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Why Do You Need a Virginia Car Accident Lawyer?


Dealing with the aftermath of an accident can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve suffered serious injuries like head, brain, neck, or spine trauma. Insurance companies often prioritize their bottom line over your well-being. That’s where a car accident lawyer comes in.

Car accidents can be devastating, both physically and emotionally. A car accident lawyer can be your advocate, ensuring that your rights are protected and that you receive the compensation you deserve. 

At the Smith Law Center, our Virginia car accident lawyers are able to investigate your accident, calculate the compensation you deserve, and represent you in negotiations or in court. Additionally, our founding attorney Stephen M. Smith has a background in neurological science, which informs our advocacy for cases involving traumatic brain injury (TBI), one of the leading injuries associated with car accidents.

We can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf, sparing you the stress and burden of such meetings. We represent you in court when necessary if the other side refuses to offer a fair settlement. Contact us at (757) 244-7000 for a free, no-obligation consultation. Read on to learn how a proven Virginia car accident lawyer can help you navigate the legal aftermath of a car accident.

What Kind of Settlement Can a Virginia Car Accident Attorney Help You Secure?

Your Virginia car accident attorney may help you secure compensation for the following:

 

  • Medical expenses: This includes the cost of hospitalization, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and any other medical expenses related to your injuries.
  • Lost wages: If your injuries prevent you from working, you may be entitled to compensation for the income you lost during your recovery period.
  • Pain and suffering: This includes the physical and emotional pain you’ve experienced as a result of the accident.
  • Property damage: This includes the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle, as well as any other property that was damaged in the accident.
  • Punitive damages: In some cases, a court may award punitive damages if the at-fault driver’s behavior was particularly egregious, like in DUI car accident cases.

The amount of the settlement will depend on various factors, including the severity of your injuries, the extent of the property damage, and the insurance policy limits of the at-fault driver. Your car accident attorney will work to negotiate a settlement that covers all of your damages and losses.

If you’ve lost a loved one due to a car accident in Virginia, you may also qualify to pursue wrongful death damages. These can cover both economic concerns like loss of income or funeral expenses, as well as the profound emotional losses of a person’s unique companionship. See our wrongful death FAQs for more information, and reach out to the Smith Law Center directly at (757) 244-7000 to discuss your family’s needs.

What Types of Injuries Does a Virginia Auto Accident Attorney Handle?

Here are the most common types of injuries that our Virginia auto accident attorneys regularly handle:

  • Traumatic brain injuries: These injuries can range from mild concussions to severe brain damage. They can occur when the head is struck or jolted during a car accident.
  • Spinal cord injuries: These injuries can be catastrophic and may result in partial or complete paralysis. They can occur when the spinal cord is damaged in a car accident.
  • Whiplash: This is a soft tissue injury that occurs when the head is jerked forward and then backward suddenly. It is a common injury in rear-end collisions.
  • Broken bones: Broken bones can occur in any type of car accident, especially in high-speed collisions or rollover accidents.
  • Internal injuries: These injuries may not be immediately apparent after a car accident, but they can be life-threatening. They include internal bleeding, organ damage, and other injuries that occur inside the body.

An auto accident attorney can handle a wide range of injuries that result from car accidents, including bicycle collision accidents, and psychological injuries that can cause PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Our attorneys will work with medical experts to evaluate the extent of your injuries and determine the long-term impact they may have on your life. This helps ensure that you receive the funds necessary for appropriate medical care going forward.

What Does a Virginia Auto Accident Lawyer Do for Your Case?

An auto accident lawyer can provide a range of services to help you with your case, including working to:

  • Investigate the accident: Our Virginia auto accident lawyers can investigate the accident to determine who was at fault. We can gather and preserve evidence such as police reports, witness statements, and photographs to support your claim.
  • Calculate and negotiate: Your attorney can help determine the full extent of your damages. This includes medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other expenses related to the accident. While insurance companies may try to minimize the amount of compensation they pay out for a claim, your lawyer can negotiate on your behalf to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation you deserve.
  • File and litigate a lawsuit: If negotiations with insurance companies fail, an auto accident lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf. Our team at the Smith Law Center can represent you in court and fight for your rights in front of a judge or jury.

One of the most valuable aspects of hiring an attorney is that we communicate with the other party so that you don’t have to. This can help reduce stress and anxiety for you, and ensure that your rights and privacy are protected throughout the process. Every task we complete for your case is one less chore you have to deal with as you heal and return to enjoying your life.

Contact Experienced Virginia Car Accident Lawyers

A car accident can have serious consequences, and navigating the aftermath can be overwhelming. However, with a Virginia car accident lawyer from the Smith Law Center on your side, you can empower us to pursue the compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages. This means less work for you, and a far better chance of securing a maximized settlement.

Our case results at the Smith Law Center show a proven history of success on behalf of our clients, including a record-setting $7.5 million jury award to a woman who suffered from a brain injury during a car accident.

If you have been injured in a car accident, don’t wait to seek legal help. Contact the experienced Virginia car accident lawyers at the Smith Law Center online or by calling (757) 244-7000 to discuss your case and learn about your best path toward a better future.

 

Virginia Car Accident Lawsuit FAQs

What should I do first after a car accident?

Your first step after any car accident should be to seek medical care. A healthcare professional can treat emergency injuries, and diagnose hidden or slow-onset symptom injuries like brain trauma. This not only helps prevent worsening harm, your medical records are often essential pieces of evidence later when pursuing fair compensation.

Do I need to hire a lawyer for a car accident lawsuit in Virginia?

While you can technically represent yourself in a car accident lawsuit, it is highly recommended that you seek legal advice from an experienced auto accident lawyer. Attorney-represented cases have a 91% likelihood of success, compared to 51% when self-represented. The award amounts are also an average of 300% higher when an experienced lawyer handles the negotiations.

Will I have to go to court for a car accident lawsuit?

Not necessarily — it depends on the specifics of your case. Over 95% of personal injury car accident cases are settled out of court through negotiations with insurance companies. This usually means you received the funds you need in a timely manner. However, if a settlement cannot be reached, a lawsuit may be necessary and could potentially go to trial.

How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Virginia?

In Virginia, you generally have 2 years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit based on the statute of limitations. After that, the timeline for a car accident lawsuit varies — some cases may settle quickly, while others may need to go to trial. While this may take longer, the award amounts available during trial are often far higher than negotiated settlements.

Your lawyer will work with you to achieve the best case resolution possible. Contact the Smith Law Center at (757) 244-7000 before time runs out to explore your legal options.

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IF WE DON’T WIN, YOU DON’T PAY

There are absolutely no out-of-pocket fees for filing a claim.

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.

Unfortunately, a 2020 audit by the DoD Office of Inspector General found many issues, including the need for mold remediation, still persist.

Monetary Awards in Military Housing Toxic Mold Cases

If the property owner lets toxic mold run wild and continue to cause you harm, talk with our toxic mold attorneys about filing a lawsuit.

You may receive financial compensation for:

Service members and their families do not receive different types of damages than civilians. These are civil lawsuits in traditional courts of law.

Military Housing Mold Toxicity Symptoms

The Institute of Medicine discovered there was evidence connecting exposure to indoor mold with:

  • Upper respiratory tract symptoms;
  • Coughing;
  • Wheezing;
  • Asthma symptoms in individuals with asthma; and
  • 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.

Poor Water Quality: Dozens of military sites have water with detectable levels of harmful chemicals.

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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DELIVERING RESULTS SINCE 1949

We are one of Virginia’s largest and most successful law firms.

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU


Use the simple form below to send a message directly to our lawyers. We will respond within 1 hour or less during business hours.

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