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AUTO ACCIDENTS

EXPERIENCE WITH CASES INVOLVING AUTO ACCIDENTS

The Law Office of William Justice Whitaker has worked on cases ranging from slight fender benders to serious drunk driving accidents, and each type has its own complexities and challenges. Hiring a personal injury lawyer will ensure that your case is handled properly. Contact us to learn more about our legal representation for clients involved in car accidents, as well as for medical malpractice and slip and fall cases in the Washington, DC, area.

COMPENSATION FOR YOUR INJURY

There are over 6 million auto accidents every year in the United States. Unfortunately, this means that there is a good chance that you, or someone you know, will be involved in a car accident sometime in your life. Regardless of whether you suffer mild whiplash or a loved one is killed, you are entitled to compensation for all damage caused by the negligent driver. Compensation can include not just reimbursement for medical bills, but also compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, and punitive damages.

WHAT ARE PUNITIVE DAMAGES?

Punitive damages punish an individual’s wrongdoings and are used to discourage others from similar actions. In Virginia, you may be able to collect for punitive damages in a variety of situations, including drunk driving offenses, reckless driving accidents, hit and run cases, and other acts that can cause bodily injury while operating a motor vehicle.

TRUCK ACCIDENTS

Due to the size and weight of commercial trucks, most accidents involving trucks are very serious, causing permanent injury or even death to the individuals in a passenger vehicle. Automobiles are designed under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations only to encounter like-sized vehicles, not 100,000-pound trucks. There are many reasons accidents occur involving trucks, including negligence on the part of the truck driver. Truck driver negligence can include:

  • Aggressive Driving
  • Speeding
  • Unrealistic Schedules
  • Failure to Inspect Tires
  • Brakes & Lights

  • Tailgating
  • Long Work Shifts
  • Driver Fatigue
  • Failure to Install
  • Blind-Spot Mirrors

  • Cell Phone Use
  • Jackknifing
  • Ignoring Reduced Truck
  • Speed Limits

IF YOU ARE IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT, YOU SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING:
FILE A POLICE REPORT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE: Always file a police report, regardless of the severity of the incident. This is important for the timely recovery of damages.
GATHER WITNESSES: Try to find an eye witness or witnesses and get their contact information.
GET MEDICAL ATTENTION: See your primary care physician or visit the hospital within 48 hours for an examination. Even if you do not feel as if you were injured at the time of the accident, problems can occur days or even weeks later. Early detection of these problems can ensure that the person at fault will not escape liability.
AVOID PROVIDING A RECORDED STATEMENT: Never agree to a taped conversation with an insurance company. They are not doing this for your benefit, but rather as an attempt to deny or reduce any settlement paid to you.
COLLECT EVIDENCE: Take photos of the damage to your vehicle. These pictures can be used to strengthen your case. Also take photos of your injuries and keep a detailed journal of your recovery process. This information can be crucial to your case and to any recovery.
CONTACT OUR LAW FIRM: Call the Law Office of William Justice Whitaker immediately.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES

When you or someone you love is the victim of medical negligence, turn to the Law Office of William Justice Whitaker. We have worked on countless medical malpractice cases for clients in the Washington, DC, area, and can provide effective legal counsel for your case, as well as for auto accident and slip and fall cases.

LEARN ABOUT MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Medical malpractice can occur in many instances, including during a doctor’s office visit, hospital stay, or even during a routine surgery because of a medical professional’s negligence or failure to adhere to the accepted standard of care. This can lead to moderate, severe, or permanent injury, as well as wrongful death.

TYPICAL MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES INVOLVE MATTERS SUCH AS:

BIRTH INJURIES: Cerebral palsy, hypoxia, and shoulder dystocia caused by mistakes, such as delayed delivery, failure to perform a Caesarean section (C-section), failure to monitor properly, and failure to use forceps correctly
SURGICAL ERRORS: Operating on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments and sponges in an incision, and causing a post-surgical infection
ANESTHESIA MISTAKES: Failure to maintain adequate blood pressure, failure to determine allergies before administration, and causing an anesthesia overdose
PHYSICIAN ERRORS: Failure to diagnose, failure to order appropriate tests, and failure to prescribe the correct medication

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

After experiencing medical errors such as those listed above, you or a loved one may be severely injured and require long-term care. You may also be grieving due to the loss and unfairness of a wrongful death. While we cannot correct the damage done, we can work as hard as possible on your case in court, allowing you to better cope with your changed circumstances and live life to the fullest.

SLIP & FALL

REPRESENTATION FOR SLIP & FALL CASES

Let the Law Office of William Justice Whitaker represent you during your slip and fall case in court. We provide legal counsel to clients in the Washington, DC, area who were injured on a business’s property or at someone’s home. Our law firm also represents clients involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit or auto accident.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SLIP & FALL?

If an individual slips or falls and is injured due to a hazard on private property, this is considered a slip and fall case. A hazard can be anything from untended grease or liquid to a hole in the ground or a raised, cracked walkway.

Normally these cases rest on the issue of premise liability. The plaintiff must show that the property owner knew, or should have known, about the dangerous conditions, but failed to post a warning or fix the problem in a timely manner.

TAKE ACTION TO AID YOUR CASE
There are a number of things you should do if you fall on a business’s property or at someone’s home and you sustain an injury. Doing the following can aid you in your case should it go to court:
RECALL WHAT CAUSED YOUR FALL: Take notice of the circumstances that caused you to fall.
GATHER WITNESSES: Find a witness or witnesses who can corroborate the nature of the fall.
GET MEDICAL ATTENTION: Seek medical attention within 48 hours.
AVOID PROVIDING A RECORDED OR WRITTEN STATEMENT: Do not give a recorded or written statement to the property owner, as this information is their internal document and for their use only. You will not get a copy of the document or even be allowed to look at it unless you file a lawsuit against them.
CONTACT OUR LAW FIRM: Call the Law Office of William Justice Whitaker immediately.

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