Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyer
- Last Updated: 19 Mar, 2026
Accidents involving large commercial trucks or tractor-trailers can have serious consequences. Because trucks are so much bigger and heavier than the average car, passenger vehicles and their occupants often take the brunt of the force, causing severe injuries that can affect victims for the rest of their lives.
If you or a loved one were injured in a truck crash in Norfolk, you don’t have to face the aftermath of the accident alone. Our trusted Norfolk truck accident lawyers can be with you every step of the way as we fight for the compensation you need and deserve. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with our team.
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On This Page
- Why Choose Our Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyers After a Wreck
- What Damages Can I Recover After a Truck Accident in Norfolk?
- Who’s Liable for My Truck Accident Injuries?
- How Could Virginia’s Contributory Fault Rule Affect My Truck Accident Case?
- What’s the Statute of Limitations for Virginia Truck Accident Cases?
- What Trucking Laws Could Affect My Truck Accident Case?
- What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Norfolk, VA?
- We Handle All Types of Truck Accident Cases in Norfolk
- Set Up a Free Consultation With Our Seasoned Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyers
Why Choose Our Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyers After a Wreck
How Our Team Will Help
Truck accident claims in Virginia are often complex, involving multiple parties and pushy insurance companies that try to shift the blame to the victims. At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, our award-winning legal team has the resources and experience needed to take on large insurance companies and secure meaningful results for our clients.
With over 120 years of combined experience in personal injury law, we have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. Our legal professionals have handled cases that involve catastrophic injuries, helping deserving families pursue financial support for current and future losses and suffering.
We offer free, no-obligation case reviews to discuss the details of your case, explain your rights, and provide guidance on how you can move forward with a legal claim. If you decide to work with our attorneys, you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Our catastrophic injury lawyers have vast experience handling truck accident claims, and are all members of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA). We’re ready to hear your story and help ease your burden after your wreck.
While you concentrate on your physical and emotional well-being, our top-rated Virginia litigators in Norfolk provide comprehensive representation, including:
- Guiding you through every step of the claims process
- Conducting an independent investigation of the truck crash to determine fault
- Collecting evidence, including 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
- Building your case and identifying the best course of action for defending against allegations of shared fault
- Negotiating a fair settlement that accurately reflects your damages
- If necessary, taking your case to trial and representing you in court
What Damages Can I Recover After a Truck Accident in Norfolk?
Large trucks can do considerable damage in an accident, and the resulting injuries go beyond physical effects. Victims often deal with physical, financial, and emotional struggles after a truck crash that can have long-term effects on their lives. If someone else’s negligence caused your accident, you may be entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the expenses and financial losses caused by the truck accident, such as:
- Medical bills
- Cost of future medical care
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Property damage
- Other out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are the intangible losses you experience after a truck crash, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
We’ll fight to get you and your family the best possible recovery by highlighting all the ways you have been impacted by this tragic collision.
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 accident happened, potentially liable parties in a truck wreck might include a:
- Truck driver
- Driver of a passenger vehicle
- 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.
ASK THE CAR CRASH EXPERTS - WHO'S LIABLE IN A COMMERCIAL TRUCK ACCIDENT?
Bailey Gifford, Personal Injury Lawyer
“If you’re hit by a commercial vehicle, it’s not just the driver who’s liable for any injuries they may have caused. The company that employs the driver at the time of the accident is also responsible for any injuries resulting from their employee’s actions.”
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.
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.
There may be certain limited circumstances where there is a statute of limitations as soon as 6 months. 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.
What 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 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) or Virginia state law, can increase the likelihood of accidents.
Federal Trucking Laws
Federal trucking laws aim to prevent driver fatigue by regulating how long truck drivers are allowed to work. They also establish driver qualifications and licensing requirements, vehicle safety and maintenance standards, and cargo loading compliance rules. Key federal trucking laws include:
- Hours of Service (HOS): To combat driver exhaustion, the FMCSA enforces strict time limits. Truck drivers generally can drive a maximum of 11 hours and must take a 30-minute break every 8 hours of cumulative driving. Most modern trucks must track these hours using electronic logging devices (ELDs).
- Licensing and health: Operating a semi-truck or big rig requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Drivers must also maintain a valid medical examiner’s certificate and participate in mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
- Vehicle safety: Trucking companies are legally required to perform annual inspections and ensure drivers conduct daily “walk-around” checks. Also, on federal interstates, the gross vehicle weight is typically capped at 80,000 pounds.
Virginia State Trucking Laws
Virginia also has state trucking laws designed to improve safety and protect road users from potential risks. Important state trucking laws in Virginia include:
- Road and lane usage: Tractor-trailers are often capped at 45 miles per hour (mph) on highways. Trucks are prohibited from using the far-left lane on highways with more than two lanes and must stay in the right lane when traveling 15 mph below the speed limit. Additionally, commercial vehicles are prohibited from using I-81 in Northern Virginia.
- Truck weight and dimensions: The standard weight limit is 80,000 pounds, with a maximum height of 13 feet, 6 inches, and a width of 8 feet, 6 inches.
- CDL age requirements: Under Virginia law, CDL drivers can be 18 years old to drive a commercial vehicle within the state. However, truck drivers must be 21 for interstate driving or to transport hazardous materials.
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. 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 driver’s control can cause or contribute to a truck wreck. These might include vehicle defects, faulty truck equipment, hazardous weather conditions, road defects, and the recklessness of other motorists on the road.
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Interstate Accidents in Virginia
Truck accidents on major interstates in Hampton Roads are often linked to heavy industrial and commuter traffic in those areas. Other common reasons include construction zones, driver fatigue, and cargo issues. In Norfolk, specifically, many crashes occur near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) on I-64 and at the downtown Norfolk exits.
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.
Set Up a Free Consultation With Our Seasoned Norfolk Truck Accident Lawyers
If a truck accident has affected you or your family, our team of skilled Norfolk truck accident attorneys is ready to help. We’ll handle every step of your case, including the investigation and communication with the trucking company and insurers, so you can focus on what matters most—your health.
Your injury, our fight. Call (757) 333-3333 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with The Car Crash Experts. We can meet at our Norfolk client meeting location or come to you at your home or in the hospital.
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