Personal Injury

The Virginia lawyers of Turbitt, O'Herron & Leach, P.L.L.C. have nearly 100 years combined experience representing clients injured by another's negligence and have obtained many judgments or settlements of a million dollars or more. While not all cases are the same, we are committed to helping all of our clients recover for their injuries and damages as permitted by law.

Some of our personal injury cases include injuries or death caused by:

Automobile accidents

Automobile accidents are the most common type of personal injury case.  They can cause injury or death to drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.  Insurance companies increase profits by minimizing the amount of money that they pay out on such claims.  They have trained and experienced adjusters and attorneys working on their team.  In order to avoid being taken advantage of, the injured party should speak with an experienced attorney, especially before giving a recorded statement.  Adjusters will try to take recorded statements, send small settlement checks, and try to convince injured persons to settle for less than is deserved.  These cases also involve property damage and medical payment issues that often require the assistance of an attorney.

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Trucking accidents

With the increase in traffic and numbers of trucks on America’s highways, accidents involving trucks are more common and are often catastrophic.   Although trucking accidents are not as common as automobile accidents, they are can be devastating because of the sheer size and weight of a truck.  The medical bills and future care costs for someone injured in a crash with a tractor-trailer are frequently astronomical.

If injured in a trucking accident, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible.  Once an insurance company learns that one of its insured’s trucks has been involved in an accident, it will immediately have investigators, experts, and attorneys examining evidence and working on a defense.  Our attorneys are familiar with Federal Motor Carrier Regulations regarding trucks, “black box” and GPS computer data on trucks, maintenance issues involving trucks as well as duties employers have to hire safe drivers.  Quickly contacting an attorney experienced with trucking accidents will help ensure that your legal rights are protected and that all the facts relevant to the accident are preserved and made available.

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Unsafe property

A property owner or manager may be responsible for damages if the injuries are caused by unsafe property.  Premises injuries can be caused by tripping in a hole, slipping on a spill in a supermarket, or being attacked in a nightclub.  Property owners may be responsible for not correcting a defect that the property owner knew about or should have known about, for not warning of a defect on the property or for failing to provide adequate lighting or security. A property owner or management company may also be liable for failure to properly train or supervise employees or for negligent hiring.

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Defective products

Consumers have the right to expect that the products they purchase are safe or that they will be warned of any possible safety issues.  Even with the best intentions, companies inevitably put unsafe products on the market.  To protect themselves from liability they purchase product liability insurance and employ highly skilled lawyers.  These cases can be very complex but an experienced lawyer can assist you if you or a loved one has been injured.

Defective products can appear in all areas of life, from the tires on the car to the kids' toys.  Design defects, manufacturing defects, failure to warn of safety concerns, and breach of warranties are all types of products liability cases.  If you are injured by a defective product, you may be able to recover for your injuries from the manufacturer, the distributor, the supplier, or the retailer. See our blog article for more information.

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   Work Injuries

Every state has a workers compensation system designed to provide injured employees with compensation in the event of an injury caused by work.  Most employers are required to carry workers compensation insurance.  Workers compensation claims can also include occupational diseases, conditions caused by exposure to hazardous substances, or carpal tunnel syndrome.  The workers compensation laws are very different from the laws governing a general personal injury case.  Both the employee and employer have particular rights and duties not found in other types of injury cases. A workers' compensation claim provides for lifetime medical benefits for the injury unless the claimant and employer both agree to settle the claim. The Commission provides mediation services for those interested in settling claims or disputes.

An experienced workers compensation attorney will help maximize the recovery and handle the complicated procedures involved with filing a claim and going to a hearing.  There are important issues concerning how the injury happened, medical treatment, reporting injuries, and other filing deadlines and procedures.  We can make sure that your claim is not weakened or lost.

 
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