Lugar Law PC will fight for you to receive full and fair compensation for your injuries after a car accident.
Car accidents in Roanoke happen daily. According to the Virginia Highway Safety Office, a crash occurred in the Commonwealth every 4.1 minutes in 2017. Every day, an average of 179 individuals were injured, and two people were killed. Most days, these statistics do not affect you, but now you or a loved one are the people involved. Now, it is you and your family who must recover from unexpected injuries and pursue compensation from an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. This can be daunting, but our car accident lawyers can help.
We are highly experienced in investigating and litigating all types of motor vehicle incidents, from common collisions to rare circumstances. We will aggressively pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries. And with the Roanoke accident attorneys with Lugar Law PC, there is never an up-front cost to you, and we?re only paid when you recover compensation. Contact us online or call (540) 384-0348 to schedule a free, no-risk consultation to learn more about what you deserve and how we can make sure you get it.
Pursuing Compensation After Being Injured in a Car Accident
If you were hurt in a Roanoke car accident that you believe was someone else?s fault, you should not be left with the financial responsibility. Instead, speak with a car crash attorney as soon as possible. There are two main methods of obtaining compensation after a collision.
Option 1 – Insurance Claim
The first is that you pursue a car accident settlement through an insurance claim. Drivers should all be covered by auto insurance, which gives you the ability to file a third-party claim and seek compensation based on their policy. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to file an insurance claim with your own insurer.
If you have collision coverage, your own insurer may be able to help you fix or repair your vehicle quickly. Or, if you have uninsured motorist coverage, it can help following a hit and run.
At Lugar Law PC, we are here to guide you through the insurance claim process and protect your rights. We also are highly skilled negotiators, enabling us to pursue the maximum compensation possible for your injuries.
Option 2 – Personal Injury Lawsuit
The second option is pursuing compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. In some circumstances, our car accident lawyers will advise you to file a lawsuit as soon as possible. Filing a lawsuit shows the insurer that you are serious about receiving full and fair compensation. It also gives your attorney the means to collect additional evidence through a process known as ?discovery.? Your lawyer can use depositions, interrogatories, and requests for documents to gain more information that can be used to support your claim.
Filing a lawsuit is particularly important if the insurance company has initially denied your claim or settlement negotiations have stalled. By moving forward in court, you have the opportunity to prove the other driver?s fault and ask a judge or jury to award what?s right.
Car Accident Damages
You might be entitled to a financial recovery through an insurance claim or lawsuit if the other party was negligent, grossly negligent, acted with malice, or failed to act when they had a duty to do so. Your lawyer will fight hard for you to receive the maximum compensation possible, whether through an insurance settlement or car accident lawsuit, for your:
Property Damage
Past, current, and Future Medical Expenses
Lost Income
Pain and Suffering
Emotional Distress
Disfigurement
Disability
Reduced Earning Potential
Reduced Quality of Life
Following an accident, it can be challenging to ascertain the precise value of your claim. Certain damages can be calculated from your expenses and losses. However, your non-economic damages can be easily missed without prior experience. At Lugar Law PC, we will work closely with you, your medical providers, and any necessary experts to calculate your economic damages. Then, we will determine the most appropriate method of valuing your non-economic injuries.
In some situations, we may advise pursuing a per diem value or using a multiplier. It is common for insurance companies to determine your non-economic damages by using a multiplier of your economic damages. Multipliers vary depending on the circumstances. It may be as low a 1.5 or as high as 5. However, the higher the multiplier you pursue, the greater the likelihood that the other party contests the amount.
Contributory Negligence in Virginia
When you file a personal injury or wrongful death claim in Virginia, you may have to deal with the issue of contributory negligence. Virginia follows a pure contributory negligence rule. This means the other party must be 100 percent at fault to recover compensation. In some cases, you may share some degree of responsibility for the car crash in question. If you are found to be at all responsible for the incident, then an insurer or the court will deny you compensation.
