What Should I Do If I Suffered An Eye Injury In A Trucking Accident In Virginia?
Key Highlights
What Should I Do If I Suffered An Eye Injury In A Trucking Accident In Virginia
- Act Quickly & Get Medical Attention: If you have suffered from any type of eye trauma due to a truck accident, don’t delay in seeking out emergency medical care, as this will prevent irreversible loss of vision; this is an emergency!
- Determining Who is Liable in a Trucking Accident Case: Distracted truck drivers, carriers, and truck maintenance contractors represent just some examples of the multiple layers of liability that can be found within the trucking industry.
- The State of Virginia’s Strict Contributory Negligence Rule: The “Contributory Negligence” statute in Virginia states that if you have even a 1% liability for a crash, then you have no right to file a personal injury claim or receive legal representation through a Virginia personal injury attorney truck accident.
- Complete Recovery: You deserve to be compensated for all current medical bills, as well as future surgeries and loss of a career due to visual impairment and long-term disability.
- Experienced Legal Help: At Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm, we operate on a “No Win No Fee” basis, and our experienced attorneys will do their absolute best to ensure you obtain justice.
Life changes in an instant when a multi-ton commercial truck accident attorney Virginia collides with a smaller passenger automobile. Severe and traumatic injuries to the eyes are among the most frightening and delicate types of injuries. If you are wondering what to do after suffering an ocular injury due to a truck-related accident in Virginia, you are likely coping with pain, blurry vision, and the intense fear of losing your sight for the rest of your life.
I am Robert Tatum, an attorney at Tatum Atkinson, where our dedicated staff of professionals has the experience necessary to assist you after suffering from an eye injury truck accident lawyer Virginia. Our law firm understands that an ocular injury is far more than a medical expense; it threatens your independence, your career, and your lifestyle. Providing our clients with firm and factual answers about the laws of Virginia, we will provide you with the necessary legal assistance to hold negligent trucking companies accountable for their actions.
Immediate Priorities: Urgent Care for Eye Damage Following a Truck Collision Near Me
The force generated by an automobile accident involving a truck is typically ten times stronger than that of a typical car accident. The consequences of this force include broken glass, deployed airbags, and high-speed flying debris, all of which can seriously damage the eye. Therefore, your primary objective is to achieve medical stabilization.
If you’re involved in or witnessing a truck accident, you should seek immediate medical attention for eye injuries after returning from the scene of the truck accident. Many eye injuries appear to be “silent” in the first few hours. For instance, although the condition may not have inflicted great pain immediately (the pressure inside or a retinal break), failing to treat it could result in complete vision loss in just 48 hours. Virginia has several specially equipped trauma centers capable of performing microsurgical procedures necessary following an injury accident caused by a truck through the use of a Virginia truck accident lawyer, such as those and resources found at the UVA Health System or VCU Health.
Common Eye Injuries After Virginia Truck Accidents
Due to the relative mass and speed of collisions that involve a Virginia tractor trailer accident attorney, the resulting impact can cause catastrophic facial trauma. Furthermore, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blunt force is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in automobile crashes.
Common diagnoses include:
- Retinal Detachment
- Orbital Blowout Fractures
- Hyphema
- Traumatic Cataracts
- Corneal Abrasions and Lacerations
Secondary Traumas: The Most Commonly Broken Bone in a Car Accident
Though eye injuries often receive the most attention, they don’t occur in a vacuum in high-impact truck accident injury lawyer Virginia, where victims are likely to sustain multiple fractures. For example, you may be surprised to know that the most common broken bone after a car accident happens to be the arm/wrist, since people generally brace for impact by putting their hands against the steering wheel.
A wrist fracture will also make recovering from an eye injury difficult, as the person may have difficulty administering their eye drops or caring for themselves while they’re temporarily blind. If you have sustained a wrist fracture and loss of vision as a result of a truck accident, you should seek legal counsel from a Virginia truck accident lawyer or Virginia semi truck accident lawyer, who understands how these two types of injuries can aggravate one another, resulting in a higher disability rating and larger financial compensation amount.
Who Can Be Held Liable In A Virginia Trucking Accident?
Establishing liability regarding a commercial truck crash is often complex, as multiple parties may be liable for the crash. For instance, the driver could be liable for violating traffic laws; the trucking company could be liable for negligent hiring; the mechanical service could be liable if there was a mechanical failure; and/or the load may not have been distributed properly by the person loading it, creating a dangerous situation. Because of these various potential sources of negligence, a Virginia truck crash injury lawyer will investigate all potential sources of negligence.
Finding an Ophthalmologist Experienced with Accident-Related Eye Injuries in Virginia
Finding an ophthalmologist or Virginia eye specialists for trauma injuries from accidents who are experienced is critical for the success of your case. Although focusing on driving under the influence (DUI) may not be relevant to your particular case, it’s necessary to locate an eye specialist who is knowledgeable in Virginia and can provide you with imaging tests (such as OCTs and B-scans) to support your claim of vision loss from the accident.
