Virginia Injury Lawyer Blog

Why Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage Matters – And Why You Shouldn’t Settle Without Legal Advice

You’re driving home to Virginia after a relaxing vacation at the Jersey Shore. Traffic on I-95 slows to a crawl as you approach Philadelphia. Suddenly, a chain reaction crash unfolds in front of you. You’re struck, your car is totaled, and you feel sharp pain in your neck. The at-fault driver? Intoxicated—and carrying far too little insurance to cover your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.

This is not just a hypothetical. Our firm recently represented a client in almost this exact situation. The accident happened in Pennsylvania, but our client’s Virginia underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage ultimately made all the difference. Working alongside a Pennsylvania attorney, we navigated both states’ laws to ensure the claim was handled correctly. The result: a good settlement that provided compensation for our client’s injuries, financial losses, and pain and suffering.

Best Lawyers in America again recognizes our attorneys in the just-released 2025 edition. Both Gary Mims and Steve Frei have been honored by Best Lawyers for decades for their work on behalf of plaintiffs in personal injury law, medical malpractice, and product liability law. Partner Matt Perushek is also recognized, in Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch.” Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® is determined through a comprehensive peer-review survey. The 31ˢᵗ edition reached a historic milestone with over 250,000 voters having participated in our voting process since we began asking the very best: “If you are unable to take a case, how likely would you be to refer your client to this lawyer?” To create the awards over 23 million evaluations were analyzed including a record breaking 3 million responses from this year alone.

We are proud to announce and to welcome as partner Matthew A. Roberson.

Matt is an experienced and accomplished trial lawyer who shares our dedication to the highest standards of legal representation. He has spent a decade defending personal injury claims, giving him unique insight into how insurance companies and defense counsel approach these cases.

Upon completing a judicial clerkship with Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Charles J. Maxfield, Matt joined McGavin, Boyce, Bardot, Thorsen & Katz, P.C., where he spent 10 years defending personal injury and other civil claims, as well as defending administrative matters before Virginia and DC professional licensing boards. He has been repeatedly recognized by Virginia Super Lawyers, and in 2021 by Virginia Business Magazine as Virginia Elite in Civil Litigation. Matt is an active member of the Fairfax and Virginia State Bar Associations.

We’re hiring!

Frei, Mims and Perushek, a top-rated, boutique law firm, is seeking an associate to join our team of experienced personal injury lawyers. The successful candidate must have the drive and talent to become a top-notch trial lawyer, as well as courtroom presence and exceptional research and writing skills. A keen interest in helping those injured through medical malpractice, defective products, and catastrophic events will make you a strong applicant. We offer a relaxed work environment with generous health, leave and retirement benefits. Join our firm and you will fast-track your career by working with some of Virginia’s best trial lawyers, in a first-class office within walking distance of the Fairfax Courts.

Responsibilities

by Gary Brooks Mims

A medical malpractice case is a complex and lengthy process. It ends either with a settlement or a jury trial and the jury’s verdict. If the plaintiff wins, the jury foreman will read, “We, the jury, on the issues joined, find in favor of the plaintiff and assess damages in the amount of…”

Medical malpractice attorney Gary B. Mims explaining the legal term “standard of care” to George Mason University students.

Virginia Lawyers Weekly has named Gary B. Mims as one of the state’s “Go To Lawyers” for medical malpractice. This honor is bestowed upon just 10 plaintiffs attorneys in the Commonwealth. He was nominated by his colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication. The December 19 edition includes a brief bio of Gary’s 42- year career.  https://valawyersweekly.com/library-files/files/2022/12/Go-To-Lawyers-Med-Mal-December-2022.pdf

Need a good attorney? These lawyers are consistently some of the very best in Washington. Washingtonian Magazine, September 2022.

Gary Brooks Mims has been named to Washingtonian Magazine’s Top Lawyers Hall of Fame, a distinction the publication calls a “lifetime achievement” award for area attorneys. The Hall of Fame, featured in the September issue, lists attorneys who have been on a Top Lawyers list for at least 10 of the past 15 years. The publication sends surveys to hundreds of local lawyers, asking them whom they would trust if they needed legal counsel themselves. This means, according to Washingtonian, “...the ones who appear year after year are, in essence, the best of the best among their peers.“

Mims has been honored as a Top Lawyer by Washingtonian for the past 15 years, since 2007, which recognizes the top 1% of personal injury attorneys.

(Fairfax, VA – August 11, 2022) Frei, Mims and Perushek is pleased to announce that all of its attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers. Steve Frei and Gary Mims have been named to the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Matt Perushek and Ben Charlton have been included in the 2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

The firm’s attorneys are recognized for medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability litigation.

by Gary Brooks Mims

I am a medical malpractice attorney who has, unfortunately, represented many stroke victims. Failure to diagnose stroke occurs too often and leaves patients with debilitating injuries. And, all too often, those permanent injuries could have been avoided. I recently witnessed how the failure to diagnose stroke occurs when a friend of mine was rushed to the Emergency Room. It’s an instructive story for us all, about stroke, how it is diagnosed, and how it can be missed.

This is a personal story. I received an urgent call from a friend who said her husband — a 40-year-old in good health– suddenly developed headache, distorted vision and difficulty standing.  They had gone straight to the emergency room.  Since I’m a medical malpractice lawyer who’s represented many stroke victims, I was asked to meet them at the hospital.  When I arrived, the symptoms had subsided and I was told that stroke was ruled out. I asked how was it ruled out?   Well, he passed the NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) and a CT of the brain didn’t show a stroke.