Chesapeake Personal Injury Lawyers
Roy, Larsen, Carnes & Romm, PC
No matter how well you are prepared for life’s events, a serious accident that causes injury to you or a loved one can have a major impact with lasting affects.
Injuries and pain may prevent you from working, doing activities that you enjoy, or even actions you do everyday, such as standing and walking. Medical bills and loss of income can result in financial stress on you and your family, and you may become overwhelmed with insurance claim forms, disability applications, explanation of benefits, and job-related paperwork.
As skilled Chesapeake Personal Injury lawyers, our firm has over 34 years of experience with personal injury cases, and we can guide you through this difficult time to obtain the compensation that you and your family deserve.
Contact our office today if you or a loved one has been injured and needs legal assistance with any of the following matters:
- Medical Malpractice
- Wrongful Death
- Serious and Catastrophic Injury
- Auto Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Burn Injuries
- Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
- Boating Accidents
- Vehicle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Defective Products
Roy, Larsen, Carnes & Romm, PC, began serving the legal community in 1975. Two of our original founding members went on to serve as Chief Judge of the Chesapeake Circuit Court. We have over 90 years combined experience and practice in all the local state and federal courts.
Attorney Greg Larsen was recognized by the Virginia Business magazine as one of the “legal elite” in Virginia as one of the Commonwealth’s best civil litigators. Many of his cases have been featured in the Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and contract law. Attorney Scott Carnes has 31 years of civil litigation experience in Tidewater, including personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice jury trials and appeals, and handles business and real estate litigation as well.
Verdicts and Settlements:
Estate of Client v. Defendant--Type of Action: Wrongful Death. Awarded or Settled: Awarded by the Court $1,000,000.00. This was a case where the defendant/drunk driver struck the plaintiff who was aiding a disabled vehicle. The defendant apparently drove down the shoulder of the highway and struck the victim without warning. The defendant was intoxicated and had a blood alcohol level that far exceeded the legal limit. Mr. Larsen represented the family of the victim. In this trial, Mr. Larsen was successful in obtaining the maximum amount of punitive damages allowed by statute.
Bowles v. Cooper--Type of Action: Personal Injury. Awarded or Settled: Settled for $650,000.00. Client was involved in a car accident where the defendant was at fault. He suffered extensive loss of the medullary canal of the right tibial plafond in the right ankle. Client qualified for permanent impairment rating of approximately 80% of his lower extremity. Mr. Larsen was prepared to present the testimony of an orthopedic surgeon and a podiatrist to discuss the mechanics of the injury and the real life impact to his client. The case settled the day before scheduled mediation.
Client v. Rockingham Mutual Insurance Company--Type of Action: Insurance Contract. Awarded or Settled: Awarded $309,286.00 plus interest. An electrical fire destroyed clients’ home. Rockingham Mutual sought to deny coverage claiming that the clients had made false statements about the condition of their home on the application for insurance. At trial, the evidence showed that the insurance broker had filled out the application without consulting the clients to confirm the information was accurate. Mr. Larsen filed a 13 page trial brief with the Court. The Court ultimately agreed with the client/insured and awarded damages against the insurance company. The Court concluded that the error by the insurance broker must be borne by the insurance company. The insurance company then filed an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court however; after filing briefs, the Supreme Court found in favor of Mr. Larsen’s clients.
Alfred Flora v. Carex t/a Acorn Development Co., Inc.--Type of Action: Products Liability/Personal Injury. Award or Settled: Award by jury $300,000.00. This was a case against one of three manufacturers of crutches. Client was truck driver and had knee surgery because of long standing wear and tear to his knee ligaments and cartilage. After surgery he was issued a set of crutches sold by defendant. The crutches collapsed and caused further injury to plaintiff. The defendant had insisted not that his crutches were defective but that the individual patients had broken the crutches. Mr. Larsen presented the testimony of a mechanical engineer and exposed the company’s failure to conduct any quality testing for their crutches. The crutches were ultimately removed from the market.
Client v. Cardiologist--Type of Action: Medical Malpractice/Wrongful Death. Awarded or Settled: Awarded by jury (amount confidential). Decedent was referred by his general physician to a cardiologist for an exercise stress-test. During the stress-test, a right bundle branch block in the decedent’s heart changed from partial to complete. The cardiologist did not note this development on his report to the general physician nor recommend any additional testing. Approximately 6 weeks later the gentleman suffered a massive heart attack and died. Greg Larsen called to the stand two expert cardiologist, one from Seattle and the other from northern Virginia. In addition, Mr. Larsen hired a world renowned cardiac pathologist to explain to the jury the pathology issues. Both cardiologists testified that the offending cardiologist should have mentioned the development of the right bundle branch block and referred the patient for a more sophisticated nuclear test. Plaintiffs experts all testified that the nuclear imaging would have revealed the problem and the patient could have been saved. After a three day jury trial, the jury found for the plaintiff and awarded significant damages.
