Car Accidents
What Virginia’s “contributory negligence” laws mean to you
“Negligence” is a word lawyers use a lot. But what does it mean?
Well, negligence may be someone acting irresponsibly, or someone failing to act with a proper degree of care toward others—a degree which would be expected from a reasonable person in the same situation.
How medpay can help you after a car crash
Medical bills are the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in the United States, according to many experts. After all, few people plan on having sky-high medical bills, and no one expects to get seriously injured.
Fortunately, Virginia has a type of insurance that may help if you or your family member are injured in an accident. This coverage may already be on your auto insurance policy under the name “medical payments coverage,” or “medpay.”
For teens, supplemental driving education can save lives!
Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of accidental deaths for teens in the United States. Wrecks account for one in every three teen fatalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Meanwhile, “the first six months of unsupervised driving are the most hazardous in a novice driver’s driving experience,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“Texts=Wrecks” includes visual distractions
How you can avoid them
Manual, cognitive, and visual: those are the three types of distracted driving. We’ve talked about cognitive distractions, as part of our “Texts=Wrecks” campaign in Virginia. We’ve talked about manual distractions. Today, let’s find out how to avoid visual distractions.
It’s prom and graduation season
How can you keep your teens safer on the road?
Prom and graduation season is here. Although I’ve personally been spared having my daughter go on a date yet (she’s still in elementary school!), teens throughout Virginia are are eagerly diving into these rites of passage.
But what many soon-to-be graduates don’t realize is that, along with the privileges and freedoms of being an adult come some grave responsibilities—especially when it comes to getting behind the wheel. And statistically, they’re entering dangerous waters.
“Texts=Wrecks” includes manual distractions
How can you avoid manual distractions and stay safer?
Americans are busy, and we seem to be getting busier. Ironically, the technology revolution of the last 25 years adds to what we do each day, instead of making our lives easier. When I started practicing law, the fast form of written communication was a fax machine, which stayed at the office. Now I get voicemails emailed to me at 2 a.m., texts and emails anytime, and I can talk to clients from almost anywhere.
“Texts=Wrecks” includes cognitive distractions
How can you avoid cognitive distractions and stay safer?
We at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys aren’t alone in sharing the message of “Texts=Wrecks.” Former chief claims officer for Liberty Mutual Insurance Ted Gramer recently said that distracted driving is an epidemic in the United States.
John Singleton: “I’ve been there, just like other accident victims”
The story below is also shared in the book, 7 Costly Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Virginia Auto Accident Case, by attorneys Ken Gibson and John Singleton. The attorneys wrote this book so that their Virginia neighbors don’t have to go through the same horrible experiences they did after their accidents.
We recently sat down with John and asked him to share his story again with us.
Texts=Wrecks: Just say no to reckless driving
And help teens say no, too
During our Texts = Wrecks campaign, we at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys are writing and talking about the dangers of distracted driving, which is one form of reckless driving.
Under Virginia law, “Any person who drives a vehicle on any highway recklessly, or at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person shall be guilty of reckless driving.” “Reckless” means “marked by a lack of proper caution, careless of consequences, irresponsible.”
Ken Gibson shares his car accident experience
People say that empathy is born out of experience. That’s true for accident survivors, who know firsthand the lingering pain of physical and other injuries.
In their book, 7 Costly Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Virginia Auto Accident Case, attorneys Ken Gibson and John Singleton share their personal stories of being injured in car crashes that weren’t their fault. Readers get the sense that their experiences influenced their decision to pursue personal injury law.
We sat down with Ken and asked him to share his story with us.
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Prevention, empathy, and diligence are hallmarks of everything we do at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. Our community can see these ideals lived out in our work to prevent personal injuries from happening.
- Safety Education
GibsonSingleton launches a “Texts=Wrecks” campaign to reduce the number of people injured or killed by distracted drivers. - Annual Coat Drive
During the fall, our team works to distribute coats to people in need in our community. - Hands-on Service
John and Ken join the Gloucester Point Rotary Club in cleaning up the community. - Supporting Local Schools
The Gibson family participates in Gloucester’s Botetourt Elementary Shuffle fundraiser.