Car Accidents

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reports that in 2009, almost 63,000 people were injured and over 750 were killed by drivers who violated the rules of the road. These rules protect all of us who lawfully use Virginia highways. When we drive our cars we trust that other drivers will obey the rules of the road. Unfortunately wrongdoers violate the rules of the road, gamble with our safety, and cause serious harm by:

• driving at speeds that kill
• running a red light
• running a stop sign
• rear-ending us
• suddenly driving into our path
• driving distracted
• driving drunk

Daniel Denver was texting on his cell phone and didn’t see May’s car stopped at a red light on King Street. He smashed into the rear of May’s car, causing this Alexandria, Virginia car accident. May broke her left wrist and was rushed to Alexandria Hospital.

Far too often, a negligent driver violates the rules of the road. If you suffer personal injury, like May, or a family member is killed, the wrongdoer must take personal responsibility and be held accountable to you and your family. The negligent driver must pay the debt he incurred.

For over 30 years, Virginia car accident lawyer Gerald Schwartz has fought aggressively to hold negligent drivers accountable to pay the debt they incurred for seriously injuring his clients. Gerald Schwartz has settled thousands of car crash cases across Virginia from Fairfax to Fredericksburg.

Gerald Schwartz has a statewide reputation for fighting for maximum recovery in every case. Alexandria, Virginia car accident attorney Gerald Schwartz is often asked by the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association to teach other lawyers how to enlarge their client’s settlements in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Personal injury lawyers all over Virginia regularly go to Gerald Schwartz for advice. To learn more, click “Maximizing Recovery”.

Charles suffered serious injuries in a Woodbridge car accident and was rushed to Potomac Hospital. The other driver, Curtis Brown, ran a red light on Dale Boulevard causing the crash.

A driver who negligently causes serious personal injury, like Curtis Brown, must compensate his victim for all the harm caused. The law demands “full and fair compensation” -- nothing less. Virginia Model Jury Instruction 9.000 instructs the jury: “Your verdict shall be for such sum as will “fully and fairly” compensate the plaintiff for the damages sustained as a result of the defendant’s negligence.”

“Compensation for the damages sustained” means balancing all the harm on one scale with money on the other scale. The larger the harm, the larger the verdict. That is the way it should be. The legal term “damages” includes all the harm the negligent driver caused which happened in the past, which are happening in the present and which will happen in the future. Under Virginia law, a negligent driver is responsible for the following harms the injured victim suffered:

• all bodily injuries, past and future and their effect on the injured person
• all past and future physical pain and mental anguish
• all disfigurement (scarring) or deformity and associated humiliation and
embarrassment
• all past and future inconvenience
• all past and future medical expenses
• all past and future lost earnings and lost earning capacity

To learn about compensation in wrongful death cases, click “Wrongful Death.”

Woodbridge auto accident attorney Gerald Schwartz provides aggressive and compassionate advocacy in every case. Schwartz is aggressive against the wrongdoer to hold him accountable; and compassionate to you and your family to better understand your injury and needs and to be part of the healing process after a life-altering accident.

Virginia accident attorney Gerald Schwartz, is one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Virginia” and Past President of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Gerald Schwartz is a lifetime member of the “Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Top Trial Lawyers in America”™. Alexandria, Virginia car accident lawyer Gerald Schwartz has 30 years experience handling serious car accident cases from Fairfax to Fredericksburg and beyond.

If you have been seriously injured or a loved one killed, call Virginia car accident lawyer Gerald Schwartz for a free consultation to learn your rights at 1-800-423-0055.