If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Chesapeake Personal Injury lawyer, call Roy, Larsen, Carnes & Romm, PC, today at 866-798-7507, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a free consultation.
**Any personal, private or sensitive information sent via this website will not be treated as confidential until the prospective client has spoken to an attorney who has completed a conflicts check. Sending any such information or contacting the firm through this site will not create any attorney-client privilege or relationship.**
Practice Areas and Legal Definitions
Medical Malpractice:
Medical malpractice is the failure of a health care provider to follow the accepted standards of practice of his or her profession in the community where the service is rendered. If a physician was careless, lacked proper skills or disregarded standardized rules resulting in injury to a patient, a jury may find the health care provider liable for negligence. Hospitals can also be held liable for the negligence of their employees, including staff nurses and technicians.
Examples of Medical Malpractice include:
- Failing to diagnose a tumor while reading an x-ray
- Puncturing a nearby organ or tissue during surgery
- Failing to order necessary and appropriate medical tests
- Failing to diagnose a condition in time to treat it properly
- Failing to refer a case to a medical specialist
- Prescribing incorrect medication
- Brain Injury
- Birth Injury
- Cerebral Palsy
- Incorrect diagnosis that results in a failure to treat a medical condition
- Failing to properly administer anesthesia
- Emergency room negligence
- Dental Malpractice
- Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice
- Birth Injury: Birth injury malpractice is the failure of an obstetrician to properly perform his or her duties; i.e. failure to administer blood tests to detect abnormalities that can result in death or serious injury to both the mother and fetus. If you have been injured because of improper medical care you may have a claim against the obstetrician/gynecologist who treated you. However, statutes of limitations bar the filing of claims after a certain period of time following the negligent act.
- Cerebral Palsy: Cerebral palsy is permanent brain injuries that affect an infant in the womb, during birth, or in the months following birth and is one of the most common birth injuries in the United States. Cerebral palsy patients are subject to limited motor skills, speech difficulties and learning disabilities. When cerebral palsy occurs as the result of medical malpractice, the responsible party inflicting said injuries can be held legally responsible. Examples of medical malpractice during delivery include leaving the baby in the birth canal too long resulting in oxygen deprivation, and/or failing to perform or delaying a necessary C-section.
- Anesthesia Negligence: Medical malpractice injuries can occur when anesthesia is improperly given or not given in a timely manner to a patient during a surgical procedure. If the failure of the anesthesiologist is the cause of injury or death to a patient, damages may be recoverable under the laws of medical malpractice.
Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization. A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents. Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death. In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action, the following elements must be present:
- The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
- The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.
The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one. Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his or her spouse, children and/or parents had he or she survived. It also includes the recovery for funeral service expenses in memory of the decedent and for burial cost. Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support.
Automobile Accidents:
A car accident is a collision involving an automobile and anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings and trees. Sometimes a car accident may also refer to an automobile striking a human or animal. Car accidents — also called traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents and crashes — kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about forty times this number.
Spinal Cord Injury:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the nerves within the spinal canal are damaged. Most SCI's are caused by trauma to the vertebral column, affecting the spinal cord's ability to send and receive messages between the brain and the body's systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic function. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI, followed by acts of violence, falls, sports injuries and diseases such as polio, spina bifida and Friedreich’s Ataxia. The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning.
Traumatic Brain Injury:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical phrase used to describe the damage to the brain suffered by sudden impact or physical force to the head. Essentially, the human brain floats in a fluid substance called cerebrospinal fluid. TBI can result when the force of momentum causes the brain to impact against the skull. This type of injury, often the result of hitting your head on the windshield, pavement or object, is frequently referred to as a “closed head injury.” Whiplash can also cause TBI. These closed head injuries can result in lasting physical and mental problems.
Burn Injuries:
People who have suffered and survived the agony of second, third and even fourth degree burns describe the pain they experienced as among the most severe of all traumatic injuries. Personal injuries involving severe burns commonly result from explosions, premises fires, defective products, motor vehicle collisions, electric shock, as well as accidental exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation.
Americans are living longer than ever before. The fastest growing segment in the United States is the elderly population. As a result of this demographic shift, many elderly Americans have become residents of nursing homes during their final years. As many of these nursing homes are under-funded and understaffed, a disturbing incidence of neglect and abuse is being reported. Injuries sustained by nursing home residents due to neglect and abuse often involve the inappropriate use of physical restraints, joint contractors, overuse of sedatives, unnecessary use of urinary catheters, loss of mobility, pressure sores and lack of nutrition with weight loss.
