Car Accident Statistics Are Scary

Charlottesville Personal Injury Lawyer

Halloween is coming and there will be many scary costumes. But even scarier are the statistics concerning car accidents. Did you know that every year you drive, you have a 1 in 10 chance of being in a car accident? To surmount those odds, you have to be a careful driver who is prepared to deal with the bad driver or the unexpected hazard. As a personal injury lawyer in Charlottesville, Virginia, I am always surprised at how many of my injury clients are the victims of drunk drivers. Unfortunately, the drunk driver and the bad driver usually do not have adequate car insurance and so the car accident victim has to look to his or her own insurance policy. Another frightening statistic is that in the United States, there are over 40,000 fatalities every year caused by car accidents. Think of how many plane crashes it would take to reach such a death toll. There are also over 3 million car accidents every year. These mind boggling statistics should make all of us more cautious drivers.


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, Staunton, Waynesboro

Madison Man Charged In Car Accident Injuring Albemarle Family

A head on collision on Old Lynchburg Road severely injured an Albemarle family, all of whom are being treated at the University of Virginia hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to the Daily Progress, the driver of the car who struck the Albemarle family's vehicle was a 28 year old resident of Madison, Virgina. He has been charged with driving under the influence. Both drivers remain in critical condition. This car accident case illustrates a fact that personal injury lawyers know only too well. Drunk drivers cause serious car accidents on a regular basis. As part of our personal injury law firm practice, we monitor cases involving drunk driving. Many times, our clients have to testify at the trial of the drunk driver. We assist our clients as needed in this process. If the blood alcohol level of the drunk driver exceeds certain levels, punitive damages are a possibility in the personal injury lawsuit. In Virgina, an award of punitive damages is limited by statute to a maximum of $350,000.00. In drunk driving personal injury cases, the option of pursuing punitive damages should always be considered as the potential for such damages enhances the overall case and can increase the likelihood of a prompt resolution of the case.


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, Staunton, Waynesboro

Amtrak and Washington, DC

FELA Employee Railroad Amtrak Washington,DC

Amtrak is a railroad corporation based in Washington, DC. Over the years, our personal injury law firm has represented many Amtrak employees located in the Washington, DC area. Amtrak personal injury clients have included engineers, conductors mechanical services, electricians, car cleaners, firemen and oilers members and every other craft. All of our injury clients have had cases under FELA, the Federal Employer's Liability Act. Washington, Dc is a great place to try a personal injury case. Injured Amtrak employees can almost always have their case tried in Washington, DC because it is the headquarters. For a free review of injury case facts, call us.

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, Staunton, Waynesboro

Statements to Insurance Adjusters

Charlottesville personal injury lawyers, and lawyers all across the state of Virginia, are often faced with the issue of a prospective client telling them that the insurance adjuster required a statement. Fortunately, there is a Virginia law that requires insurance companies to provide a copy of any statement given by an insured to the insured or their lawyer. But the big question is, should the insured, the victim in the car accident, give a statement in the first place? As an experienced Virginia personal injury lawyer who practices across the state, I think the answer is a resounding no. The car accident victim gets no benefit from providing a statement. I have yet to encounter a case where the insurance company was more generous or accommodating simply because the insured gave a statement. In fact, nowadays, insurance companies are taking a very hard line on compensation for most accidents, particularly the low impact type of car accidents. In Charlottesville, the most common type of car accident injury is from a low speed impact. I suppose the urban environment with rush hour traffic lens itself to this type on accident. In contrast, the surrounding counties, such as Albemarle, Greene, Louisa, Fluvanna, Nelson, and Madison see more high speed car accidents with significant damage to the car. A personal injury attorney has a lot more to work with when there is a lot of car damage. But the bottom line is, do not give a statement to an insurance company adjuster until you have met with a personal injury lawyer.

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, Staunton, Waynesboro

Newport News Jury Awards 5.25 Million Dollars

A Newport News, Virginia jury has awarded a shopper 5.25 million dollars for a serious injury involving a forklift running over the shopper's foot. A patron of a store like Best Buy is a business invitee and is owed a high duty of care. apparently, the jury believed that Best Buy was negligent and so awarded substantial damages for the personal injury. Such large awards tend to be the exception rather than the norm, but they certainly receive the most publicity. If the jury had awarded no damages, we probably would not read about it in the newspaper. In this case, the medical bills and lost wages were significant and so the jury's verdict should be seen in that light. Our firm's record verdict in Virginia is $60 million. In that case, the damages were truly significant as the personal injury damages for medical care and lost wages were millions of dollars. Every personal injury case is unique. Some cases settle and others go to a jury verdict. Our mission is to resolve the case to our client's satisfaction.

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, Staunton, Waynesboro

Virginia Car Accidents Dominate Labor Day Holiday Headlines

14 deaths from Virginia car accidents over the Labor Day weekend ruin a perfectly good holiday. Two of the deaths involved motorcycle accidents. The other car accidents were spread across the state with no region being spared. When our personal injury law firm handles a wrongful death case,the emotions involved are difficult to overcome. The victim's survivors often contact us when the pain of the loss is still quite recent. in one way, this early contact is very positive as we are able to investigate the circumstances of the car accident and wrongful death before evidence disappears. On the other hand, it is painful to go over the circumstances of the car accident and stir up memories of the incident. We are very mindful of the tragic nature of such cases and do everything we can to assist the survivors. Unfortunately, holiday weekends result in increased traffic on the highways and more car accidents and injuries. The next major holiday is Thanksgiving and we hope Virginia can avoid the tragedy of so many deaths on the highways.

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, Staunton, Waynesboro

When Will You Get A Speeding Ticket?

According to an article in the Virginia Pilot today, it is unlikely that a driver will get a ticket unless he or she is driving more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. The article explores the myth and reality of the 10 mile pr hour "cushion" and concludes that such a cushion does exist. Of course, there are exceptions and some mentioned are driving just a few miles over the speed limit in a school zone or where children are playing. The 2010 record for speeding in Hampton Roads was 146 miles per hour. At that speed, the consequences of a car accident are catastrophic. AS a personal injury attorney, I am aware that most drivers exceed the speed limit when driving on interstate highways. If you drive the speed limit, you are going to be the slow poke. I am also aware that for every mile per hour increase in speed, the forces involved in an accident increase dramatically. It is not a linear progression. A car accident at 70 miles per hour is going to have much more than than twice the impact forces of a car accident at 35 miles per hour. In fact, it is shocking to know the amount of force that is generated even in a car accident at a fairly low speed. Many car accidents involve speeds of less than 10 miles per hour. At such speeds, there may be little damage to the car. however, the forces transmitted to the human body by a 10 mile per hour impact are significant and can cause injury to muscles and nerves. In any event, watch your speedometer and avoid excessive speeds over the holiday weekend.

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, Staunton, Waynesboro