Virginia Car Accident Lawyer

Helping You Recover Compensation for Your Injuries and Anguish After an Accident that Wasn’t Your Fault

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed after being injured in a Virginia car accident that wasn’t your fault. Your injuries, the insurance companies, the at-fault party, and the legal system are a lot for anyone to face.

Insurance adjusters know most people are inexperienced with the personal injury claims process. If they see an opportunity to minimize or deny your claim, they’ll take it. Hiring a Virginia car accident lawyer to advocate for your needs levels the playing field. And if the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement, an attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf.

The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC has successfully settled Virginia car accident injury cases of all varieties, including:

VIRGINIA AUTO ACCIDENT LAWYER RICHARD SERPE

As a Virginia personal injury attorney, Richard Serpe advocates for those injured due to the negligence of another person, dangerous product, or company. A substantial portion of his 35-year legal career has been devoted to representing and protecting injured children. He’s earned a reputation as a well-respected, hard-working attorney with a tenacious approach to every case he takes on. Richard Serpe has a track record of success in obtaining favorable settlements and verdicts for his clients.

Awards and Recognition

Best Lawyers® : (2005 – Present)
Super Lawyer : (2006 – Present)
Martindale-Hubbell: AV Preeminent Rating
Avvo.com: Rated 10/10 – “Superb”

SHOULD I HIRE A CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER?

Here are a few ways a Virginia car accident attorney can use their legal education and experience to add value to your claim:

Investigate your accident and determine the potential value of your claim
Protect you from abusive insurance company tactics and costly mistakes
Negotiate with the insurance company for a favorable financial recovery
File a lawsuit and go to trial if the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement

Hiring an experienced professional can help ensure you are fairly and fully compensated for injuries. Contact our Virginia car accident lawyers for a free consultation at (877) 544-5323.

UNDERSTANDING VIRGINIA CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENTS

Many factors go into the calculation of a Virginia personal injury settlement. The most important is whether there is insurance coverage and how much is available for your injuries. Depending on the specifics of your Virginia car accident, you may be entitled to one or more of the following types of financial recovery.

Medical Bills: Compensation for any medical care related to the car accident. If your injuries are permanent, this often includes ambulance rides, hospital bills, physical therapy, surgeries, and future medical bills.
Lost Income: Some car accidents result in injuries that leave victims out of work for weeks, months, or even permanently. You may seek compensation to recover those lost wages. If you can no longer work due to your injuries, these financial losses can be negotiated into the settlement.
Pain and Suffering: The physical pain and mental anguish you suffered due to the accident can also be factored into your settlement.
A Wrongful Death: When a loved one is killed in a car accident, they leave behind bills, funeral costs, and the loss of future income for their family. Of course, their loss is felt emotionally as well. This loss of companionship and affection is priceless. A Virginia personal injury lawyer experienced with Virginia wrongful death cases can protect your family’s right to financial recovery.

HOW LONG WILL MY AUTO ACCIDENT CASE TAKE?

Many factors determine how long it will take to settle a car accident case. Below are some of the most time-consuming aspects of a car accident case.

Reaching Maximum Medical Improvement. When injuries are less severe, many people reach maximum medical improvement in months. If you are seriously injured, it may take years to reach maximum medical improvement– the point at which your medical condition is as good as it’s going to get.

Reaching MMI before starting negotiations will ensure that all of your medical bills, past, and future, are included in your settlement. You may need surgery, physical therapy, and other medical treatment depending on your injuries.

Negotiations. Next comes negotiation. Your Virginia car accident lawyer, seeking the maximum compensation possible, will work with the insurance company to land on a number that satisfies both parties. This process can be time-consuming and may result in your attorney filing a lawsuit if the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement.

Trial. Most of our cases are settled without going to trial. But, if an agreement cannot be reached, we may need to file a lawsuit. Although filing a lawsuit kick starts a strict legal process, the opportunity to settle out of court still exists.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS (DEADLINES)

In Virginia, there are strict deadlines for filing a Virginia car accident injury lawsuit. In many cases, Virginia provides a two-year deadline, also known as a Statute of Limitations. However, sometimes special circumstances may apply that can alter that deadline.

Once the statute of limitations has passed, you will never again be allowed to ask for compensation related to your accident and injuries. Consider contacting a Virginia personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to protect your right to compensation.

