Posted on June 04, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Memorial Day traditionally is the unofficial start of summer, but with warmer weather comes an increase in fatal car accidents. This past Memorial Day saw the death of a pedestrian attempting to cross a highway late at night. A Lorton, Virginia, man stands accused of striking and killing a man crossing Coastal Highway. The man was pronounced dead at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

According to police, the motorist continued driving even after his car collided with the other man, who was only 22 years old. Witnesses tailed the driver's vehicle, and authorities were eventually able to apprehend the hit-and-run offender.

Ocean City, Maryland, police took the driver into custody, and charged him with several serious offenses: driving under the influence and driving while intoxicated, homicide by motor vehicle while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a fatal collision.

Law enforcement also charged the driver with several other traffic-related violations. Speed may have also been an issue. Preliminary investigation points to a driver who was traveling above the posted limit at the time of the crash.

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 Posted on June 01, 2012 in Truck Accidents

Accidents involving tractor trailer trucks can be one of the most daunting types of roadway catastrophes. When a hazardous materials truck is involved, the results can be even more severe. A recent truck accident involved an SUV and a hazmat vehicle, with one driver ending up in critical condition.

In Virginia, hazardous materials made headlines this spring when a tractor-trailer overturned in Bedford County on May 9. The semi truck was carrying liquids that local crews assumed to be dangerous when it tipped over on Route 43.

Local authorities closed the road for a few hours while the hazardous materials regional response team cleaned up the spillage. While officials later determined that the leaked liquids posed no threat to nearby residents, the incident was still a reminder of how close drivers often are toxic chemicals and substances.

In the recent accident, an 18-year-old man driving a Chevy Blazer veered out of his own lane and into traffic. His car wound up hitting a semi truck headed in the opposite direction. Striking the rear axles of the tractor trailer, the man received serious injuries in the collision.

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 Posted on May 25, 2012 in Firm News

Millions of people around the country, many of them in Virginia, will be hitting the road this weekend to celebrate the Memorial Day holiday. With all that activity, however, lies some danger. Many people will be trying to get to a relative's house for a party or trying to avoid a traffic backup and as a result run a red light.

While people running red lights happens every day, a new study released this week shows that the number of people who run red lights goes up 27 percent over Memorial Day weekend when compared with the average non-holiday weekend. This inevitably leads to a higher chance of a car accident, more personal injury claims and more visits to hospital emergency rooms.

According to the group that conducted the study, Memorial Day weekend is one of the most dangerous of the year in terms of road safety. The group surveyed 18 states, but said if the results were applied to all states, there would be a red-light violation in the country 1.2 times every second.

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 Posted on May 16, 2012 in Car Accidents

When teen drivers have multiple passengers riding in their vehicle, their likelihood of getting in a serious car crash rises. A recent study by AAA discovered a correlation between the presence of passengers and the chances of an auto accident.

Earlier this year, a deadly example of this correlation occurred in Rocky Mount, Virginia. A January car crash involved four teens that had just left Franklin County High School. At the time that the driver lost control of the car, they were all riding together in the same vehicle

One of the teens in the car died as a result and the other three teens, including the driver, received injuries from the multi-vehicle accident. Virginia State Police later charged the driver with reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter. Multiple civil lawsuits also arose a few weeks after the incident.

The father of one of the injured victims filed a $2.5 million lawsuit against the driver. The estate of the deceased victim also filed a lawsuit against the teen that was behind the wheel that day, for a slightly higher $2.75 million.

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 Posted on May 12, 2012 in Car Accidents

Virginia is a state with a proud military tradition. The home of George Washington and Robert E. Lee has produced millions of soldiers, sailors and other members of the armed forces in its history. And few, if any, other states can rival the pride and appreciation residents of Virginia have for the military and the troops.

Many Virginians have served in dangerous areas over the last decade, and thankfully many of them are coming home or have already come home to their native state. But researchers are now getting a handle on one side effect of spending time in a war zone that seems to spill over into civilian life: the propensity for military personnel and veterans to get into more car accidents than the norm.

