Excess speed is causing more crashes in Virginia, according to the latest update on wrecks in the state. A new report links drivers traveling too fast to 41 percent of all road deaths in the Commonwealth last year.
A recently-released report by Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles revealed police attended 25,892 speed-related crashes in 2018, an 8.1 percent increase on the 2017 figure.
The Virginia Traffic Crash Facts report for 2018, revealed the number of deaths on the state’s highways fell slightly last year. However, more people were injured than in 2017. The report found 819 people lost their lives in Virginia in 2018. An additional 66,523 people sustained injuries in wrecks.
The deaths figure represents a 2.9 percent fall compared to 2017. However, the overall number of injuries rose by 1.9 percent. A crash occurs every four minutes in Virginia and an average of two people lose their lives every day. The stats found 182 people are hurt in car, truck, and motorcycle wrecks every day in the Commonwealth.
Excess speed was directly linked to 4,900 crashes, or 2 percent of all wrecks last year. However, 13,346 people were injured as a result of speeding, a 3.2 percent rise on 2017.
Accidents at high speed are more likely to be deadly, as the figures demonstrate. The report found 339 deaths were caused by speeding drivers in 2018, a 6.6 percent rise over 2017. Speed was the biggest cause of road deaths in 2018. The report linked 278 deaths to alcohol, a 12.1 percent increase over 2017.
The report was better news for motorcyclists. Fewer riders died in 2018 after a spike in 2017. Fewer teen drivers lost their lives.
The big rise in speed-related crashes was seen in urban areas as opposed to the countryside. The 147 speed-related deaths in cities like Newport News, Hampton, and Norfolk represented a 36 percent increase on the previous year. Speed-related deaths in rural areas fell year-on-year.
More than 331,000 Virginia motorists received convictions for excess speed, a 5 percent rise on 2017. About two-thirds of those arrested for speeding were male and a third were female.
Crashes in which drivers were traveling too fast led to the deaths of 251 drivers, 63 passengers, and 25 pedestrians. More than half of the deadly wrecks were single vehicle accidents. The age group most likely to be involved in speed-related crashes is 21 to 25-year-olds.
The figures reveal one of the most deadly habits of drivers is following too closely at a high speed. This gives drivers little opportunity to take evasive action if the vehicle in front suddenly slows down.
Why Speed-Related Crashed in Virginia Are So Deadly
The proportion of deadly wrecks caused by speeding in Virginia was higher than the national average in 2018.
It’s not just about going to fast. Speeding causes drivers to lose control of their vehicles, particularly on curves. It reduces the effectiveness of protective equipment in cars and it exacerbates the force of an impact during an accident, making injuries worse. NHTSA points out speeding is aggressive driving.
As roads become increasingly congested, drivers face greater delays and more pressure to get where they are going on time. They often rush and put their foot on the gas. No appointment is worth the life of a driver, a passenger, another motorist, or a pedestrian.
If you or a family member has been hit and hurt by a speeding driver, please call the Smith Law Center today at (757) 244-7000. We have won billions of dollars for our injured clients.
Our lawyers are more than lawyers. They are people who understand your injuries and the law that surrounds your options when it comes to holding others accountable.
Our lawyers are more than lawyers. They are people who understand your injuries and the law that surrounds your options when it comes to holding others accountable.
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If you or a relative had a severe reaction to military housing mold, it might be time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Mold is everywhere, and can be dangerous. Researchers have linked mold to serious respiratory illnesses in some individuals.
Smith Law Center may be able to help if a property owner failed to keep you safe from mold in your military housing. We are one of Virginia’s oldest and most successful firms. We know how to hold negligent property owners responsible, especially when the military is involved.
Call us at (757) 244-700 or contact us online to set up a free consultation. There’s no fee for learning more about Virginia mold laws, your rights, and your legal options.
Mold in Military Housing
Black mold in military housing became widely known when Reuters published an investigation in 2018. Since then, the Department of Defense and the housing providers were supposed to take steps to improve the situation.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals with weak immune systems.
There is also limited evidence that mold causes respiratory illnesses in healthy children or causes people to develop asthma.
Understanding Exposure to Toxic Mold in Military Housing
The topic of toxic mold is complicated. This Is in part because the term “toxic mold” isn’t accurate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains mold isn’t toxic or poisonous. However, some molds are toxigenic, which means they produce toxins called mycotoxins.
Mold is common in military housing because it’ll grow anywhere there’s moisture. That includes on and inside walls, carpet, upholstery, wallpaper, and heating and air conditioning systems. This is especially pronounced in humid conditions such as those present in Virginia.
