You’ve heard the old saying “Accidents happen.” While some may indeed be unforeseeable, others can be attributed to the recklessness, negligence, or careless actions of another party. If this type of accident leaves you seriously injured or even disabled, you deserve a Virginia personal injury lawyer who will aggressively pursue the responsible parties for maximum compensation.
At Poole, Brooke, Plumlee, PC, we have helped hundreds of clients maximize compensation after a serious accident and get justice after the wrongful death of a loved one. While the firm has a diversified personal injury practice, we focus on complex and serious cases that often result in permanent and disabling injuries and have a solid track record for aggressively litigating our cases. Every client gets direct and personal attention as we support their recovery.
Below is an overview of the personal injury cases we regularly handle, along with examples of case results.
(Please note that the Virginia State Bar rules of professional conduct require all attorneys to make the following statement and disclaimer to their case results: “The results of specific cases reported are not meant to be a prediction or guarantee of any other case. Each case depends upon a variety of factors specific to that case.”)
What Financial Compensation Can I Get in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Under Virginia law, personal injury victims may be entitled to recover the following in a successful civil lawsuit:
- Past medical bills
- Current medical expenses
- Reasonably foreseeable medical costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Property damage
When you are permanently injured, you may also be entitled to an award of damages that will last for the rest of your life, covering your medical expenses and living costs.
Virginia has no caps on most standard personal injury cases, meaning that the amount of economic and non-economic damages you can receive from negligent parties is not limited by state law. There are only two exceptions: medical malpractice cases are capped at $2 million and punitive damages, which may be applied in cases of serious recklessness, are capped at $350,000.
When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
We recommend that you hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as you realize that you have compensable damages and BEFORE you speak to an insurance adjuster. Although they may sound friendly and concerned over the phone, insurance company representatives are looking out for their best interests, not yours, and anything you say could be used to deny your claim.
Your personal injury attorney will deal with the insurance companies on your behalf, make sure all necessary evidence (medical records, opinions from a medical professional, police reports, statements from expert witnesses, etc.) has been collected, and file your claim before the deadline, which is generally two years in Virginia. Claims against the government have an even shorter statute of limitations of six months, but your attorney will know this and meet the deadline.
What if I Was Partly to Blame for the Accident?
Unlike most other states, Virginia follows a pure contributory negligence rule. What this means is that if you are found to have contributed to the accident in any way, no matter how minor, you can’t file a personal injury lawsuit against the other party or parties. This rule is a sharp contrast to other states that simply diminish the amount of your award by your assigned degree of fault.
A personal injury attorney at Poole, Brooke, Plumlee, PC will give you an honest assessment of your case. If we believe you have a claim due to the careless actions of another party, an experienced attorney will protect your rights and fight to prevent the other side from unfairly assigning blame to you.
When to Speak to a Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer?
If you suffered a catastrophic injury in Virginia, Poole, Brooke, Plumlee, PC can help. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can help you understand your right to maximum compensation and file a personal injury claim against the liable party. When you need financial recovery for serious injuries, you need an experienced law firm that has a solid track record, knows how to get results, and will give your case the personal attention it deserves. Please contact us today for a confidential initial consultation and case review.
Slip and Fall Attorneys
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere: parking lots, sidewalks, shopping malls, office buildings, and even in and around private homes! These are all places where the owner has a duty of care to keep the premises reasonably safe for those who access them.
Poor lighting, unmopped water or spills, uncollected debris, and other hazardous conditions are usually to blame in slip and fall cases, and if you suffer broken bones or another catastrophic injury, you may be able to hold the property owner or manager responsible for failure to keep their premises safe. As soon as you’ve received medical attention, call the slip and fall lawyers at Poole, Brooke, Plumlee, PC.
Virginia Slip and Fall Settlements
- A 59-year old Vietnam veteran working as an engineer slipped and fell on the walkway at a local auto dealership after a winter storm. A brief attempt at mediation resulted in no settlement offer from the auto dealership. The jury trial lasted three days with the jury deliberating for approximately three hours before returning its verdict in favor of the Plaintiff. The jury awarded $2,000,000, plus interest from the date of the accident which is estimated at over $400,000.
