By Kevin Duffan, School Bus Accident Attorney in Hampton

In her latest post to our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website, my colleague Emily Mapp Brannon reports that a car’s driver and four students went to the hospital after a Tarrant Elementary School bus driver caused a rear-end accident on Aberdeen Road in Hampton. To read more, click over to “Injuries Reported After School Bus Rear-Ends Car in Hampton, VA.”

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Kevin Duffan, Hampton Car Crash Victim’s Attorney

In a new blog post to the Virginia personal injury law firm’s website, lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis and Appleton comment on the legal rights of people injured in traffic accidents caused by other drivers who experienced medical emergencies behind the wheel. The attorneys cite a January 12, 2012, crash at a red light at the intersection of LaSalle and Armistead avenues as an example of a case in which an at-fault driver’s liability is not automatically mitigated by health problems. To read more, click over to “Six Hospitalized After Hampton, VA Red Light Accident.”

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Kevin Duffan, Hampton Car Crash Attorney

An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm has written about a tragic accident at the intersection of Magruder Boulevard and Hampton Roads Center Parkway in Hampton, Virginia (VA). A 22-year-old man lost his life in the wreck. To learn more, read the story: “Yorktown, VA Man Killed in Hampton Intersection Accident.”

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Kevin Duffan, Hampton Car Crash Wrongful Death Attorney

In a new post to the firm’s Virginia personal injuries website, the attorneys with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton report the sad news that a car driver lost his life in a left-hand turn accident with a pickup truck at the intersection of Magruder Boulevard and Hampton Center Parkway. To read more, click over to “Virginia Driver Killed in Left-Turn Accident in Hampton.”

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro,  Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008.  Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Kevin Duffan, Virginia (VA)  Bus Accident Attorney

Discount buses are sometimes called curbside buses.  These buses pick people up in a parking lot or other public spot and often tout cheap fares and sometimes even cheaper safety standards.  A new report suggests that riding on one of these discount buses increases your chance of dying in a bus accident by seven times.  Our experienced Virginia (VA) car accident attorney explores what your options are if you are injured while a passenger.

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro,  Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008.  Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Randy Appleton, Virginia Personal Injury Attorney

School bus safety is a top priority for parents and educators alike. But when traffic laws involving school buses are disobeyed, student safety is put at risk. To learn more, visit “Student Hit by Car While Boarding School Bus.”

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Rick Shapiro, Hampton, VA Accident Injury Attorney

The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel linking Hampton with Norfolk, Virginia (VA), ranks as fifth worst in the United States in terms of congestion and “unreliability,” according to a new study by the Texas Transportation Institute.

The 2011 Congested Corridors Report describes more than 300 stretches of highway and highlights the ones most often subject to delays. In an overall ranking of “reliably unreliable” roadways, the stretch of I-64 that includes the HRBT is only slightly better for commuters than two corridors in Atlanta and two in New York City, the Daily Press reported.

This study is just the latest to highlight chronic congestion on the interstates around cities including Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, VA. For example, another analysis found commuters in the area spent an average of 34 hours stuck in traffic in 2010.

As experienced Virginia accident injury attorneys, my colleagues and I are well aware of the link between congestion and accidents. When vehicles are slowing down to 25 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone, serious rear-end collision too often result. Motorists may not be paying enough attention and can hit the car in front of them. In more serious cases, rear-enders can become chain-reaction accidents.

Problems at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel may partly explain why the city of Hampton, VA has such a high accident rate. In 2009, for example, the city saw 2,823 car wrecks, 1,505 of which involved drivers or passengers who got hurt, according to the Virginia DMV.

Rear-end collisions can occur during congested conditions, resulting in injury and even death. In a recent case our client, a passenger in a pickup truck, was awarded $75,000 by a jury after he was rear-ended.

