coming Forward as a Survivor in Maryland: Anonymity, Process, and What Suing Actually Looks Like
For Maryland survivors considering a civil case: how anonymity works, what the process really involves, and how much control you keep. A plain guide.
DC's Permanent Police Reform Law: What It Changes for Civil Cases, and What It Doesn't
DC Law 24-345, effective April 21, 2023, makes police reform permanent. What the law does, and honestly, what it does not do, for civil claims.
Maryland's Child Victims Act: No More Deadlines for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Maryland's Child Victims Act, signed April 11, 2023, eliminates the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse and revives time-barred claims.
"Open and Obvious" in Virginia Premises Cases: The Doctrine and Its Limits
Virginia's open-and-obvious doctrine can end a premises case, but it has real limits. When the defense works, when it fails, and how to build proof.
Hurt on Metro: Your Rights as a WMATA Passenger in the Whiteru Era
Injured on Metro? How WMATA claims work: compact immunity, common-carrier duties, and what last year's Whiteru decision changed for passengers.
Maryland Medical Malpractice in 2023: The Cap Figures and the Certificate of Merit
Maryland's 2023 medical malpractice caps and the certificate of qualified expert requirement, explained in plain English for injured patients.
Maryland's High Courts Get New Names: The Supreme Court of Maryland, Explained
As of December 14, 2022, the Court of Appeals of Maryland is the Supreme Court of Maryland. What the voter-approved renaming changes, and what it doesn't.
Big Change Coming to Virginia UM/UIM: The 2022 Law That Ends the Offset in July 2023
Virginia's SB 754 ends the underinsured motorist offset for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023. What the change means for crash victims.
Child Pedestrians in DC: The Doctrines That Protect Kids After a Crash
When a child is hit by a car in DC, special rules apply: the comparative-fault carve-out, the child standard of care, and tolled deadlines explained.
Fines v. RACSB: Virginia's Community Services Boards Have No Sovereign Immunity
The Supreme Court of Virginia holds community services boards are not immune from tort suits: a major ruling for abuse survivors and injured Virginians.
Gambrill v. Board of Education: Maryland Bullying Cases Clear Two Defense Roadblocks
Maryland's highest court holds federal teacher-immunity law doesn't preempt negligence claims and bullying suits aren't barred as "educational malpractice."
Hit-and-Run in Virginia: How John Doe Claims and Your UM Coverage Work
Hit by a driver who fled or was never identified? Virginia lets you sue "John Doe" and recover from your own uninsured motorist coverage. Here's how.
Daycare and Camp Injuries in Maryland: The Duty of Care, and the Waiver You Signed
When a child is hurt at a Maryland daycare or summer camp, what duty was owed, and is the liability waiver parents signed actually enforceable?
Snow, Ice, and Virginia Landlords: Who Is Responsible When You Fall at Your Apartment?
Fell on ice at your Virginia apartment complex? Landlord duties for common areas, the reasonable-time rule, and how contributory negligence shapes claims.
Contributory Negligence for DC Drivers: Still the Harshest Rule in America
DC drivers hurt in crashes still face the 1% contributory negligence bar. How the rule works, the 50-state landscape, and the doctrines that soften it.