Our law firm works with Virginia ophthalmologists to properly and definitively prepare your “prognosis.” We do not only look at the present state of your eyes/vision, but rather we will look at the future and project where your vision will be at the end of 20 years as well. That is a distinctive feature that our firm provides as a truck accident lawyer specializing in eye injury victim support, and at a higher level than any other law firm would offer.
How Much Compensation Can You Recover?
When our truck accident compensation lawyer Virginia, represents clients injured in truck collisions, we thoroughly explore all possible ways to compensate them. The compensation available in an eye injury case can be very high because the effects of losing your sight are felt throughout your entire life. The following types of recovery may be available to you as a result of a vision loss:
- Economic Damages: This includes payment for your past and future medical treatment, any special equipment needed as a result of your vision loss (for example, a low-vision magnifier), and retraining to perform a new job.
- Non-Economic Damages: This includes payment for the loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of a primary sense.
- Lost Earning Capacity: If your job required you to have 20/20 vision (such as being a pilot, surgeon, or commercial driver), then you can also recover damages if you can no longer continue to work because your vision no longer meets the necessary standards.
The Insurance Claims Process: Navigating the Virginia System
In Virginia, after a truck accident with an eye injury, insurance claims are a complicated process that typically involves 2 parties: one is the victim (you), and the other is the trucking insurer. However, the trucking insurer’s goal is to minimize its payouts. Therefore, NEVER provide the trucking insurer with a recorded statement without the presence of your Virginia tractor-trailer accident lawyer.
You will need to notify your insurance carrier of the accident and allow your attorney to handle the negotiation process. Keep all records, including a vision journal documenting your symptoms, and avoid any comments/statements that may suggest you bear some fault for the accident.
The “Contributory Negligence” Barrier in Virginia
As a result of Virginia’s adherence to the “pure contributory negligence” rule, if you are determined to be negligent (even at 1%) in causing an accident, it will be impossible to seek recovery for any damages sustained as a result of the accident.
For this reason, you need to have the best truck accident attorney in Virginia fighting for you to ensure that a proper case is put together showing that the truck driver or trucking company are 100% responsible, which will protect your ability to obtain proper settlement for any damages incurred as a result of your accident.
What Legal Services Specialize in Trucking Accident Eye Injury Cases in Virginia?
Obtaining legal aid for truck accident victims in Virginia should be done through knowledgeable attorneys who work specifically with these types of cases. The Tatum law firm can also offer an ocular injury analysis as part of our services as well as accident reconstruction, which requires expertise from both visual and experiential perspectives.
Our team of Virginia personal injury attorneys and truck accident lawyers works diligently towards obtaining complete compensation for individuals who suffer severe visual impairment due to a truck accident and have suffered extensive, long-lasting damage as well.
Long-Term Effects and Disability Ratings
Many physical injuries are likely to last longer than the duration of a legal case when it has been settled. To assess the long-term impact of a broken wrist and/or loss of vision, we can look at the VA disability rating afforded to broken wrists or vision loss as a point of reference on how this injury is assessed by the government. Loss of vision can cause chronic headaches, balance problems, and severe depression.
The Virginia truck accident lawsuit attorney will help you to ensure that your settlement includes “future care” so that you are not a financial burden to your family because of the negligence of another driver.
Why You Should Contact A Virginia Truck Accident Lawyer Immediately
Truck accident evidence disappears quickly, such as skid marks fading away and “black box” or electronic data from the truck being rewritten.
What are your options if you have sustained an eye injury from a Virginia trucking accident attorney? The first thing you should do is make sure that you have an appropriate advocate.
Call Tatum & Atkinson at (800) 529-0804, and our professional team will be deployed to preserve the evidence needed to win your case. Tatum & Atkinson provides free consultation to help you understand how you can regain your health and your future from eye injuries.
FAQs: What Should I Do If I Suffered An Eye Injury In A Trucking Accident In Virginia?
Where to get emergency eye treatment after a car crash in Virginia?
If you have suffered an immediate eye-related trauma, you will need to seek assistance from an appropriate medical facility, such as VCU Medical Center (Richmond, VA) or Inova Medical Center (Falls Church, VA). These hospitals can provide urgent types of care and are equipped to prevent long-term vision loss due to a truck accident.
What immediate steps should I take if I suffer an eye injury in a trucking accident in Virginia?
Get emergency medical care as soon as possible. Do not touch your eye. Keep any debris (if safe), and call the Virginia truck accident attorney before answering questions from an insurance company or providing a recorded statement.
How does Virginia’s contributory negligence law affect my truck accident eye injury claim?
The contributory negligence rule in Virginia precludes you from receiving recovery (even though you may be only 1% at fault). Your attorney will have to prove that the truck driver was 100% responsible for the eye injury in order to get you compensation for your eye injury.
How long do I have to file a truck accident eye injury lawsuit in Virginia?
Typically in Virginia, you have two years from the date of a truck accident that has resulted in an eye injury to file a lawsuit, but there could be additional deadlines depending on the details surrounding your case.
Can I recover compensation for permanent vision loss after a Virginia trucking accident?
Yes. Permanent vision impairment is classified as a catastrophic injury lawyer Virginia. You can claim damages relating to the cost of medical care, lost income potential, rehabilitation, and long-term effects on your quality of life or level of independence.