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Kevin Duffan, Hampton Car Accident Injury Attorney

There is a car crash in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia (VA) every 23 minutes, according to an analysis reported in the Daily Press. The economic impact of car accidents nationwide, and the congestion they produce, cost each American $1,522 per year. In Hampton Roads, the total cost of accidents per year was $2.5 million in 2009, which comes out to $1,505 per person.

Distracted driving plays a role in 8 out of 10 accidents in North America. These statistics show the tremendous economic impact car accidents — and, in particular, distracted driving — has on our economy. Texting while driving is a form of distracted driving that has been shown to be as dangerous as driving drunk. Unfortunately, many of these accidents caused by distracted driving are preventable.

As an experienced Virginia personal injury lawyer, I understand the consequences of distracted driving. But these accidents not only affect the lives of the victims, they are affecting every one in the community. Here are some guidelines to help prevent distracted driving and make our community safer:

• Turn off your cell phone so you will not be tempted to text or call anyone
• Place beverages in cup holders, not you lap (which could result in severe burns if you have to swerve or hit your brakes)
• Remove items that are hanging from your rear-view mirror
• Keep from eating or applying make-up while behind the wheel

In the end, when you are driving it should be the only thing you are focused on. The cost of not doing so is just too great.

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Randy Appleton, Hampton Personal Injury Lawyer

My colleague John Cooper wrote recently about an accident that occurred on West Pembroke Avenue in Hampton, Virginia (VA). Three vehicles were involved and multiple people were injured. Unfortunately, one of the victims died at the hospital due to the severity of their injuries. To learn more, check out “Hampton Truck-Van Wreck Leads to Loss of Life.”

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About the Editors: Hampton personal injury lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm only handle injury and accident law cases. Our firm’s attorneys have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident claims, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, but we have represented clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Newport News, Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth.

By Rick Shapiro, Hampton Car Crash Victim’s Attorney

A pedestrian was seriously injured in a two car crash at the intersection of Floyd Thompson Drive and Magruder Boulevard in Hampton, Virginia (VA), on November 7, 2011. Investigation as to the cause of the accident is ongoing. A pedestrian was taken to the hospital after suffering serious injuries, but is currently in stable condition.

Our thoughts are with the pedestrian and her family. While few details are available as to the cause of the accident, in many cases a driver is to blame when a pedestrian is injured.

As experienced personal injury lawyer practicing in Virginia, my colleagues and I are alarmed at the recent spike in car accidents involving pedestrians in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Hampton.

Sometimes people think that if a pedestrian is struck outside of a crosswalk then the driver is not to blame, but this is not always true. Under common law in Virginia and in many other states, a pedestrian has a right-of-way at a street corner even if there is not a marked crosswalk, and when crossing the road under circumstances where a car/auto driver has a clear view of the pedestrian and can avoid the collision.  Nonetheless, walking within the marked crosswalk area is always the best, safest course.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Jim Lewis, Hampton Accident Injury Attorney

My colleague Randy Appleton has written a new blog post for our firm’s Virginia personal injury lawyers’ website in which he discusses s hit-and-run accident in Gloucester County, VA, that left a 13-year-old boy with a broken leg.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By John Cooper, Hampton Pedestrian Accident Injury Attorney

A two-vehicle crash on Magruder Boulevard in Hampton, Virginia (VA), left a pedestrian caught up in the aftermath of the collision hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver of the car who caused the accident near Floyd Thompson Drive told police she had swerved to avoid an obstacle in the road before hitting a pickup truck and running into the woman who was standing in the median.

This news report from WAVY TV-10 presents the few details that were known shortly after the wreck:

Pedestrian from Newport News, VA, injured in crash on Hampton’s Magruder Boulevard

Reports of cars, trucks and SUVs hitting and injuring or killing pedestrian appear to up all around Hampton Roads. In just September and October 2011, fatal crashes involving people on foot have occurred in Chesapeake, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Yorktown. Accidents that left pedestrians with traumatic brain injuries and broken bones have also happened in those cities.

