If you or a loved one have been in a truck accident in Virginia, managing injuries and damages can be overwhelming. Truck accident injuries and damages can be overwhelming for you and your family. On top of that, managing medical care, lost wages, and unforeseen expenses with the most efficient practice is a lot to take on when emotions are high, and pain management can be genuine. A knowledgeable and experienced Virginia truck accident lawyer can help steer your case and help you receive the fair compensation you and your loved ones are entitled to during this vulnerable time. Contact a truck accident lawyer at Munley Law for your free consultation and case review today.
What does a truck accident lawyer in Virginia do?
A Virginia truck accident lawyer makes sure to encompass the circumstances of your accident with care, combing through all details. Your lawyer works diligently to position your case to recover maximum compensation by ultimately:
- Commissioning investigators and specialists to reconstruct the accident when warranted.
- Gathering all details such as witness statements, police reports, truck maintenance records, electrical black box recordings, and any available video footage
- Secure truck driver's hours of service logs and employment records to examine and search if any previous violations of state or federal regulations have occurred.
- Collecting all expense receipts and post-accident care documents (physical therapy, mental health services). Your attorney will keep you on schedule by filing proper documentation with submission dates noted.
Negotiating with an insurance company to get your personal injury claim appropriate consideration. Insurance companies are notorious for low-balling personal injury claims and offering early settlements (to discourage higher amounts); an experienced trucking attorney knows insurance company tactics and when to shift accordingly.
Finally, if settlement offers are undesirable, your lawyer may suggest proceeding with a lawsuit. Your lawyer is in your care and best interest throughout this volatile time. With your experienced Virginia lawyer, you can spend time healing and recovering with your family; let us navigate the legal processes for your financial compensation relief.
Why Choose Munley Law As Your Virginia Truck Accident Lawyer?
At Munley Law, our commercial vehicle and truck crash expertise spans over 60 years.
We have three attorneys certified in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA); most hold multiple board certifications.
Our committed efforts are for continuous education and remaining up-to-date with new developments in the
trucking industry. These skill sets keep us at the forefront of industry changes and maximize our ability to efficiently and effectively seek justice for our clients.
We're known as one of the country's best truck accident law firms; eight of our personal injury lawyers are in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
We're the only firm with two lawyers leading the American Association for Justice (AAJ) ‘s Trucking Law Group.
Our expertise allows us to educate other lawyers about truck accident cases formally.
Our experienced lawyers care deeply about our clients and always treat them with the utmost respect, compassion, and care they deserve.
What types of truck accident cases does Munley Law cover?
- Jackknife accidents: When a truck's trailer swings and causes collisions with other vehicles.
- Rear-end collisions occur when truckers hit the rear of other vehicles due to distracted driving, aggressive driving, or mechanical failures.
- Underride Accidents: Smaller vehicles can slide underneath a truck's trailer, often and tragically causing severe injuries or fatalities.
- Rollover Accidents: Trucks can tip over due to aggressive driving, sharp turns, and mismanaged cargo loading, posing a significant danger and catastrophic injuries to other road users.
- Blind Spot Accidents: Trucks' large blind spots can make nearby vehicles vulnerable to crashes.
- Tire Blowouts: A sudden tire blowout can cause a truck crash.
- Wide Turn Accidents: Truckers must consider when and where they turn; the large angle required to turn must account for nearby vehicles or pedestrians.
- Head-On Collisions: If a truck crashes with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, the mere force usually brings about severe or deadly injuries.
- Cargo-Related Accidents: Truckers must appropriately secure cargo to avoid falling or shifts in transit. When cargo is moving and improperly secured, cargo can lead to loss of control or collisions.
- Brake Failure Accidents: Mechanical failures such as brake failure can lead to uncontrolled crashes; poor maintenance or overlooked mechanical issues can be the culprit.
- Runaway Truck Accidents: Truck braking capacity on roadways can become complicated, particularly when challenged on steep inclines; an uncontrollable commercial truck crash often leads to serious injuries and tragic consequences.
- T-Bone Accidents: These typically occur at intersections when a truck crashes into the side of a motor vehicle.
