A Note from the Webmaster: The Law Offices of Edward F. Wallace, P.C. would like to welcome Jeff Van Dell to our team. Jeff is a paralegal who started here in January 2009. Below is Jeff’s first blog.

What comes to your mind when I mention the biblical Book of Exodus? Iconic images from the movie “The Ten Commandments” of Charlton Heston playing Moses holding up his staff as God parts the Red Sea? Maybe you remember a Sunday school teacher describing the plagues God visited upon the Egyptians; the Nile turning to blood, hailstones wiping out their crops, or the death of every firstborn creature.

Although the Book of Exodus deals with the fledgling nation of Israel’s journey out of slavery and into the Promised Land, there are some very practical principles that allowed this group of former slaves to live together as a community and deal with the inevitable conflict that arises in every culture. Many of these principles transcend time and culture and have been adopted into our system of law. Three specific concepts that we deal with the field of personal injury are negligence, damages, and restitution.

Moses gives an example of how this dynamic plays out in Exodus 22:33-34. “If a man uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay for the loss; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his.”

In this example the negligence was the man leaving the pit open, a hazard, the damage was the animal being killed, and the restitution was the negligent party paying restitution to the owner of the dead animal. Four thousand years later, we employ the same principles in resolving personal injury claims. Perhaps a property owner leaves construction debris on a sidewalk, or a landlord fails to keep your apartment stairs free of ice and you fall and are injured. The landlord, like our ancient pit digging friend, owes you a duty of care so that your personal safety and property is protected on his property.
When we deal with motor vehicle accidents that result in personal injury, the same principles can be applied. One motorist is negligent and causes an accident that results in personal injuries to you. Under our laws you have the right to demand restitution from the negligent party. Although you won’t get a bull or a goat for your troubles, you have the right to receive monetary compensation as restitution for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

A broader statement of this principle is found in the Book of Numbers 5:5. “The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged.”

People who have been wronged exist in vast numbers in our world. All of us have observed an obviously unjust situation and been emotionally effected by it. Those situations that are obviously unjust can stir up a righteous anger and motivate us to action. When Jesus delivered his sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:6 he said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” He was revealing to us that our desire for justice and fairness really is one of God’s attributes that he has bestowed on mankind as his image bearers.

In the world of personal injury law, we are in a privileged position to help people in crisis and need obtain a good outcome from a bad situation. And that too is in the bible.

Jeff Van Dell