Most people do not realize the devastating injuries they can suffer when a negligent driver hits their automobile until they are involved in an accident. However, a split-second mistake by a negligent driver can have long-term consequences on an accident victim’s life. Unfortunately, if you live in Virginia, the chances that you will be an accident victim is increasing. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 125,800 traffic crashes in our state in 2015. In these wrecks, 753 people were killed—a 7.57 percent increase from 2014—and 65,029 people were injured, which was a 2.6 percent increase from the prior year.
If you are the victim of a motor vehicle accident, you could feel overwhelmed and unsure of what steps to take as you fight with the negligent driver’s insurance company—that will do whatever it can to deny or reduce your claim. However, you are not alone. The car accident attorneys at Greenspun Shapiro PC have years of experience in providing accident victims with the innovative and aggressive representation needed to obtain the justice they deserve. Fill out our online form today to learn how we can help you enforce your rights too.
Why Do Negligent Drivers Cause Car Accidents?
If you are injured in an auto crash, you must prove the other driver’s negligence in order to receive compensation for your injuries. Sadly, many tragic crashes are caused by drivers’ errors and could be prevented if these motorists simply drove in a safer manner. Common reasons these traffic accidents occur include:
- Distracted driving. Talking on a cell phone, texting, eating and drinking, and fiddling with a GPS or instrument control are a few ways motorists engage in distracted driving. When a driver’s mind and eyes are not on his driving, a tragic wreck could be the result.
- Drowsy driving. With the fast pace of life, many people get too little sleep and think nothing of getting behind the wheel when they are tired. However, studies have shown that drowsy drivers can be as dangerous as intoxicated drivers.
- Drunk driving. It is illegal to drive in Virginia with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher, yet many drivers continue this dangerous practice. When intoxicated, reaction times are slowed and general skills impaired—with innocent victims paying the price after a crash.
- Speeding. Any crash can cause deadly injuries when a negligent driver is speeding because the force of the impact will be greater than other accidents.
- Aggressive driving. Tailgating, cutting across traffic lanes, failing to yield, and driving at an excessive speed are a few ways people engage in aggressive driving. Even worse, aggressive driving can escalate into road rage where a driver commits a crime through the use of his vehicle or a weapon like a gun.
- Inexperienced drivers. New drivers—most often teenagers—do not have the experience or good judgment to be safe drivers. In addition, they often engage in dangerous practices like texting or talking on a cell phone when driving.
- Weather conditions. When drivers do not slow down for weather conditions, such as rain, snow, ice, and fog, they are much more likely to cause a crash—sometimes resulting in multi-car accidents.
Compensation Our Car Accident Lawyers Could Help Pursue From the Negligent Driver
You could suffer devastating injuries in an auto accident, such as traumatic brain injuries, serious fractures, back, neck, and spinal injuries, internal organ damage, paralysis, amputation, and serious burns, or death. You may be off work for months or longer recovering—if you can return to work at all. Like other accident victims in Virginia, you are entitled to compensation from the negligent driver for your injuries. Compensation our car accident lawyers could help you receive include:
- Medical expenses. The negligent driver could be responsible for your medical bills, physical therapy, vocational training, assistive tools such as a wheelchair or walker, home modifications, transportation costs if you must travel to receive medical care, and much more. You are also entitled to your anticipated future medical expenses.
- Lost wages. Lost wages include much more than the wages you lost while recovering from your injuries. You want to ask for any lost benefits, commissions, bonuses, and other benefits of your employment that you did not receive and your lost earning capacity if you are permanently disabled or unable to return to your former job.
- Pain and suffering. You are entitled to be compensated for the pain and emotional trauma you suffered as a result of your injuries. This can be a substantial portion of your settlement.
- Wrongful death. If a loved one died in an auto accident, your family and you could be entitled to compensation for the loss of the victim’s companionship and financial support from the negligent driver.
Why Contacting an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Should Be One of Your First Steps After a Crash
You should not try to go it alone in negotiating your settlement with the negligent driver’s insurance company. Insurance companies are in the business of making a profit, and the negligent driver’s insurance adjuster will raise every argument he can to deny or reduce your claim—even if the driver’s liability is clear cut. Here is how hiring an experienced car accident attorney can help you obtain the compensation you deserve:
- He can advise you on the steps you need to take to make your case stronger.
- He can help you not make inadvertent mistakes, such as agreeing to give a recorded statement or signing a blanket medical authorization that could weaken your claim.
- He can investigate the cause of your crash to prove the other driver’s negligence.
- He will understand how much your claim is really worth.
- He can negotiate a fair settlement that fully compensates you for your injuries with the insurance company.
- He can file a lawsuit for you if this becomes necessary.
Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers at Our Fairfax Office Today
At Greenspun Shapiro PC, our automobile accident attorneys understand the serious consequences of your injuries on the lives of your family and you. We are dedicated to thoroughly investigating all of our clients’ crashes—no matter how minor or serious they are. We pride ourselves in the reputation we have developed for fighting vigorously to obtain the compensation our clients deserve, even if it means taking their case to trial when the insurance company refuses to be reasonable. Start an online chat or call our Fairfax law office today at 703-352-0100 to schedule your free consultation to learn about your legal rights and how we can help you.