- Hazardous Material Accidents: These accidents can cause dangerous cargo spills and environmental risks due to airborne exposure, fires, and common truck crash risks.
These large truck accidents can be complicated, and specialized legal counsel is required when determining liability.
What Are the Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Virginia?
Liable parties may be the truck driver, the trucking company, the manufacturer, or the owner. Sometimes multiple
parties may be liable; common causes for truck accidents include:
Driver Fatigue: When fatigue sets in and extended shifts are involved, a driver's reflexes and alertness are compromised.
Distracted Driving: Truck drivers may not take a needed break and attempt to multitask while all their focus is on the road; using phones, eating, adjusting the radio, and other tasks other than driving can cause catastrophic accidents.
Speeding: Driving too fast magnifies the chances of losing control or being unable to brake safely in a meaningful and timely manner.
Impaired Driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including prescription medications, clouds judgment, and truckers' reactivity, making their shared road space a dangerous place to be.
Inclement Weather: Rain, intense wind storms, snow, fog, or ice can compromise road conditions. Icy landscapes, slippery surfaces, and reduced visibility increase the likelihood of accidents.
Mechanical Failures: Braking failures, tire blowouts, and other mechanical issues are challenging for truck drivers to manage in real-time on the road; these truck manufacturer failures can easily lead to an auto accident with passenger vehicles.
Improper Loading: Overloaded or unevenly loaded cargo can make a truck unstable and vulnerable to tip or losing control.
Inadequate Training: Improper training and minimal experience can overwhelm novice big rig truckers and cause driver errors in navigation and truck accidents.
Aggressive Driving: Aggressive behaviors like tailgating, quick lane changes, or road rage can lead to truck crashes.
Traffic Violations: Running red lights, not yielding, or failing to signal turns can result in accidents, especially at intersections.
Road Conditions: Potholes, uneven surfaces, poor road maintenance, and inadequate signage can lead to loss of control, mismanaged road guides, and collisions.
Blind Spots: Commercial truckers' lane changes and turns can dismiss other vehicles due to large blind spots, resulting in vehicle accidents.
Inadequate Maintenance: Poor truck maintenance harbors mechanical issues; mechanical failures are more likely at unforeseen times (and the worst is when on the road). Preventive maintenance is a must and mandatory practice.
Virginia Truck Accident Statistics
- A study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) showed that of a case study of large commercial truck crashes, 77% were tractors hauling a single semi-trailer, and 5% were carrying hazardous materials.
- In 2023, Virginia totaled 293 alcohol-related fatalities, a 6.9% increase from the previous year.
- There were 5,785 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) accidents in 2023, accounting for 4.5% of all Virginia accidents that year.
- Improper lane changes resulted in the most Virginia CMV crashes in 2023; tailgating and following too closely were the most frequent causes.
- There were 3,345 property damages and 2,233 truck accident victims injuries reported in Virginia in 2023.
What Damages Are Available Following a Truck Accident in VA?
Damages may differ depending on the circumstances surrounding commercial truck accidents. There may be severe injuries, physical damages, psychological and trauma-based damages, or in the most catastrophic instances, there may be wrongful death. The following categories are how the legal system classifies damages in these scenarios:
Economic Damages
Economic damages highlight truck accident expenses due to medical bills, lost wages, property damages, or funerals costs. The final figure includes:
- Medical Costs: Medical expenses for emergency room visits, surgeries, therapy, or long-term care due to severe injuries (like traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, or paralysis) add up and continue to be overwhelming without compensatory aid.
- Lost Income: You may collect lost wages if the accident causes you to miss work—a lack of potential future income if you can't work as before.
- Reduced Earning Ability: If you can't do your old job and, in turn, earn less in a new role, you may get compensation for the variance between the higher and lesser earnings.
- Funeral Costs: If a loved one died in the accident, you can claim funeral expenses and possibly file a wrongful death claim.
Be sure to ask for documentation whenever possible and keep receipt of all detailed expense records. Record keeping is necessary to ensure you get proper compensation.
Non-Economic Damages
These are payments for non-physical losses, helping victims and their families cope with emotional and mental suffering.
