Virginia State Police Ticket Over 1,000 Drivers In One Day. The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that the Virginia State Police hit drivers on Virginia interstates with over 1,000 tickets this past Saturday. Enforcement efforts focused on I-81, I-64, and I-95. There have been many car accidents involving both trucks and cars on Virginia interstate highways in recent months. Virginia personal injury lawyers and attorneys have been kept busy as accident injuries and fatalities have mounted. A recent accident on I-81 involved over 40 cars and trucks with many injuries. In the recent crackdown on drivers, there were over 1,00 speeding tickets, 255 reckless driving citations and numerous drunk driving charges. The funding for the traffic enforcement operation came from federal highway safety funds. The ticket proceeds will benefit Virgina's Literary Fund. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, , Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro

Louisa County Car Accident Causes Two Fatalities. Virginia State police report a single car accident killed the driver and passenger in Louisa County, Virginia. Speed was reported to be a factor as the car rolled over several times. This brief description of the car crash does not convey much information about this tragic car accident, nor does a picture emerge. We know that both the driver and passenger were wearing seat belts. We know that the driver was only 21 years old. Apparently, he lost control of the car and ran off the road at 9:15 p.m. on a Sunday evening. We also know that he passenger was 41 years old. Beyond these facts, our imaginations must fill in the blanks. A photograph would help. As a personal injury lawyer with decades of experience, one of the first resources that I always use is the police file. When there is a fatality involved, I usually find a detailed file that is full of photos, measurements and witness statements. Under new procedures, it is now much more difficult to access state police files. The accident report from a state trooper must be obtained through the Division of Motor Vehicles. Virginia personal injury lawyers are working to change this new procedure as it imposes a real burden on car and truck accident victims. As an experienced personal injury attorney, I appreciate the effort to streamline the procedure for obtaining car and truck accident reports, but those reports need to be readily available so that a prompt and thorough investigation of the accident facts can be undertaken. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro

Madison, Va. Personal injury Lawyer Reports. Sometimes you can choose which county or city court will be the place for your client's lawsuit. More frequently, a Virginia personal injury lawyer and attorney is limited to the county or city where the car or truck accident happened because that is where the accident happened and the car or truck driver who caused the accident also happens to live in the same city or county. If by chance, the driver who caused the car or truck accident lives in a different city or county, the Virginia personal injury attorney and lawyer can consider filing the lawsuit in the driver's place of residence. These choices, also known as venue selections, can be very important to the outcome of a personal injury case. Some jurisdictions have reputations as being favorable for plaintiffs and others are known to be favored by defendants. Sometimes it is the reputation of the judge in a particular county or city that can influence the venue choice for a personal injury lawsuit. But for a Virginia personal injury lawyer to have a choice in the selection of the place of the lawsuit, there must be some fact that provides that choice, such as a defendant who lives out of state, or even in a city that has plaintiff friendly reputation. For instance, if you are driving on I-64 in the Charlottesville area and a truck driver from Madison, Va. causes an accident, the Virginia personal injury attorney can choose between the court in the city of Charlottesville and the court in Madison County. These choices are set out in the Virginia code provisions governing venue in civil actions or lawsuits. There are many factors that go into a venue choice. It could even be determined by the personal injury attorney's knowledge concerning which court will provide a speedier trial date. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro

Albemarle Motorcycle Accident Results in Crash Fatality. The Virginia state police accident reconstruction team is investigating a motorcycle crash in Albemarle County that left the 18 year old motorcycle operator dead. Preliminary reports indicate that the motorcycle rider was speeding when a GMC Yukon SUV turned into his path of travel. The SUV occupants were not injured, which is not surprising because they were in a vehicle that weighs over 6,000 pounds. Motorcycles do not win battles with trucks or SUVs. In our personal injury practice, we have worked with traffic experts who formerly were with the Virginia state police accident reconstruction team. It can be important to show how an accident happened, or how it could have been prevented, and such an expert can assist in court. The estate of the motorcycle rider likely has the fact that the motorcycle rider may have been speeding is probably one of the causes of the accident. The bar of contributory negligence applies whenever it is established that the claimant contributed to the accident, even if that contribution was not a major cause of the car crash. The doctrine is harsh and it may be that juries do not apply it when the contributory negligence is not a significant cause of the car or truck accident. Most states have adopted comparative negligence where the court or jury compares the respective fault of the parties involved in the accident. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro

Personal Injury Lawyer Attorney in Louisa, Va., Comments On Recent Crash And Accident The recent report of a crash causing injury to 8 people in Louisa, Va. caught my attention because the accident involved a golf cart. The eight people who were injured were all on the same golf cart when it was involved in an accident. I have never seen eight people on a golf cart. Most carts seat two people and some have a back seat that will accommodate two or three people. I suppose you could squeeze four people into each seating area, but it seems that such a crowd would make the golf cart difficult to handle. As a personal injury lawyer, one issue that comes to mind for the injured is whether there is insurance coverage for their injuries. Since the golf cart was being operated on a public road, I think everyone's automobile insurance comes into play. But, if the cart had been on a golf course, I do not think auto insurance policies would have covered the injured. Homeowner's insurance policies could also provide some coverage, but the language of each policy would have to be examined to see if there is coverage. Some golf cart owners have golf cart insurance. It is readily available and provides coverage just like an automobile insurance policy. Although we don't know the definitive answer about insurance coverage for the victims, we do know that the driver of the golf cart was charged with reckless driving. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro

Charlottesville Personal Injury Lawyer Reports On Traffic For Game Day. For the second weekend in a row, Charlottesville is expecting a near sellout crowd to attend the UVa football game. Traffic on I-64 and on Route 29 will experience episodic backups as fans arrive for pre-game festivities. The game begins at 3:30 and should end around 6:30. This is also the third day of the Lockn music festival in Nelson county and fans attending just for the day will have to navigate through he football crowds if they are going through Charlottesville and Albemarle. VDOT traffic cameras do not reveal any current traffic issues. In fact, I-64 is remarkably free of traffic. There are 17 traffic cameras in the Charlottesville area and it is worthwhile to check the ones for your trip before leaving home today. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro

Nelson County Traffic Creates Headaches. Personal injury lawyers cover a lot of ground in their practices and I have tried several cases in Nelson County, Virginia. It is home to Wintergreen ski resort and I have represented the injured skier. However, the usually quiet roads of Nelson County have been challenged by thousands of visitors to the inaugural Lockn music festival. Festival organizers expect around 25,000 people to attend the 4 day music festival which is taking place at Oak Ridge in Nelson County, Virginia. Some festival attendees reported being stuck in traffic for nearly 12 hours, although average wait times were in the 3-4 hour range. Fortunately, I have no scheduled appearances in the Nelson County Courts during the festival and my personal injury clients who live in Nelson County have been advised to avoid travel on Route 29 while the festival is ongoing. What's more, Nelson County deputies have assisted with traffic control and have apparently done an excellent job as no car accidents were reported. Let's hope the traffic settles down and everyone can enjoy the beauty of Nelson County while listening to the music. Francis P. Hajek Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm Experienced Injury and Accident Lawyers Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Greene, Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro