By Randy Appleton, HSCLA Attorney
Individuals who have suffered severe personal injuries and wrongful death on Virginia’s Eastern Shore (as well as their family members) often travel on Route 13 over the 17 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel spanning the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, south to the “mainland” area of Virginia. The Bridge Tunnel geographically links the finger of land called the Eastern Shore to the city of Virginia Beach to the south, and the northern side of the land mass known as Virginia’s Eastern Shore joins with the Maryland “Eastern Shore.” Unfortunately, the highway death rates on the Eastern Shore are statistically very high as discussed below.
Hajek, Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton’s law office is a mere mile and a half from the Virginia Beach side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and our office location offers easy access from Virginia Beach to the Virginia “Eastern Shore” towns of Kiptopeake, Cape Charles, Cheriton, Eastville, Nassawadox, Exmore, Painter, Wachapreague, Melfa, Onley, Onancock, Accomac, Parksley and Bloxom. Perhaps this is one reason why our law firm has been retained on many serious Eastern Shore injury cases.
Unfortunately the Eastern Shore of Virginia has been the site of more than its share of motor vehicle collisions resulting in serious injuries and death–actually three times the statewide average in one Eastern Shore county. Route 13 is the main north south highway on the Eastern Shore, and it then meanders into Virginia Beach, serving as the junction to Interstate 64. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ 2005 Traffic Crash Facts, the motor vehicle/car death rate in Accomac County was 0.67 per 1000 licensed drivers. The statewide average death rate in car crashes for the same timeframe was 0.22 per 1000 licensed drivers. Accomac County’s death rate placed it in the upper 10% of counties statewide for 2005. It is not clear why the high death rate is occurring, but Route 13 is a fairly straight highway, with mile after mile of rural farms lining both sides of the highway, which is not divided with a concrete median in many areas. Our firm has been involved in numerous wrongful death and personal injury cases arising on Virginia’s Eastern Shore as well as the remainder of Virginia and we appreciate the trust such families place in us in such a traumatic time. We are familiar with car accident reconstruction experts and protocols as well as investigative procedures utilized by state, local and private organizations involved in the review of these horrible crashes and wrongful death claims. While we can never fully replace the losses one suffers when involved in such a car crash we make every effort to insure the losses our clients suffer are fully documented and considered when these type claims are evaluated, whether by a jury, judge or insurance company.
Of course, we represent injured individuals throughout Virginia, as well as a large portion of the southeastern United States. We take our responsibility to individuals injured by the negligence of others very seriously if you have been the victim of another person’s negligence please feel free to contact us for a free initial consultation.
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