A former Woodbridge, Virginia attorney had pleaded guilty to fraud for stealing more than $3.5 million from his clients. Stephen Conrad simply “settled” cases and signed over checks to himself, all the while telling his clients “your case is still going.” He allegedly used the funds to pay his own mortgage and credit card debt.

Some believe that when an insurance company issues a lawyer a check that it should all put a letter in the mail to the claimant, saying “we sent your lawyer a check. ”

I think this is a terrific idea–unfortunately many plaintiff’s lawyers don’t agree. Come one folks…we’ve lost the trust of a lot of people because of clowns like Conrad.

What’s there to disagree with on this one?

Here are some of the topics covered:

How to deal with an insurance adjuster.

Why Prudential insurance company got hammered.

How to really manage your time.

Ben Glass on TV

“My daughter got expelled for drinking, can I sue?”

College Student Health Insurance.

The ‘magic formula” for personal injury cases.

The July issue is here. 

The August issue is here. 

According to Virginia State Police, 80-year-old Patrick County resident Virginia Slate died of the personal injuries she sustained on June 10 after the pickup truck she had just entered accelerated through the wall of her garage and into her swimming pool.

According to Sgt. Rob Carpentieri of the Virginia State Police, the accident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. after Slate entered a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup parked inside the residence’s two-car garage. Instead of backing out of the garage, the truck inexplicably accelerated forward, resulting in it crashing through the wall and falling into the in-ground pool.

Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and discovered the truck submerged. Slate received transport to Northern Hospital of Surry County. She died approximately an hour after the accident.

According to police, charges are pending against the 29-year-old motorcycle driver who crashed into the back of a car in Virginia Beach on July 20, resulting in him sustaining life-threatening personal injuries that left him in critical condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Police spokesman Wayne Gilbert said that on the day of the crash, police received a call shortly before 5 a.m. regarding an accident at the intersection of Lavender Lane and Longfellow Avenue.

A 1998 Toyota Corolla was making a right-hand turn onto Longfellow from Lavender when the bike, a 2008 Eagle motor scooter, crashed into its rear, according to Gilbert. The Eagle is considered a motorcycle due to its 150 cc engine.

When crews arrive, they discovered the rider suffering from serious personal injuries. According to Gilbert, the driver was not wearing his helmet at the time of the crash. He said that investigators said driver inexperience and alcohol were both factors in the crash.

According to Gilbert, there are charges pending against the man for driving under the influence, driving with a revoked operator’s license, and failure to wear a helmet.

Who should pay my medical bills now?

If you have been injured in an accident, submit your bills to your own health insurer. Then, call your car insurance company and ask if you have medical payments coverage. If you do, submit the bills to your car insurance company, as well. (My book will explain, in detail, how all of this works.) The insurance company for the person who hit you will not generally advance these funds to you, preferring to string you out and settle everything at one time at the end. You don’t want your medical bills going to collections!

On July 25, a pair of multiple-car collisions on Interstate 64 backed up traffic and resulted in a 5-year-old girl being sent to the hospital for the personal injuries she sustained.

Details about the first accident were not immediately made available.

Virginia State Trooper F.B. Ross said that the second crash occurred at approximately 9 a.m. when traffic had been slowed from a crash in the westbound lanes near Zion Crossroads.

According to Ross, as 23-year-old Oklahoma resident Kelly Hines approached the first crash, she failed to slow her Chevrolet Impala, which was traveling at 65 miles per hour. Hines’ vehicle struck a minivan, causing it to crash into a sport utility vehicle.

Hines and 35-year-old Wisconsin resident Darrell Boland, the driver of the minivan, received transport via ambulance to the University of Virginia Medical Center. Boldan’s 5-year-old daughter required air transport to UVA for her injuries.

The extent of the injuries sustained was not made public, but Ross said the adults were coherent and talking after the crash.

Hines was charged with following too closely and Ross said the accident would not be investigated further.

What about my car? Who should pay to get it fixed?

Often, the defendant’s insurance company will help you immediately with this. If they don’t, contact your own car insurance company and get them to work on it. Yes, you’ll pay a deductible, but your insurance company will help you recover that deductible from the person who was at fault.

I am hundreds of miles away from you; will you still take my case?
At one time, the answer to this question would have been “no.” Today, though, with modern technology being what it is, we represent accident victims all over Virginia (and, from time to time, we handle large cases from out of state). If we accept your case, it doesn’t matter where you are located.

Is there anything I should not be doing while I wait for your accident book that you offer for free for Virginia car accident victicms?

While this isn’t legal advice (I don’t represent you until you and I sign a contract) here are my suggestions: 

Remember, there is no rush to do anything except to get appropriate medical care and follow your health care provider’s advice. 

1.     Don’t give a recorded statement to the other person’s insurance company until you have read the book and possibly until you have actually consulted with an experienced Virginia personal injury attorney.

2.     Don’t sign medical releases for the other person’s insurance company. Those releases are broad in scope and time. You want to consider carefully controlling access to your private, confidential medical records.

3.     Don’t accept a check for your personal injuries or sign a release without understanding all of your rights. Sign a release today and accept money and if you need surgery a month from now, too bad.

Getting and reading my Accident Book and The Truth About Lawyer Advertising are about the smartest things you can do before talking to the insurance adjuster, hiring an attorney or signing any forms.