Personal Injury

Accidents caused by tractor trailer drivers and others involved in the transportation of goods on interstate highways is a growing concern. Despite the advancement of technology, such as Collision Avoidance Systems, onboard inward and forward-facing video cameras, and electronic driver records of duty status, crashes continue to occur at an alarming rate. Impact of a Tractor Trailer Collision The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported a growing number of deadly truck crashes. In fact, in 2021, there was a 13% increase in the number of deaths caused by tractor trailer crashes. In 2021 alone, there were over 5,600 […]

You’ve been injured in a Virginia car or truck crash. Let’s say the at-fault driver has the minimum auto insurance coverage under Virginia law, which is currently $30,000 and is set to increase to $50,000 on January 1, 2025.[1] But you have over $110,000 in medical bills. What do you do? Does Virginia law allow you to sue your own car insurance company? On these facts alone, you cannot sue your own car insurance company. However, under Virginia law, there are two ways you can recover compensation from your own car insurance company: (1) through your auto policy’s uninsured (UM) […]

Article co-written by Jared Tuck and Paralegal Kelly Hickey You have been injured in a Virginia car or truck accident. You are probably in pain from your injuries and trying to manage your medical appointments. In addition to your injuries and treatment, you are likely facing increased financial pressure due to medical bills, lost wages, etc. You may be worried about the future. A friend or family member has told you that you should consult a Virginia car and truck accident attorney. So you call an attorney and set up an appointment to meet with him or her. But what’s […]

Virginia’s interstates are hotspots for motor vehicle and tractor-trailer collisions. Far too often, these crashes result in catastrophic injury or wrongful death. Presumably, this can be blamed on the speed, congestion, and large number of commercial motor vehicles associated with interstates. Many of our personal injury cases arise out of motor vehicle or tractor-trailer crashes on Virginia’s interstates. As shown below, there are many Interstates in Virginia: I-64, I-66, I-77, I-81, I-85, I-95, I-195, I-264, I-295, I-381, I-395, I-464, I-495, I-564, I-581, and I-664. [1] Interstate 81 The largest portion of our firm’s interstate cases come from Interstate 81. This […]

Article co-written by Jared Tuck and Summer Associate Peyton Edwards I. The Dangers of Motorcycle Accidents Motorcycle crashes rarely have a mild impact. This is especially true in motorcycle collisions that involve tractor-trailers. The average motorcycle weighs between 300 and 500 pounds. Meanwhile, federal regulations generally allow a tractor-trailer to weigh up to 80,000 pounds. That is 160 times heavier than a motorcycle. While motorcycle accidents only make up 1.7 percent of all crashes in Virginia, they are responsible for 13.8 percent of all fatalities. Crashes involving passenger vehicles make up 96.8 percent of all crashes, yet only account for […]

Article co-written by Jared Tuck and Summer Associate Emily Brooks Whether spending time at Smith Mountain Lake, Claytor Lake, South Holston Lake, Lake Anna, Buggs Island Lake, Lake Gaston, or another one of Virginia’s waterways, summer is the perfect time to enjoy a day on the lake with family and friends. While enjoying time on the water can be fun and relaxing, the increased number of boats on the water during the summer means a greater chance that you or a family member could be injured in a boating accident. In 2023, 3,844 boating incidents were reported, with 564 recorded […]

If you’ve been in a car accident and you have no visible injuries, you may still be at serious risk of the most insidious injury without knowing it until it’s too late – a traumatic brain injury. TBIs Are Not Always Obvious Traumatic brain injuries, often referred to as TBIs, can sometimes be immediate. However, they are oftentimes delayed for hours, days, or longer, making them hard to recognize or attribute to any particular occurrence. People tend to assume for a brain injury to occur, you have to hit your head in some way. This is not always the case. […]

If You Are a Victim of a Plane Crash If you or a loved one are the victim of a plane crash, it is crucial that you know and understand the following information to improve your chances of obtaining a successful outcome and hold those responsible accountable for your losses. Potentially responsible parties are extremely challenging to identify. They may include the pilot, airplane owner, charter operator, fueler, mechanics, and manufacturers to name a few. Plane crashes often involve the most catastrophic polytrauma-type injuries – meaning they frequently involve brain injuries, loss of limbs, orthopedic injuries, tendon and muscle injuries, […]

Article co-written by Matthew Broughton, Jared Tuck, and Summer Associate Emily Brooks Virginia law has seen several recent changes regarding auto insurance, and this trend is continuing. Since July 1, 2023, three major changes have been enacted, with two taking effect in the near future. Here’s what you should know about these recent changes to the law and what impact these changes will have on personal injury cases arising from Virginia motor vehicle accidents.  I.  Change #1: Elimination of the Liability Credit Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) and uninsured motorist coverage (UM) both act as a safety mechanism if you or […]

Tractor-trailer crashes differ from motor vehicle collisions because there are many companies and individuals involved in the transportation and logistics industry, meaning various people or entities may be at fault for causing a catastrophic or fatal truck accident. As Virginia truck accident attorneys, we have noticed that that there are a wide variety of potential defendants in truck crash cases, including, but not limited to: (1) truck drivers, (2) motor carriers, (3) intermodal equipment providers, (4) shippers, (5) brokers, and (6) manufacturers. Generally, federal and Virginia law only require motor carriers to carry $750,000 in liability insurance, except greater limits […]