Practice Areas
- Auto Accidents
- Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Wrongful Death Claims
- Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
- Trucking/Tractor Trailer Accidents
- General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
Firm News
- Surgeon sues his own Spinal Surgeon for Medical Malpractice, Alleges Back Surgery Medical Negligence
- Single-Vehicle Tanker Trailer Crash Kills One
- Teen Driver Killed by Garbage Truck
- I-81 Tractor Trailer Accident
- Two Williamsburg, Va., Teens Killed in Crash
- John Cooper is Elected Chair of the Railroad Law Section of the American Association for Justice
- Trucker Health Problems Could Cause Collisions
- Truckers: Know your English or Pay the Fine
- Toxic Heavy Metal in Chesapeake, VA Water?
- The Jere Beasley Report – June 2008 “Jury returns verdict of $8,000,000 for seaman”
Library
Auto Accidents
- High traffic and bad driving cause headaches and accidents
- Road Fatalities Fall as Gas Rises
- Hazardous Road Conditions in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) Seriously Injuring Motorists
Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases
- Train Accident in Massachusetts Caused by Speed and Possibly Cell Phone
- The Higher Duty Owed by Railroads
- What Not To Do In A Railroad Accident
Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Head injury: forgotten trauma
- Spinal cord injuries are frightening.
- Hurrican Katrina: Seventeen Months and Counting
Wrongful Death Claims
- Having A Good Support Staff Is Key To Being A Strong Personal Injury And F.E.L.A. Law Firm
- Confidentiality Agreements Keep Information About Personal Injury Settlements From The Public
- Videotaping Lay Witnesses Can Be A Powerful Settlement Tool In Personal Injury And Death Cases
Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
- BREAST IMPLANT CASE WINS SUPREME COURT APPEAL
- Five Tips for Choosing a Cardiologist
- Stroke Symptoms & Diagnosis
Trucking/Tractor Trailer Accidents
- FMCSA Hours of Service Regulations
- Six Things You Must Remember if You're in a Truck Accident
- Top 10 Causes of 18-Wheeler Accidents
General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
- INSURANCE COMPANIES CONTINUE TO OVERCHARGE CUSTOMERS AND UNDERPAY CLAIMS
- North Carolina's Court System
- Boating accidents and injuries in Hampton Roads, Virginia (VA)
Firm Newsletters
General
Saving Lives: Virginia's Seat Belt Law
When worn correctly, seat belts have been proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 44%. In SUV’s, pickup trucks, and mini-vans, the life saving potential of a seat belt rises to 60%. So it’s remarkable that all Virginian’s don’t buckle up the moment the sit in a car seat.
Last year, Virginia seat belt use rose about 1% to 79.9% as Virginia’s Click It or Ticket program increased public awareness about seat belt use. During that same time, however, Virginia also experienced an increase in the number of traffic fatalities due to lack of restraint use. As the number of people wearing seatbelts has risen, so too has the proportion of highway deaths involving unbelted passengers.
Virginia Seat Belt Law
In Virginia, all front seat passengers must wear a safety belt.
Also, all passengers under the age of 16 must be wearing a seat belt, regardless of their position in the car. Passengers who are over the age 16 may choose to go unbelted.
Virginia is a “secondary enforcement” state. This means that if the police officer sees a car go by with an unbelted passenger, he may not pull over the car to issue a seatbelt ticket unless he can cite the driver for some other traffic violation. A growing minority of states have recognized the importance of seat belts and have amended their legislation to become “primary enforcement” states, and allow their officers to pull over vehicles solely on the basis of a seat belt violation. These states have seen a marked decline in their highway fatalities.
The Backseat Passenger
In Virginia, backseat passengers over the age 16 may choose to go unbelted. However, drivers should encourage backseat passengers to wear a safety belt, if not for the passenger’s safety, then for the driver’s.
A study from the University of Buffalo concluded that a backseat passengers refusal to wear a safety belt increased the likelihood of severe head and chest trauma for the driver in an accident. In a head-on crash, the unbelted backseat passenger transforms himself into a human missile. This was true in cases using adult-sized dummies as well as the child-sized versions.
A British study testing head-on crashes at 30 mph demonstrated that an unbelted backseat passenger can be thrown forward out of his seat at the force of 3.5 tons.
Free Reports
Quick Contact
Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton, P.C.
1294 Diamond Springs Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Toll Free: (800) 752.0042
Phone: (757) 460-7776
Fax: (757) 460.3428
Case Results
Auto Accidents
- Pedestrians Stuck by Automobile Recover $540,000.00
- Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome brings verdict of $170,000.00
- Crosswalk Accident With Broken Leg Settles For $227,000.00
- Soft Tissue Injuries Caused by Auto Accident
- Serious Auto Accident Causes Death of Infant
Railroad Accidents, Occupational injuries/diseases
- Railroad-Roadway Crossing Accident - Car Passengers Injured
- FELA
- AMTRAK ENGINEER SETTLES WITH AMTRAK AND CSX OVER DERAILMENT
- Locomotive Engine Fire causes Rail Engineer right arm and wrist surgery
- Shoulder Injury requiring surgery for Locomotive Engineer
Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
- Gallbladder Surgery Error
- Medical Negligence
- Pharmacy-Prescription Error
- Gastric Bypass (stomach stapling) Surgery complications
- Retained Surgical Sponge and Subsequent Complications
Trucking/Tractor Trailer Accidents
- Collision Between Two Big Rigs Creates Fireball
- Automobile Accident Causing Coma and Paralysis
- Virginia Automobile Accident
- MACK truck wreck causes leg fractures
- Automobile wreck with drunk driver causes connective tissue injury
General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
- Department Store Shelf Falls on Customer
- Pilot Suffers Electrical Shock Injury At Hotel Ending Commercial Pilot’s Career--Settlement Soon Before Federal Court Jury Trial
Other
- Hotel Guest-Glass Coffee Carafe Shatters-Hand Injury
- Faulty Product - Fiberglass Stepladder Failure
- Skiing Accident
FAQs
Auto Accidents
- What should I do if I am involved in a car accident?
- I was in a car crash. How quickly do I have to find an attorney and file a lawsuit?
- What is the minimum car insurance I'm allowed to carry in my state?
- What is uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and why should I think about having it?
- Does my state have a primary enforcement law for seat belts?
Surgical Errors, Medical Malpractice
General Personal Injury Claims We Handle
General
- Do I really need a lawyer?
- Can I afford to get into a lawsuit?
- How long will the whole process take?
- What if I do not want to go to court because I am getting nervous about testifying?
- How much am I likely to recover when in court?