Car Accident Attorneys in Newport News, Virginia

1. Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall accidents, Uber and Lyft accidents, railroad accidents, premises liability

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, side-impact crashes, multi-vehicle accidents, hit-and-run cases, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle crashes, catastrophic injury cases, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering compensation, wrongful death claims, expert witness coordination, life care planning, evidence preservation

Background: Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers is led by founding partner John Cooper, a native Virginian with over three decades of experience in personal injury law. John Cooper holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law (1988) and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley (1985) where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He is licensed to practice in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. The firm achieved the second-largest car crash verdict in Virginia in 2022 and secured three of Virginia’s top settlements in 2023. John Cooper is recognized by Virginia Super Lawyers (an honor attained by only 5% of Virginia attorneys), holds a 10 out of 10 Avvo rating, and the highest AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He served as Governor At Large of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and chaired the FELA Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice from 2011 to 2017.

Location: 750 McGuire Place, Suite A, Newport News, VA 23601

Contact: (757) 333-3333 | [email protected] | https://cooperhurley.com

Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee arrangement (no fees unless recovery is obtained)

2. Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law, PLLC

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death, product liability, dog bites, slip and fall accidents, catastrophic injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving crashes, commercial truck collisions, rideshare accidents, hit-and-run cases, speeding accidents, reckless driving cases

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, property damage claims, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims

Background: Huffman & Huffman is a family-owned personal injury law firm founded in 1973 by brothers Charles A. Huffman III and Brad W. Huffman. The firm has served the Newport News and Hampton Roads community for over 50 years. Their legal team has over 150 years of combined experience, having helped tens of thousands of families and recovered millions of dollars for clients. Charles A. Huffman III (now retired) practiced for over 50 years, while Brad W. Huffman has more than 40 years of experience. Keith J. Leonard serves as senior litigation attorney and partner. The firm maintains offices in Newport News and Virginia Beach.

Location: 12284 Warwick Boulevard, Suite 2A, Newport News, VA 23606

Contact: (757) 599-6050 | https://www.huffmanhuffman.com

Consultation: Free consultation available 24 hours a day, contingency fee arrangement (no fee unless recovery is obtained), Spanish-speaking services available

3. Rutter Mills LLP

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, maritime and Jones Act claims, workers’ compensation, social security disability, medical malpractice, defective products

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, side-impact collisions, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving crashes, distracted driving accidents, texting while driving accidents, uninsured motorist claims, pedestrian accidents, fatal car accidents, high-speed collisions, wrong-way driving accidents

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering compensation, wrongful death claims, evidence investigation and preservation, expert witness coordination

Background: Rutter Mills has served Virginia personal injury victims for over 65 years. The firm is led by Managing Partner C. Arthur “Brother” Rutter III and employs 14 attorneys with a staff of over 100 team members. The firm maintains offices in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News, serving clients throughout Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Rutter Mills handles some of the largest truck accident cases in Virginia and has established a track record of success in complex personal injury litigation.

Location: 4702 Washington Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607

Contact: (757) 777-7777 | [email protected] | https://www.ruttermills.com

Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee arrangement (no upfront payment required)

4. Kalfus & Nachman PC

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, bus accidents, pedestrian accidents, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, catastrophic injuries

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, commercial truck crashes, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving crashes, hit-and-run cases, rideshare accidents, intersection accidents

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering compensation, wrongful death claims, future medical cost calculation, permanent disability claims

Background: Kalfus & Nachman PC brings decades of experience to personal injury cases and has fought cases against some of the nation’s largest insurance companies. The firm has achieved significant results including a $10.9 million settlement for a child who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall, a $10.5 million settlement for a client injured in a truck accident, and a $7 million settlement for a client injured in a bus accident. The firm represents injured victims throughout Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

Location: 11719 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23606

Contact: (855) 880-8163 | https://www.kalfusnachman.com

Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee arrangement

5. Waterman Law Centers, PLLC

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, premises liability

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, multi-vehicle accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving crashes, intersection accidents, parking lot accidents, catastrophic injury cases, brain injury cases

Background: Waterman Law Centers is led by Avery T. “Sandy” Waterman, Jr., Esq., who has pioneered legal strategies in Virginia personal injury law. The firm earned Metropolitan Tier 1 Ranking in the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions of U.S. News. Mr. Waterman secured a $6,000,000 jury verdict in Gloucester for a brain injury client using advanced 3.0 Tesla MRI imaging and was reportedly the first lawyer in any Virginia Circuit Court to introduce Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) into evidence at trial for brain injury, obtaining a $3,500,000 jury verdict in Newport News. The firm has established multiple landmark Virginia Supreme Court opinions regarding medical malpractice discovery rights.

Location: 739 Thimble Shoals Boulevard, Suite 105, Newport News, VA 23606

Contact: (757) 244-7000 | https://watermanlawcenters.com

Consultation: Free consultation available, contingency fee arrangement

Seat Belt Rules, Scene Duties and Commonwealth Claims for Newport News Car Crashes

A Newport News car crash claim can raise how Virginia treats a seat belt violation in court, what the other driver must do at the scene, and the notice and limits for a claim against the Commonwealth. A separate rule addresses claims of injured minors.

The Seat Belt Statute

Under Virginia Code 46.2-1094(A), the driver and every other occupant at least 18 must wear a safety belt while the vehicle is in motion on a public highway, and passengers under 18 are protected under the child restraint article. Under (D), a 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.

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, including taking an injured person to a physician or hospital when treatment is apparently necessary or requested. A violation is a Class 5 felony if the accident causes injury, death or more than $1,000 of property damage.

Claims Against the Commonwealth

Under Virginia Code 8.01-195.6(A), a written statement of a claim against the Commonwealth, with the time, place and agency, must be filed within one year after accrual, unless the Division of Risk Management, an insurer covering the claim or the Attorney General had actual knowledge of it within that year. Under 8.01-195.3, recovery is limited to $100,000 for claims accruing on or after July 1, 1993, or the limits of any applicable liability policy, whichever is greater.

Injured Minors

Under Virginia Code 8.01-229(A)(1), except as otherwise specifically provided in listed sections, including 8.01-243, a person who is an unemancipated infant or incapacitated when the cause of action accrues may bring it within the prescribed period after the disability is removed.

Newport News Car Accident Questions

In Virginia it can end the claim. In O’Neill v. Windshire-Copeland Associates (2004), the Supreme Court of Virginia answered in the affirmative a certified question asking whether a plaintiff’s contributory negligence is available to the defendant as a complete defense, in a case where the defendant’s code violation was negligence per se. Ask counsel how the other driver’s insurer is likely to raise the defense on the facts of the crash; the court also 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). A claim against the City of Newport News is shorter at the first step: Virginia Code 15.2-209 requires a written statement of a negligence claim, with the time and place of the injury, filed with the city attorney, chief executive or mayor within six months after accrual, unless one of them or the city’s insurer had actual knowledge of the claim in that period. That is different from the one-year notice for the Commonwealth.

What coverage did the other driver need?

It depends on the policy date. Under Virginia Code 46.2-472, policies effective from January 1, 2022 to before January 1, 2025 needed at least $30,000, $60,000 and $20,000, and policies effective on or after January 1, 2025 need at least $50,000, $100,000 and $25,000.

Does my policy cover an uninsured driver?

Yes. Under Virginia Code 38.2-2206(A), a motor vehicle liability policy must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, at limits equal to the liability limits unless a named insured rejects the additional coverage above the 46.2-472 minimums.