COMMON CAUSES OF CAR ACCIDENTS IN VIRGINIA

The Virginia Highway Safety Office compiles statistics on the most common causes of car accidents in the state. While the data varies somewhat from year to year, speeding and aggressive driving regularly tops the list. In 2018, about 20 percent of all accidents in Virginia stemmed from speeding, aggressive motorists. Speed likely played a contributing factor in many other accidents, too. When you factor in all the data, those driving too fast for road conditions accounted for about one fifth of all accidents in Virginia in 2018.

Distracted driving is another common cause of accidents. Because it is often difficult to prove, collecting data on distracted driving is a challenge. Still, the Virginia Highway Safety Office says a large portion of accidents occurred because drivers did not have their eyes on the road, they were looking at something on the roadside, or they were using a cell phone behind the wheel.

While an abundance of campaigns against drunk and high driving have reduced the number of accidents over the years, driving under the influence still accounts for a large number of collisions in Virginia. In 2018, drunk drivers were responsible for about 6 percent of all traffic accidents in the state. About 34 percent of all traffic fatalities that year were linked to alcohol-related accidents.

Other common causes of car accidents include:

Following too closely
Failure to yield
Fatigued driving
Defective vehicles

COMMON CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES

Car accidents can be incredibly hard on the body. Even when you’re wearing your seatbelt, injuries can happen. Some of the most common car accident injuries include:

Whiplash: This is the common term used to describe tendon, muscle, and ligament injuries that happen in car accidents. Car crashes cause the body to move suddenly and unexpectedly – faster than you would ever move on your own. That kind of trauma can cause muscle strain and other soft tissue damage. Whiplash can be incredibly painful and take a long time to heal.
Cuts and Scrapes: The impact of a car accident can cause a person to hit their head against the dashboard, have their phone fly at their face, or be struck by other loose articles in the vehicle. Scrapes and cuts aren’t just painful; in many cases, they can cause serious scarring that leaves a person with the physical reminder of their accident for the rest of their life.
Head Wounds: Brain injuries are another common type of car accident injury. When not treated properly, brain injuries can cause serious, long-term issues with brain function. Headaches and sleep trouble are common for those who experience car accident head wounds. Brain injuries are some of the hardest kinds of injuries to diagnose, which is why it’s so important to seek medical attention after a crash even if you aren’t bleeding or showing signs of injury.
Broken Bones: Broken ribs, arms, legs, and hips are all common car crash injuries. Collisions place an unnatural degree of force on the body, often leading to painful breaks. These kinds of injuries are common in all types of car accidents, but are especially frequent in rear-end and side-impact crashes.
Internal Bleeding: Small cuts and scrapes are typical for car accident survivors, as is internal bleeding. It’s important to seek medical attention as soon after the crash as possible, as internal bleeding can be life-threatening.

VIRGINIA CAR CRASH STATISTICS

A hard look at Virginia car crash statistics can be incredibly revealing. In 2020 alone, more than 100,000 collisions occurred on Virginia roads and highways. That year, 847 fatalities were recorded. Even with fewer cars on the road because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of deadly accidents rose by 2.4 percent. Alcohol and speed-related crashes were also on the rise in 2020.

On average, a car crash happens in Virginia every five minutes. On average, about two lives are lost each day because of such incidents. Another 144 people are injured in accidents in Virginia each day. Crashes are more likely on holidays, with Labor Day weekend leading the pack. In 2020 alone, more than 751 injuries were caused by car accidents over Labor Day weekend.

While we imagine highways to be incredibly dangerous places to drive, non-interstate roads were more likely to be the setting of Virginia car crashes. Indeed, only about 16 percent of accidents in 2020 occurred on highways and interstates.

2021 statistics have not yet been calculated, but the 2020 trends alone display a disturbing rise in fatal accidents. By understanding our risks on the road, we can all work to make our state a safer place to live and drive.

EXAMPLES OF VIRGINIA CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENTS

$5,000,000.00 settlement: defective vehicle causes wrongful death
$1,600.000.00 settlement: drunk driver causes accident on the Eastern Shore of Virginia
$300,000.00 settlement: drunk driver strikes pedestrian in Norfolk
$150,000.00 settlement: teen texting and driving causes car accident

CONTACT A VIRGINIA CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER

Insurance companies have deep pockets and tremendous resources. Our law firm understands that the costs associated with a lawsuit can be a barrier to justice. This is why we offer a no-fee promise. Ultimately, you don’t owe us any legal fees unless we settle or win your personal injury case.

If we accept your case, we will work on your behalf to get a fair settlement and only charge legal fees if you receive a settlement or verdict. Call our Virginia car accident lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your options.