This is a strict legal statute, and it can benefit defendants who can prove you were not an innocent party. It is used as a popular defense for other drivers and their insurance companies. They may try to use minor facts against you, like if you were going 5 mph over the limit or if you had the GPS on your phone. The insurer may claim your speeding or distraction made you partly responsible for the crash. It is important to work with an experienced and aggressive lawyer to present your case in the best possible light and defend against any allegations of contributory negligence. Contact our auto accident attorneys at (540) 384-0348 to schedule a free, no-risk consultation.
Types of Car Accidents We Handle
No matter what type of motor vehicle accident you were involved in, Lugar Law PC can help you. As an experienced car accident law firm in Roanoke, VA, our injury attorneys handle:
- Rear-End Collisions
- Head-On Collisions
- Sideswipe Collisions
- Side Impact (T-Bone) Accidents
- Accidents With Semi-Trucks
- Intersection Collisions
- Left-Turn Crashes
- Rollover Accidents
- Hit-and-Run Crashes
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Cyclists Hit By Cars
- Pedestrians Hit By Cars
- Accidents With Motorcycles
- Uber & Lyft Accidents
If you were involved in one of these or any other accident in Roanoke, do not be afraid to call our car accident lawyers to learn more about your rights. When another person is at fault for the crash, you have the right to pursue compensation for the damages you incurred through an auto insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
The Most Common Causes of Car Crashes
Our car accident attorneys have found that the most common causes of car accidents in Virginia include:
- Distracted Driving
- Speeding
- Drowsy Driving
- Drunk Driving
- Drugged Driving
- Reckless Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- Work Zones
- Dangerous Roads
- Teen Drivers
- Drivers over 65
While you may be confident about what happened, it is hard to know what to do after a car accident. You may suspect that the other driver was speeding or distracted by their phone. But, how can you be sure? In many cases, crashes happen so fast and seem to come out of nowhere. This is why it is important to work with an experienced lawyer who will investigate what happened. At Lugar Law PC, we will review the police report, obtain evidence of the crash, and determine the underlying cause. This allows us to build a strong case against the at-fault driver and pursue maximum compensation on your behalf. Call today to schedule a free, no-risk consultation. (540) 384-0348.
Fatal Auto Accidents
If your loved one was killed in an accident, call Lugar Law PC as soon as possible. When another party?s negligence was the cause of your loved one?s death, then you and your family may have the right to file a wrongful death claim.
Under Virginia?s wrongful death statute, the personal representative of your loved one?s estate has the right to file the lawsuit. To file this type of lawsuit, you must obtain a certification from an expert witness, which states that you have reasonable ground to pursue a wrongful death claim against the defendant. When you choose our lawyers after a fatal accident, we will handle all of this for you, and make sure that you have everything you need to move forward.
Through a wrongful death claim, the personal representative will pursue damages for your loved one?s beneficiaries, including their surviving spouse, children, and other close relatives or legal heirs. These damages can include:
- Your sorrow and mental anguish
- The loss of decedent?s society, companionship, comfort, guidance, and advice
- The loss of decedent?s expected income
- The Loss of decedent?s services, protection, care, and assistance
- The cost of medical care, treatment, and hospitalization of the decent prior to their death
- Reasonable funeral expenses
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
Car accident injuries can range from minor scrapes to catastrophic harm, but your injuries should always be taken seriously. Lugar Law PC can help you get the necessary medical care and the financial compensation you will need.
Some of the most common injuries suffered in car accidents are:
Head and Brain Injuries
Unfortunately, car crashes often lead to head trauma, including facial lacerations, skull fractures, internal bleeding, concussions, or even more severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Whiplash and Neck Injuries
Many car crash victims suffer injuries in their neck. These injuries include soft tissue injuries, such as sprains and strains, or damage to the spine or spinal cord.
Back Injuries
Back injuries range in type and severity. You may experience a ligament sprain or a muscle or tendon strain. You may have one or more herniated discs or fractured or crushed vertebrae. Back injuries may require rehabilitation and pain management or they may be so serious as to require surgery.
