By Randy Appleton, Eastern Shore Truck Wreck Injury Attorney

A collision between a tractor-trailer and box truck on Route 13 on Virginia’s Eastern Shore sent the at-fault driver to the Shore Memorial Hospital with serious but no life-threatening injuries. According to WVEC ABC-13, the driver of the semi has been charged with failure to maintain the lane of travel because he reportedly lost control of his big rig and jackknifed when rounding a corner near the  intersection with Stone Road.

News of this truck wreck on the Eastern Shore came on the same day that media in the western part of Virginia focused on a fatal chain-reaction tractor-trailer accident on I-81 near Salem. That three-truck crash began when a trucker hit a guardrail and flipped his semi.

Both the wrecks on February 2, 2012, highlight the dangers truck drivers create when they allow their big rigs to go out of control. Police were continuing to investigate the crashes as I wrote this blog post. With both accidents occurring between 2 am and 4 am on rain-slicked highways, I’m sure bad weather conditions and driver fatigue will be looked at as contributing factors. Regardless of the findings, the victims of the accidents should contact a Virginia truck crash attorney to discuss their legal options.

EJL

About the Editors: Lawyers with Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and ATV accident victims, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By John Cooper, Eastern Shore, VA Accident Injury Attorney

An accident involving a pickup truck and tractor-trailer on Highway 460 in Pounding Mill, Virginia (VA), led to the death of a young man named Christopher Crigger. He lost control of his 2003 Dodge pickup truck and went off the roadway. He was only 21 years old.

Crigger reportedly overcorrected, and the truck overturned when he attempted to reenter the highway from the median, according to swvatoday.com. After going through the median and overturning, Crigger’s truck slid across the eastbound lane and was hit by a tractor-trailer.

The exact details of what caused Crigger to lose control of his truck remain unknown. Was there a mechanical issue with his truck? Did the tractor-trailer driver not have time to stop when the truck slid across the highway? We will have to wait and see what the accident report reveals.

This truck accident highlights the damage that can occur when a vehicle is hit by a tractor-trailer. Usually, if a sedan or pickup truck is hit by a tractor-trailer, the smaller vehicle takes the brunt of the impact and considerable damage results.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys handle Eastern Shore, Virginia (VA) injury lawsuits. Our lawyers have provided legal advice and representation for thousands of victims of car and truck accidents, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We are familiar with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and with the towns along Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Though not every case meets our criteria, we offer free, confidential initial consultations. Give us a call at (800) 752-0042. If you can’t get through due to high call volume, please leave a message and we will return your call.

By John Cooper, Eastern Shore Injury Lawyer

A Freightliner tractor-trailer was traveling down Route 13 in Mefla, Virginia (VA), when the truck ran off the road, hit two telephone polls, slammed into two cars, and finally hit a building. The truck driver, a Mappsville, VA, resident, suffered injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment, according to WAVY.com.

What exactly caused the truck accident remains a mystery. Was the trucker distracted in some way? Was there a mechanical problem with the tractor trailer? The investigation is still ongoing.

One lane of Route 13 was shut down for several hours as crews repaired what was damaged. Reports estimate thousands of dollars’ worth of property damage resulted from the accident. Fortunately, no one was killed in the truck crash.

This wreck illustrates the immense damage that can be done when a truck is involved. That is why it is so important for truck companies to make sure their tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers are operating at an optimum level and truckers do not drive their trucks recklessly.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm handling Eastern Shore VA injury accident law and we have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Check out our case results to see for yourself. We are familiar with Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island. We provide free injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 Edition. These two, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper were named 2010 Virginia “Super Lawyers” For Personal Injury Law (less than 5% of outstanding lawyers are chosen), and our firm includes attorneys selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. We provide this blog as a pro bono public service.

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By Jim Lewis, Eastern Shore VA Injury Lawyer

A tractor-trailer traveling down Route 13 in Melfa, Virginia (VA) couldn’t stop in time to avoid traffic outside of the Shore Stop convenience store. The truck driver veered to the right to avoid the traffic and wound up slamming into the front of the convenience store. Two people in the store – a clerk and a delivery man – suffered injuries and are receiving treatment at Shore Memorial Hospital in Nassawadox on the Eastern Shore, according to wboc.com.

This tractor-trailer accident looks like it could have been avoided. If the truck driver had been more vigilant and applied his brakes as soon as he saw vehicles stopped in front of him on Route 13, maybe this awful wreck wouldn’t have happened. The at-fault driver was charged by police at the scene.

Let’s hope the two injured victims pull through. It has to be an extremely traumatic experience seeing a massive tractor trailer bust through a store and hurt you. These types of accidents don’t just affect the victim physically, but mentally as well.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm handling Eastern Shore VA injury accident law and we have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Check out our case results to see for yourself. We are familiar with Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island. We provide free injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 Edition. These two, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper were named 2010 Virginia “Super Lawyers” For Personal Injury Law (less than 5% of outstanding lawyers are chosen), and our firm includes attorneys selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. We provide this blog as a pro bono public service.

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If your car or truck was stolen, there are a  myriad of inconveniences and hassles including filing an insurance claim, getting a rental car or replacement car, and filling out a police report. The last thing on your mind would be defending yourself from spurious accusations from your own insurance company. But that’s exactly what happened to a Virginia Beach man who had his truck stolen. State Farm, his insurance company, accused him of intentionally stealing and burning his truck. To learn more, check out this article:

Insurance Company Accuses Own Customer of Stealing and Burning Their Truck

By Jim Lewis, Eastern Shore Accident Lawyer

The six-officer staff of the Exmore police station is in mourning today. The Chief of Police was killed after a tire blew out on his 1985 Ford truck causing the vehicle to overturn and ejecting him into a field.

