4 General district courts and circuit courts share concurrent jurisdiction of claims between $4,500.00 and $25,000.00. 3 The court has original exclusive jurisdiction of claims up to $4,500.00. The maximum limit for an ad damnum in a personal injury claim, exclusive of interest, is $25,000.00. Virginia Code §16.1-77 sets forth the jurisdictional limits of general district court. The Jurisdiction and Rules of General District Court This article is designed to give the personal injury trial lawyer a brief overview of general district court, the process and the many advantages it has to offer. It allows these cases to be conducted in a forum that is less expensive… faster… and less risky than circuit court. General district court is a helpful alternative. Under the old jurisdictional limit, one may have had cases that were worth slightly more than $15,000.00, but it did not make sense to file suit in circuit court given the time and expense factors associated with that venue. 2īoth changes eliminated a lot of plaintiff’s attorneys’ anxiety with respect to where to file suit on the smaller valued personal injury case… especially those cases involving soft tissue injuries and minimal property damage. 1 The second significant change came in 2011 when the jurisdictional limit of the general district court was increased from $15,000.00 to $25,000.00. That statute was repealed in 2007 and removal was abolished. In “the old days”, defense lawyers routinely relied on Virginia Code §16.1-92 to remove cases to circuit court where the amount sued for was greater than $4,500.00. The first significant change was the repeal of the removal statute. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.Trying personal injury cases in the general district court has become more attractive and fun over the past five years thanks to two significant changes fought for by the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only. Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions.
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