Auto Accidents

It’s the holidays and while right now, you may be enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the season (fresh pine & holiday cookies, anyone?), there’s an important awareness month happening that is recognized nationally each December. It’s National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, also known as National 3D Prevention Month. This annual observance is a sobering reminder to never drive impaired. The facts are simple – getting behind the wheel of a car when you’re under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, and even some legal prescription and over-the-counter drugs (which may affect your ability to drive) can result in a serious car accident and life-threatening injuries to yourself and others. According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the time period between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day is “one of the deadliest and most dangerous times on America’s roadways because of an increase in impaired driving.” Read on to learn [...]

September is National Preparedness Month, a time when we remember the importance of planning and preparing for national disasters. This month is primarily geared toward developing an emergency preparedness plan for events that may affect your safety in your community. It’s also an ideal time, however, to prepare for any incident that could affect your safety and quality of life on a personal level – such as an auto accident. Given their sudden, unexpected nature, we know that it’s incredibly difficult – almost impossible – to “prepare” for an auto accident. If it’s ever happened to you, you know that the adrenaline rush you feel along with your “fight or flight” response can be overwhelming. In the moment, it’s hard to focus on what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and when it should be done. After impact, a myriad of questions may fly through your head, such as: I’ve been [...]

Distracted driving is more than just a practice area at the law firm for me… it's personal. You see, my wife & I have 3 beautiful children. 2 of them are in high school. 1 just got her license and the other is a 14-year-old who’s almost ready to start driving. I’ve watched my kids struggle, as yours probably do too, to ignore their phones going off at dinner or while talking. They get a text or notification and can’t help but look at their phones. It’s a conditioned response. Watching their struggle, I can’t help but wonder if teens in general will be able to change this behavior to become safe drivers. That’s why it’s more important than ever to share information about how to stay safe on the road. Statistics About Teen Driving Safety Even if you don’t have teens of your own, you know someone who does. Either way, you’re guaranteed to [...]

Sometimes accident victims walk away from a crash believing that they are uninjured. That is because the adrenaline surge after a car accident can mask the symptoms of some injuries. Then, later, they end up in the emergency room in serious pain. Back injuries are an example of an injury that can worsen after a car crash. One of the most common back injuries after a car accident is a herniated disc. Your spine is comprised of 33 bones called vertebrae. These bones are supported by cushions of soft discs. These discs allow your spine to move and bend. In a car crash, the force of the impact can violently throw your body around, hyper-extending and tearing the tendons and ligaments in your neck or back, which can change the dynamics in your spine and put pressure on your discs. This pressure can cause a spinal disc to bulge, protrude, or herniate. A disc is [...]

It’s pretty obvious that bicycles lack the many safety features that cars and other vehicles on the road have.  There is no enclosed cabin made of steel and plastic, no airbags, seatbelts, or other built-in safety features.  While riding a bike, you are completely exposed, and often hit the ground, tree, fence, other vehicle, or hard surface head first.  Bicyclists sometimes forget that they are “technically” driving a vehicle and must share the road and follow bicycle and traffic laws.  If you or someone else is injured in an accident involving a bike, failure to do so could impact your case in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Can I ride my bike on the sidewalk? It is legal in Virginia to ride your bike on sidewalks unless prohibited by local ordinances.  If riding on a sidewalk, you must always yield the right of way to pedestrians.  Sidewalks are constructed to keep pedestrians safe.  When attempting to [...]

The short answer is YES! That was probably the answer you expected to hear, especially from a personal injury attorney, but my reasons are probably not what you’re expecting. A good personal injury lawyer can empower you to solve some of the problems arising from the collision yourself. Not everybody who has been in a collision needs to hire and pay a lawyer right away.  But if you’ve been in a car accident, there are things you need to know, questions you need answered, and real-world problems that you need to solve.  For instance: How does insurance work? How do I get my medical bills paid? What happens to my car? How do I get it fixed?  Who pays for the damage? Whose insurance company should pay for the property damage and medical bills? When should I use my own insurance? Should I accept a settlement from the other driver’s insurance company? Should I even [...]

You’re on your way to work on the Beltway.  A car in another lane swerves toward you.  You try to avoid it, but . . . crash . . . Over 120,000 automobile accidents occur each year in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Most involve only property damage… damage to the vehicle, but just over 50% involve personal injury to the driver and/or passengers in the car.  And unfortunately, approximately 750-800 accidents result in a fatality each year. If you or a family member is in a car accident, it is important that you protect yourself and your interests.  Here’s a quick checklist of things you should do immediately after a crash. Stop! Never leave the scene of an accident even if it seems minor and you don’t think anyone was hurt.  Unless your vehicle is interfering with traffic, remain where you ended up after the accident.  Turn on your hazard lights.  If you are in [...]