Personal Injury Attorney in Arlington

Driver injured from car accident suffering neck pains.

Have you suffered injuries in an accident in Arlington caused by someone else’s negligence? You may have the right to pursue compensation for your losses from those responsible for the harm you’ve endured. You deserve the full amount of money possible for your injuries. Turn to an Arlington personal injury lawyer from Marks & Harrison for help.

Since 1911, our firm has dedicated itself to advocating for the rights and interests of injured Virginians. In the past century, we’ve become one of Virginia’s largest and most-respected personal injury firms. Our legal team includes 28 attorneys and over 100 support staff, including investigators, former claims adjusters, and law enforcement officers. When you hire us to represent you in your personal injury claim, you can rest assured that we have the experience and resources necessary to pursue your case and demand the financial relief you deserve. Our attorneys have received numerous awards and recognition that reflect our firm’s proven track record of success and commitment to fighting for justice for our clients.

Contact Marks & Harrison today for a free initial claim evaluation. You can speak with an Arlington personal injury lawyer about your rights to compensation and what you can expect during the legal process. Let us advocate for you to help you seek the financial resources you need to heal and get your life back on track.

What Is a Personal Injury?

A personal injury is the physical and emotional harm a person suffers in an incident caused by someone else. When someone suffers an injury, they may have the legal right to seek financial compensation from the party whose negligence, recklessness, or intentional acts led to the injury.

What Types of Accidents Can Result in a Personal Injury Claim?

At Marks & Harrison, our Arlington personal injury attorneys advocate for the rights of clients who have suffered injuries and losses due to:

How Do I Know If I Have a Valid Personal Injury Claim?

If you have suffered a physical injury caused by another party’s negligence or recklessness, you might have a case. Negligence is when someone breaches their duty to act in a way that does not harm others. Recklessness happens when a person consciously ignores the risk that their actions will injure others. In addition, a valid personal injury claim requires you to prove that you’ve incurred losses that an at-fault party can financially compensate you for.

An experienced Arlington personal injury lawyer from Marks & Harrison can review the facts of your case to advise whether you may have a valid personal injury claim.

How Do I Prove Who Is At Fault for the Accident That Caused My Injuries?

Examples of evidence you might use to prove fault for the accident that led to your injuries include:

  • Accident reports
  • Police reports
  • Arrest or citation records
  • Staffing records
  • Maintenance records
  • Medical records and treating provider notes
  • Accident scene photos and videos
  • Photos of your injuries or the clothing you wore in the accident
  • Surveillance camera footage
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Alcohol and drug test results
  • Post-accident engineering inspections
  • Accident reconstruction expert reports
  • Weather reports

A skilled Arlington personal injury lawyer from Marks & Harrison can help secure this evidence to identify the at-fault party and establish their liability for your injuries.

Does It Matter If I Am Partially Responsible for the Accident?

If you bear partial responsibility for causing the accident that resulted in your injuries, you may have jeopardized your right to pursue financial recovery from the other at-fault party. Virginia still follows the traditional contributory negligence rule. Under this rule, injured victims may not seek compensation if they bear any fault for causing their injuries. Given the harsh consequences of the contributory fault rule, you need an experienced Arlington personal injury lawyer to advocate for you and push back when an opposing party tries to shift some of the blame for your injuries onto you.

If I Have Been Injured, Should I Post It on Social Media?

You can best protect your legal rights in your personal injury claim by not posting about your injuries or cases on social media. Although you may want to talk about your injuries on social media to update your family and friends on your recovery, don’t do it. You should know that insurance companies frequently monitor the social media accounts of injured accident victims.

Insurers keep tabs on injured claimants’ social media accounts for multiple reasons, such as:

  • An accident victim who allegedly suffered debilitating or disabling injuries may post photos or videos of themselves doing physical activity or traveling.
  • A person injured in an accident may post their recollection of the accident, which contradicts details in their claim or testimony.
  • An injury victim may insult an at-fault party, the insurance company, or defense lawyers. This can make the victim seem motivated by anger or revenge rather than a desire to seek financial compensation and justice.

Insurers hope injured accident victims will post something on social media that they can use to contradict a victim’s official claims or undermine their credibility. Don’t discuss the accident or your case on social media or post photos and videos of yourself while recovering from your injuries.

What Compensation Can I Get for My Injuries?

In a personal injury claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for losses you’ve sustained due to your injuries, including for:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgeries, prescriptions, pain management, doctor’s appointments, physical and occupational therapy, or mental health care
  • Long-term care and support for permanent disabilities, including home maintenance services, home health services, disability accommodations, and purchases of medical or mobility equipment
  • Lost wages if you miss time from work or suffer a reduction in your earning capacity
  • Loss of future earnings and job benefits if you become permanently disabled from working
  • Emotional distress and physical pain
  • Lost quality of life due to visible scarring, disfigurement, or physical disabilities that interfere with your daily living or participation in activities

What Is the Statute of Limitations for Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Virginia?

Under Virginia’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, you usually have two years after your injury date to file a lawsuit against the party who bears liability for your losses. In certain circumstances, you may have longer to file your personal injury lawsuit. You should consult an Arlington personal injury lawyer to confirm how long the filing window is for your particular situation. If you file a personal injury lawsuit after the limitations period expires on your claim, you risk losing the right to pursue compensation for your injuries through the court system.

For personal injury claims against the state or a local government in Virginia, you must also file a written notice of your claim before filing suit. For claims against the state government, you must provide notice of your claim within one year of the incident that caused your injuries. You have only six months to file a notice of a claim against a county, city, or town.

How Long Can It Take to Settle My Case?

Although we cannot precisely predict how long it may take to settle your personal injury claim, we can identify the factors that may affect the timeline of your case, such as:

  • The severity of your injuries
  • Whether you become permanently disabled
  • The duration of your medical treatment and rehabilitation
  • Whether you miss work, suffer reduced earning capacity, or are permanently disabled from doing your job
  • Whether other people also sustained injuries in the accident that hurt you
  • The number of parties at fault for your injuries or liable for your losses
  • The complexity of the evidence in your case
  • Whether you might bear any blame for the accident that caused your injuries
  • The at-fault party’s financial resources, including the availability of any insurance coverage
  • How quickly insurers and defense counsel investigate your claim and respond to your correspondence
  • The resources and skills of your personal injury lawyer
  • Whether you pursue mediation of your claim
  • Whether you need to file a lawsuit to continue pursuing your case
  • The schedule set by the trial court, if you file a lawsuit

While more straightforward cases may settle in a few months, more complex cases can take longer to resolve – sometimes taking several years to go to court and reach trial.

Contact an Arlington, VA Personal Injury Lawyer

After you’ve suffered an accident, get the legal help you need to demand compensation from those responsible for causing your injuries. Contact Marks & Harrison today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We can discuss how an Arlington, VA personal injury lawyer from our firm can assist you with your claims and fight for the justice you deserve.