The Chief of Police was a distinguished public servant and worked for the police force since 1982, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

The truck wreck occurred on Route 609 in Accomack County. Reports indicate he was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. This tragic crash is eerily similar to the accident in 2009 that took the life of Mayor Jeter Guy Lawson. The Mayor ran a red light in Cape Charles and wound up hitting a truck. He also wasn’t wearing his seat belt.

These accidents illustrate the importance of buckling up while you’re behind the wheel. In the police chief’s case, a tire blow out is sudden and completely unexpected. Could he have survived if he wore his seat belt? No one can say for sure. Statistics do indicate that roughly 35,000 people die in car crashes each year and about 50 percent (17,000) of these people could be saved if they wore their seat belts, according to James Madison University.

Regardless, this is still a major loss for Eastern Shore residents. As Exmore Mayor Billy Moore told the Virginian Pilot, “I think the town has lost a person that was truly dedicated to the citizens here and he was a wealth of knowledge that is going to be hard to replace.”

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm handling Eastern Shore VA injury accident law and we have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Check out our case results to see for yourself. We are familiar with Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island. We provide free injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 Edition. These two, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper were named 2010 Virginia “Super Lawyers” For Personal Injury Law (less than 5% of outstanding lawyers are chosen), and our firm includes attorneys selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. We provide this blog as a pro bono public service.

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By John Cooper, Eastern Shore VA Accident Lawyer

George Roberts Stevens Sr. of Belle Haven was driving in his Ford Ranger along U.S. 13 in Accomack County when his life came to a tragic end. He hit the back end of a tractor trailer, veered off the road and ultimately wound up slamming into a Caterpillar grader, according to the Daily Press.

The details of this tragic truck/tractor trailer accident include the fact that immediately after Mr. Stevens’ Ranger hit the back of the tractor trailer his airbags deployed and smoke started to fill up the cabin of the truck. This probably hindered his vision and contributed to the Ranger going off the road and hitting the grader.

There are many questions that need to be answered regarding this accident. First and foremost, what caused smoke to infiltrate the cabin of the truck? The Ford Ranger series that has been subject to numerous recalls including vehicle speed control and the power train differential unit. Could either of these issues played a role in the accident? We can’t say for sure.

Another potential factor to consider is that some trailers do not have proper working rear lights and under-ride bars to prevent a car or truck’s occupants from suffering a head injury from running under the back of the trailer. We don’t know if the trailer involved in this wreck lacked working lights and under-ride bars though it should be investigated since this accident occurred early in the morning.

A passenger in the Ranger named George Wharton suffered injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. I hope Mr. Wharton recuperates and Mr. Stevens’ family is able to get through the grieving process.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm handling Eastern Shore VA injury accident law and we have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Check out our case results to see for yourself. We are familiar with Route 13, including people from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island. We provide free injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” 2010 Edition. These two, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper were named 2010 Virginia “Super Lawyers” For Personal Injury Law (less than 5% of outstanding lawyers are chosen), and our firm includes attorneys selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. We provide this blog as a pro bono public service.

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By Emily Mapp Brannon, Eastern Shore VA Injury Lawyer

A truly impressive feat of engineering and a drive unequalled in beauty on clear, warm spring days like the one on which I’m posting this, the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge-Tunnel has carried more than 100 million cars and trucks between Northampton Boulevard in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), and Route 13 on Virginia’s Eastern Shore since opening to traffic in 1964.

Expanded from two lanes – one north and one south on the same road bed – to two lanes on separate spans in both directions in 1999, the CCBT cuts nearly 100 miles and more than two hours off the driving time between the Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads. The Bridge-Tunnel has been a boon to commercial traffic, commuters and tourists. It has also seen its share of accidents resulting in serious injuries and loss of life.

Tunnels and bridges present unique risks to drivers, from narrow lanes to extreme changes in visibility and lighting due to fog, mist and driving into and out of tunnel entrances and exits. Car and truck accidents are practically daily occurrences on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel between Norfolk and Hampton, for instance. While rarer, accidents on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel have often been severe.

A tractor-trailer drove off the CCBT in March 2005 and died when his rig hit and sank in the Bay. An SUV driver lost his life the same way on New Year’s Eve in 2006, and another tractor-trailer driver required hospital treatment for a knee injury he suffered when he clipped a parked maintenance truck on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

One way bridge operators prevent car and truck accidents is closing the Bridge-Tunnel to certain vehicles when high winds, heavy rains or snow hit the Bay. The CCBT also shuts down and receives a thorough structural inspection when ships or barges – inevitably – strike one of the bridge supports. Bridge employees are even available to drive people’s cars and trucks across the CCBT “whenever a customer has a phobia of heights, bridges, tunnels, etc.”

No policies or practices can take the place of safe driving, though. Be careful the next time you make the tip from Virginia Beach to Kiptopeke and points north in Accomack and Northampton and Accomack counties.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm handling Eastern Shore VA injury accident law and we have handled thousands of car and truck accident cases, including many on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Check out our case results to see for yourself. We are familiar with people who drive Route 13, including those from Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island. We provide free injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the “Best Lawyers in America” for 2010, and they and their fellow attorney John M. Cooper were named 2010 Virginia “Super Lawyers” for Personal Injury Law. Fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive this distinction. Our firm also includes attorneys selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. We provide this blog as a pro bono public service.

EJL