A study performed by a major insurer for military families has shown that the numbers are significant: about a 13 percent increase in accidents by returning troops for which they are at fault. The most dramatic figures are for Army veterans, whose accident rates skyrocket 23 percent in the first six months after they return from their deployment.

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 Posted on May 02, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Inexperienced drivers are often at the root of many car accidents. A fatal Virginia crash that occurred last year is no exception. Last spring, during their spring break vacation time, a group of Northern Virginia teens were riding together when the car's 18-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to a fatal car accident.

The car hit a deer, spun off the road and then struck some trees. The driver is now on trial for reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter.

The accident happened after the group of teens left a gathering in Haymarket, Virginia. They drove down a hilly, narrow road late in the evening in order to view the city lights of Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately for the group, a deer appeared in the road and set off the devastating chain of events. After the vehicle hit the trees, the driver was thrown from the car along with three out of the four passengers riding with him. An additional passenger became trapped within the vehicle.

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 Posted on April 30, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

There are few happenings in life more devastating than the loss of one we love. There are no words that can adequately describe the resulting pain. While it is never easy to lose a loved one, it is particularly difficult when the loss is sudden, unexpected or even wrongful.

Recently, an employee of Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia, was operating a lawnmower when a driver struck the mower with a car. Tragically, the operator was pronounced dead at a local hospital due to injuries sustained from the impact of the fatal car accident.

Details on the incident are still forthcoming; it is not yet clear whether there were additional witnesses or what the exact circumstances surrounding the incident are. The Virginia State Police are currently investigating the crash.

The president of the school noted his condolences in a press release following the unexpected auto accident and resulting death. He emphasized the sadness with which the campus community received the distressing news.

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 Posted on April 19, 2012 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Beginning this summer, Virginia will enact one of the strictest drunk driving penalties in the country. New laws will require the installation of an ignition-interlock device into the vehicles of first-time offenders. This prevents them from starting their vehicles until they breathe into the device.

The new restrictions form part of the continuing, comprehensive effort to crack down on drunk driving in Virginia. The effects of this risky practice are well known: accidents, injuries, permanent disabilities, medical expenses and even fatalities. As a result, the state is sending a stronger-than-ever message to residents: do not drink and drive, not even once.

However, some critics argue that the new ignition-interlock requirements go a little too far.

Virginia law already requires the device for repeat offenders or those with a blood alcohol content of.15 or higher at the time of their initial arrest. Like neighboring states Virginia's threshold for DUI is.08.

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 Posted on April 10, 2012 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

In a frightening head-on collision, an ice cream truck collided with a school bus in Chesterfield, Virginia, on April 3. As a result, nine people were sent to the hospital. Authorities charged the driver of the ice cream truck with reckless driving. No catastrophic injuries were reported in this truck accident, but two adults and seven students were hurt.

A Chesterfield County public school bus, transporting 24 students home from Midlothian High School, rounded a curve and smashed into the ice cream truck, whose driver swerved to avoid stopped traffic in his own lane.

Neither the truck driver nor the school bus driver could easily see around the curved roadway, a fact that may complicate the reckless driving charge. However, passing a vehicle on a curve is a common component of reckless driving in the state, so reactions to the case will depend upon further investigation of the crash.

The truck driver's speed at the time of the incident will likely play a role in the outcome of the case with the local courts. In addition, the driver's own driving history will probably also come under consideration, as will the details of the interaction between the truck driver and the police offers on the scene.

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 Posted on April 05, 2012 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Driving without giving one's complete attention to the road can lead to a host of serious problems: fatal motor vehicle accidents, allegations of negligence, medical and even funeral expenses, the loss of loved ones, and police investigations. While Virginia has been proactive in crafting laws against distracted driving, its by-products are still all too common on local roads.

A recent study reveals just how deadly this type of driving can be. Dialing cell phones, as well as texting, led to a marked increase in one's risk for an accident. The study found that drivers who texted behind the wheel were 23 times more likely to crash.

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that in 2010, more than 1,400 crashes involved cell phone use as an accident contributor. Of the total 25,597 crashes caused by distracted driving, 122 of them featured a fatality. This is especially important to remember as April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

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