If nothing else, the rash of deadly and almost-deadly pedestrian accidents should remind drivers that they need to be on the lookout for more than other vehicles and obstacles while they’re behind the wheel. Walkers and joggers also share the road and those individuals safety is largely in the hands of drivers.

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About the Editors: Personal injury attorneys with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Hampton Wrongful Death Attorney

When a minivan and a pickup truck collided head-on on Pembroke Avenue in Hampton, Virginia (VA), the mivan’s driver received fatal injuries, a passenger in the van was critically injured, and the truck’s driver also had to transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. WAVY TV-10 has reported that police identified the deceased woman as Betty Fay Labaire but had not determined why the accident occurred.

A third vehicle was involved in the crash, but news reports did not contain information on whether the driver of that car sustained injuries.

Woman Killed in Head-On Collision in Hampton, VA

As a car accident victim and wrongful death attorney practicing in Hampton, I know how much Labaire’s friends and family are hurting today, and also how long the two people injured in the wreck will take to recover. I also know that the insurance company holding the policy for the at-fault driver owes it to the victims to make quick and fair payments on claims for the costs of medical treatments, wages lost from having to miss work and accident-related pain and suffering. Whatever else occurs in the coming weeks, I hope insurers will not add to the injured and grieving people’s burdens.

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About the Editors: Personal injury attorneys with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Randy Appleton, Hampton Traffic Accident Attorney

My colleague, John Cooper has reported on our Virginia personal injury law firm’s website about a car accident in Hampton, Virginia (VA) that resulted in a fatality and serious injuries.  The head-on collision occurred in the 1300 block of West Pembroke Avenue on November, 4, 2011.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Randy Appleton, Hampton Traffic Accident Wrongful Death Attorney

October 21, 2011, saw two men whose admitted negligent and dangerous actions behind the wheels of their pickup trucks on the Peninsula caused the deaths of two other people sent to jail. In one case, a man whose anger over being asked to leave a Hampton, Virginia (VA), gun store in 2010 led him to drive distractedly, run over a woman on Hampton’s Doolittle Road and leave the scene of the accident without stopping was sentenced to 15 years in prison for felony hit-and-run and aggravated involuntary manslaughter.

That same day, a Newport News, VA, resident who was driving drunk when he hit and killed a tow truck driver on I-64 in 2009 received a prison term of 7 years and 10 months after pleading guilty to charges of DUI and aggravated involuntary manslaughter. The Hampton driver had also pled guilty, and the judge suspended 10 years of his jail term, leaving the man to serve 5 years.

I wrote about the death of the tow truck operator shortly after the fatal wreck, noting how the accident highlighted the dangers emergency responders — including police officers, firefighter and EMTs — face from irresponsible drivers when working by the side of the road. The fatal crash also illustrates how drunk driving puts the lives of innocent people at risk.

As the hit-and-run case in Hampton shows, driving angry and distractedly represents another deadly risk for any pedestrian or person in a vehicle in the path of the person whose mind is on everything but driving safely.

The sentences handed down in Hampton and Newport represent a measure of justice for the families and friends of the people who lost their lives. Survivors of the victims may also be able to seek compensation from the at-fault drivers by filing wrongful death lawsuits. In some circumstances, a guilty plea to a criminal charge can be presented as evidence in a civil lawsuit.

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About the Editors: Personal injury attorneys with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Randy Appleton, Hampton Personal Injury Attorney

Auto-pedestrian accidents are becoming far too common in Hampton, Virginia (VA). In the latest incident, a car hit a man who was crossing the street  near the intersection of East Pembroke Avenue and Woodland Road on the evening of October 12, 2011.

The Daily Press reported that the pedestrian was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police told the paper that the victim was not using a crosswalk at the time of the crash, but the driver still had a responsibility to look out for the pedestrian.

