Virginia Beach Car Accident Lawyer

Experienced Car Accident Attorney in Virginia Beach, VA

Car collisions cause many injuries throughout Virginia Beach and can leave individuals and families with costly injuries and other losses. If you were hurt because of another party’s carelessness, a claim helps you recover the cost of these damages, letting you focus on recovering. A Virginia Beach car accident lawyer helps minimize the stress and uncertainty of these claims and works to protect your financial needs.

Hire a Car Accident Lawyer at Brooks & Baez

At Brooks & Baez, we are rooted in our communities in and around Virginia Beach, and we work hard to support injured individuals and families. Our attorneys have decades of legal experience, much of which is in personal injury cases. 

We know how difficult these situations are, and how the financial, physical, and emotional strain can impact your entire life. Our goal is to help you understand your situation and advocate for your right to financial recovery.

Securing compensation helps you take the time you need to recover and also aids you in moving forward with your life. The team at Brooks & Baez wants to help you get that support. 

We offer compassionate and aggressive legal representation and provide legal services in English and Spanish. Our goal is to provide effective and communicative legal guidance in negotiations or in court so that you see justice.

How to Recover Compensation After a Vehicle Collision in Virginia Beach

After being involved in a vehicle collision in Virginia Beach, you could recover damages by filing a claim with the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident. Most accident cases are resolved through insurance claims.

However, if a fair outcome can’t be secured through an insurance claim, you can take the case to court, filing a civil claim against the insurer for your damages. In Virginia Beach, this claim may be filed with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court or the Virginia Beach General District Court.

There are many financial and personal losses you may be dealing with after a crash, and getting fair compensation is necessary to help you recover and move forward.

What Causes Car Accidents in Virginia Beach?

In order to get compensation, it is important to determine the cause of the crash and who can be held liable as a result. There are many causes of car accidents in Virginia Beach, and most are caused by driver negligence. However, there are rare cases where other parties are liable.

In Virginia in 2024, there were 129,224 vehicle crashes, according to the Virginia Highway Safety Office, and 5,272 of those crashes occurred in Virginia Beach. 

Virginia Beach crashes led to 24 fatalities and 2,618 injuries. The city sees a lot of accidents, in part due to its high population, and had a lower fatality rate of 0.08 deaths per 1,000 licensed drivers compared to the state rate of 0.15 deaths.

There are several common causes of car collisions in Virginia Beach, including:

• Distracted driving. Drivers who don’t pay attention to the road are more likely to miss changes on the roadway and fail to react in time, causing a crash. Distracted driving occurs whenever a driver takes their eyes or focus off the road for any reason, whether they are sightseeing, on their phone, or talking with passengers. 
• Speeding. Driving over the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions of the roadway increases the risk of an accident. It can also increase the damage in an accident if it occurs. The Virginia Highway Safety Office reported 743 speeding-related crashes in Virginia Beach in 2024, which caused 14 fatalities and 464 injuries.
• Other reckless behaviors. There are many other ways that drivers can be negligent on the road. This includes unsafe lane changes, failing to use turn signals, brake checking, tailgating, fatigued driving, aggressive driving and road rage, failure to yield, and many other errors on the road. While these actions do not always cause an accident, they can, and drivers whose recklessness leads to a crash can be held liable in a claim.
• Impaired driving. There were 304 alcohol-related crashes in the city reported by the Virginia Highway Safety Office, leading to 14 fatalities and 169 injuries. Alcohol-related crashes are disproportionately likely to cause fatal crashes. Drivers who operate impaired put everyone on the road in danger, can face criminal charges, and can be held liable for the damages they caused.
• Mechanical failures. Some accidents happen because of the failure of a car component. There may be many reasons for this failure, such as overloading of a vehicle, unsafe or defective parts, failure to get needed vehicle maintenance, or poorly completed vehicle maintenance.

There was one distracted driving fatal crash and four serious injury crashes in Senate District 99 in 2024.

An investigation of the cause of the crash is necessary to determine which driver or drivers are liable. The investigation also helps gather key evidence to prove your case and make it easier to recover the compensation you need.

Virginia Contributory Negligence Laws

Your claim can be severely affected by Virginia’s contributory negligence laws. Under these laws, if you are at all liable for the crash, it can bar you from recovering compensation. This can make it very hard for injured individuals to get fair compensation. Insurance companies look for any way to blame a crash on you, because this could deny you financial recovery.

That’s why legal representation is essential. A strong attorney helps you protect your rights and investigate the accident, helping uncover who is liable and working to prove that you were not at all to blame.

Financial Compensation in a Car Accident Claim

In a successful claim, you could recover the cost of all of the damages you suffered in the crash. This can include economic damages, such as:

• Medical bills and future medical treatment costs
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
• Property damages

It also includes noneconomic damages, which are intangible, like:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Disability and disfigurement
• Reduced enjoyment of life

In some cases, you could also recover punitive damages in court for extremely reckless or intentional conduct.

An attorney has experience and resources to calculate the losses of injuries. Without an attorney, you are more likely to underestimate your damages and accept a settlement that is less than the costs you need covered. 

This can leave you with severe financial hardships in the future. Your attorney can assess your losses and advise against an offer by an insurance company that does not cover your damages.

FAQs

Is It Worth Getting an Attorney for a Vehicle Accident?

It is often worth hiring an attorney for a vehicle accident if you suffered any injury or damage in the crash, and the accident happened because of another party’s negligence. When you hire a car accident lawyer, you are more likely to recover full and fair compensation. 

You also won’t have to deal directly with your insurer, as your attorney handles that for you. This can save you a lot of time and frustration, and allow you to physically recover.

Is It Worth Filing a Civil Claim Over a Car Accident in Virginia?

It can be worth filing a civil claim over a car accident in Virginia, but it depends entirely on your unique circumstances. If you are owed significant compensation, and the at-fault party’s insurance company refuses to provide a fair settlement to cover your damages, it may be worth filing in court to recover the financial compensation. It is very helpful to discuss your options with a lawyer to assess the benefits and drawbacks of filing a claim.

What Should You Not Say to the Insurance Adjuster After a Car Collision?

After a car collision, you should not say anything that suggests that you were responsible for the accident when talking with an insurance adjuster. If the adjuster represents the insurance company of another driver, you shouldn’t talk with them at all. 

When discussing with your own insurance company, give the basic facts you are required to without providing excess detail. Insurance companies protect their bottom line, and what you say could be used to deny your claim.

What Is the Three-Collision Rule?

The three-collision rule means three collisions within each motor vehicle collision occur: 

1. The collision of the vehicle and an exterior object
2. The collision of the passengers with the vehicle interior
3. The collision of each passenger’s interior organs with their body

When the main collision is more severe, each of these three collisions tends to be more serious and can cause much more severe injuries.

Your Virginia Beach Car Accident Attorney

After a car accident, it’s important to focus on the safety of yourself and others, and get emergency responders to the scene. Provide a police report and get medical treatment. When you are able to leave the scene, get in touch with an experienced attorney at Brooks & Baez. 

Our firm can advocate for you, protect your rights, and work for the justice you are owed. We aim for fair compensation, whether through negotiation or taking your case to court in Virginia Beach.