The Thomson Law Firm

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...

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...