But death is not the only concern for motorists.  The potential ramifications of getting into a car and driving on the roads are staggering:  motorcyclists are at an elevated risk of injury, as are bicyclists; air bags can led to serious injuries, even fatalities; without wearing a properly-fitted seat belt, passengers can be thrown from the vehicle; pedestrians have to take extra precautions when crossing at intersections, even when they cross with the light; even infants and young children are affected if their seats are improperly installed, their belts are poorly fitted, or their parents neglect to use these safety devices.

According to a DMV report from 2004, 19,098 accidents occurred in Fairfax County; 6,777 in Prince William County; 4,467 in Loudoun County; and 3,072 in the city of Alexandria.  Most of those injured were in their twenties and thirties, the prime age of young commuters coming in and out of the area.  What?s more, while the backdrop of MADD may make it easy to attribute most automobile accidents to drunk drivers, 94.4%  of the crashes were caused by some traffic violation, but only 7.4% involved drinking.

Traffic is becoming more of a problem in the Northern Virginia as congestion increases with higher populations and more commuters coming into the area.  And while the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is doing their best to combat the congestion and enhance the flow of both commuters and commerce, the increase in traffic has led to an equivalent increase in the number of fender benders and deaths.

Given the new Virginia traffic laws and fines, the monetary cost of breaking the rules can be overwhelming.  If you speed 20 mph over the posted limit, the Commonwealth could fine you for $1, 050.  Add to that the judge?s $200 fine, the increased potential for an accident, and the ensuing medical bills and insurance problems, and the stage is set for something so staggering it could send your family into an uncontrollable downward spiral.

What?s worse, the area?s attempts at fixing these problems may only increase the likelihood of accidents.  In Leesburg, officials proposed installing red-light cameras that would take a picture of any red-light runners after half a second elapsed.  Optimally, these efforts should encourage drivers to stop during the yellow light instead of racing through a red and possibly causing an accident.  Many fear that these red-light cameras will increase the number of fender-benders before they limit the number of drivers who run red lights.  The gesture is certainly aimed in the right direction, although it may produce new problems before it solves the larger issue.

While we certainly encourage you to obey the rules while driving on the road, if you are involved in an auto accident, do not hesitate to contact Thomas Robl at your earliest convenience.  He can help with the process of handling insurance companies, tickets, and fines.  Thomas Robl can be reached at 703-777-6787.

            Despite the relative seclusion, crime is making its way to Northern Virginia.  In the early part of the century, several gangs surfaced, leaving behind graffiti and other marks that were mistaken at first for random acts of vandalism.  One girl, who had been relocated to the valley area for protection, was found murdered.  Her death was eventually connected with a group known as the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.  Police hypothesized that the gangs, which seemed to be Latino based, were following the growth of drug use in small towns.   Groups of farmers banded together to fight their growing influence and to maintain the peace of their rural life.

            Despite attempts to stop the influx?including an FBI taskforce and community-aimed efforts that educate youth to respect their community and to make wise choices about their future?the MS-13?s influence has been felt even more deeply as the years go on.  Several people have been brutally murdered in the Northern Virginia area alone, but the gang?s influence reaches throughout over half of the country?s states.  As stated in a Newsweek article, ?It?s considered the fastest-growing, most violent and least understood of the nation?s street gangs.?

            But the influence of crime isn?t caused only by gangs.  Shootings, burglaries, robberies, and drug use have plagued the area.  The crimes in the area are relatively petty, limited primarily to burglaries and robberies as opposed to violent crime.  According to a report about Alexandria, all types of crime have decreased in number since 2005 except murder. 

            Crime is crime, nonetheless, and it?s certainly more pronounced than it was ten or even five years ago.  And crime can be expensive for the victims, causing monetary loss and loss of confidence in their home.  Especially in an area proud of its rural heritage and its peaceful lifestyle, a little crime can go a long way towards shaking one?s peace of mind.  If you are affected by the crime in Northern Virginia, please contact Thomas Robl at 703-777-6787 to help restore your confidence in choosing a good place to live.

At the most basic level, it seems logical that Roberts should have been jailed for up to 10 years for involuntary manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, underage drinking, and consumption of an illegal substance?marijuana.  But, after a less-than-four-hour trial, he walked away with a $100 fine, his license suspended for six months, and an order to attend an Alcohol Safety and Prevention class.

How could this happen?

Roberts was smart:  he hired a lawyer to handle his case.  During the trial, his attorney noted that the Commonwealth presented no physical evidence about Roberts? driving behavior.  Additionally, the toxicologist who presented information about the effects of alcohol and marijuana on a driver?s ability to handle a motor vehicle was vague about the actual effects.

If you should find yourself facing a DUI or DWI charge, don?t simply admit your guilt and pay the fine.  Especially with the new Virginia laws that can charge up to $3,000 over three years, and a potential $1,000 fine for reckless driving, admitting your guilt becomes not only a reason for insurance companies to rack up their fines or drop you from their plans, it becomes a very costly venture that you would do well to avoid.

While alcohol-related accidents and injuries have declined for a number of years now, dropping 8 percent, the number of arrests have risen comparably.   Surveillance has increased in the Northern Virginia area through more frequent check points, more intense policing, and a checkpoint publicity campaign in the state that has increased drivers? awareness about the threats of driving with a BAC over .08.

