Compton and Compton, P.C.
Representing Plaintiffs in All Types of Personal Injury Litigation
Personal Injury Newsletter
Punitive Damages
 
Apart from legislation granting a right to sue for a specific harm, personal injury law generally consists of tort law and the civil procedure for enforcing it. One of the purposes of tort law is to provide compensation for damages. This article discusses punitive damages.More...
 
The Duty of Adults to Children
 
Generally, the law requires a person to exercise the degree of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise under the same circumstances. This is called "the duty of reasonable care." A person who breaches his duty of reasonable care is guilty of negligence.More...
 
No Strict Liability for Defamation
 
A lawsuit for defamation has the following basic elements: (1) making a false statement (2) about a person (3) to others, and (4) actual damages (if the harm to the person is not apparent). There is a fifth element when the person is a public official or public figure. The person who made the statement has to have made it with a known or reckless disregard of the truth. This article discusses a matter related to the fifth element, the prohibition against strict liability.More...
 
Publication of a Defamation
 
A lawsuit for defamation has the following basic elements: (1) making a false statement; (2) about a person; (3) to others; and (4) actual damages (if the harm to the person is not apparent). There is a fifth element when the person is a public official or public figure. The person who made the statement has to have made it with a known or reckless disregard of the truth. This article discusses the third element, making a statement to others, known as publication.More...
 
Tax Considerations in Tort Litigation
 
The income tax consequences of damages that are awarded in a tort action may have a significant impact on the parties to the litigation. In most cases, the tax effect of the damages will depend upon how the damages are characterized by the parties. Whether the damages are taxable or not may often affect the amount that a plaintiff is willing to accept from a defendant and that the defendant is willing to pay the plaintiff under a settlement agreement.More...
 
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