All the headlines from our Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Apr 11 2012 // Nine men who survived West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch mine disaster want to abandon mediation of their personal injury claims and start gathering evidence for trial because they say the mine’s new owner...
Apr 8 2012 // Zooming along at 170 mph (275 kph) in a fighter jet carrying thousands of pounds (kilograms) of volatile fuel, two Navy pilots faced nothing but bad choices when their aircraft malfunctioned over Virginia’s most...
Apr 6 2012 // Federal regulators are issuing a final set of rules for underground coal mine examinations that aim to hold operators more accountable for finding and fixing dangerous conditions — and preventing the deaths of their...
Apr 5 2012 // Proposed changes to U.S. Department of Labor rules would make it easier for coal miners and their families to obtain black lung benefits, while a West Virginia congressman aims to reduce the amount of paperwork they have...
Apr 4 2012 // A Staunton contractor accused of defrauding the Virginia Department of Transportation has pleaded guilty to commercial fraud.Thirty-two-year-old Jeffrey T. Jennings faces up to 15 years in prison. The News Leader reports...
Apr 3 2012 // An attorney is challenging a $93 million settlement between Monsanto Co. and thousands of West Virginians.Thomas Urban II represents some class members who say the settlement isn’t fair and reasonable, the Charleston...
Apr 3 2012 // Aggressive inspections at troubled mines are helping create safer working environments for coal miners, the head of the federal government’s mine safety agency said during a visit to Kentucky.U.S. Mine Safety and...
Mar 31 2012 // State officials are reminding homeowners to review their insurance policies to see if they have earthquake insurance ahead of a new law that will require better disclosure if policies exclude such coverage. The State...
Mar 30 2012 // The former superintendent of the West Virginia mine where 29 workers died in a 2010 explosion pleaded guilty on Thursday to a federal conspiracy charge that he tipped off employees to safety inspections.Gary May, 43, is...
Mar 30 2012 // A federal judge refused Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit by former Massey Energy shareholders who say they were deliberately misled about the company’s safety record before the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West...
Mar 30 2012 // Three times in a month, regulators have caught West Virginia coal companies illegally warning miners that federal inspectors were onsite.Mine Safety and Health Administration director Joe Main says such warnings let...
Mar 29 2012 // Virginia continues to experience aftershocks from last summer’s earthquake.The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.1-magnitude aftershock occurred at 11:21 p.m. Sunday, March 25, some 8 miles south of Louisa and 8 miles...
Mar 29 2012 // Recent reports that some employers are asking job applicants for access to their social networks during the hiring process have raised questions about the legal liability of such practice.This growing controversy is also...
Mar 29 2012 // Virginia’s attorney general was in an upbeat mood Tuesday after listening to the U.S. Supreme Court’s arguments on the key provision in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul — a requirement...
Mar 28 2012 // The Virginia State Police insurance fraud program just released their 2011 annual report, which shows the number of arrests for insurance fraud and other related crimes, such as arson and forgery, is continuing to increase...
Mar 26 2012 // The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a West Virginia law that allows nursing homes to use pre-dispute arbitration agreements with residents that prevent them from suing in medical malpractice cases.In a recent case, [Marmet...
Mar 20 2012 // A Costa Rican company accused of a $670 million insurance fraud scheme has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Richmond, Va. Defense attorney John Russell entered the plea Monday on behalf of Provident Capital Indemnity...
Mar 19 2012 // A Richmond, Virginia, woman has been convicted on 35 counts of health care fraud and other charges.Federal prosecutors say a U.S. District Court jury found 49-yar-old Veronica Sharon Cunningham guilty last Thursday after a...
Mar 19 2012 // West Virginia will update its mine safety laws in the wake of the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in four decades.The House of Delegates sent the measure to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who proposed the legislation. Delegates...
Mar 19 2012 // As if times weren’t uncertain enough, the Virginia Supreme Court issued a ruling on Jan. 17, 2012, vacating its Sept. 16, 2011, opinion in Steadfast Insurance Co. v. The AES Corp. and granting a rehearing in that...