Richmond has several intersections that pose an elevated risk of accidents for drivers, as shown by the data on crashes, police responses, and injuries and fatalities. In addition, other intersections in Richmond have a notorious reputation for being dangerous.
We asked the members of our Richmond community on Facebook for the intersections they thought were dangerous. Suggestions included:
- West Broad Street and Arthur Ashe Boulevard
- Glenside Drive and West Broad Street, with another user noting the short-cycle traffic signals that turn red before traffic can clear the intersection
Other users noted a particularly bad intersection in western Henrico County.
If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident in Richmond, reach out to the personal injury lawyers at Marks & Harrison to learn more about how our firm can help you pursue full compensation for your injuries and losses.
Call us today for a free consultation.
Top Five Most Dangerous Intersections
NBC 12 in Richmond compiled a list of the top five most dangerous intersections in Richmond, based on crash data from the Richmond Police Department. These intersections include, in descending order:
- Belvidere Street and Broad Street
- Forest Hill Avenue and Chippenham Parkway
- Laburnum Road and Hermitage Road
- Broad Rock Road and Warwick Road
- Belvidere Street and Leigh Street
What Should You Do Immediately After a Crash?
When you are involved in a car crash, you should remember to take the following steps immediately following the accident to help protect your legal rights and your ability to pursue compensation for your injuries and damages from those at fault for the crash:
- Call 911 or the police. If you or someone else has been hurt, call 911 to summon paramedics. Otherwise, you can contact the local police department (or state police if the accident occurs on the highway) to have an officer come to prepare an accident report.
- Exchange information with the other drivers. Make sure you obtain the names, contact information, license and registration information, and insurance policy information for each of the drivers involved in the accident, so you will know who to contact if you later need to make a claim for compensation.
- Get contact information for any witnesses. That way, you can contact them later if you need a statement or if you need them to give testimony about the accident.
- Document the accident scene. If safe to do so, try to take photos of details such as damage to the vehicles, skid marks on the road, road lines and traffic controls, and the weather, lighting, road, and traffic conditions at the time of the accident.
- Seek medical attention. If you decline medical attention at the accident scene, you should still get examined at the ER or by your primary physician, even if you don’t feel at first like you were injured. Pain and other symptoms of injury can take days or even weeks to manifest, while a doctor can diagnose many injuries through a physical examination.
How Is Fault Determined in These Crashes?
After a car accident, the insurance companies and the lawyers will use multiple pieces of evidence to try to determine fault for the crash. Evidence used to determine liability for motor vehicle accidents may include:
- The police accident report – If police are called to the scene of a car accident, an officer will likely prepare an accident report. This often serves as a key piece of evidence. The report will contain the officer’s observations and findings from investigating the accident scene, note whether any drivers were cited and/or arrested for the accident, and potentially give the investigating officer’s determination of fault.
- Driver and witness statements – The motorists involved in the accident, along with any passengers in the vehicles or any bystanders who witnessed the accident, may give statements about the accident to the insurance companies and attorneys.
- Accident scene photos – Photos from the accident scene, along with surveillance video or dashcam footage, can provide concrete evidence to piece together how the accident occurred.
- Vehicle damage/repair reports – Evidence of vehicle damage can also provide an indication of how an impact occurred.
- Medical records – Even the injuries suffered by those involved in the accident can give some clue as to what happened in an accident. They are also critical for establishing the extent of your injuries and related financial losses.
Many times, lawyers will pass this evidence onto an expert in accident reconstruction, who will review the evidence and prepare a report, diagram, or animation that shows how the accident occurred and identifies the motorist or motorists who caused the accident.
Can Liability Be Shared Among the Parties Involved in the Crash?
Depending on the circumstances of an accident, fault for the crash can be assigned to more than one motorist or party. For example, in a left-turn accident, the driver of the left-turning vehicle may bear some liability for failing to signal before the turn, while the driver of the other vehicle may also bear some liability, as well, if they were speeding.
Although multiple drivers can share liability in a car accident claim filed by an injured motorist or passenger, the injured party seeking compensation cannot have any liability to successfully recover on their claim.
Virginia still follows the contributory fault rule, which states that an injured plaintiff cannot recover on their claim if they have any share of fault for the accident. This stands in contrast to the majority of states that follow the comparative negligence rule, which allows an injured plaintiff to share in the liability for their accident, with their recovery reduced in proportion to their share of fault.
Is There a Specific Way That Liability Is Calculated in Car Crashes?
Insurance companies often turn to state motor vehicle laws to calculate liability for a car crash. If a driver violated some traffic law during the accident (even if they were not ticketed or arrested by the police), the insurance company will use that to assign some portion of liability to that driver. For example, in a sideswipe accident on the highway, one driver may be assigned part of the blame for failing to signal a lane change, while the other driver may be assigned the rest of the share of liability for speeding.
After you’ve been involved in a car crash in Richmond, contact Marks & Harrison to set up a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers to discuss your case and to learn more about how our firm can assist you with pursuing the fair and full compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages.
Call us today or contact us online.
