Posted on February 11, 2015 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

One of the worst things any parent can hear is that their child has been involved in a school bus accident. Likewise, one of the most tragic calls a family can receive is that their loved one has been killed in a commercial vehicle accident. Recently, in Virginia, two school bus accidents left one man dead and several children with injuries, leading some to wonder if negligence played a role in either wreck.

The fatal accident took place earlier this month in Chesterfield. A 26-year-old father of two is now dead after his Toyota was struck by a school bus carrying gifted students. The bus was traveling on a stretch of road where the speed limit had recently been increased to 45 miles per hour; an investigation into such an incident may look into speeding as a cause of the crash. While none of the children on the bus were seriously injured, the Toyota driver passed away despite attempts by the bus driver and a nearby nurse to help him. The bus was equipped with both a GPS and a camera; these tools may aid in an accident investigation.

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 Posted on February 06, 2015 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Semi-truck accidents can happen anywhere in Virginia and at any time. Whether on the interstates, highways, country roads or suburban streets, a commercial vehicle accident can cause significant damage. However, many times these types of accidents are avoidable, and there are many simple steps both truck drivers and others on the road can take to stay safe.

Here in Manassas and surrounding areas, local roads tend to be fairly crowded. As a result, it can be difficult to maneuver around a large commercial vehicle, such as a semi-truck, especially if that truck is making a turn at a busy intersection. However, truck drivers who follow the rules of the road, as well as the safety tips for their own profession, can help keep local suburban roads accident-free.

One of the most notable elements of a semi-truck is its sheer size. The length of a large commercial vehicle is much longer than a passenger car. As a result, trucks have to turn differently than cars. The long length of a semi gives it a wide turning radius, which means it often can't simply stay in the far-right lane to make a right turn the way cars do. Instead, a large truck may have to initially go in a lane further to the left to make a right turn and vice-versa if making a left turn.

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 Posted on January 30, 2015 in Truck Accidents

Any sort of car accident can land a Virginia resident in a hospital. However, accidents involving commercial vehicles have a great potential to cause serious injury, life-threatening ailments and even death in some cases. Now that the brunt of the winter season has arrived, commercial vehicles such as snowplows are a frequent presence on area roads, while tractor-trailers and semi-trucks still must travel despite the perils of ice and snow. These types of large, heavy vehicles are a notoriously bad match for winter weather and often cause catastrophic injuries to accident victims.

When someone becomes the victim of a truck accident, he or she may very well find themselves spending at least one night in a hospital. High medical bills are, unfortunately, a reality for countless Americans, but for the victims of truck accidents the medical expenses can be staggering.

Adding to the costs is the confusion over hospital billing, hidden charges and errors in billing. Medical Billing Advocates of America notes that only about 20 percent of hospital bills are error-free. In addition, many people who have never spent the night in a hospital don't realize that even a single night in a facility can produce many extra costs. These include lost wages, transportation to and from the medical center, child care costs and more.

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 Posted on January 24, 2015 in Car Accidents

Following a car accident, most drivers understand they need to exchange insurance information with the other party. Of course, if there are injuries or even fatalities, seeking help and cooperating with rescue personnel is the first priority. In car accidents where injuries are not severe or life-threatening, it is still generally helpful to notify police so that an official police report of the accident can be prepared.

In some situations, though, the police may not be able to arrive on the scene of an auto accident. This happened earlier this month in Northern Virginia when winter weather pounded the region. On January 6, snow fell across the area and by 7:00 a.m. police had already gone to the scenes of 21 wrecks throughout Northern Virginia. Many of these were on I-495. Less than two hours later, police in Fairfax County initiated a policy which is sometimes implemented in times of severe weather.

The police department's "Accident Policy" encourages drivers to exchange insurance information with the other party as usual when an accident does not involve injuries. Police will still respond to accidents involving death, injury or hit-and-run situations, but simple fender-benders are pushed to the bottom of their priority list when the policy is in effect.

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 Posted on January 14, 2015 in Drunk Driving Accidents

When a driver, passenger or pedestrian is hit by a drunk driver in Virginia, the legal processes that follow often go in two different directions, sometimes simultaneously. The drunk driver is likely to be prosecuted by the criminal justice system, and the accident victim may also pursue a personal injury case in the state's civil court system. There are many key differences between the two systems, but one of the most relevant is the extent to which the case must be proven in court.

It's well-known that in the criminal justice system the prosecution's case must be made "beyond a reasonable doubt." However, the civil justice system, where personal injury and wrongful death cases are handled, does not require the plaintiff's case to be proven to this extent. Rather, a civil case involves a different standard, known as "preponderance of the evidence."