- Copier sales representative slipped and fell in drywall dust in the foyer of a Hampton office building. Subsequent investigation revealed negligence on the part of the building owners, management, and the contractor. The case settled on the eve of trial for more than $260,000.
Car Accident Lawyers
According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 105,600 car crashes on state roads and highways in 2020, killing 847 people and injuring 52,668 others. In a lot of cases, these collisions were not true ‘accidents’- someone was speeding, texting and driving, driving under the influence, or otherwise being negligent behind the wheel.
Motor vehicle accidents are devasting events that are more likely than not to leave accident victims with serious and life-changing injuries like broken bones, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury. If you’ve been injured by the careless actions of a negligent driver and the insurance company tries to avoid its obligation to compensate you, a car accident lawyer at Poole, Brooke, Plumlee, PC will fight to hold them to their word and demand a fair settlement.
Virginia Accident Settlements
- A truck driver from Hampton Roads sustained back and other injuries after a nearby car spun out on the Capital Beltway and hit an illegally parked tractor-trailer in the emergency lane. A $499,000 settlement was reached in the case.
- In a high-speed intersection accident in the North Carolina Outer Banks, our personal injury law firm successfully sued the offending driver and his employer for damages and negligence. A cash and structured settlement arrangement worth $450,000 was arranged with the contractor’s insurance company.
Premises Liability Attorneys
Premises liability addresses liability for injuries that occur on someone else’s property, usually due to negligence or carelessness. Common types include slips and falls at the grocery store, falling into an unprotected swimming pool, or being injured during a dangerous ride at an amusement park. In essence, you are injured while using the property and the owner has a duty of care to prevent or reduce the risk of such injuries.
Premises liability laws can be complex, especially if you were injured on government property, so talk to an accident attorney at our firm about your options.
Premises Liability Settlements
- A box fell on the plaintiff’s head while she was shopping, causing mild traumatic brain injury. The case was settled for $3,750,000.
Product Liability Attorneys
While any consumer product can be defective, common classes of product liability cases involve medical devices, pharmaceuticals, vehicle parts, consumer goods, and tools or equipment.
There are three basic types of product defects: manufacturing defects, design defects, and marketing defects (known as failure to warn). There are several unique elements that must be established by the injured party in order to prevail on a product liability claim. An experienced attorney at Poole, Brooke, Plumlee, PC can review your case, identify the type of defect involved, and help you pursue fair compensation from the at-fault party.
Product Liability Settlements
- In a case involving serious burn injuries to a steelworker, we sued the manufacturer and distributor of steelmaking equipment. The manufacturer settled the claim with a cash and structured settlement valued at more than $1,000,000.
Wrongful Death Lawyer
When a loved one dies due to the negligence or wrongful acts of another, you have the right to file a lawsuit. When dealing with the aftermath of such a tragic loss, you will need an attorney who will aggressively protect your legal rights during what can be a challenging legal process.
Like a personal injury claim, a wrongful death claim seeks compensation for harm caused by careless or reckless conduct. A wrongful death lawsuit may be brought by a “personal representative” of the victim’s surviving family members and estate if the victim had lived and could have filed a personal injury claim. Our wrongful death attorneys have the compassion, experiences, and resources you need at this difficult time and will work to hold the at-fault party accountable.
Wrongful Death Settlements
- Upon the death of a construction supervisor, our personal injury law firm filed a lawsuit against a delivery company, its driver, and the company that maintained the delivery truck after a heavy load of doors fell from the truck’s liftgate. The estate received a cash settlement of $2,850,000.
Articles
Personal Injury Blog
by Jeffrey F. Brooke
Failure of Liftgate Blamed on Negligent Maintenance
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, August 2009
Million Dollar Settlements of 2011
Virginia Lawyers Weekly, February 2012