What Happened:
A Charlottesville woman was killed in an accident that occurred at the intersection of Ivy Road and Tillman Road in Albemarle County, Virginia (VA). The victim was driving north when she attempted to cross Ivy Road and her vehicle was hit on the driver’s door by a Ford F-350, according to Dailyprogress.com. The victim died at the scene of the crash.
The Virginia Injury Lawyer’s Perspective:
The family of the Charlottesville woman should consider speaking with a Virginia wrongful death lawyer to discuss their legal options. They may have grounds to seek damages against the at-fault driver. Based on the facts presently available, it’s likely that the at-fault driver’s insurance company would argue that the victim was contributorily negligent by attempting to cross the road. In Virginia, we have an archaic legal doctrine known as “contributory negligence” which basically means that if a victim contributed to the accident, even if only 1%, they can be denied compensation through a civil claim. Nevertheless, the family of the victim should still speak with a lawyer since it may have been perfectly reasonable for the victim to cross the road and the at-fault driver may have been negligent and failed to stop when they should have.
Helpful Info:
Our firm published a guide on the wrongful death claims process in Virginia. Read it here.
Have Questions?
FAQs on the wrongful death claims process.
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