Icy Roads Close Virginia Schools

Cold temperatures and icy roads closed local schools for a second day in the Charlottesville Albemarle area. Although primary roads are largely clear, secondary roads still have snow and ice present which can create difficult driving conditions. A lot of car accidents happen after a snow storm has passed and drivers think that there is no longer any reason to be more cautious in driving. I think that the school authorities were wise to keep inexperienced drivers off the road in the early morning hours by cancelling school or delaying the start of the school day.Snow and ice on the roads can result in car accidents and those types of cases are challenging for lawyers and insurance companies. Recovery in a car accident case is premised on the negligence of the driver who caused the accident. Is losing control of a car because of ice just an act of nature or god such that it excuses the driver? The lawyer representing the injury victim in a personal injury case in Virginia has to make the case that the driver did not act reasonably or prudently as would any other driver in the face of icy and snow covered roads. But what if all the facts indicate that the driver was being careful and just happened upon a patch of black ice in an otherwise clear road? Is that driver still responsible for the accident? An experienced personal injury lawyer will want to know all the facts before making a judgment. For instance, how did the driver react after the ice caused problems? Was it really a patch of invisible black ice that caused the accident? It is helpful to be able to begin an investigation of such accidents as soon as possible after the accident happened. If you have questions about a personal injury case involving a car accident caused by ice or snow, call me to go over the facts and see if a recovery is possible. 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, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News

Car Accidents and Distracted Driving in Virginia

Virginia Tech researchers have published a study concerning inexperienced drivers and cellphone use. The study looked at 42 newly licensed teenage drivers and 167 adults with driving experience. The results are disturbing, but they also help to explain why new drivers have a higher accident rate, a fact that I have experienced as the parent of several teenage drivers and also as a personal injury lawyer in Virginia who has represented injury victims. Using sophisticated equipment such as accelerometers,global positioning devices and other sensors, the study looked at how the driver reacted when reaching for objects, including cellphones, using the radio and other car equipment, and eating and drinking. The study found that the new teenage driver was three times more likely to crash while eating and four times more likely to crash while texting. Dialing a cellphone increased the risk of a crash or near crash by more than 700 percent. For the experienced drivers, only the behavior of dialing a cellphone significantly increased the risk of an accident. The ultimate conclusion of the study is that teenage drivers need to focus on driving with their eyes looking ahead and they need to avoid any distractions in the car. When I have a significant serious personal injury case, I am always concerned that the other driver was using a cellphone when the accident occurred. If possible, I obtain the cellphone records of the other driver. If you are in an auto accident and cellphone use is suspected as a cause, it is important to note the exact time of the accident if possible. If you have been in an accident and would like to discuss your options, please call me. 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, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News

Car Accident Deaths Decline in 2013

AAA reports that car accident deaths declined in many states in 2013 to levels not seen since the 1940s. Texas and Illinois bucked the trend and saw an increase in accident deaths. AAA believes the decline in car accident deaths can be attributed to safer cars, safer roads and more educated drivers. Interestingly, the decline comes at a time when there is record car ownership. In 1980 there were 161 million registered cars. Today, there are over 250 million registered cars. I think there are still a lot of problem areas for drivers. The use of technology while driving is causing an increase in distracted driver accidents. I represent several car accident victims where the at fault driver was using a smart phone at the time of 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, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News

Albemarle Car Accident And Alcohol

I recently wrote about a tragic two car accident in Albemarle Virginia that involved a fatality and serious injuries to two other people. Albemarle County police now indicate that alcohol may have played a role in causing the car accident. I had ventured a guess that alcohol would be a factor just because the accident took place at 3 a.m. on a Sunday. Unfortunately, too many people drink and drive on the weekends and even more so as we approach the holidays. Serious injuries and wrongful death accidents seem to cluster around the holidays. Just today, the front page of the Charlottesville Daily Progress had a photo of a plane crash that resulted in fatality. A doctor from New Jersey was on his way to pick up his son from UVA when his plane crashed. Aviation crash cases are complicated as so may things may contribute to cause the crash. At this point, we do not know what caused the plane to crash although it was reported that the pilot notified the tower of an emergency situation. In a plane crash case that I worked on several years ago, the cause was a combination of pilot error and poor maintenance. Let's hope that investigators can pinpoint the cause in this 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, Greene, Augusta, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News

Early Morning Fatal Car Accident in Albemarle Charlottesville

An early morning car crash killed one and injured two in Albemarle County, Virginia this past Sunday. As an experienced personal injury lawyer and attorney, I think the accident highlights the hazards of weekend travel, particularly in the late evening or early morning hours. This fatal car wreck occurred at 3 a.m. I am sure that more details will emerge abut the accident and it is very likely that alcohol and speed will be determined to be factors in the accident. It is the holiday season and there is an increase in accidents at this time of year. Serious personal injury lawyers usually experience an increase in client numbers at this time of year because of the increased number of accidents. One way to avoid becoming my client is to limit travel during the early morning hours on holiday weekends. If you do have to go out, practice defensive driving and be on the lookout for the errant driver. 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, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News

Ice And Accidents Challenge Virginia Personal Injury Lawyers

Albemarle and Charlottesville have been hit with a significant ice storm that created difficult road conditions. Virginia personal injury lawyers and attorneys can receive a lot of calls after an ice storm about car accidents and other slip and fall injuries. A frequent defense in cases where icy conditions are involved is that it is an act of God. It is true that we cannot control the weather, but we can take appropriate precautions and a lot of cases hinge on the particular facts of the accident. If a store owner fails to clear the entryway of ice before opening the store, the injured person may have a strong claim. On the other hand, if a driver slides off the road because of ice, there may not be any facts that rise to the level of negligence. If you have questions about your injury and whether you are entitled to a recovery, call me for a free consultation. 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, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News

Train Derailment in Virginia and Train Derailment in New York

It is the season for train derailments. As an experienced railroad personal injury lawyer and attorney, I usually hear about train derailments from former railroad employee clients soon after they happen. The cause of a train derailment is not always obvious. It can be a track defect and railroad track issues are fairly common as maintenance of railroad track is not what it used to be. Sometimes, train derailments are the result of railroad employee error. For instance, a dispatcher may not have the right signal in place. Train speed can also be an issue in a train derailment. Whenever there are significant injuries or fatalities, the NTSB investigates the train derailment to determine the cause. The report is not admissible as evidence in court, but it can assist in the investigation of a train derailment cause. Over the span of nearly 30 years, I have represented many injury victims of train derailments. 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, Buckingham, Staunton, Waynesboro, Culpepper, Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News