Several people suffered injuries in a chain-reaction crash on bridge to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The three-vehicle pileup happened inside one of the tubes of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on the morning of June 7.
CBBT officials announced at 11:24 am that they were temporarily closing the span along U.S. 13 across the bay between Virginia Beach and Northampton County. Subsequent reporting revealed that the crash started when the driver of a SUV lost control and struck the wall of the Chesapeake Tunnel, which is the one closest to the Eastern Shore.
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The southbound SUV then crossed into the northbound lane and collided with a van. Unable to stop in time, the driver of a car slammed into the rear of the van.
State police said two people were transported from the scene to a hospital. Authorities also disclosed that several other individuals suffered injuries. The number of injured people and the severity of the injuries remain unknown. It is also unclear which vehicles the most badly injured people were in.
Multivehicle Wreck Raise Multiple Questions
It is easy to assume that the driver of the SUV caused the head-on collision and set the stage for the car crashing into the van. A thorough investigation may confirm this, but the reality could just as easily be far more complicated. Neither I nor my fellow Virginia Beach-based personal injury law firm colleagues will speculate. We will note, however, that all the people injured in this CBBT chain-reaction wreck would benefit from consulting with a plaintiff’s attorney.
More than one driver may be found to be at fault, which could make it possible for injured victims to file claims against more than one insurance policy. Alternatively, a single at-fault driver would rapidly run out of coverage to compensate injured victims for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.
In this later scenario, crash victims would be best advised to access the underinsured motorist coverage offered by their own car insurance policy. Virginia law requires each policy sold in the state to include at least $25,000 of liability coverage to make up the difference when an at-fault driver’s policy has been exhausted.
Succeeding with an underinsured motorist claim amounts to winning a lawsuit against your own policy provider. The insurance company will insist on receiving proof that you did not cause or contribute to causing the crash, demand medical records and look for ways to deny claims or minimize a settlement payment. Partnering with an experienced personal injury lawyer even while dealing with your own insurer makes sense.
EJL