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Firm News:

Virginia State police investigating double-fatal crash in James City County

Virginia State Troopers bring Operation Air, Land and Speed to Hampton Roads

Police: charges pending against injured Virginia Beach motorcycle rider

Water tests completed near Chesapeake's fly-ash golf club

Norfolk, Virginia Man struck by car at Newtown Road; pile-up follows

Motorcycle Accident on I-64 kills 4 people in Virginia Beach

Mock DUI drill teaches students very real lesson

Virginia Beach Car Crash Injures Sailors

68 pct. of young drivers killed at night unbuckled

Ford Leads Life-like Child Dummy Car Accident Research

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Firm Library

Helpful Internet Resources

Below you can find links that can be of use to every person at critical moments in their lives. Following an incident, it's important to gather as much information as you can. The Internet is an increasingly important resource in this search, and the sites below are referenced regularly by those facing similiar situations as yourself. If you don't find the answers here, you should contact us. The consultation is free.

Lead Poisoning

Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning: The Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning is dedicated to preventing childhood lead poisoning through advocacy, outreach and education. Working in partnership with the community, the Coalition is committed to ensuring that all children grow up in healthy, affordable lead-safe housing and that community based solutions for lead safe housing are implemented which will result in healthier children and healthier communities.
National Center for Environmental Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is committed to the Healthy People goal of eliminating elevated blood lead levels in children by 2010. CDC continues to assist state and local childhood lead poisoning prevention programs, to provide a scientific basis for policy decisions, and to ensure that health issues are addressed in decisions about housing and the environment.
Newsletter HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control: The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard
Control (OHHLHC) offers an electronic quarterly newsletter. The goal of the newsletter is to promote healthy homes principles, including best practices, research findings and education/outreach initiatives.
Lead Testing Options for families worried about lead: Recent recalls of children’s products including toys and clothes have concerned consumers wondering what lead hazards could be in their homes and around their children. The greatest hazard from lead is most likely invisible lead dust from deteriorated lead-based paint. Any home built before 1978 may very well have contained lead paint and may contain dust remnants from that paint and should be tested. Parents should talk to their children's doctor about getting a blood lead test if there is a possiblity that their child may have been exposed to lead.
Toys N' Tots Lead Detection was founded after increase of lead toy recalls in US: Toys N’ Tots Lead Detection and Home Safety was founded in the fall of 2007 in response to the recent increase in toy recalls due to lead. Upon conducting its own market research, TNT found that it is a logistical impossibility for any government agency, be it local, or federal, to inspect all of the potentially dangerous toys coming into the USA from countries like China

Automobile Accidents

Drive Smart Virginia: DRIVE SMART Virginia (DSV) is the only 501c3 non-profit in Virginia dedicated entirely to making Virginia's roadways the safest in the nation. Founded by automobile insurance companies that represent more than 85% of the driving insured on our roads, DSV is a formidable presence in the homes and businesses of our Virginia citizens. Almost everyone rides or drives in a motor vehicle daily. That makes car crashes the most indiscriminate killer in existance.
Norfolk accident lawyer: Best Lawyer rated: Richard Serpe is a Norfolk accident lawyer: Best Lawyer rated serving Hampton Roads, Richmond, Petersburg and the Eastern Shore. If you have been injured in a vehicle accident or by someone's negligence you should contact him immediately!
Highway and Auto Safety: Attorney Richard Serpe's resources for preventing car and motorcycle accidents: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America's roads safer.

Advocates encourages the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that save lives and reduce injuries. By joining its resources with others, Advocates helps build coalitions to increase participation of a wide array of groups in public policy initiatives which advance highway and auto safety.
Virginia Teens speak out for safer roads: Flashing blue lights lit up the intersection of Candlers Mountain Road and University Boulevard, and almost 50 teenagers gathered along the roadside Wednesday night.

These teenagers were not in trouble. They were simply watching as law enforcement officers arrested three drivers on charges of driving under the influence, three on drug charges and one on underage possession of alcohol.

Law enforcement and others hope that this, and the other events of the Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety retreat held at Liberty University, will teach teens to drive safely when they get behind the wheel.

The retreat's mission is to play a part in reducing teenage deaths from car crashes.

"Traffic crashes are the number one killer of this age group," said Elizabeth Ferguson, training and marketing coordinator. "We want to give them the tools to help prevent those deaths."

Last year, 132 teenagers in Virginia died in car crashes.
Senior Driver Safety: Senior drivers face many challenges caught between wanting to maintain their independence while their friends and family may begin to be concerned about their senior's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Seniordrivers.org is a AAA sponsored website dedicated to helping educate seniors and their loved ones on safe driving as we age.
SEAT BELTS STILL MISSING FROM SCHOOL BUSES: Child passengers need seat belts on school buses for the very same three reasons that their use is required in cars:

-To reduce fatalities and mitigate injuries in crashes,
-To reinforce the practice of restraint use, and
-To improve discipline on the bus.

