Virginia Issues

Attorney General Sunshine / Private Attorney General Sunshine

Reforms View All »

Compensation for Employees in the Office of the Attorney General: H.B. 1700 (Chapter 854, Section G) (2019)

Virginia|2019

Provides that the sole source of compensation paid to employees

Provides that the sole source of compensation paid to employees of the Office of the Attorney General for performing legal services on behalf of the Commonwealth shall be from the appropriations provided under this act. In any case in which the Office of the Attorney General is authorized under law to contract with, hire, or engage a person to perform legal services on behalf of the Commonwealth, the sole consideration for such legal services shall be a monetary amount bargained for in an arm’s length transaction with such person and the Office of the Attorney General or another Virginia governmental entity, stating under what authority that office enters the contract.

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Unchallenged

Government Retention of Personal Injury Lawyers: HB 309 (2002).

Virginia|2002

Requires open and competitive bidding in accordance with the Virginia

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Requires open and competitive bidding in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act for all contingent fee contracts for legal services between a state agency or state agent and outside counsel, where fees and services are reasonably expected to exceed $100,000.

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Appeal Bond Reform: H.B. 430/S.B. 172 (2004)

Virginia|2004

Expands limit of $25 million on appeal bond amounts for

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Expands limit of $25 million on appeal bond amounts for punitive damages to apply to appeal bond amounts for all forms of damages.

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Unchallenged

Appeal Bond Reform: HB 1547 (2000)

Virginia|2000

Limits the amount a defendant can be required to pay

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Limits the amount a defendant can be required to pay to secure the right to appeal a punitive damages award to $25 million. Applies in out‑of‑state judgments during the stay period only.

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Unchallenged

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Physician Testimony Reform: H.B. 37 (2002)

Virginia|2002

Clarified that: (1) a treating physician can be called to

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Clarified that: (1) a treating physician can be called to testify regarding facts, diagnosis and treatment plan of his patient, and (2) a lawyer and practitioner of the healing arts may contact each other for a limited number of purposes. Some judges had previously barred physicians from providing such testimony.

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Unchallenged

Medical Liability Reform: H.B. 112 (2002)

Virginia|2002

Added “health care facility” to the definition of “health care

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Added “health care facility” to the definition of “health care provider” in the Health Care Malpractice Act. The law assured that the state’s medical liability reforms apply to nursing care facilities and residential assisted living facilities.

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Unchallenged

Miscellaneous

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Expert Witness: H.B. 1977 (1989)

Virginia|1989

Requires expert witnesses to have had a clinical practice in

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Requires expert witnesses to have had a clinical practice in the area of specialty about which he/she is to testify within one year of the date of malpractice.

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Unchallenged

Dismissal of Nonsuits: H.B. 1709 (2013)

Virginia|2013

Clarifies that if notice to take a nonsuit is given

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Clarifies that if notice to take a nonsuit is given to the opposing party during trial, the court may assess against the nonsuiting party reasonable witness fees and travel costs of expert witnesses scheduled to appear at trial, which are actually incurred by the opposing party, solely by reason of the failure of the nonsuiting party to give notice at least seven days prior to trial. Provides that invoices, receipts, or confirmation of payment shall be admissible to prove reasonableness of such expert witness costs and may, in the court’s discretion, satisfy the reasonableness requirement, without the need for further testimony.

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Unchallenged

Latest News

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ATRA Urges Gov. Youngkin to Veto HB 2351, Protect Right to Appeal in Virginia

Press Releases

Proposed Appeal Bond Cap Hike Threatens Fairness and Business Climate, ATRA Says

Supreme Court’s Adoption of Novel Theories of Liability, Abusive ‘No-Injury’ Litigation, Place California atop Latest ‘Judicial Hellholes’ List

Press Releases

Supreme Court’s Adoption of Novel Theories of Liability, Abusive ‘No-Injury’ Litigation, Place California atop Latest ‘Judicial Hellholes’ List Nine Jurisdictions, Courts, and Legislatures Named Nation’s “Most Unfair” Dec. 4, 2018 […]

ATRA Applauds John Adams for Signing 2017 Transparency Code Pledge

Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2017 – The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) today praised Virginia attorney general candidate John Adams for embracing good-government principles by signing ATRA’s 2017 Transparency Code […]

‘Junk Science,’ Outlier Verdicts Put St. Louis Atop Latest ‘Judicial Hellholes’ List

Press Releases

The American Tort Reform Foundation issued its 2016-2017 Judicial Hellholes® report, naming courts in Missouri, California, New York, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, Louisiana, Virginia and Texas among the nation’s “most […]

Attorney General Sunshine / Private Attorney General Sunshine

Appeal Bond Reform

Forum and Venue

Medical Liability Reform

Punitive Damages

Miscellaneous

Latest News

View all news

ATRA Urges Gov. Youngkin to Veto HB 2351, Protect Right to Appeal in Virginia

Supreme Court’s Adoption of Novel Theories of Liability, Abusive ‘No-Injury’ Litigation, Place California atop Latest ‘Judicial Hellholes’ List

ATRA Applauds John Adams for Signing 2017 Transparency Code Pledge

‘Junk Science,’ Outlier Verdicts Put St. Louis Atop Latest ‘Judicial Hellholes’ List