Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Norfolk, Virginia
The firms in this guide
1. Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, rideshare accidents, wrongful death, brain injuries, maritime injuries
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, side-impact collisions, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, evidence gathering, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers has been selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Virginia. The firm has recovered millions of dollars for traffic accident victims, including a $6.5 million settlement for a three-car collision resulting in catastrophic injury, a $5.8 million verdict for traumatic brain injury and PTSD, a $4.72 million settlement for a teenage passenger, and the second-highest personal injury verdict in Virginia in 2022 (a $2.46 million award for a Norfolk car accident case). The firm does not represent insurance companies and focuses exclusively on representing injured victims.
Location: 125 St Paul’s Blvd Ste 510, Norfolk, Virginia (additional offices in Newport News, Portsmouth, Hampton, Suffolk, Chesapeake, and Eastern Shore)
Contact: (757) 333-3333 | https://cooperhurley.com/
Consultation: Free case review available, contingency fee basis, free parking at downtown Norfolk office
2. Montagna Law
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, workers compensation
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, side-impact collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical record review, police report analysis, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Montagna Law attorneys have experience handling personal injury cases throughout Norfolk and Hampton Roads. The firm’s attorneys are knowledgeable about Virginia’s contributory negligence rule and work to protect clients’ rights throughout the claims process. The firm handles all communication with insurance companies, reviews medical records and police reports, and ensures compliance with Virginia Code Section 8.01-243 filing requirements and deadlines.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia (serving Hampton Roads region)
Contact: https://montagnalaw.com/
Consultation: Free case evaluation available, contingency fee basis
3. Rutter Mills
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, maritime injuries, cruise ship accidents, daycare injuries, wrongful death, workers compensation, Social Security disability
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Rutter Mills has been practicing and winning cases in Virginia for more than 65 years. Based in Norfolk and Newport News, the firm helps clients throughout Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. The firm’s reputation is recognized by insurance companies, judges, and juries. Attorneys are licensed in both Virginia and North Carolina. The firm has experience with Norfolk’s unique traffic patterns, roadways, and tunnels, and understands local practices in Hampton Roads courts.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia (with Newport News office, serving Hampton Roads, Virginia, and Northeastern North Carolina)
Contact: (757) 777-7777 | https://www.ruttermills.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee basis
4. Tronfeld West and Durrett
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, expert witness coordination, medical evaluation coordination, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Tronfeld West and Durrett has been assisting injured clients since 1972, helping thousands of people throughout Virginia. Jay Tronfeld is the founding shareholder. The firm handles automobile accidents as their most common type of personal injury claim, understanding that there are more than 17,250 car accidents every day in the United States. Attorneys work with medical professionals to evaluate cases thoroughly and ensure future medical needs are accurately factored into claims.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia (serving throughout Virginia)
Contact: (800) 321-6741 | https://twdinjurylaw.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee basis
5. Atkinson Law
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, Uber accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, brain injuries, dog bites, wrongful death
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, intersection accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, rideshare accidents, catastrophic injury cases, neurological injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Ed Atkinson has developed a reputation as a Norfolk personal injury attorney committed to seeking compensation for injured drivers and passengers. The firm handles cases involving brain damage, neurological injuries, and injuries requiring a lifetime of care. Atkinson Law has become known as a go-to firm for dog bite claims, with many Norfolk personal injury lawyers referring these cases to them. The firm emphasizes determination and thoroughness in investigating all aspects of cases.
Location: Norfolk, Virginia (with meeting spaces in Chesapeake, Hampton, and Portsmouth)
Contact: https://www.atkinsonlawva.com/
Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee basis
Liability Minimums, Uninsured Motorist Coverage and Death Claims for Norfolk Car Crashes
A Norfolk car crash claim can turn on which liability minimums applied to the at-fault driver’s policy, what the injured driver’s own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays, and what a family recovers when a crash is fatal. Virginia also sets the other driver’s duties and penalties at the scene.
Liability Minimums by Policy Date
Under Virginia Code 46.2-472, owner’s policies effective from January 1, 2022 to before January 1, 2025 carried at least $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person, $60,000 for two or more persons and $20,000 for property damage, and policies effective on or after January 1, 2025 must carry at least $50,000, $100,000 and $25,000.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Under Virginia Code 38.2-2206(A), a motor vehicle liability policy must include uninsured motorist coverage at least equal to the 46.2-472 minimums, and equal to the policy’s liability limits unless any one named insured rejects the additional coverage, with that rejection binding all insureds. Underinsured motorist coverage at the same limits is paid without credit for the at-fault driver’s liability coverage unless the named insured elects a reduction.
When a Crash Is Fatal
Under Virginia Code 8.01-52, damages may include sorrow, mental anguish and solace, the reasonably expected loss of income and services, care and treatment expenses, reasonable funeral expenses, and punitive damages for willful or wanton conduct or recklessness showing conscious disregard for others’ safety. Under 8.01-53(A), the award goes first to the surviving spouse, children and children of a deceased child.
The Other Driver’s Duties
Under Virginia Code 46.2-894, the driver of a vehicle in an accident causing death, injury or damage to attended property must stop as close to the scene as possible, report name, address, driver’s license number and vehicle registration number to the police and the persons involved, and render reasonable assistance. A violation is a Class 5 felony if the accident causes injury, death or more than $1,000 of property damage, and a Class 1 misdemeanor if property damage is $1,000 or less.
Norfolk Car Accident Questions
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Your own negligence can defeat the claim. The Supreme Court of Virginia held in O’Neill v. Windshire-Copeland Associates (2004) that the defense of contributory negligence is available even when the defendant’s code violation was negligence per se, and it answered in the affirmative the question whether that defense is a complete one. Have counsel review the facts of the Norfolk crash before assuming a shared-fault recovery; the same opinion noted that children under 14 are presumed incapable of contributory negligence.
How long do I have to sue?
Two years after the cause of action accrues for personal injury under Virginia Code 8.01-243(A), five years for injury to property under 8.01-243(B), and two years after the death for wrongful death under 8.01-244(B). For a negligence claim against the City of Norfolk, Virginia Code 15.2-209 bars the claim unless a written statement with the time and place of the injury is filed with the city attorney, chief executive or mayor within six months after accrual, or one of them or the city’s insurer had actual knowledge of the claim within those six months.
Is there a cap on punitive damages?
Yes. Under Virginia Code 8.01-38.1, total punitive damages against all defendants may not exceed $350,000, and the judge reduces a larger verdict to that amount.
Can a missing seat belt be used against me?
No. Under Virginia Code 46.2-1094(D), a seat belt violation is not negligence, is not considered in mitigation of damages, is not admissible in evidence and may not be the subject of comment by counsel in any action for damages arising from the operation of a motor vehicle.