Norfolk, VA Truck Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been involved in a car accident involving a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or another large commercial vehicle in Norfolk, Virginia, call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers. You could be entitled to a substantial financial award to offset the costs of your medical bills, disability, and distress. Our experienced Norfolk truck accident lawyers can help you fight to get every dollar you deserve.
Benefit from a team of Norfolk truck accident lawyers with 120+ years of combined experience handling complex cases like yours. We’ve won millions on behalf of our clients, and our team is ready to help you stand up to powerful trucking companies and maximize your financial award.
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers is the first law firm in Virginia with access to video footage from 978 traffic cameras throughout the state. If there is footage of your accident, Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers’ Crash Cam may have the critical evidence needed to win your case.
On This Page
- How Our Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Truck Accident
- What Virginia state or federal trucking laws could affect my truck accident case?
- What causes most truck accidents in Norfolk, VA?
- Who’s liable for my truck accident injuries?
- How could Virginia’s contributory fault rule affect my truck accident case?
- Common Truck Accident Injuries
- What damages can I recover after a truck accident in Norfolk?
- We Handle All Types of Truck Accident Cases in Norfolk
- What’s the statute of limitations for Virginia truck accident cases?
- Set Up a Free Consultation With Our Seasoned Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyers
Since 2011, truck accident victims have turned to our award-winning Virginia trial attorneys for help. We provide compassionate, effective legal representation that yields top results for our clients. Since our founding, we’ve won tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts, including some of the top awards in the state of Virginia.
Don’t give the trucking company or their insurance carrier the advantage. Put yourself in the best position to win by calling our truck accident attorneys in Norfolk, VA, for help. Your first consultation is free, so reach out today to get started.
How Our Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Truck Accident
Truck accident claims can be anything but straightforward. What exactly caused the big rig accident? Is the truck driver at fault? Could someone else share responsibility for the wreck? What can you do if the trucking company tries to blame you for the collision? How can you use Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Virginia state trucking laws to your advantage?
Now is the time to rest and recover, not worry about the ins and outs of a complex legal claim. That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to hire our Norfolk personal injury lawyers to represent you.
We’ll handle every aspect of your truck accident case, putting 120+ years of combined experience into your fight for compensation.
While you concentrate on your physical and emotional well-being, our top-rated Virginia litigators will:
- Be available to answer your questions concerning your truck accident case
- Launch an independent investigation into the truck accident
- Analyze the results of investigations performed by local, state, or federal government agencies
- Gather evidence, including truck black box data, toxicology reports, police reports, photographs, dash cam footage, medical records, driver communication logs, vehicle inspection and maintenance logs, and physical evidence from the scene
- Interview witnesses and parties with relevant knowledge and information
- Identify the best course of action for defending against allegations of shared fault
- Utilize tried-and-true negotiation tactics to secure the best possible settlement offer for you
- Be ready to reject unreasonable offers and litigate your truck accident lawsuit at trial, if necessary
We’re ready to hear your story and help ease your burden after your devastating wreck. Contact our Norfolk meeting location to schedule a free initial case assessment to get started.
What Virginia state or federal trucking laws could affect my truck accident case?
Trucks are considerably larger and heavier than most other vehicles on the road. They’re also difficult to navigate, especially along some of Virginia’s roadways. Drivers and trucking companies must adhere to state and federal trucking regulations to ensure that trucks are operated as safely as possible.
Violating trucking regulations, whether those established by the FMCSA or Virginia state law, can increase the likelihood of accidents.
Notable trucking regulations include:
- Hour-of-service regulations: Federal law limits how long truck drivers can spend behind the wheel during a 24-hour period and over the course of a week. Generally, drivers are limited to driving for 11 hours. However, they cannot go more than eight hours without taking a break or going off duty. A driver’s workday cannot exceed 14 hours.
- Electronic logging devices. Most large trucks must install an electronic logging device (ELD) on the vehicle to ensure that the driver is sticking to hour-of-service requirements.
- Liability insurance: Large trucks are required to meet federally-mandated insurance requirements before hauling goods. Typically, liability insurance ranges between $750,000 and $5 million, depending on what type of cargo is on board.
- Hauling permits: Virginia requires some truck companies to obtain special permits to haul certain types of goods or cargo across the state.
- Restricted roads: Some roads, bridges, and tunnels in Virginia aren’t suitable for trucks, so the state limits where big rigs can be operated depending on their size and what they’re carrying.
- Driver qualification: Truck drivers must obtain commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) to operate a tractor-trailer in Virginia. Drivers must also submit to random drug testing and undergo regular health evaluations to ensure their fitness to haul cargo in the state.
- Pre- and post-trip inspections: Trucks have to be inspected regularly. In fact, drivers are required to do inspections before and after every trip in addition to completing other regular checks and mandatory inspections.
The FMCSA is also moving forward with speed regulations, which would restrict how fast certain large trucks can be driven.
What causes most truck accidents in Norfolk, VA?
Despite all of these rules and regulations, truck accidents are still incredibly common across the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to the FMCSA, 4,272 truck accidents were reported statewide in 2021.