Essentially, in a civil case the burden of proof demands that at least half of the evidence - 50 percent or more - points toward the truth of the plaintiff's claim. After a damaging alcohol-related accident, the central claim is usually that the defendant's negligence caused the accident and the plaintiff's injury. It's important to know that this is a lower burden of proof than the type found in criminal cases. However, this doesn't mean that civil cases are necessarily easier for a plaintiff who has been injured by a drunk driver. Defense tactics can range from questioning a defendant's blood alcohol content to implying the accident victim played some sort of role in causing the accident.

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 Posted on January 07, 2015 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Following a fatal car, truck or motorcycle accident, surviving family members generally experience two major types of hardship: emotional and financial. While there are other types of hardships encountered following a traumatic incident, these two broad categories are, unfortunately, shared by nearly everyone who has lost a loved one in a wreck. If a loved one's death was due to a negligent driver, the grief may be combined with anger, frustration and the desire to hold the negligent party accountable.

In Virginia, family members who pursue a wrongful death lawsuit are often entitled to damages that can help cover both financial and emotional harm caused by the accident. Obtaining such damages, though, is no simple feat and often requires extensive legal preparation. In particular, awards for mental pain and suffering are frequently the result of an assertive legal offensive, which focuses on the plaintiff's unique circumstances and the defendant's responsibility for the accident. A resident of Manassas or the surrounding area may find it extremely beneficial to bring his or her case to an experienced wrongful death attorney, especially if pain and suffering become overwhelming.

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 Posted on December 30, 2014 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

A trucking accident can be caused by countless different things, from a truck driver's texting behind the wheel to an icy highway to an unsafe vehicle. While weather conditions are out of all drivers' control, driver behavior and vehicle conditions are crucial and controllable factors when it comes to avoiding a commercial vehicle accident. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has outlined the steps that commercial drivers must take in order to demonstrate knowledge of a thorough vehicle safety inspection.

First, an applicant for a Commercial Driver's License, or CDL, in Virginia must begin his or her inspection by reviewing the most recent inspection report available for the vehicle. Then, he or she must make a thorough check of the engine compartment, including fluid levels, the condition of electrical wiring, the presence of any leaks and belt conditions. Next, the CDL applicant should enter the vehicle, start the engine, listen for any strange noises and observe the truck's anti-lock braking system lights.

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 Posted on December 23, 2014 in Truck Accidents

Northern Virginia commuters are often a bit drowsy in the early morning hours; unfortunately, the combination of many different vehicles clogging area roadways can result in backups, minor accidents or major collisions. For those whose jobs put them behind the wheel all day or night, drowsiness can be deadly.

In order to combat truck driver fatigue, federal trucking regulations have evolved over the years to set stringent guidelines as to how much rest drivers must get. In July of 2013, lawmakers mandated that those who drive certain commercial vehicles, particularly large semi-trucks, must take a break of at least 34 hours every seven days, if the driver averages 70 hours of driving per week. The rule included a requirement that the 34-hour rest period include a pair of overnight periods between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Recently, however, a federal spending bill signed into law by President Obama earlier this month included language that has eased these restrictions on truckers' rest periods. Under the new bill, drivers no longer have to use their rest periods during the specific overnight hours featured in the July 2013 legislation. Some in the trucking industry argue that the easing of the restriction will make roadways less congested and the industry more efficient.

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 Posted on December 17, 2014 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

When a family is struck by the unexpected loss of a loved one after a car accident, countless questions arise. How did the accident happen? Was there anything that could have prevented it? Who was at fault? These are all questions that will need to be answered in the course of a wrongful death case.

One of the more significant costs - the cost of a funeral - tends to be steep, as there are many different expenses that come into play. Most funeral homes charge a basic services fee, which encompasses services that are included in almost all funerals: planning the event itself, obtaining certain permits and creating notices, securing the decedent's death certificate, housing the body and arranging services with the cemetery or crematory.

The basic services fee generally does not cover other services common to funerals, such as a viewing inside the funeral home itself, embalming the body, staff and equipment necessary for services by the graveside, cremation, interment, use of a hearse and the casket. It's important for families to know that embalming, which can be quite expensive, is usually not legally required and opting against it can save a family money. Still, if a family plans on having a viewing or visitation, the home will often require embalming. Finally, a funeral home may charge additional fees related to outside vendors, such as florists, members of the clergy or musicians.

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 Posted on December 11, 2014 in Car Accidents

The steps that a person takes following a car accident in Northern Virginia depend upon many factors. One such factor is whether the auto accident was a single-vehicle incident, an event involving two or more cars or an accident involving car and a pedestrian. If an accident involved more than one party, it is extremely important to determine if the collision was caused by negligence or recklessness. If so, the injured party may be able to move forward with a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

In such a suit, the harmed party is likely to seek compensation for medical expenses and, in the event of a fatal accident, funeral costs. Compensation may also entail lost wages if the injured party was put out of work as the result of an accident, or if a deceased victim was the breadwinner for a family. However, there may also be other kinds of damages available in compensation.

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