Middlesex County truck accident attorneys

Questions after tractor-trailer crash in Middlesex? We’re here for you.

Middlesex County, Virginia, lies on the southern bank of the Rappahannock River, where it empties into Chesapeake Bay. Middlesex covers 211 square miles and is home to approximately 11,000 people. The only incorporated town in the county is Urbanna, with 470 residents, though there are many other unincorporated communities. U.S. Route 17 is Middlesex County’s only major highway, and it gets a good deal of its tractor-trailer traffic…and accidents.

Actually, many other truck crashes have been reported on U.S. Route 33 and State Route 3, leading onto Route 17. We’re sorry to say that no matter how out-of-the-way your Middlesex County road is, it’s still likely to be traveled by large commercial trucks on the way to their destinations.

Because of their massive size and weight, tractor-trailers are a menacing presence on Eastern Virginia’s roadways. A semi-trailer can be up to 53 feet long, 102 inches wide, and 13 feet 6 inches high. A fully loaded tractor-trailer combo can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds (20 times the weight of the average automobile). That’s one big vehicle. This makes tractor-trailers more difficult to maneuver, control, and stop - adding to the dangers trucks already pose to other vehicles they share the road with.

Because tractor-trailers greatly outweigh passenger vehicles, collisions between the two often result in severe, catastrophic, or fatal injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicle. In fact, statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that in fatal collisions involving tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles, 76 percent of those killed were the occupants of the passenger vehicle.

If you’ve been involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer in Middlesex County, our legal team at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys can help you. Call (804) 413-6777 for a free consultation with us. We consider it a calling to help our neighbors who have been hurt, and we have the experience, skills, and track record to be successful advocates for you.

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Do large trucks carry enough insurance to cover victims?

A collision with a big rig can result in medical bills, lost wages, and other losses totaling millions of dollars to the victims. Despite this, semi-trucks are required to carry only a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance in Virginia (unless they’re carrying hazardous loads). And this minimum hasn’t been raised in more than three decades.

In fact, an estimated 90 percent of tractor-trailers are covered by policies for less than $1 million. The Federal Motor Carry Safety Administration (FMCSA), which oversees the trucking industry, finds this minimum grossly inadequate, but has been unable to get Congress to raise it. If the required minimum coverage for 18-wheelers had been raised to keep pace with the increase in American medical costs, it would be at approximately $3.18 million today.

That’s why you’ll need an attorney to help you get the compensation you need after a collision with a commercial truck. They aren’t just going to hand it over to you, no matter how injured you are.

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Who can be held liable for a truck accident?

Tractor-trailer accident lawsuits are unique because many different parties may be held liable. depending on the circumstances of the accident, including:

• The owner of the trucking company
• The truck driver
• The owner of the tractor (what pulls the trailer)
• The owner of the trailer
• The company leasing the tractor or trailer
• The owner of the freight being hauled
• The party that loaded the trailer
• The designer and manufacturer of the tractor or trailer, if it was defective
• The designer and manufacturer of a part of the tractor or trailer, such as tires or brakes, if they were defective
• The party responsible for the maintenance and repair of the tractor or trailer
• The party responsible for maintaining the roadway where the accident took place if that was a factor in causing the accident

Each case needs to be thoroughly investigated to find out who was partially (or fully) responsible. Trust us: they won’t be volunteering that information!

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Why you need a Middlesex County tractor-trailer accident attorney

In an accident with a semi-truck, the occupants of a passenger vehicle are at a distinct disadvantage. While you and your loved ones are seeking medical attention, the insurance companies representing the potentially liable parties will have investigators at the crash scene working on their defense. But an experienced Middlesex County auto accident lawyer can begin an accident investigation on your behalf too, while you deal with more important issues – like healing. When we take your case, the team at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys will:

• Interview witnesses
• Review surveillance camera footage
• Review police accident reports
• Interview medical staff and review medical records
• Consult accident reconstruction experts
• Demand and review information from the truck’s black box recorder, the driver’s cellphone records, and satellite data
• Present all the evidence for your claim to the liable parties and ask for the money you deserve, even for the expenses you didn’t realize you had.

To make the strongest case possible and get the compensation you deserve, it is vital that you’re represented by an experienced Middlesex County truck wreck attorney. We’re based in Gloucester, and we know how these things are done on the Middle Peninsula.

We’ve handled many truck accident claims on the Middle Peninsula and know how to get you and your family the best possible outcome. Call (804) 413-6777 for a free case evaluation with our legal team at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. We will treat you like a neighbor, not a number.

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