This accident occurred shortly after a Hampton judge signed off on a hit-and-run charge against a woman who is accused of hitting and killing a 58-year-old man in a wheelchair who was crossing Mercury Boulevard on April 14, 2011. That fatality left wheelchair users living in fear, and it was followed by another accident in Hampton in which a woman was killed on April 16 while attempting to cross Todds Lane at Carr Lane. Then, in September 2011, a man on foot lost his life after being hit by a vehicle near the intersection of West Queen Street and Buckingham Drive in Hampton.

This spate of deaths and injuries involving pedestrians in Hampton even led police to issue advice to pedestrians and drivers in the city.

Hampton is not the only city to witness a spike in pedestrian deaths and injuries. Early in October 2011, our experienced Virginia car and motorcycle accident injury attorneys reported on how the third fatal street crossing accident in Chesapeake, VA, represented a 4-year high for pedestrian deaths in that city.

It’s often assumed that if a victim is not on a crosswalk when he or she is hit, the driver of the vehicle is not to blame. That isn’t the case. In 2008 our firm settled a case for a pedestrian who was crossing a road near an intersection but the road did not have a cross walk or traffic light. We settled the Hampton pedestrian injury case after about a year. Based on common law in Virginia and in many states, a pedestrian has a right-of-way at a street corner and when crossing the road under circumstances where a car/auto driver has a clear view of the pedestrian.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Virginia (VA) Car Accident Injury Attorney

How does one piece of junk in the road end up fatally injuring several people?  More easily then you would think.  Driving with an improperly secured load is extremely dangerous, not to mention illegal in West Virginia (WV) and most other states.  Find out what will happen to the driver responsible for the improperly secured load that caused auto accidents and injuries in West Virginia (WV).

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Jim Lewis, Virginia Mass Transit Injury Attorney

My colleague John Cooper recently posted a blog on a workplace accident in which a Hampton Roads Transit bus hit an HRT employee and caused severe injuries.  The employee had to be rushed to the hospital.  Regardless of the cause of this accident, our thoughts and sympathies are with the victim and his family.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By John Cooper, Hampton Personal Injury Attorney

A man was seriously injured after crashing his race car into a wall at the Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia (VA). Police said that the man had rented the race track for private use. It is unclear whether other cars were racing at the time. The driver was taken to a local hospital. Authorities say his injuries are not life-threatening, but he was not immediately released from the hospital.

Our thoughts go out to the victim and his family. We hope he has a speedy recovery.

Many people love to race cars, and this man was smart to rent out a private track to do so. Too many car accidents, injuries and deaths occur from street racing each year. While renting a track to race on may not be realistic for every amateur driver, it’s certainly the safest and the only legal way to race.

Once on a race track, however, it is not a free for all. Safety at a race track is key. Various safety procedures and components make race tracks some of the least dangerous places to drive. Still, when cars reach speeds upwards of 80 miles per hour, even the smallest accident can turn deadly. While we don’t know why this specific accident occurred, the driver should consider consulting a car accident attorney. If there was something in the roadway causing the driver to swerve, or some other dangerous distraction, the race track could be liable.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.

By Jim Lewis, Virginia Car Accident Lawyer

My colleague John Cooper, a personal injury lawyer, has reported on a car accident on Route 250 in Virginia (VA that sent two drivers to the University of Virginia Medical Center with injuries.  To learn more about what to do if you or a loved one is hurt in a car accident, check out our Frequently Asked Questions devoted to the subject.

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About the Editors: Personal Injury Lawyers with the Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton law firm do only injury and accident law. We have experience handling car, truck, motorcycle, van and SUV accident cases, and our case results speak for themselves. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our primary office is Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but we often represent clients in Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Suffolk. If we agree to take your case, we will come to you at home or even in the hospital, to make it easier for you. We are ready to talk to you by phone at (757) 788-8162. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Norfolk, Portsmouth & Hampton Injuryboard, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Suffolk Injuryboard, VA-NC Wrongful Death Lawyers, VA & NC Medical Surgery Malpractice Attorneys Blog and Virginia Trucking Accident/Injury Blog to provide important health, safety and legal information to the public.