Automobile Accidents | InjuryBoard Virginia Beach

BY JOHN M. COOPER, HSCLA ATTORNEYLast December a teenager from Chesapeake, VA was killed in a hit and run wreck. The young man was a senior in high school riding his bike. The driver, who was in his 60s, hit the young man and sped away. Now a lawsuit has been filed to try to get compensatory damages for the family for the loss of this young man. The at-fault driver was taking a medication...

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By James C. Lewis, HSCLA Attorney One of the clients of our firm was recently involved in an automobile collision which resulted in personal injuries to her. She had the nerve to stand her ground against Allstate's low and unfair offer--and we achieved a nice victory for her. The careless defendant ran a red light and crossed out in the road in front of her. She was unable to avoid colliding...

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By: John Cooper, HSCLA attorneyOne of the key things in any injury case is working with experts. The primary expert in any injury case is the treating doctor; typically, a specialist, like an orthopaedist or a neurosurgeon. Good communication between the attorney and the treating doctor is key to successful conclusion of a case. Some attorneys simply write a letter to the doctor asking them...

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Have you ever noticed that during some interesting cell phone conversations (while you are driving your car!) that you forget your speed? Or that those bright green, yellow and red lights overhead actually have a meaning? Well, new research is good (or bad) depending on whether you are a chronic cell phone driver. The amazing new research recently published by the Human Factors and Ergonomics...

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A tricky point that applies when a personal injury occurs on a boat (commercial or otherwise) is whether the closest state negligence law applies, or whether federal maritime law applies. The point can be critical on many evidence issues, as Virginia still holds that contributory negligence of an injured person totally bars recovery, whereas federal maritime law only considers the injured...

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Virginia and North Carolina offer special amenities to residents and visitors: beautiful oceans, bays and waterways. One of the most popular aquatic pastimes is the use of a personal watercraft (PWC), including jet skis, waverunners, waterbikes and waterscooters, representing a market that has ballooned in the last couple of decades. Unfortunately, the explosive growth has led to more...

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The highway death rate increased in 2005 for the first time in about 20 years, according to recently released federal statistics. Although more people are using safety belts and there have been various national campaigns against drunk driving, 43,200 people died in motor vehicle wrecks in 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many of these deaths are caused by...

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So many drivers these days are talking on the phone while driving. Studies have shown that talking on the cell phone while driving is very close to the danger of driving while drunk. The reason is that your mind is taken up with your conversation and not 100 percent focused on the road.It is the slight lapses in focus that lead to car wrecks. In litigation over car wrecks causing personal...

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Is it safe to pull over on the shoulder of a highway to change a tire, change drivers, get something out of the trunk, or even to be pulled over by a police officer?Based on my experience as an injury lawyer, the answer is a resounding "no." If you can, get off the busy highway first, or at least pull all the way off the shoulder at an exit ramp where the main traffic is not blasting by your...

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For years, the automobile manufacturers of the world have touted air bags as soft pillows that will greatly reduce injuries and deaths on our nation's highways. While it is true that air bags have reduced deaths and injuries, these achievements have come at a high cost. Due to the manufacturer's decision to rush air bags into our cars when first required by the National Highway Transportation...

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Black boxes, which have provided invaluable information in determining what has caused airliners to crash for years, are increasingly finding their way into vehicle injury litigation. An estimated 25 million automobiles in the United States now have so-called event data recorders, a scaled-down version of the devices that monitor cockpit activity in airplanes. The boxes are usually silver, not...

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I had a great time and got a super result in an automobile wreck case recently in the Norfolk Circuit Court, Virginia. My client was involved in a low speed, low property damage rear end collision. She also had pre-existing conditions in her back and fibromyalgia. I was thrilled when the jury came back with a verdict of $25,000.00, plus interest. $25,000.00 was the maximum available insurance...

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Virginia has special rules regarding what damages are recoverable in personal injury cases including special rules relating to what some would call "double recoveries" of medical expenses. It is best to use examples to explain some of the rules. Imagine you have a health insurance policy, and a car insurance policy on your own vehicle but you are hurt in a crash when a careless driver runs a...

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Uninsured motorist coverage is probably the most misunderstood form of car insurance in the State in Virginia and probably in most other states as well. I have had injured clients tell me that they are not happy about having to pay money for darn uninsured motorists operating on the Virginia highways. What they do not realize is that the uninsured motorist coverage on their own car insurance...

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Can you recover for a personal injury if the investigating officer or company representative never filled out an accident report? For example, if a police officer in Virginia believes that the damage to the cars involved in the wreck are minimal, he or she may not fill out a formal accident report. Sometimes we are contacted by clients who are wondering whether they can bring a personal injury...

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