Norfolk is a city built around movement. Naval traffic, port operations, commuters crossing tunnels and bridges, and thousands of riders who prefer two wheels to get around. It’s also a city where motorcycle crashes happen with serious consequences.
After a motorcycle accident, injured riders often find themselves dealing with significant losses, while insurance companies work to minimize or deny their claims. The legal process can feel overwhelming, especially before you’ve had a chance to fully recover from the aftermath.
The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC is a downtown Norfolk-based personal injury law firm that has represented the seriously injured for nearly four decades. Our attorneys understand how these cases develop, how insurers defend them, and what it takes to pursue full and fair compensation.
Your consultation is free, and there are no attorney fees unless we win your case.
Our Norfolk Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Attorney Richard J. Serpe has practiced personal injury law in Norfolk for decades. Mr. Serpe is known for relentless preparation, strong client advocacy, and a commitment to each client’s outcome.
He is one of a small number of Virginia attorneys to have been recognized by both Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers over an extended period (over 20 years). The Serpe Firm is a tier 1 law firm (top ranking) for personal injury litigation in Norfolk by Best Law Firms.
Attorney Ashley E. Strandjord brings detailed, methodical preparation to every case she handles. She works directly with clients to document the full scope of their losses, manages the legal and insurance process from start to finish, and ensures that nothing is left on the table when it comes time to evaluate a settlement or prepare for trial.
Together, they bring focused, experienced representation to riders who need it most. Our firm deliberately limits the number of cases we accept so that every client gets the time, resources, and personal advocacy their situation deserves.
When you work with our firm, you’ll get:
- Decades of experience serving the injured
- Personalized attention & responsive communication
- Thorough case preparation to maximize recovery
- No attorney fees unless we win your case
What Happens After You Call Us
The process starts with a free consultation. We understand what happened, review any documentation you have, and determine if we are the right fit for your situation. There is no pressure or obligation. If we move forward together, here is what you can expect:
We take over the investigation. We gather evidence including medical records, obtain witness statements, review surveillance footage when available, and bring in accident reconstruction specialists if the facts require it.
We handle every insurance interaction. From the moment you hire us, insurers deal with us, not you. Recorded statements, document requests, lowball settlement offers, all of it goes through our office. This protection matters most in the early stages of a claim, when mistakes are easiest to make.
We build the full picture of your losses. Before any settlement discussion begins, we assess everything including current and future medical costs, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the long-term impact on your life. We don’t open negotiations until we fully understand how your injuries will impact your life.
We are ready to go to court if we need to. Most cases settle. But if the insurance company doesn’t offer fair value, your case may need to go to court.
Types of Motorcycle Crashes We Handle
We represent riders who have been seriously injured because of:
- Drivers making left turns across a rider’s path
- Failure to yield at intersections and merge points
- Vehicles cutting into a rider’s lane
- Distracted driving, including phone use
- Drunk and impaired drivers
- Commercial truck negligence
- Rear-end collisions
- Road hazards and poorly maintained surfaces
Injuries That Change Everything
Motorcycle crashes regularly produce injuries that would be far less severe in a car accident. The absence of any protective structure around the rider means that the body absorbs forces directly. Our firm handles cases involving:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Severe road rash requiring grafting and extended wound care
- Broken arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, and vertebrae
- Damage to internal organs
- Nerve injuries with lasting functional consequences
- Amputation and permanent disfigurement
- Fatal crashes and wrongful death claims
Pursuing full compensation means accounting for all of it, not just the initial hospital bills, but ongoing rehabilitation, future surgeries, lost earning capacity, and the ways the injury has altered daily life.
Norfolk’s Roads and the Risks They Create
Norfolk’s street layout is a mix of busy commercial corridors, naval installation access routes, tunnel and bridges, and urban intersections. This creates conditions that put motorcyclists at risk every day.
Hampton Boulevard, which runs from downtown to Naval Station Norfolk, sees constant heavy traffic from military and civilian commuters. The approaches to the Downtown Tunnel and Midtown Tunnel back up regularly, creating the kind of stop-and-go congestion where rear-end collisions are common.
Military Highway carries high commercial truck volume. Granby Street and the downtown Norfolk entertainment district bring late-night traffic, distracted pedestrians, and impaired drivers into the mix.
Add in the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, I-64, and I-264, and riders in Norfolk are navigating some of the most congested and collision-prone roads in Virginia on a daily basis.
Our firm knows these roads. We represent riders injured on them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The driver says I was hard to see. Does that hurt my case? Not necessarily. All drivers in Virginia have a legal obligation to maintain proper awareness of the road, including watching for motorcycles. “I didn’t see them” is not a defense to negligence. The strength of your case depends on the full set of facts, which is why investigation matters.
What does it cost to hire your firm? Nothing upfront. Our firm works on a contingency fee basis which means we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is also free.
I was partially at fault. Can I still recover? This is one of the most important questions in any Virginia motorcycle case, and the answer depends heavily on the specific facts. Virginia’s contributory negligence rule is strict, but it must be proven.
Statute of Limitations (Virginia’s Legal Deadlines)
Virginia law generally gives injured riders two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Some cases, like those involving government vehicles can sometimes have shorter deadlines. The sooner you have legal guidance, the better positioned your case will be.
But the statute of limitations is not the only reason to act quickly. Evidence disappears fast, surveillance footage gets overwritten, and witnesses become harder to locate. The earlier an attorney gets involved, the better the chance of preserving what matters most.
Motorcycle Accident Client Review
“My experience with Richard Serpe can be summarized in two words: ‘absolute trust.’ I came to Mr. Serpe on the advice of a friend after a car hit me while riding my motorcycle. I immediately sensed that Mr. Serpe was an extremely capable and professional attorney whose sole objective would be to look out for my best interests — and that’s precisely what he did. His advice was invaluable and enabled me to reach a settlement that fairly compensated me for the injuries I sustained.” — Google Review
Contact Our Norfolk Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
Recovering from a serious motorcycle accident is hard enough without having to to deal with the insurance companies alone. Our firm is based in Norfolk. We know these roads, we know how these cases are defended, and we are ready to put that knowledge to work for you.
There is no charge for your consultation, and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Call 757-233-0009, use our chat, or email us to schedule your free case evaluation.
