By Emily Mapp Brannon, Car Accident Attorney in Virginia Beach

When so many drivers can now browse the internet, enter an address into a GPS device, and text message through their vehicle’s dashboard, it should come as no surprise that crashes caused by distractions are more common than ever. To learn about a new proposal to ban communication while behind the wheel, visit our Virginia personal injury attorneys website to read “NHTSA Proposes Ban on Texting, Surfing, and In-Car Dialing.”

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Virginia Product Recalls Attorney

A 10-year-old Minnesota girl was burned and hospitalized while trying to fix her grandmother a cup of coffee. Now, the coffeemaker she used is being recalled. To learn more, visit “Tassimo Single-Cup Coffeemaker Recalled After 10-Year-Old Burned, Hospitalized.”

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Richard Shapiro, Boating Accident Injury Attorney

After its Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground, killing and injuring many, the Costa Crociere cruise line offered compensation for passengers’ suffering. But is the roughly $14,400 enough to cover the emotional toll the accident has taken on passengers? To read more, visit “Compensation Offered to Costa Concordia Survivors.”

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Kevin Duffan, Personal Injury Attorney in Virginia

Fresh produce on grocery store shelves often come from thousands of miles away. As proof of the problems this can present, iceberg lettuce grown in Arizona (AZ) has been pulled from Virginia (VA) shelves amid fears of salmonella contamination. To read more, visit “Iceberg Lettuce Pulled from VA Shelves.”

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Virginia Car Accident Attorney

Many drivers take ice and snow-free roads as a given. But with winter officially here, we need to prepare ourselves for the worst. To learn more, visit “5 Winter Driving Tips That Could Save Your Life.”

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Kevin Duffan, Carolina Dangerous Products Attorney

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Toys Distribution Inc. have announced a recall of baby rattles that can break into small pieces that children can swallow and choke on. As an added concern, the handle on the rattle is small enough to become stuck in a child’s mouth.

The recall includes several models of the rattles. They were sold in a variety of pastel colors and shapes. A toy phone, animal, small buggy and sea horse were some of the shapes. They were sold in sets of five or eight rattles per box. Made in China, the rattles in question are labeled “HANDBELL TOYS” in the upper left corner of the box. One set is labeled “JUNYI” on the upper right of the box, and “ITEM NO.58083801” is printed on a white label on the lower back. Another box set has “XIN DA MEI” on the front of the package in the upper right corner. “ITEM NO.308363 is printed on a white sticker on the lower back corner.

If you find any of these rattles in your home, return them to the store where you bought them. You can also contact Toys Direct for a full refund or replacement. For more information, email the firm at mailbox@shoptdi.com.

Dangerous and defective products are never okay. But when the toys our infants play with can seriously injure or kill, the risk is completely unacceptable. If you or a loved one has suffered because of a defective product, consider speaking with an attorney about your experience.

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By James Lewis, Virginia Dangerous Products Attorney

We want only the best for our families, and fruit juice is a natural part of any child’s diet. But evidence that some brands of commercially available apple juice contain dangerous levels of arsenic raises the question of whether anyone be drinking apple juice. To learn more about the claim and the study conducted to back it up, read “Consumer Reports Study Finds Arsenic in Apple Juice .”

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Rick Shapiro, Eastern Shore Accident Injury Attorney

Virginia State Trooper L. Farlow was seriously injured when his cruiser was hit while parked in a turnoff beside Route 13 on the Eastern Shore on November 23, 2011. According to the Daily Press, the at-fault driver was a 49-year-old from North Carolina (NC) who veered off the road close to the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The trooper’s injuries do not appear life-threatening, and the other driver has been charged with reckless driving.

While Virginia’s Eastern Shore may not have the congestion of cities such as Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, it sees its fair share of deadly accidents. In August 2011, for instance, two people were killed on VA 178 in Pungoteague in an accident believed to be linked to alcohol.

Troopers do a dangerous job and are often the victims of crashes. In September 2010 a trooper suffered serious injuries multiple fractures when he was hit by a tractor-trailer at the Bowers Hill interchange between I-664, U.S. 58 and U.S. 460 in Chesapeake, VA. In April 2011, an accident injured two Virginia state troopers on I-395.

Virginia’s “move-over” law means drivers are legally required to move into the next lane or slow down by 20 mph if an emergency vehicle. Violators face fines up to $2500. The law is widely flouted.

As experienced Virginia auto accident attorneys, my colleagues and I have handled automobile accident cases all over Virginia and those involving injured first responders including, police, fire and rescue.

This FAQ explains what to do if you’ve been rear-ended.

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About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By John Cooper, Virginia Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Harley-Davidson motorcycle fans are some of the most passionate bikers on the road. Their safety, however, is endangered because of a switch problem that can cause brake lights to fail. Harley has issued a recall for several models of their motorcycles. Visit “308,000 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Recalled” to learn more.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys handle Eastern Shore, Virginia (VA), injury lawsuits. Our lawyers have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of victims of car and truck accidents, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free, confidential initial consultations. Give us a call at (800) 752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call.

By Kevin Duffan, Virginia (VA) Car Accident Attorney

What constitutes a defective auto part? A number of major car manufacturers have recently recalled models for defects. In one case, accelerators were becoming engaged without warning. In other cases, car floor mats were becoming wedged against the gas pedal, causing unintentional acceleration. An experienced Virginia (VA) car accident injury attorney with our firm explores what you rights are if you are injured.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys handle Eastern Shore, Virginia (VA) injury lawsuits. Our lawyers have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of victims of car and truck accidents, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free, confidential initial consultations. Give us a call at (800) 752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call.