Boating Accidents:
Typically, powerboats such as runabouts, cabin cruisers and jet skis are the most common watercraft involved in boating accidents, although sailboats can be involved in accidents as well. The most frequent sources of injuries are caused from propeller accidents and collisions. Because personal watercraft such as jet skis cannot be steered when the throttle is released, inexperienced drivers often have collisions when confronted with an emergency. Serious personal injury and even death can occur due to a boating collision or from a person falling over the side of a watercraft and drowning. Legal claims that arise from boating collisions are typically governed by the law of negligence. Any individual who negligently operates a watercraft may be required to pay damages to an injured victim. A maritime case involving a boating accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings, or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed. The surviving family members of a fatally injured boating accident victim may be able to recover damages in a maritime wrongful death action against the defendant.
Vehicle Accidents:
Legal claims that arise from vehicle accidents are typically governed by the law of negligence. Any individual who negligently operates a motor vehicle may be required to pay damages to an injured victim. A personal injury case involving a vehicle accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed. Vehicle accidents can include:
- admiralty and maritime law
- ATV accidents
- automobile accidents
- aviation accidents
- bicycle accidents
- boating accidents
- commercial bus accidents
- cruise ship accidents
- intersection accidents
- motorcycle accidents
- pedestrian accidents
- rear end collisions
- semi-tractor trailer accidents
- school bus accidents
- SUV rollover accidents
- train accidents
- truck accidents
- yacht accidents
The surviving family members of a fatally injured accident victim may be able to bring wrongful death charges against the defendant.
Bicycle Accidents:
According to the Federal Highway Administration, over 67,000 cyclists in the U.S. are injured every year in accidents involving motor vehicles. Many cyclists who are injured in bicycle accidents are unaware that they have a personal injury case and that they may be entitled to compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills and lost incomes. A cyclist may be entitled to receive compensation for an injury sustained because of a pothole, poor road or defective sidewalk. There are state mandated residential and commercial bicycle laws, which entitle cyclists to observe different traffic rules than cars, trucks and other motorized vehicles. This may mean that the cyclist is not legally responsible for an accident.
Motorcycle Accidents:
Motorcycle riders are often exposed to dangers not met by automobile drivers and other motorists on the road. The lack of any substantial protective barriers, as well as the difficulty that other motorists may have in seeing or stopping for a motorcycle, leaves riders prone to serious personal injury in the event of an accident.
SUV Rollovers:
Although SUV rollovers do not occur as often as other automobile accidents, when they do occur they have a higher chance of resulting in serious injury or death, and are considered to be the most fatal type of vehicle accident on national roadways. According to the Federal Highway Administration, SUV rollover accidents account for more than side and rear fatal vehicles combined and SUV's are three times more likely than the average passenger car rollover.
Although SUV's were designed primarily for the purpose of off-roading, manufacturers have since discovered their immense popularity as family vehicles. Manufacturers have begun removing roll bars in current models. SUV seat structures are not designed to keep occupants in place during a rollover regardless if seatbelts are worn. Vehicle roofs, windshields and side windows easily collapse, increasing the risk of occupant head, brain and spinal cord and back injuries. While the body of an SUV remains the same as it would if used for off-roading, the removal of the roll bars, combined with the high center gravity due to multiple passengers, make rollover accidents and occupant ejection that much more fatal.
Defective Products:
Products liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer. Products liability cases may include defective or poorly designed machinery, tools, motor vehicle defects, recreational products, pharmaceuticals and other defective products and equipment. A person injured by a defective or dangerous product may be eligible to file a lawsuit for product liability. Damages can be recovered under one of the following categories: strict products liability; negligence or breach of warranty.
If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Chesapeake Personal Injury lawyer, call Roy, Larsen, Carnes & Romm, PC, today at 866-798-7507, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule a free consultation.
ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Roy, Larsen, Carnes & Romm, PC
109A Wimbledon Square
Chesapeake, VA 23320
Phone: 866-798-7507
Hours: M-F, 8:30AM-5:30PM
Foreign Languages Spoken: Spanish, Filipino, Greek, interpreters available
Services provided after-hours
MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:
Attorney Gregory Larsen
- Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in: Virginia
- Date Admitted to the Bar: 1984
- Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: University of Virginia, B.A. (Government), 1981; Marshall-Wythe School of Law at William and Mary, J.D., 1984
- Professional Memberships & Achievements: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association; American Association of Justice
- Board Certifications: Virginia State Bar; United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
- Jurisdictions Attorney is Licensed in: Virginia
- Date Admitted to the Bar: 1978
- Colleges Attended, Degree & Year Graduated: William and Mary, B.A., 1975; Marshall-Wythe School of Law at William and Mary, J.D., 1978
- Professional Memberships & Achievements: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
- Board Certifications: Virginia State Bar; United States District Court for Eastern District of Virginia; United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; United States Court of Claims.
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