In the Loudoun County area, the Sheriff?s deputies removed 671 drunk drivers from the roads.  To assist their initiative, the office converted a surplus county vehicle into a mobile alcohol testing unit.  Combined with increased number of checkpoints, drivers should be wary of drinking while under the influence.  What?s more, according to Virginia statutes, a blood alcohol test is not absolutely necessary:  a police officer can base his/her definition of ?influence? on circumstantial evidence such as slurred speech.

The evidence overwhelmingly points to the action you need to take when faced with a DUI or a DWI:  hire a good lawyer.  Thomas Robl is a good lawyer located in the Northern Virginia area, working out of Leesburg to represent drivers charged with DUI or DWI charges.  If you or someone you know has been involved in a drunk driving charge, please call 703 777-6787.

Malpractice is not always intentional or caused by willful neglect.  Recently, there have been outbreaks of anti-biotic resistant bacteria, including drug-resistant strains of bacteria such as M.R.S.A. (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).  These bacteria can cause a staph infection through an open wound.  Doctors or other patients can be carriers without symptoms, and they may unknowingly transfer the bacteria to a more susceptible patient by simply leaning over the susceptible patient or by using a basic piece of equipment such as a blood pressure cuff on multiple patients.  Unfortunately, sixty percent of staph infections are now drug-resistant, compared to two percent in 1974. 

On the other hand, some doctors? and residents? actions seem to encourage injuries and mishaps.  In one study, 87% of emergency medicine residents consumed alcohol within the last year; 74% of surgery residents consumed alcohol within the past 30 days.  There?s nothing inherently wrong with that; after all, all adults are entitled to drink a glass of wine or take a shot during their time off.  But at least 13% were actually impaired during their work at a hospital.  Residents and doctors also work ridiculously long hours, sometimes remaining on-call without sleep for 37.6 hours at a time.  Most reported sleep deprivation, which can lead to poor coordination, mistakes, or other problems.

Negligence can also occur outside the hospital setting.  In Assisted Living homes in Virginia, for example, practitioners often fail to adequately watch their elderly patients, resulting in deaths from choking, exposure, falls, and automobile accidents.  Sunrise Senior Living, a chain of assisted living facilities across the country with 27 based in Virginia, advertises careful supervision, a stimulating environment, and security systems but has received at least 80 violations between 2000 and 2004.  The problems at these facilities are referred to as ?very bad, high risk and inexcusable.?

Between 1990 and 2002, according to a study done by the Bureau of Health Professions, 2,584 instances of medical malpractice were granted to Virginians against physicians; 465 against dentists.  No matter how good the hospitals are in the Northern Virginia area, the possibility exists that you too could suffer some devastating injuries in the hands of a doctor.  Thomas Robl can offer you the same sort of assistance and peace of mind those 3,000 individuals found.  Please call 703-777-6787 for a consultation if you or someone you know has been treated negligently by the medical community.

            Sirens blare behind you as the blue lights spin, and you realize you?re going to be even later for work than before.  After pulling off on the side of the road and stopping, you wait for the officer to approach your window, running through your potential rationales for driving so fast.  Suddenly, ?I?m going to be late for work? doesn?t sound like such a good excuse.  The officer checks your license, your title, your insurance, runs a background check, and hands you a ticket for speeding?and maybe another for reckless driving, depending on how many cars you sped past and how often you changed lanes.  Normally, this?on top of the points on your license, the fee at court, and the potential embarrassment?would be enough.  But the issue has become a bit more complex.

            On July 1, 2007, Virginia enacted a set of new traffic violation fees.  The aim was to raise revenue, but the fines are steep.  In our scenario above, you could be charged up to $1,000 for driving over 80 mph?and that would be $1,000 due every year for the next three years.  If the officer also charged you with reckless driving, that would be an additional $350 per year.  If you additionally forgot your license at home, it would be an added $300.  Your first payments would be due at your court hearing?a potential, hefty $1,650 fine.

            Clearly the first step to avoiding this issue is to be aware of Virginia?s laws and to obey them.  And that is certainly one of the main aims of the abusive-driver laws.  In fact, during the month of July, state police issued 23 percent fewer reckless-driving citations and 11 percent fewer speeding tickets than the previous year.  There were also fewer traffic fatalities compared to 2006.  But many complain that the fees, which are enacted only against Virginia drivers, are unfair, especially to those who are more economically challenged. 

            Additionally, there are separate laws for bicyclists.  While bicyclists are required to obey all the rules of the road assigned to cars, they additionally must obey rules pertaining to safety gear (for youth under fifteen years of age), where to ride (or not to ride), and how to interact with other vehicles.  It is vitally important for bicyclists to obey the rules and for vehicle motorists to be aware of the bicyclists.  If both parties remain aware of their surroundings and obey their specific rules, accidents such as the Catoctin man who was biking through the W&OD Trail when he was struck by a car that ran a red light can be avoided.  The man was flown to the Inova Fairfax Hospital where he was diagnosed with a head injury.

            Even though we all do our best to know the current laws, learn the new rules, and obey the limitations imposed, mistakes happen.  We go too fast.  We forget our licenses in our other (pants, coat, jacket) pocket.  We forget to signal to change lanes or do a rolling stop.  That?s where Thomas Robl can help.  If you find yourself involved in a traffic violation, listen politely to the officer and be calm, but call 703-777-6787 as soon as possible so you can work with Thomas Robl to effectively present your case in court.