Newport News is a transportation hub and one of the busiest cities in Virginia.
We have heavy traffic due to the numerous interstates, highways, bridges, bridge tunnels, maritime ports, trucking companies, freight and passenger railroads, buses, and airports serving Newport News and the rest of Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, James City County, Chesapeake, etc.). Indeed, traffic in Newport News increases in the summer months when travelers pass through the area on their way to vacation in the Outer Banks, Emerald Isle, and further south.
Unfortunately, this traffic congestion results in many Newport News car accidents every year. Some of these crashes cause severe injuries with permanent disability, pain, suffering, and even death.
However, you do not have to deal with the fallout of an automobile accident alone. The law may provide multiple sources of compensation to help you regain what you lost in the crash.
Our award-winning Newport News car accident lawyers can help you recover money for the damages you have suffered and will continue to suffer. We go head-to-head with insurance companies and their teams of claims adjusters and defense attorneys, who often dispute, delay, and deny payment under available policies.
As a Newport News car accident lawyer born and raised in Hilton Village and Hidenwood, I know the area’s roads, employers, medical providers, and defense attorneys. Our Newport News personal injury law firm uses this knowledge and our firm’s skills and resources to recover fair compensation for you and your family.
Read on for more information about car accident laws in Virginia.
Then call us at 757-810-5614 to see if we can help you on the path to recovery. We have obtained results for accident victims and injured workers in Newport News. Let’s start working together to get results.
Some of you may resolve your car accident claims without needing an attorney.
For example, accident claims with minor injuries resulting in no more than one or two doctor visits and less than one week missed from work are ripe for resolution between you and the claim adjuster.
However, hiring a Newport News car accident lawyer is often the best investment you can make if your accident results in traumatic brain injury (TBI), damage to the spinal cord (including herniated discs), third-degree burns, broken bones, ligament tears, or amputation.
Auto accident injuries that require emergency medical care, hospitalizations, surgeries, and extensive therapy or at-home care are not the time to go it alone. Relying on an attorney can put tens of thousands of additional dollars in your pocket through an auto accident settlement or trial.
For example, a skilled Newport News car crash attorney will:
These are examples of the ways that a Newport News accident lawyer can help you.
We have talked with accident victims who were hesitant to hire a lawyer because they thought they could not afford it.
But the good news is that you can afford to hire a Newport News car accident lawyer.
We work on a contingency fee basis. This means we receive a percentage of your settlement or trial verdict. Therefore, you pay no upfront fees or costs and owe nothing unless we recover money for you.
Car crashes are common in Newport News, with the Virginia Highway Safety Office reporting 3,274 car crashes in 2022 alone. This amount equals almost nine auto accidents per day.
Speeding (622) and alcohol (185) were the leading causes of the 1,559 injuries and 16 fatalities that resulted from these Newport News car crashes.
In addition, six of the car accident fatalities were unrestrained, meaning these victims were not wearing seat belts at impact.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, “roughly one-quarter of traffic fatalities and about one-half of all traffic injuries in the United States are attributed to intersections.”
This statistic will not surprise you if you have driven on Jefferson Avenue, Warwick Boulevard, J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, or Route 17, as many Newport News car accidents occur at intersections involving these roads and Interstate-64 entrance and exit ramps.
Here are some of the most dangerous Newport News intersections and roads:
We have served as Newport News car accident lawyer for many people hurt on these roads and in local neighborhoods.
After a car accident, it is critical to take the following steps to protect your health and your potential legal claim.
These steps will put you in the best position possible to recover physically, mentally, and financially.
Yes.
To recover money in a Virginia auto accident case, you must prove the other driver caused the accident and injuries.
If you show this, you may seek damages against the person who entrusted the defendant driver with the vehicle involved in the crash. For example, the legal theories of negligent entrustment and vicarious liability allow you to file a civil action against the parent or employer who may have given the car to the defendant to drive.
But beware.
You may receive nothing if your acts or omissions contributed to the accident – even a little. Virginia is one of a few states that follows the contributory negligence doctrine, which makes it more difficult for accident victims to recover compensation.
A judge or jury may award money for these damages from the car accident (if you prove your case by a preponderance of the evidence):
In addition, you may recover punitive damages if the defendant acted recklessly or intentionally.
You can read the civil jury instructions here.
Many variables decide the reasonable settlement range for an auto accident case in Newport News.
For example, whether the defendant accepts liability, the nature and extent of the injury, whether you have a permanent disability, and the past and projected medical costs often drive a claim’s value.
Therefore, you should rely on something other than average settlements for Newport News accident cases when evaluating your claim. We recommend hiring an attorney who can analyze each type of damage available.
Whether the attorneys and insurers in the case consider the area as claimant or defense friendly also affects settlement negotiations.
Newport News is a plaintiff-friendly court. It is an excellent place for bringing a personal injury lawsuit after a car crash. Therefore, your Newport News car accident lawyer will try to find a connection between your accident, the parties, and the city so that Newport News is a proper venue.
The Newport News Circuit Court is Virginia’s 7th Judicial Circuit.
You will file a civil action here if you have catastrophic injuries requiring significant treatment before you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) or cannot resolve the claim with the liability insurer.
This court’s address is:
2500 Washington Avenue
Courthouse Building
Newport News, VA 23607
The Honorable Angela F. Reason is the Clerk of the Newport News Circuit Court. Her office’s telephone number is (757) 926-8561, and the clerk’s office is open from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
Five judges hear cases at the Newport News Circuit Court:
To maximize your potential recovery, your Newport News car accident lawyer will find out as much as they can about how the presiding judge runs their court and how they view specific evidentiary issues.
Car crashes change lives in seconds.
Do not add insult to injury.
Instead, hire a top-ranked Newport News car accident lawyer to guide you through the legal process.
Call us today to start: 757-810-5614. You have two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit, but you should collect evidence immediately to boost your claim.