Commercial Truck Accidents | Virginia
Hurt in a Commercial Truck Crash? Catastrophic Injury Claims, Handled With Care
Correll Law Firm represents people seriously injured in car and commercial truck crashes, people with brain and spinal cord injuries, and families in wrongful death cases. We serve Winchester, Harrisonburg, Richmond, Henrico County and communities across the Shenandoah Valley.
Published October 27, 2026
A commercial truck accident catastrophic injury lawyer helps people who were seriously hurt in a crash with a large commercial vehicle understand their legal options. Correll Law Firm handles these matters for people across Virginia, working from Winchester and Harrisonburg. Whether a claim exists turns on the facts of each crash. No result can be promised.
What a Commercial Truck Accident Catastrophic Injury Claim Involves
A commercial truck accident claim is a possible legal action for harm caused by a crash with a large commercial vehicle. A lawyer can review the facts and explain what Virginia law may allow. It is not a prediction of how any matter will end.
The firm handles car accidents, truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and wrongful death. This page focuses on the most serious crashes, where injuries may have lasting effects.
This page is written for two groups. The first is people who were seriously hurt in a truck crash. The second is families who lost someone in one.
When a crash causes a death, a different legal action applies. A Virginia wrongful death action is filed by the decedent’s personal representative within two years of the death (Va. Code §§ 8.01-50(C), 8.01-244(B)), on behalf of the family members the statute protects. The action statute is Va. Code § 8.01-50.
Family members do not file the case. They share in any recovery. The statute sets the order of beneficiaries, as explained in Va. Code § 8.01-53.
Not sure what your next step is?
Talk it through with Correll Law Firm — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Catastrophic Injuries the Firm Handles
Catastrophic injuries are serious injuries that can change a person’s daily life. The firm handles traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury matters that arise from commercial vehicle crashes.
Effects differ from person to person. Two people with similar injuries may have very different daily lives. A lawyer looks at each person’s medical facts, because no one can say in advance how an injury will progress.
Medical records often sit at the center of these matters. A lawyer may review treatment notes, imaging reports, therapy records and bills to understand what happened after the crash.
Gaps in treatment can make it harder to connect an injury to a crash. Early and ongoing medical care helps create a clear record of what happened. Keeping track of appointments and symptoms can also help a lawyer see the full picture.
Who May Be Involved in a Commercial Truck Crash
In a truck crash, more than one party may be involved, depending on the facts. The driver is only one possibility.
Commercial trucks operate under federal safety rules. A carrier must keep driver logs for at least six months from the date of receipt (49 C.F.R. § 395.8). Driver vehicle inspection reports must be kept for three months from the date they were prepared, except that these rules do not apply to a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), a driveaway-towaway operation, or any motor carrier operating only one commercial motor vehicle (49 C.F.R. § 396.11).
For alcohol testing in those crashes, the rule reaches a surviving driver who receives a citation within 8 hours for a moving traffic violation arising from the accident (49 C.F.R. § 382.303). Motor carriers also maintain a driver qualification file for each driver they employ (49 C.F.R. § 391.51).
Parties a lawyer may examine include:
- the driver
- the company that operates the truck
- the owner of the truck
- the company that hired the driver.
- cargo loaders or maintenance contractors, depending on the facts
Records a lawyer may review include crash reports, driver logs, inspection and maintenance records, and the driver’s qualification file. What those records show depends on the facts.
How the Firm Handles a Truck Accident Matter
A commercial truck accident catastrophic injury lawyer reviews the facts with the reader before any next step is decided. Each matter is different, so no set timeline applies.
- Share the facts. Describe how the crash happened, what injuries followed, and who was involved.
- Gather records. A lawyer may request police reports, medical records and information about the vehicles.
- Review the facts. The review looks at who may be responsible and which legal claims may fit.
- Decide next steps. You choose whether to move forward with the firm.
Insurance companies may reach out early after a crash. Keep notes on every conversation, and keep copies of anything you sign.
Time Limits and Reporting Duties to Keep in Mind
Under Va. Code § 46.2-371, the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident that injures or kills a person, or someone acting for that driver, shall immediately give notice of the accident to a law-enforcement officer, and a willful failure to make that report is a Class 4 misdemeanor. One is a duty to report the crash. The other is a deadline to file a lawsuit.
Virginia requires a driver involved in a crash with injury or death to stop and report it to police immediately (Va. Code §§ 46.2-371, 46.2-894).
The two-year period is the deadline to file a lawsuit, not the deadline to report a crash. Virginia generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Va. Code § 8.01-243(A)); the clock runs from the date of injury, not the date of discovery, with narrow exceptions. Under Va. Code § 8.01-243, unless otherwise provided in this section or by other statute, every action for personal injuries, whatever the theory of recovery, shall be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues.
You may wish to talk with a lawyer early, while the facts and records are still fresh.
Who Correll Law Firm Represents
Correll Law Firm is a Virginia personal injury firm with locations in Winchester and Harrisonburg. The firm handles commercial truck accident and catastrophic injury matters from those offices.
The firm serves people across the Shenandoah Valley, Richmond and Henrico County.
The firm has support staff, including assistants and office staff, who help clients through each step of a matter.
The firm focuses on serious crash injuries, commercial vehicle matters and wrongful death. Its work centers on helping people understand the facts and the legal options that may apply to them.
Not sure what your next step is?
Talk it through with Correll Law Firm — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after a truck driver hits someone?
Police may prepare a crash report. Investigators may look at driver logs and truck inspection records, and insurance companies may open their own review.
Does fault matter in a Virginia injury claim?
Virginia follows contributory negligence: if you are found even partly at fault, you may be barred from recovering, with limited exceptions. Talk to a lawyer about your facts.
Should I talk to an insurance adjuster?
You may wish to speak with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement.
Will my case go to court?
That depends on the facts and how the matter develops. No one can predict it in advance.