Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Family Law & Estate Planning Attorney

If you are injured in an accident caused by someone else, you may be able to recover compensation by bringing a personal injury lawsuit or claim. In Virginia you generally have just two years to file your lawsuit, from the date of the accident that caused your injuries. Thus, you should contact a personal injury attorney practicing in Loudoun County, Fairfax County and neighboring counties as soon as possible to start building your case. We can pursue compensation for your medical costs, including the costs of future treatment, as well as lost income arising from your injuries. We also can seek compensation for your pain and suffering and other non-economic, less objective forms of harm.

Car & Truck accidents can result in catastrophic or even fatal injuries. Often, damages are pursued under a theory of negligence. In other words, you will need to show that the defendant caused the accident because they failed to drive safely in the circumstances. A victim will not be able to recover damages if they were even slightly to blame for the car accident. As a result, an insurer for an at-fault driver may try to find a way to pin some of the blame on the victim and avoid liability. We know how to anticipate and counter these arguments to preserve your rights and to obtain money for you.

Many pedestrians in Virginia are injured and killed each year. Pedestrian accidents often happen because drivers are speeding, distracted, drunk, on their phones or disregarding traffic signals and signs. Our Loudoun County personal injury attorney can help an injured pedestrian bring a claim against a driver who struck them in neighboring counties throughout Northern Virginia. We also can represent families and estates of victims in wrongful death claims after fatal pedestrian accidents. We may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, the victim’s lost wages and benefits, the mental anguish of family members, and the loss of the care, comfort, and guidance provided by the victim.

Bicycle accidents are often devastating because the vehicle may be traveling at high speeds and the bicycle may be traveling at much lower speeds, and bicyclist lack protection from a forceful impact.

Motorcycle accidents are often devastating because both the motorcyclist and the other vehicle may be traveling at high speeds, and motorcyclists lack protection from a forceful impact. You will need to show another driver’s negligence to recover damages. This means that your Loudoun County personal injury lawyer generally will need to show negligence. In some cases, other factors may have contributed to the accident, such as a defect in the car or motorcycle. Sometimes an attorney will retain a forensic expert to look at the contributing factors. If a mechanical defect contributed to an accident, it may be appropriate to bring a product liability action against the manufacturer.

Slip and falls often result from a foreign substance on the floor or on the ground. After a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you should consult an experienced personal injury lawyer practicing in Loudoun County, Fairfax County and neighboring counties. We may be able to recover damages through a premises liability lawsuit for you. You will need to show that the duty of care owed to you based on your status as a visitor was breached. Visitors can be trespassers, licensees, or invitees, with the highest degree of care being owed to invitees. A property owner owes a duty to invitees to employ ordinary care to keep the property in a reasonable and safe condition. A property owner owes no duty to a trespasser.

Dog bites can be catastrophic, leading to permanent disfigurement and scars, infections, and other harm. These cases are usually handled according to the one-bite rule. This means that you can hold a dog owner responsible for a dog bite if the owner knew or should have known that the dog could behave viciously against a pet or person. If you cannot show the owner’s prior knowledge, you will need to show that the owner owed a duty to use reasonable care to restrain their pet, and their failure to do so caused your injuries; in other words, the dog owner was negligent somehow. In some cases, it may be possible to establish negligence per se, or negligence as a matter of law; if the dog owner broke a dog leash ordinance or law in the county or city where the injury occurred. You should consult an experienced personal injury attorney in Loudoun County as soon as possible if you have been the victim of a dog bite.

Estate planning involves making decisions and drafting documents to control how your property will be distributed and how things will be handled in case you become incapacitated or pass away. Without a will, the probate court will determine how your estate is distributed according to intestacy law. In Virginia, intestacy law distributes property to the decedent’s closest relatives, beginning with a spouse and children, and when there is no spouse or child, providing property to grandchildren or parents, and then increasingly distant relatives. By having a will, you get to decide who will take custody and guardianship of your children and be the trustee for your children or beneficiaries.

Family law matters can be especially sensitive. In Virginia, it is possible to obtain a no-fault divorce, but you need to first be separate from your spouse for one year before claiming this as the basis for your divorce. However, the one-year separation can be reduced to six months if the spouses go into a settlement agreement about matters related to the marriage, and no minor children are shared. When you file for a no-fault divorce, you do not need to prove that your spouse did something wrong that caused you to seek a divorce. Fault can play a role in other issues, such as property distribution or spousal support.

At Ashburn Law Office, we represent clients throughout Northern Virginia in personal injury claims as well as estate planning and family law matters. Call us at 703-986-3337 or complete our online form to find out more about how we can help you.