Personal Injury Attorney in Newport News

Newport News is one of the biggest cities in Virginia, drawing in scores of visitors every year. A number of attractions and history make Newport News an appealing destination for many.

Newport News is also an important economic hub where many people work, live and commute.

Residents and visitors alike can be involved in various kinds of accidents while in Newport News. Some catastrophic accidents could cause debilitating pain, require extensive treatment, and could have a lasting or permanent impact on the victim’s life.

Did you suffer serious injuries or was your loved one killed in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in the greater Newport News area? You should know that you could be entitled to compensation for all of your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C., has been representing clients in Newport News and throughout Virginia for more than three decades. Call us or contact us online now to schedule a free consultation.

Why Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawyer in Newport News?

After you have been involved in any kind of accident, it is always a good idea to talk to a personal injury attorney right away. Your lawyer can immediately launch an independent investigation to determine the true cause of the accident, collect important evidence, and identify all potentially liable parties and sources of insurance coverage.

You also want to have a lawyer before you speak to any insurance company. Insurers may quickly contact the people involved in accidents, and you should know the insurance company is never on your side.

A representative or claims adjuster may ask you to provide a recorded statement. You should not say anything about your accident to an insurer without an attorney. Insurance companies are actively seeking to say something that can later be used to reduce the value of your claim.

In other cases, an insurance company may offer you a quick lump-sum settlement to make your case go away. Whatever you are initially offered is likely nowhere near what you are actually entitled to. You need a lawyer who can accurately calculate the true value of your case and then negotiate from a position of strength.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Newport News

Some of the most common kinds of personal injury cases that Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C., handles include:

Common Types of Personal Injuries

The types of injuries people can suffer often depend on the specifics of the accident. Certain types of accidents can be much more likely to cause severe injuries than others, but even some seemingly minor accidents can still cause very serious injuries.

Some of the most common kinds of injuries people suffer include:

Neck Injury
Nerve Damage
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Quadriplegia or Paraplegia
Burn Injury
Amputation
Back Injury
Paraplegia
Paralysis
Organ Damage
Eye Injury
Foot Injury
Spinal Cord Injury

Some injuries may be fatal. When a person is killed in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, the family members of the deceased person may be entitled to bring a wrongful death lawsuit.

Personal Injury Compensation That May Be Available in Newport News Accidents

Many personal injury cases are ultimately resolved through settlements. When a case does go to trial, a victim who proves their case can be awarded compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are typically a combination of economic damages and noneconomic damages.

Economic damages are objective losses that can be calculated and proven with documentation of dollar values. Noneconomic damages are more subjective.

Common economic damages include:

Medical expenses
Lost income
Property damage

Noneconomic damages include awards for:

Pain and suffering
Loss of consortium
Disfigurement

Punitive damages can also be awarded in a limited number of cases in which defendants acted with actual malice or under circumstances amounting to a willful or wanton disregard of the victim’s rights. Punitive damages are awarded more to punish defendants and discourage others from behaving similarly, and they cannot exceed $350,000.

How to File a Personal Injury Suit in Newport News

The specific state court that you file your legal claim in will depend on the amount of damages being sought. The general district court has exclusive jurisdiction for amounts of up to $4,500, while the circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction for amounts of more than $25,000.

The two courts share concurrent jurisdiction in cases involving between $4,500 and $25,000. General district courts are divided into 32 districts, and circuit courts are divided into 31 circuits. A claimant must file in the district or circuit where the injury occurred.

Once you have named a defendant and drafted a complaint, the defendant will be served. There can be multiple court appearances involved in most personal injury cases, and settlement negotiations will be ongoing throughout the entire process.

It can be a very long time before a case reaches trial, as court appearances may be dedicated to discovery or other legal motions. However, in many cases a settlement agreement can be reach before a trial actually takes place.

How Can Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C.Help Me After an Accident in Newport News, VA?

When you or a loved one had been injured by someone else’s carelessness, you deserve justice. Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C., will fight to help you pursue every dollar of compensation you need and deserve.

If you sustained catastrophic injuries or your loved one was killed by another party’s negligence in Newport News or a surrounding area, get the legal help you need now. Contact Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C., as soon as possible.

Our record of success includes a $3.5 million verdict for a middle school teacher severely injured by a drunken driver and a $2.7 million settlement for a harbor worker injured on construction site. We can provide a complete evaluation of your case when you call us or contact us online to receive a free consultation.