Traumatic Brain Injury

BRAIN TRAUMA FOUNDATION RECEIVED A $4.6 MILLION AWARD FROM: The Brain Trauma Foundation was founded to improve the outcome of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients by developing best practice guidelines, conducting clinical research and educating medical personnel. The group recevied a $4.6 million award from the Department of Defense to lead the development of technology that would detect traumatic brain injury in soilders. The focus of this research is the development of an eyetracking device that will detect traumatic brain injury. The eye-tracking device will detect changes in brain attention in combat soldiers almost immediately allowing medical personnel to quickly diagnose servicemen who may have been suffered traumatic brain injury. The occurance this type of injury for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is estimated between 10 and 22% in the 1.5 million soldiers deployed however the actual number may
be much greater higher since mild brain injury is often not diagnosed.
Scientists have found that the human brain stores trauma in a special way which makes treatment difficult.: Emotional memories of traumatic life events such as accidents, war experiences or serious illnesses are stored in a particularly robust way by the brain. This renders effective treatment very difficult.
Traumatic Brain Injury: Hope Through Research: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health (NINDS) provides education and resourses for all types of neurological disorders including traumatic brain injury. Hope Through Research is a booklet published by NINDS contains a wealth of information on just such disorders/injurys.
Brain Injury Association of Virginia: The Brain Injury Association of Virginia (BIAV) has positively impacted programs and services for people with brain injury and their families, and are the primary source of information and personal support for thousands of individuals, families and professionals living in Virginia whose lives have been touched by a life-altering, often devastating, brain injury.
Brain Injury Association of America: Founded in 1980, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the leading national organization serving and representing individuals, families and professionals who are touched by a life-altering, often devastating, traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Medical Malpractice

Law Information and Law Guide: Law information is the leading network of legal information, law guide, lawyers and law firms and institutions and provides information about law/legal issues.
Sacramento crash lawyer: Edward Smith - Sacramento Auto Accident Attorney - Solano County Car Crash Lawyers.

Jones Act and Maritime Injury

Denver Criminal Lawyer: Denver Criminal Lawyer.
Cruise ship security and how to avoid incident while on board: Cruise ships are in many ways like a self contained city where passengers can escape their cares and relax while they are on board. It is natural for people on vacation to let down their guard while in a resort like enviroment. While it is unnecessary to let "what could happen" ruin your vacation, travelers should not have such a false sense of security on their cruise allow them to become a victim. The attached link is a quick reference, no nonsense, guide to staying safe while sailing the seas.

Toxic Torts

Virginia Man files Asbestos Claim in Galveston County, TX: Larry and Lelsie Hacker, both Virginia residents, filed suit in Galveston County, Texas, claiming that Larry Hacker developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure that occurred while he was employed by 3M. The suit also names the Union Carbide Corporation and the Phillips Electronics North America Corporation as defendants. Mr. Hacker claims that the exposure occurred during the course of his employment as a general maintenance worker and a boiler technician.

Legal Malpractice

Dallas Texas Divorce Lawyer & Child Custody Support Attorney - Michael P. Granata: Dallas divorce lawyer attorney specializing in Texas family law, divorce law, child custody, child support, mediation & separation. Practice location includes Collin County, Fort Worth, Denton, Dallas, Texas, Wise, Ellis, Kauffman, & Tarrant counties.

Professional Malpractice

Lorandos and Associates: Lorandos and Associates specializes in litigation encompassing everything from business litigation to white-collar crime defense and employment law.

Safety

The National Safety Council Aims to “Make a Difference”: “Make a Difference” is the theme of the National Safety Council’s 2008 National Safety Month observance – and a call to action to employers and other organizations to help reverse a dramatic national increase in accidental injuries and deaths.
Project SafetyNet VA: Project SafetyNet VA is a joint effort, led by Attorney General Bob McDonnell, to educate and raise awareness among Virginia's children and parents about the dangers of the Internet through innovative initiatives. The Attorney General's Youth Internet Safety Advisory Committee meets regularly to implement these educational initiatives and is comprised of leaders representing education, law enforcement, parents, faith-based organizations and the technology industry.

General

Local chapter's of Mother's Against Drunk Driving Virginia work to prevent impared driving in Hampton Roads: MADD's Mission is to stop drunk driving, support victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking.
Employment Tribunal Solicitor: Information from specialist employment tribunal solicitor on redundancy, unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal and discrimination.

If you need help from a Law Firm in Another State:

Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases

With an extensive background in railroads and FELA regulations, the Law Firm of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis and Appleton have the experience and legal skill that can help injured railroad workers receive fair and decent treatment. If you or a loved one has been injured in a railroad accident, of suffer from an occupational disease/disorder, or repetitive stress injuries, contact us for a free consultation today.

Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton, P.C.
1294 Diamond Springs Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
(757) 460-7776
www.hsinjurylaw.com