Virginia Truck Accident FAQs

Have questions about truck accidents in Virginia? Lichtenstein Law Group PLC has answers. We’re also standing by to discuss your case at your earliest convenience, so contact us today if you’d like to speak with a Virginia truck accident lawyer. You pay nothing upfront for us if we can take your case.

What Makes Truck Accidents Different from Car Accidents?

Among the more frequent questions for our Virginia truck accident FAQs is how trucking accident claims are more complex than cases involving passenger vehicles. There are several answers, including the following:

There are more potentially liable parties, including the trucking company, cargo loaders, and maintenance providers.
Truck accident injuries are typically more severe, and insurance policies are more robust.
The trucking industry is regulated at the state and federal levels, adding layers of complication.
Much of the critical evidence remains in the hands of the trucking company, including bills of lading, hours of service logs, and “black box” data.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Virginia Accidents?

Among the most common causes and reasons for truck crashes in Virginia are:

Distracted driving
Speeding
Failure to yield
Wide turns
Following too closely
Fatigue

What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accidents?

There are many different types of truck accidents. Some of the most common include:

Sideswipe impacts
Head-on collisions
Rear-end accidents
T-bone collisions
Wide-turn impacts
Rollover accidents
Underride accidents

What Are a Truck’s No-Zones?

All vehicles have blind spots, which areas around the vehicle that the driver cannot see without changing their position. The layout and size of a commercial truck make its blind spots so expansive that they are popularly called “no-zones.” The locations of these massive blind spots are as follows:

About 20 feet directly in front of the cab
Up to 200 feet behind the trailer
The area to the immediate left of the cab
A large area extending perpendicularly and diagonally from the right side of the cab

As a general rule, if you can’t see the truck driver, the truck driver can’t see you. Avoid lingering in these no-zones.

How Do You Prove Negligence in a Virginia Truck Accident Case?

Most successful truck accident cases are based on the legal theory of negligence: that someone failed to exercise sufficient caution given the circumstances and caused an accident as a result. Negligence in truck accidents can take many different forms. Examples include a driver forgetting to signal a lane change, a trucking company failing to monitor its drivers en route, or a logistics company loading cargo without tying it down properly.

Attorneys prove negligence in a Virginia truck accident case by reviewing evidence of the collision, such as the following:

Photos of the accident scene
Security or dashboard camera footage of the incident occurring
Eyewitness testimony
Skid patterns and physical debris
Post-accident inspection reports
Hours of service logs of the driver’s rest periods
“Black box” data from the truck’s event data recorder
Employment records
Shipping manifests and bills of lading

The lawyer’s goal is to find where critical mistakes were made that led to the accident and who made them.

What Information Should You Collect at a Virginia Truck Accident?

You can lay the groundwork for a strong truck accident claim by collecting as much information as you can at the scene. This includes:

The name and contact info of the truck driver
The name and contact details of any eyewitnesses
The name of the trucking company
The truck’s license plate and DOT numbers
The truck’s insurance policy details
Photos and videos of the accident scene

Don’t panic if you cannot gather this information at the scene. Truck accident lawyers devote considerable resources to investigating cases, and they can recover critical evidence you were not able to.

Should I Give the Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?

There’s a good chance that your insurance provider or that of the truck driver or trucking company will reach out to you shortly after the truck accident. The adjuster may ask you for a recorded statement, saying that it’s a necessary part of processing your claim or ensuring coverage. Don’t believe them. Instead, politely decline to give the recorded statement and get in touch with a personal injury lawyer immediately.

What Happens if the At-Fault Driver Does Not Have Insurance?

State and federal regulations require truck carriers to maintain hefty insurance policies on their vehicles. For example, the minimum amount required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is $750,000, though that can range up to $5 million depending on the purpose of the vehicle and its cargo.

In the unlikely event that the at-fault driver does not have insurance, do not panic. You could have other sources of recovery, including from other liable parties or your own uninsured/underinsured driver insurance policies. Contact a Virginia truck accident attorney immediately for help.

What Damages Can I Collect from a Virginia Truck Accident?

If someone else was responsible for the Virginia truck accident that injured you, they could owe you truck accident damages. This is money you could recover for your:

Past and future medical treatment
Lost wages while you recover
Diminished future income/earning potential
Physical pain and mental suffering
Diminished quality of life
Damaged property, including repairing or replacing your vehicle

How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Virginia?

Virginia’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims gives you two years to file your truck accident lawsuit. However, various factors could shorten or extend the amount of time you have to file. Moreover, there are practical reasons to start your claim as soon as possible, when evidence and memories are fresh. Don’t put your rights at risk by delaying your claim; contact a Virginia truck accident attorney as soon as possible.

What Does It Cost to Hire a Virginia Truck Accident Lawyer?

Don’t worry about the cost of hiring a truck accident lawyer in Virginia. Most attorneys — including those at Lichtenstein Law Group PLC — work on contingency, so you only pay a fee if and when they win your case. In other words, you get the benefit of our 100 years of combined experience, considerable investigative resources, and commitment to maximum compensation at no upfront cost.