The Automobile Accident Case: Taking Your Case to Trial (Online Seminar)

A pre-recorded streaming video replay from the September 2016 webcast, The Automobile Accident Case: Taking Your Case to Trial.

Whether you are contemplating taking your first auto accident case or you are a seasoned practitioner wanting the most up-to-date information, this seminar is for you.

In 2014 there was a traffic accident every 4½ minutes in Virginia, involving one out of every twenty-seven licensed drivers, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. There is little reason to expect 2016 and beyond to be appreciably better, with the number of licensed drivers and overall miles travelled always increasing. Many of the claims are handled amicably by insurance, but as every personal injury and insurance defense attorney knows, in a significant number of cases it is necessary to seek the assistance of knowledgeable lawyers.

This seminar serves as both a comprehensive overview and a refresher of Virginia law and practice regarding automobile litigation. Our experienced speakers will discuss every step of the process, highlighting laws, cases, procedures, and best practices to improve your results. Whether you are contemplating taking your first auto accident case or you are a seasoned practitioner wanting the most up-to-date information, this seminar is for you.

COURSE AGENDA

• Filing Suit
  • General District Court vs. Circuit Court
  • Ad damnum
  • Allegations
• Answering the Suit—Defense
  • Venue
  • Coverage
  • Tripartite relationship
• Discovery
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Written discovery
  • Depositions
  • Experts and de bene esse depositions
  • Settlement attempts including ADR
• Trial of the Case
  • Plaintiff case
  • Defense case
• Post-Trial and Settlement
  • Releases and orders
  • Liens and outstanding balances

FACULTY

T. Vaden Warren Jr., The Warren Firm, PLLC / Charlottesville
Vaden Warren has been practicing personal injury law in Virginia since 1997 and has extensive experience handling a variety of personal injury cases. He is active in Virginia's largest organization of trial attorneys, The Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. He is a former chairman of the Young Trial Lawyer's Section and has chaired many other committees for the organization. He is also a member of the Association of American Justice, devoted to protecting the rights of individuals as well as the right to trial by jury. Mr. Warren has tried over 35 personal injury cases to verdict, and was featured in Virginia Lawyers Weekly as an "Up & Coming Attorney." Virginia Business magazine named him a “Legal Elite,” one of the top lawyers in Virginia. To better serve his clients from all over the state, and specifically the Charlottesville area, he founded the Warren Firm PLLC in 2009.

Stephanie Gacek Cook, Kalbaugh, Pfund & Messersmith, P.C. / Roanoke
Stephanie Gacek Cook, a graduate of the University of Virginia, received her law degree from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. There she received Honors in Legal Research and Writing, wrote for the Campbell Law Observer, and worked as a research assistant. Stephanie was a member of her law school’s moot court team, competing up to the semi-finals in the national competition and earning an award for best brief. After earning her law degree, Stephanie practiced in Charlotte, North Carolina, focusing on insurance defense and litigation. She then returned to her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia where she practiced criminal defense with a focus on white collar crimes and prescription fraud. Stephanie joined Kalbaugh, Pfund & Messersmith in 2003, and has worked with clients in products liability, automobile liability, premises liability, coverage issues, and construction litigation. Her successful results have garnered attention within the industry; in 2011 Stephanie was recognized as a Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star.