Some people have no difficulties around mold, even large infestations in their homes. Other individuals are sensitive to molds, including those that produce mycotoxins. Someone can have a severe reaction when exposed to a large amount of mold indoors.
People may be more likely to experience mold toxicity symptoms if they have:
Allergies,
An underlying lung disease,
Immune suppression,
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,
Asthma, or
Another chronic respiratory disease.
Common Types of Military Housing Mold
When you’re trying to learn more from the CDC and other resources, you’ll see the word “fungus” a lot. Mold is a type of fungus, which is something that exists all around us. Fungi are living organisms different from animals, plants, and bacteria. There are over 200,000 types of fungi and over 100,000 types of molds.
If you discovered mold in your military housing, it could be Cladosporium, Penicillium, Stachybotrys chartarum, Aspergillus, or many other types. Stachybotrys is what everyone knows as black mold. Aspergillus is a common indoor fungus, which releases mycotoxins and can cause illness. Your symptoms may resemble common allergy or asthma symptoms.
Who is Liable for Military Housing Mold?
Since 1996, most military housing has come under the management of private companies:
Belfour Beatty Communities: Fort Eustis and Fort Story/li>
Lincoln Military Housing: Dahlgren, Little Creek, Naval Station Norfolk, Northwest Annex, Oceana, Portsmouth, Quantico, and Yorktown/li>
Hunt Military Communities: Fort Lee and Langley AFB
Outside of Virginia, Lendlease and Corvias Military Living are two more housing providers. Together, these five companies formed the Military Housing Association.
Military families living in on-base housing must take their complaints to their private management company — not the military. The company is responsible for providing habitable conditions and making repairs, including mold remediation.
If you’re unsure about your rights, review your state law and local ordinances about mold. In general, it’s the landlord’s responsibility to provide a habitable unit, which means it has to be safe to live in. A unit isn’t safe if it’s causing a tenant health issues due to mold.
The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires landlords to disclose if there’s mold in the written report of the move-in inspection. If a tenant discovers visible mold in the unit, then the Act requires the landlord to remove the mold and relocate the tenant until it’s gone at no additional cost to the tenant.
Unfortunately, many families find their housing providers aren’t receptive to complaints. Attorney Stephen M. Smith has handled many mold lawsuits against military housing providers who fail to abide by their lease terms and the law when it comes to mold remediation and other hazards.
Other Hazards in Military Housing
Many service members and their families deal with uncomfortable, if not hazardous, conditions in privatized military housing, including:
Lead Paint: Lead-based paint can cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures, organ damage, and in extreme cases, death.
Asbestos: Exposure to asbestos harms a person’s lungs, and can lead to lung fibrosis (scarring), lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Radon: Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It naturally forms underground, however cracks and gaps in buildings lead to over-exposure indoors.
Other issues involve rodent or insect infestations, pesticides, and faulty electrical wiring.
What Happens When a Lot of People Get Sick?
Sometimes mold exposure impacts a single individual or family. However, when the mold spreads throughout military housing, it can impact hundreds or thousands of people.
Occasionally, a large enough group of people are injured to allow for a class action or mass tort lawsuit. A class action lawsuit is one where a class representative acts as the plaintiff on behalf of the group of hurt individuals. Not every victim participates in the lawsuit. There are rules about when a group is big and similar enough to create a class action.
Mass tort lawsuits are different. When there are fewer plaintiffs who have their own set of circumstances, each person files a lawsuit. For efficiency’s sake, one or a couple of law firms may represent most plaintiffs, and the lawsuits are consolidated in a federal court.
Call the Military Housing Mold Lawyers at Smith Law Center for Help Right Away
Mold cases come about in a few ways. You or a loved one may start getting sick, and after weeks or months of struggling to find answers, you finally realize your military housing has a mold infestation. In other cases, you struggle with visible mold and then become ill.
Once you connect the illness with the mold, it’s time to talk with a toxic mold lawyer. Reaching out to an attorney early helps you build a strong compensation claim. We know how to collect evidence, identify who is liable, and craft a successful argument for a settlement or court award.
Attorney Stephen M. Smith has decades of experience handling injury claims and has been internationally recognized for his work. He has litigated cases involving catastrophic injuries and complex legal and scientific issues. In 2019, he was inducted into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame.
You’re in good hands when you come to Smith Law Center for help. Reach out online or call (757) 244-7000 to schedule your 100% free consultation.
Military Housing Mold Lawsuits: FAQs
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