- Pain and Suffering: You can get money for the physical and emotional pain from the truck collision with your car accident. The amount depends on how long you were in pain and how bad your injuries are.
- Loss of Enjoyment: If the accident has made it hard to enjoy daily activities, you can get money.
- Loss of Intimacy and Companionship: If the accident hurt your relationship with your partner or you lost a close companion, you may be compensated.
- Emotional Distress: You can get money for the stress and emotional pain caused by the accident.
- Mental Anguish: This covers severe emotional suffering like anxiety or depression caused by the accident.
Punitive Damages
Punitive compensation is not rewarded often; however, that is not the case if the truck driver's actions were deliberate, malicious, or reckless.
How Does Contributory Negligence Affect Your Truck Accident Claim?
Contributory negligence is a strict rule that can be tough on victims seeking compensation. If you are even a tinest bit to blame for your injuries, you might not get any money at all. It's an all-or-nothing system used in some states; Virginia law is one of them.
At Munley Law, we've seen how this rule can block a claim, so you must talk to a knowledgeable lawyer for help. Contact our legal team at Munley Law for a free case evaluation.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virginia Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me?
The top tiered truck accident teams charge around 30% to 40% of your recovered compensation; the good news is that you typically do not pay anything upfront when you commission an experienced attorney.
Munley Law's 2024 Best Lawyers in America accolades highlight our experience and commitment to offering top-notch legal help. Our truck accident lawyer only gets paid if you win. You don't pay anything upfront when you hire us. Instead, we take a percentage of the money you receive once your case is settled or won in court. This means you can focus on improving while some of the highest-regarded legal help diligently works towards your maximum compensation. We've got your back.
What Is the Time Limit For Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Virginia?
The Virginia statute of limitations states that you have up to two years to file a lawsuit after a truck accident; don't wait that long. Some of your evidence is extremely sensitive in keeping the integrity of all the information: witness' recollection can alter over time, amongst one of the variables. Contact Munley Law right after your accident. Our truck accident lawyers will help you file your personal injury case claim and get the money you deserve.
What Should I Do Following a Truck Accident in Virginia?
If you have been in a commercial truck accident, chances are you are quite traumatized and that you may have endured some sort of injury. Be cautious when moving, if you can, as ideally, medical professionals should assist moving you should there have been trauma to your spine. You want first to be sure you are not in harm's way; find as safe a place as you can find away from the line of traffic. If you can:
- Contact emergency services: Call 911. When the police arrive, describe the event as you recollect it without placing too much emphasis on blame and also without making light of the situation. Ask the officer's name. Ensure that you receive and accept medical care; everyone who has endured the accident should be treated.
- Document as much as you can: Take photos of the accident scene, vehicles, the road, your injuries, and any relevant items to the accident, should you be capable of doing so.
- Get others' contact information: Exchange information with other victims and witnesses. Record the name of any person whom you have spoken to. If you are in a position to talk to witnesses, be sure to record their names and contact information.
- Call your insurance company: Inform them of what has happened. If they choose to send an investigator to the accident scene, they will investigate.
- Schedule an exam with your primary doctor: Even if you received medical care immediately after the accident, it is important to schedule follow-up care. Sometimes, injuries do not present themselves until after the trauma of the event; it is hard to check in with your own body awareness when adrenaline and emotions are high.
- Contact an attorney: Truck accidents are multi-faceted, and you are up against negotiating with companies that are used to “handling” these matters. Having a seasoned trucking attorney on your side is in your best interest.
- What you should not do: Do not give recorded statements to insurance or trucking companies. All of your statements should be simple, bland, and factual. Do not place blame. Do not talk about how you feel; if you say that you are “fine” or “ok,” this can be used against you later to negate any claims of injuries.
Munley Law is Here to Help
If you've been hurt or lost a loved one in a Virginia commercial truck crash, picking the right lawyer is important. Not every personal injury lawyer knows how to handle these kinds of cases. You need someone who's a real expert in truck accidents. At Munley Law, our lawyers have the special knowledge and years of experience with big truck cases that make us stand out from the rest. Contact us today for your free case evaluation.
