Every time we give a presentation on Workers’ Compensation, or contracting, or employer liability, or a similar subject, someone comes up to one of us and asks some question about how they have no employees, only independent contractors, and their contract includes terms X and Y, or some contractor got injured while working, etc.  Each […]

In April, 2016, two long haul carriers became embroiled in a $90,000,000 lawsuit where one carrier alleged that the other carrier actively recruited and hired drivers who were bound under its employment contracts.  Specifically, Carrier A’s employment contracts prohibited it’s drivers from working for competitors for a specified amount of time.  Carrier A asserted that […]

Virginia entered Phase III of its reopening plan on July 1, 2020 following COVID-19 closures.  Other states are in various phases of reopening, with some reversing their course of conduct due to upticks in active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. As new world order ensues, businesses are attempting to protect themselves in any way possible – […]

Last year, we reported (link: https://www.setlifflaw.com/news/2019/12/richmond-city-voting-to-join-spotsylvania-county-and-hampton-city-in-banning-handheld-cell-phone-use-while-driving/) that Richmond voted to adopt an ordinance banning handheld cell phone use while driving. The day of reckoning is upon us – as of June 8, 2020, the ordinance has officially gone into effect. The full text is as follows: Sec. 27-40.1. Distracted driving. (a) Any person who drives […]

On May 26, 2020 Virginia’s governor, Ralph S. Northam issued an Executive Order requiring people in the Commonwealth of Virginia to wear a face mask/face covering when in a public indoor setting.  This Executive Order followed the governor’s Executive Order Fifty-Five which required the people of Virginia to stay at home and maintain a distance […]

In the short time the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in December 2019 in China, the world is a much different place. As of June 23rd, more than 9.15 million cases had been reported across over 180 countries.  The pandemic caused the largest global recession in history, with more than a third of […]

It’s oddly satisfying when a state agency basically orders you to do what you’re already doing.  Helping in that regard, the Virginia Legislature recently passed a statute essentially directing Worker’s Compensation defendants to do what they’ve already been doing.  All that has really happened here is that the legislature took the fully functioning system under […]

“In hindsight, I probably should’ve realized my boss’ urgent request to purchase face masks was a scam.”  News flash: Criminals utilize societal events such as floods, fires and pandemics to exploit consumer fear.  This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided cyber criminals with a unique opportunity to take advantage of millions of vulnerable remote connections […]