The Inconvenience of the Innocent Car Accident Victim

Inconvenience to the Innocent Car Accident Victim.
Wilson & Hajek – Personal Injury Lawyers – Charlottesville and Virginia Beach

The Innocent party to a car accident is immediately placed in an inconvenient position because of the carelessness of the other driver. Often this involves an injury which requires a trip to the emergency room, followed by visits to a doctor, chiropractor and physical therapy. The innocent driver is placed in a position of having o lose time from work and family, plus the inconvenience of travelling to, and waiting in a medical facility. This frustrating circumstance leads to new and unfamiliar territory.

It also leads to an insurance claims adjuster wanting recorded statements and telling the innocent party which doctor to go see. At times, they even tell the innocent party they should return to work before they are ready.

Many innocent people injured in an accident are overwhelmed by these circumstances and turn to experienced personal injury lawyers Francis Hajek and Eddie Wilson of the law firm of Wilson & Hajek located in Charlottesville and Virginia Beach, Virginia. This experienced personal injury firm represents innocent car accident victims throughout the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington, DC.

Call us toll free (877) 222-1588 or email us at ewilson@winjurylaw.com and fhajek@winjurylaw.com for a free consultation with Eddie Wilson or Francis Hajek.

Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro

Railroad Cases In Virginia

As a personal injury law firm located in Virgina, we have handled a large variety of cases involving everything from car accidents to skiing accidents. However, over the years, we have had the privilege to handle a large number of cases concerning injured railroad workers. Unlike most on the job injury cases, railroad workers injuries are not subject to the state compensation laws. Instead, railroad employees who are injured at work are covered by the Federal Employer's Liability Act, also known as FELA. FELA is a federal law that applies to railroad workers across the country and which allows a claim to be made directly against the employing railroad. The employee has a choice of filing his claim in either state or federal court and there are other procedural and substantive legal benefits to making a claim under the FELA. Our law firm's extensive experience in handling the claims of injured railroad workers under the FELA translates into success for our clients.


Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro

Louisa County Woman DIes In Car Wreck

The Charlottesville Daily Progress reports that a Louisa County woman died in a single car accident when she was ejected from the car after it ran off the road and flipped. Early reports stated that alcohol and speed were being considered as factors in causing the accident. Such tragedies are increasingly common. The other day I wrote about the death of an Albemarle county man in a car wreck and I am sure tomorrow I will be faced with a news headline detailing another traffic fatality, whether it is in Charlottesville, Orange or some other nearby location. When I represent the families of automobile crash victims or passengers who have been seriously injured, it is always a struggle to assign blame to someone who made a mistake on one particular occasion. But, personal injury law in Virginia requires that injured persons prove that their injuries were proximately caused by the negligence of another if they are to have a recovery. An experienced personal injury lawyer at Wilson & Hajek can assist you in negotiating the hazards of the claim road. Call us to talk about the concerns you have. At our firm, you will actually get to talk to an attorney, not just an intake representative. We are here to help.

Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro

Traumatic Brain Injury, More Of A Problem Than You Think

One of my daughters attends Western Albemarle High School. Western is located in Albemarle County, Virginia, about 10 miles from Charlottesville. Last year, its football team had an outstanding season and the question is, how is it going to do this year. Now how does this tie in with traumatic brain injury, Well, I read that one of the potential stars on the team was suffering from a concussion and was going to have to sit out some games and it reminded me of a statistic from the Brain Injury Association of America. Someone suffers a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) every 21 seconds. Further, the costs of such TBI problems is estimated to exceed 35 billion dollars annually. These mind boggling statistics include undiagnosed cases of TBI that are often looked at as just being concussions. And, recent studies have shown a link between football head injuries and TBI. A focus of these studies has been helmet safety and whether today's helmets help to prevent TBI or whether they contribute to TBI cases. These are complicated issues. At Wilson & Hajek, our lawyers have significant experience handling TBI cases. We have worked closely with the leading medical professional in the field to help our clients get the right treatment and then to present their cases effectively in the courtroom. If you have any questions about TBI, please call us. We are happy to talk to you and help as we can. In the meantime, let's hope that all the young men and women who are playing sports this year are fortunate enough to avoid any injury. Go Western!


Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro

Gloucester Jury Awards $5 Million to Student

In a serious injury case involving a Gloucester student, a jury awarded $5 million dollars to compensate the student for his physical injuries which included a mild traumatic brain injury. The verdict is one of the largest in Virginia involving a public school official. Part of the award was for damages to be paid by a vice principal who was warned of the impending fight but who the jury found did nothing to stop the fight. The student who started the fight was also found responsible, as was his sister who urged him to fight.
When I was in high school, I witnessed an assault where one of my friends was seriously injured. The attack came out of nowhere and the one punch that was thrown should not have been a big deal. But, it landed in just the wrong spot and fractured the temple of my friend. He required surgery and had a lengthy recovery. No teachers were around and I have always believed that it was a fight that didn't need to happen. I am glad that the jury in Gloucester held everyone involved accountable. It sends a message that schools are places where students should be able to learn safely and without the fear of assault.
At Wilson & Hajek, we know Virginia personal injury law allows a claim to be asserted against all responsible parties and we know how to pursue those claims. One of our goals is to remove the care and worry that our clients and their families have when confronted with such a daunting task. Don't wait to contact us as there are always time limitations involved when there are potential claims against governmental bodies or agencies such as a school system. A quiuck phone call can set your mind at rest.

Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro

Car Wreck Results in Death

The Charlottesville Daily Progress reports today that a driver was killed and others were injured in a terrible car wreck on Dick Woods Road in Albemarle County. The road was shut down for 6 hours. The car accident struck a nerve because I live in a neighborhood that is located off of Dick Woods Road. Apparently, a driver was turning onto Dick Woods when he was t-boned by another car. The speed limit on Dick Woods Road changes at different points from 55 to 35 miles per hour, but the road is dangerous because it is only two lane and is full of curves and hills. I am currently teaching my 15 year old how to drive and one of the most challenging moments of our "learning" drives is the turn onto Dick Woods. It can be difficult to estimate the speed of oncoming traffic and sometimes even difficult to see. I always tell her that it is worth taking an extra second and waiting for the traffic to pass, and then double checking the road before making the turn. These simple precautions will help avoid any potential accidents. But, we all get in a hurry and sometimes don't take the care that we should. The Albemarle County police are still investigating the cause of the accident and so I will not speculate as to the cause of the accident, but I do hope that the police are able to determine what happened. In the meantime, our sympathy goes out to the injury victims and the family of the deceased. Driving is a hazardous enterprise, even in rural Albemarle County. By the way, I have yet to take my daughter into Charlottesville to get a taste of big city traffic, and I don't think we will be putting her behind the wheel in Virginia Beach any time soon. A little more experience is required before facing bumper to bumper traffic.

Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro

Virginia Dog Bite Law

If you have been bitten by a dog in Virginia, your right to be compensated for the injury depends on a lot of factors. One of the more challenging aspects of such a case is the state of Virginia law concerning dog bite injuries. Virginia still follows the old rule that a dog gets "one free bite" unless the owner has knowledge of its vicious propensities, such as a history of prior attacks. Further complicating matters is that Virginia is also one of the few states left that still bars claims if the there is any contributory negligence by the victim, even just one percent.
Fortunately, an experienced lawyer knows to examine local ordinances to determine whether there was a leash law violation. Such a statutory violation can be the difference in a win or a loss. Further, a dog owner has a duty to exercise reasonable care in handling his dog around another person. A thorough investigation of the facts of a dog attack can provide the basis for a claim.
Ideally, Virginia law needs to be changed to eliminate the "one free bite" rule. If someone is the first victim of dog attack, they should have the same rights as the second victim. The burden should be on the owner to control the dog and prevent any attack.

Wilson & Hajek, LLC, a personal injury law firm
Experienced Injury Trial Lawyers
Serving Virginia, including Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Staunton, Waynesboro