Causes of Car Accidents in Virginia

If you or a loved one is involved in a car accident in Charlottesville, Winchester, Harrisonburg or another area of Virginia, you should consult with an experienced lawyer right away. The sooner you begin working with an attorney, the sooner the investigation can begin into the cause of the crash.

At Kendall Law Firm, we have more than 30 years of experience with helping auto accident victims in Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Winchester, Woodstock, Staunton and surrounding areas. We know what evidence to look for in a crash, and we work with highly skilled accident reconstruction experts.

If our investigation reveals that another party was at fault for your accident, we can help you to hold that party responsible and seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.

We believe that a thoroughly investigated and carefully prepared case is essential when it comes to pursuing a full and fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company or presenting a solid case to a jury in the courtroom.

Driver Error: A Leading Cause of Virginia Car Crashes

As the most recent figures from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles indicate, driver error often is the cause of motor vehicle accidents in our state. Over the course of a single year, there were 221,152 drivers involved in crashes in Virginia.

The actions contributing to those crashes included:

When we investigate your case, Kendall Law Firm can turn to many types of evidence to determine the action (or actions) that directly caused your crash, including:

• Police accident report (which can be used to launch an investigation)
• Photos of the accident scene (including the vehicles, skid marks and debris)
• Eyewitness statements (describing what they saw or heard)
• Surveillance camera footage (possibly available in an intersection crash)
• Black box data (indicating the car’s speed and braking at impact).

If you’ve been injured in an accident, it’s important to follow our ‘Car Accident Glove Box Guide’ for important instructions to follow. Following these steps after an accident in Charlottesville, or another area of Virginia, will help with our case investigation.

We also will investigate the underlying cause of the crash. We often find that negligence – the breach of one’s duty to operate a vehicle in a reasonable, safe manner – frequently serves as this underlying cause.

Examples of negligence that causes car accidents in Virginia are:

• Drunk driving
  Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or above is negligence as a matter of law in Virginia, or negligence per se. However, driving after consuming any amount of alcohol can lead to an accident due to impaired judgment, reaction time and motor control.
• Distracted driving
  Knowing the dangers, no reasonable person would text or talk on a cell phone while driving. Allowing other types of distraction to get in the way of safe driving can be negligent as well, including eating, drinking, playing with the radio or interacting with other passengers.
• Fatigued driving
  Studies show that driving while overly fatigued can be as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. A sleepy driver is prone to mistakes such as tailgating, running through traffic lights or turning or making a lane change without signaling.
• Aggressive driving
  An aggressive driver is one who drives above the posted speed limit or goes too fast for road and weather conditions. An aggressive driver may also make a dangerous pass on a two-lane road or follow too closely.

Causes of Auto Accidents Not Caused by Drivers

Of course, driver error is not the only cause of car accidents. Two other causes that we often encounter when representing crash victims and their families are:

• Faulty automotive parts
  Defective tires, brakes, steering and lights can cause accidents. A vehicle’s design may make it prone to rollover accidents. In some cases, a victim may suffer injuries in a crash due to a flawed seat belt, air bag, roof, child seat or other feature that should protect riders.
• Road defects
  Many accidents are caused by roads which are poorly designed, constructed or maintained by state or federal agencies. Potholes and deteriorating road shoulders are examples of defective road conditions.
• Weather
  Virginia sees it’s fair share of inclement weather during winter months every year. Whether it’s snow, sleet, ice or black ice, all can cause serious accidents even for a careful and experienced driver. It’s important to take precautions to avoid these accidents, but sometimes that is unavoidable. The Virginia Department of Transportation lists safety tips to consider when driving during Winter weather.

Contact Our Charlottesville Car Accident Attorney

Kendall Law Firm has the skill, experience and resources it takes to fully investigate the cause of a car accident that has injured you or your loved one and to pursue just compensation for your losses. Our seasoned car accident lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve.

To learn more, contact us today. We serve accident victims in Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Winchester, Woodstock, Staunton and surrounding areas in the Shenandoah Valley. We will provide a free review of your case.