Spinal Cord Injuries
When your back is injured in a crash, you may also suffer harm to your spinal cord. A complete spinal cord injury can lead to total paralysis and loss of sensation below the injury site. An incomplete spinal cord injury can lead to varying degrees of mobility and sensation loss. Spinal cord injuries also lead to the inability to control your bowel movements and bladder as well as sexual dysfunction.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Your muscles, tendons, or ligaments may be stretched or torn during a car crash. In extreme cases, you may need surgery to repair torn tissue.
Bone Fractures
Broken bones are very common in collisions. A simple fracture may heel in a few weeks or months after being properly set and immobilized with a cast. However, complex fractures may require surgery and physical therapy. You may never regain your full range of motion and strength.
Joint Dislocations
Bones fit very precisely into their joints and an extreme force can move a bone out of the joint. A dislocated shoulder, knee, or another joint can be an extremely painful injury, requiring extensive treatment.
Burn Injuries
Car crashes can result in fires, which can lead to severe burn injuries, scarring, and disfigurement.
Amputations
Serious collisions can lead to a limb or extremity being traumatically amputated, or they can cause such severe injury to the limb or extremity that physicians have no choice but to amputate the affected area.
Virginia Car Accident Statistics
In 2017, Virginia had 127,375 car crashes. These led to 65,306 injuries, 7,624 of which were serious injuries. Most car accident injuries were sustained by those operating the vehicles?50,045 drivers were injured, and 5,693 sustained serious injuries.
A common question our car accident lawyers receive is how many people die in car accidents each year? In 2017, Virginia had 843 car crash fatalities. This was a decrease in accidents and injuries from the year before. However, the number of fatal car accidents increased. The death rate per 100 million in miles rose from 0.90 in 2016 to 0.98 in 2017.
Of the 2017 crashes, 7,285 were alcohol-related. These DUI crashes resulted in 4,430 injuries and 248 deaths. There also were 23,948 speed-related collisions, which caused 12,937 injuries and 318 fatalities.
Roanoke County, Virginia experienced 1,437 accidents, 627 injuries, and eight fatalities. 69 accidents were alcohol-related, and these led to 43 alcohol-related injuries and two fatalities. The county had 287 speed-related crashes, resulting in 150 injuries and five deaths.
Not every vehicle crash in Virginia involved passenger cars and trucks. There were also 1,608 pedestrian accidents; 2,119 motorcycle crashes; 670 bicycle crashes; 4,590 commercial motor vehicle accidents; and 2,306 large truck crashes. If you were involved in an auto accident in Virginia, it is important to speak with a car wreck attorney as soon as possible. Call (540) 384-0348.
What You Should Do After an Accident
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident, you should take certain steps to protect your health and safety, gather initial evidence, and set your self up for a successful claim for compensation.
1. Seek Medical Care
Following an accident, always prioritize your own health and safety. If you are hurt, do not try to move. Call 911 or wait until emergency personnel arrive. Then, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Either head to the emergency room or visit a doctor soon after for a full exam. Be sure to tell the doctor that you were in an accident so that you can look for injuries commonly associated with that type of incident.
2. Call 911
There are two reasons to call 911 or the police. The first is that this ensures emergency medical personnel arrive as soon as possible. Second, it ensures the police arrive and create a written report regarding the event. You want there to be an official report of the accident for a potential insurance claim or lawsuit.
3. Document the Accident
If you can do so safely, take photos and videos of the accident. Document the damage to the vehicles and surrounding property. Also, document your injuries.
4. Exchange Information
If you and the other parties are able, exchange names, contact information, and insurance information. It also is a good idea to obtain the names and contact information of witnesses, whether they were other passengers or bystanders.
5. Contact Your Insurer
If you were in a vehicle at the time of the accident, notify your own insurer in case you need to pursue benefits under your own policy.
6. Call a Roanoke Accident Lawyer
We recommend you contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after an accident to learn more about your rights and legal options. You may have the right to pursue compensation.