Virginia Beach Truck Accident Injuries

Trucking is an important part of our national economy, and Virginia is a major corridor for heavy trucks. Although trucking provides many benefits to our community, it also has many drawbacks. Large commercial trucks are the cause of many injuries along Virginia roads like I-264 in Portsmouth, VA, Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk and I-64 in Newport News.  The injuries that result are often more severe than with accidents involving other types of vehicles due to the sheer size and weight of these vehicles.

Our truck accident lawyer in Virginia Beach represents those who have been hurt in trucking accidents. Whether you were a motorist struck by a big rig or box truck, or a truck driver involved in a wreck in an 18-wheeler, we can help protect your rights after a collision.

National Statistics About Truck Accidents Reveal Their Danger

Despite being a relatively small percentage of the number of vehicles on the road, trucks account for a large portion of injuries and fatalities among drivers. For a recent year, highway research showed that:

• 3,757 people, or about 12% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities, involved large trucks
• 23,000 occupants of large trucks were injured in such accidents
• 64,000 occupants of other vehicles were injured in collisions with large trucks

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 3,660 people died in crashes with large trucks in 2014. Of these deaths, just 16 percent were truck occupants, while 68 percent were occupants of passenger vehicles or cars. The remaining 15 percent were motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. The number of people who lost their lives in big rig crashes was 16 percent higher than in 2009.

Common Injuries Suffered From Truck Accidents

While the increased death rate also reflects an upsurge in economic activity, the trucking industry is not getting any safer. Serious injuries caused in trucking wrecks are also on the rise. The large number of injuries is due to the size and severe force of impact from large trucks. A commercial tractor-trailer can weigh more than five tons and requires twice as much room to stop as a regular passenger vehicle. Someone involved in a truck accident may suffer injuries such as:

• Torn shoulder or knee tissue
• Traumatic brain injury
• Extensive rib damage
• Cuts and burns from flying glass or a deployed airbag
• Lacerated organs
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Back or neck injuries and muscle damage
• Broken leg or arm bones

Even simply being rear-ended or sideswiped by a heavy truck can cause serious, long-term medical problems. If you have suffered truck injuries, you may need compensation for past and future medical costs and rehabilitation and for permanent disability. The attorneys at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers have worked on big trucking accident cases across the country as well as in Virginia and North Carolina. We have represented a number of clients who suffered concussions and other brain injuries when their vehicles were hit by trucks.

Commercial Vehicle Damages

Virginia has numerous major highways that serve as important routes along the east coast. The I-95 corridor is among the most heavily traveled highways in the nation, and I-64 and I-81 also receive heavy tractor-trailer volume. On the Eastern Shore of Virginia, US 13 carries a large volume of truck traffic and is the scene of frequent serious wrecks. The large ports along the Virginia coast like Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News ensure a steady stream of commercial trucks that pose a threat to drivers not only along the seaboard but well into western Virginia, in and around Roanoke and Winchester.

Research tallied more than 1,000 fatal accidents in one recent year involving a disproportionate number of large trucks. If you have been involved in an accident along Virginia’s highways, you need an experienced personal injury attorney who can get you full monetary compensation for your injuries.

Getting Compensation For Your Injuries

The law firm of Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers represents motorists and truck drivers who have been injured in Virginia, North Carolina, and national interstate highways and local roads. If you are suffering from an injury after a truck accident, speak for free with one of our attorneys about your options for reimbursement for economic losses and all harms caused by the at-fault driver or trucking company. Many trucking companies have experts working for them who will seek to negate compensation for your injuries. It’s important to have an experienced team of trucking wreck lawyers on your side.