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Truck Accident Verdicts and the Real Cost of Unsafe Trucking

Truck Accident Verdicts and the Real Cost of Unsafe Trucking When a serious truck crash changes a family’s life, the costs can continue for decades. Emergency treatment may be followed by surgeries, rehabilitation, lost income, and permanent disability. For families who lose a loved one, no financial award can replace that person. Those consequences deserve a central place in the debate over truck accident lawsuits. The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s Roadblock report argues that trucking litigation and large verdicts burden the trucking industry and increase consumer costs. At  The Thomson Law Firm, we believe those claims deserve careful scrutiny—especially when they are used to support restrictions on injured people’s ability to seek compensation. What Rising Verdicts Can and Cannot Tell Us The response to the report supplied for this article identifies annual growth of approximately 3.7% in median truck awards and 3.6% in injury and fatal truck crashes over the peri...
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Should You Tell ChatGPT About Your Car Accident? A Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Explains

Artificial intelligence has changed the way people search for information. Today, many accident victims ask ChatGPT questions before they ever call an attorney. Some ask: “Do I have a personal injury case?” “How much is my accident worth?” “Was I partially at fault?” “Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?” “Should I report the accident to my insurance company even if the accident wasn’t my fault?” Understandable questions?  You bet.  Should you have a chat with an AI model about your potential personal injury case?  No. Don’t share the facts of your personal injury case with an AI chatbot before speaking with an attorney. Using AI to learn about the legal process is perfectly reasonable. Sharing confidential details about your accident is something entirely different and it can hurt your case. Can ChatGPT Tell Me If I Have a Personal Injury Case? Not accurately. Every personal...
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Can You Have A Concussion After A Car Accident Even If The CT Scan Is Normal?

My mTBI Wasn’t Diagnosed Right After My Car Accident. Can I Still Make A Claim? After a car accident, one of the first concerns many people have is whether they suffered a concussion or other traumatic brain injury. It’s common for an emergency room physician to order a CT scan, and when the results come back normal, many patients assume they are in the clear. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. At The Thomson Law Firm, we’ve represented many people whose lives were disrupted by symptoms that persisted long after they left the emergency room. Understanding what a CT scan can—and cannot—show is an important part of protecting both your health and your legal claim. What Does a CT Scan Look For? A CT (computed tomography) scan is an excellent tool for identifying serious, life-threatening injuries. It can quickly detect: Skull fractures Bleeding in or around the brain Significant swelling Large structural injuries These conditions require immediat...
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Not the Type of Person to Sue? You May Still Have a Valid Personal Injury Claim in Virginia

At The Thomson Law Firm, we sometimes hear a potential client say something like this during the very first phone call: “I’m just not the type of person to sue anyone.” If that sounds like something you might say, you are not alone. In fact, many of the most sincere, responsible, and credible people we speak with in Roanoke and throughout Southwest Virginia say exactly that. They are not looking for a windfall. They are not trying to “get rich.” They are not angry people. Usually, they are hardworking people who never expected to need a lawyer—until someone else’s carelessness changed their life. So why do so many good people feel guilty about making a Virginia personal injury claim ? Have Insurance Companies Trained the Public to Feel Guilty About Injury Claims? In our opinion, the answer is often yes . For decades, the public has heard the same phrases over and over: “frivolous lawsuits” “sue-happy people” “jackpot justice” “people will sue over anything” That narrativ...
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Struck as a Pedestrian by a Hit-and-Run Driver in Virginia? You May Still Have Options

Every so often, we get what I call a “last resort” phone call at The Thomson Law Firm . It usually comes from a worried friend or family member of someone who was seriously hurt in a pedestrian hit-and-run accident . The injured person has often already lost hope. They assume that because the driver fled the scene and was never found, there is no way to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or future treatment. But in many cases, that is not true . If you were struck as a pedestrian by a hit-and-run driver in Virginia , there may still be a path to compensation—even if the at-fault driver is never identified. Can You Recover Compensation After a Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident? Many injured pedestrians believe they are simply out of luck if police never locate the driver. Fortunately, Virginia law and insurance policies often provide another option: uninsured motorist (UM) coverage . If the injured pedestrian had their own automobile insurance p...
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What to Do After a Roanoke Car Accident | Evidence & Insurance Tips

What to Do After a Roanoke Car Accident: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide If you have been injured in a crash, the first few hours after a Roanoke car accident can make a major difference in both your recovery and your legal claim. Many people are understandably shaken up after an accident. They may not know what to do first, what evidence to save, or what they should avoid saying when the insurance company calls. This guide offers a simple step-by-step plan for what to do after a Roanoke car accident—including what evidence to preserve and what to avoid saying to insurance. Whether the crash happened on I-81, I-581, Route 220, Williamson Road, Colonial Avenue, Franklin Road, or elsewhere in Roanoke and Southwest Virginia , these steps can help protect your health, your rights, and your case. Step 1: Make Safety Your First Priority Immediately after a crash: Check yourself and your passengers for injuries Move to a safe location if possible Turn on your hazard lights Call 911 ...
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Why Are There So Many Crashes on I-81 in Botetourt, Roanoke, and Montgomery Counties?

Interstate 81 is one of the most dangerous highways in Southwest Virginia — and for drivers traveling through Botetourt County, Roanoke County, and Montgomery County , that danger is all too real. Serious crashes, including multi-vehicle and tractor-trailer accidents, happen here far too often. Understanding why these crashes occur — and where they are most common — can help drivers stay safer and help accident victims know when to seek legal help. A Major Trucking Corridor Never Designed for Today’s Traffic Interstate 81 is one of the busiest freight routes on the East Coast. It carries an exceptionally high percentage of commercial truck traffic , much of it passing straight through Southwest Virginia. The problem? Much of I-81 was built decades ago for far less traffic and fewer heavy trucks . Today, passenger vehicles and 18-wheelers are forced to share limited space at highway speeds, increasing the likelihood of: Rear-end collisions Unsafe lane changes Chain-reaction cr...
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