That’s approximately 11 large truck accidents every day.
Most of these accidents happen when truckers and trucking companies are negligent and ignore safety rules.
Some of the most common contributing factors to Norfolk truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Drugs and alcohol
- Speeding
- Illegal passing
- Unsafe turns
- Sharp turns
- Merging errors
- Braking errors
- Driver inexperience or unfamiliarity with local roads
- Tailgating
- Improper cargo loads
- Negligent vehicle maintenance
Sometimes factors outside of a truck driver’s control can cause or contribute to a wreck. These might include vehicle defects, faulty truck equipment, hazardous weather conditions, road defects, and the recklessness of other motorists on the road.
Who’s liable for my truck accident injuries?
In Virginia, anyone who is directly or indirectly responsible for a large truck crash can be held legally responsible for resulting damages.
Depending on how and why your Norfolk truck accident happened, potentially liable parties might include a:
- Truck driver
- Driver of a passenger vehicle
- Motorcyclist
- Pedestrian
- Bicyclist
- Bus driver
- Transportation company
- Trucking company
- Freight broker
- Cargo loader
- Truck mechanic
- Truck manufacturer
- Government agency
- Employer of a responsible party
Our truck and car accident attorneys in Norfolk will thoroughly assess your crash and work to uncover anyone who might have played a role. Then we can aggressively seek compensation from them on your behalf.
How could Virginia’s contributory fault rule affect my truck accident case?
In Virginia, sharing responsibility for a truck accident can prevent you from recovering compensation for your injuries.
The trucking company and its insurer will probably try to take advantage of the state’s pure contributory negligence rule to sidestep responsibility for your damages. This means that if you are considered even partially at fault for the accident, then you are not eligible for recovery.
Many times, allegations of fault will be made without supporting evidence or facts. Our Norfolk truck accident attorneys will work hard to disprove these claims and protect your ability to recover compensation from the negligent trucker and trucking company.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accidents can leave victims struggling with severe, debilitating injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Amputation
- Burns
- Soft tissue damage
- Nerve damage
- Broken bones
- Chest injury
- Back injury
- Neck injury
- Internal organ damage
- Catastrophic injury
Our wrongful death attorneys in Norfolk can also step in and help your family after a fatal truck accident takes the life of someone you love.
What damages can I recover after a truck accident in Norfolk?
Large trucks can do considerable damage when they collide with a car. As an occupant of a smaller vehicle, you’re susceptible to severe and catastrophic injuries. The consequences of your truck accident can affect every aspect of your life, from your ability to work to being able to spend time doing the things you once loved.
Fortunately, Virginia law allows truck accident victims to seek compensation from responsible parties.
Compensation typically falls into two categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are paid to put you back in the financial situation you were in before the truck accident and can cover costs related to:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Disability
- Property damage
- Nursing care
- Funeral expenses if a Norfolk truck accident results in the wrongful death of a family member
Non-economic damages are awarded to compensate for difficult-to-value trauma that you experience because of the truck accident, like:
- Emotional distress
- PTSD
- Chronic physical pain
- Disfigurement
- Inconvenience
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, we’ll fight to get you the best possible recovery by highlighting all you have suffered from this tragic collision. Our attorneys will work closely with truck accident experts so that we can fully appreciate why your accident happened, who’s at fault, and how it’s affected (and will continue to affect) your life.
We Handle All Types of Truck Accident Cases in Norfolk
No two truck accidents are the same, so working with a personal injury lawyer in Norfolk with extensive experience handling different types of truck accident cases is important.
At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, we have decades of experience representing clients in a wide range of truck accident cases, including:
- Jackknife truck accidents
- Overload truck accidents
- Blind spot truck accidents
- Driver intoxication truck accidents
- Lost load truck accidents
- Underride truck accidents
- Override truck accidents
- Rollover truck accidents
- Side impact truck accidents
- Bad weather truck accidents
- Fatal truck accidents
We understand how each of these types of truck accidents is different and which strategies will be most beneficial in a fight for compensation. Contact our truck accident attorneys in Norfolk, VA, to use our experience navigating the complexities of different types of truck accidents to your advantage.
What’s the statute of limitations for Virginia truck accident cases?
After a truck accident in Norfolk, Virginia, you’ll generally have two years to pursue compensation.
The statute of limitations can vary, but exceptions are rare. It’s important to file your personal injury or wrongful death claim before time runs out. Once the deadline expires, you will no longer have the opportunity to assert your legal rights.
You can set yourself up for a successful outcome by contacting our Virginia truck accident lawyers for help right away.
Set Up a Free Consultation With Our Seasoned Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyers
Have you recently sustained injuries or lost a close family member in a truck accident in Norfolk, Virginia? You should not have to suffer the consequences alone, especially when the accident was someone else’s fault.
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers can help you stand up to powerful trucking companies and insurers and fight for proper compensation for your injuries and suffering. Our Norfolk truck accident lawyers have a reputation for achieving top results for crash victims across the state.
Call our law office serving Norfolk and surrounding towns in southeastern Virginia to schedule a free consultation. We’ll represent you on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your truck accident case.
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