Automobile Accidents | InjuryBoard Northern Virginia

For over twenty years in Fairfax County there had not been an alcohol related death of a graduating senior, due largely to the tremendously popular (and well-planned) "All-Night Graduation Parties" hosted/planned by most if not all Fairfax County High Schools.Our area grieves for the families of four young ladies who died last week in a car crash on the Beltway. Two of the four had just...

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According to published reports, the claimant suffered from trauma-induced carpal tunnel syndrome to both hands following an automobile accident. Although she had not yet had surgery (she could not afford the operation) her orthopedist said that the operation was necessary to relieve her of the pain. Her medical bills to date total $14,000.00. The insurance company, in typical "low ball"...

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Automobile accident with no property damage and a three-year history of chiropractic care before the accident results in a verdict awarding less than the medical bills.An Alexandria Circuit Court jury has awarded $2,625.00 in a case in which the plaintiff claimed damages of almost $6,500.00. According to published reports, the insurance company had offered $5,000.00 to settle the case. Of...

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Based on published reports, the plaintiff's car was struck from the rear by a pickup truck. There was extensive damage to the car. Prior to the accident, the plaintiff had sustained an injury to her left elbow and had treatment for low back symptoms. In this accident the plaintiff re-injured her elbow and the plaintiff went through months of injections followed by surgery. A year and a half...

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In this case the plaintiff was hit head on by a tow truck that had crossed the double center lines. An independent witness testified that the defendant was talking on a cell phone and that she saw the driver lean over for something prior to impact. The defendant claimed that a "phantom vehicle" cut him off.The plaintiff was hospitalized at Norfolk General Hospital for two weeks and underwent...

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A local teenager, who was 17 at the time of the accident, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter yesterday in Arlington Circuit Court. Apparently, evidence at trial was that she attained speeds in excess of 100 MPH on the George Washington Parkway. One youth was killed and one other very seriously injured.The young driver now faces up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and she's in front...

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It looks as though our 16- and 17-year-old drivers in Virginia will soon be prohibited from using cell phones while the vehicle is in motion. The proposed law allows 16- and 17-year-old drivers to use their cell phone in an emergency but they have to pull off the highway and park.Statistics from the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Virginia Commonwealth University Transportation Safety...

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A question that sometimes comes up in jury deliberation is whether or not the jury should include as a part of its award the total amount of the injured person's medical bills. Some believe that because these bills may have been covered by insurance that to include them in the award would be a "double recovery."Generally, the law is that the jury should include the entire amount of the medical...

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An arbitrator has awarded a woman over $114,000.00 in damages against Checkered Flag Motor Car Company in Norfolk after the woman allegedly told the sales rep that she wanted a one-owner vehicle in her price range that had not been wrecked. The arbitrator found instead that the car had been owned by several owners; had been in a major front-end collision; and it had been repossessed. Attorney...

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The Virginia General Assembly has passed two measures designed to reduce the time and cost of pursuing smaller automobile accident cases..In the past, you could file a smaller case (maximum recovery $15,000) in in the Virginia General District Court and use affidavits to prove your medical care and costs. The problem was that defendants, often seeking to make things too expensive, could either...

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Just got finished reading a police accident report in a Virginia car accident case where the defendant, who blasted through a red light, told the investigator that she was "practicing her driving" when her foot mistakenly mashed the accelerator, instead of the brake.She caused massive injuries and guess what? She has minimal insurance.Fortunately, it looks as though our client had the...

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There is an interesting bill percolating in the Virginia General Assembly that would require anyone convicted of drunk driving to have double the mandatory minimum liability insurance in place before being permitted to drive again.You can check this bill out here. If you agree with me that this sounds like a good idea then you should contact your Virginia legislator and give them a piece of your...

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According to a report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Virginia ranked 18th among the 50 states in automobile insurance with an average expenditure of $702.23. Kenneth J. Schrad, director, Division of Information Resources for the Virginia State Corporation Commission, said the state had ranked in the lower tier among auto rates for several years. He said the amount of...

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My friend New York personal injury attorney Gary Rosenberg reminded me that there is a great book that has been published for plaintiff's attorneys. From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves purports to expose Allstate and its claims handling practices. Must be a good read, according to Business Week, Allstate tried hard to keep this book from seeing the light of day. In February, a New Mexico state...

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In 2006 17 pedestrians were killed and 300 pedestrian crashes in Fairfax County. There were 19 fatalities in 2000 and 2001. According to the Fairfax County Times newspaper the majority of these crashes are centered on high traffic, high volume roadways with fairly dense populations. According to a 2005 study conducted by the Inova Health Systems a disproportionate number of the pedestrians...

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