Car Accidents | Richmond and Henrico County
Serving Richmond and Henrico From Winchester and Harrisonburg
A plain-language guide to the Virginia facts that can shape a car accident claim, written for people in Richmond and across the Shenandoah Valley.
Published November 9, 2026
A serious crash can leave you facing medical visits, missed work, and hard questions about what comes next. Virginia law shapes a car accident claim in several specific ways.
Does a Winchester-based personal injury firm with a Harrisonburg office take car accident cases for clients in Richmond, and how far is the travel for meetings?
Yes. The firm is based in Winchester, has an office in Harrisonburg, and handles car accident cases for people in Richmond and Henrico County. Richmond and Henrico are areas the firm serves, not places where it keeps an office.
If you meet in person, that would take place at the Winchester or Harrisonburg office. From Richmond, that means a long drive through the Shenandoah Valley. For someone with injuries that make sitting in a car painful, that trip is a real factor. Plan around your medical schedule and your ability to sit for the drive, then decide what works best for your situation.
If a crash in Richmond left you hurt, you may have a claim, and the firm is glad to talk through your situation with you. 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.
What should a driver do right after a car crash in Richmond?
Stop, check for injuries, and report the crash. Stay at the scene if you can do so safely. 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).
Under Va. Code § 46.2-894, the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident in which a person is killed or injured, or in which an attended vehicle or other attended property is damaged, must also give name, address, license, and registration details. The driver must help any injured person get medical care when treatment is apparent or requested. A willful failure to report is a Class 4 misdemeanor under Va. Code § 46.2-371.
The two-year period discussed below is the deadline to file a lawsuit, not the deadline to report a crash (Va. Code § 8.01-243).
Get checked by a doctor even when an injury seems minor. Early medical records help show what happened and when. Write down what you remember while it is still fresh. Keep a simple file with photos of the scene and vehicles, names of witnesses, the police report number, and every medical visit.
How does Virginia’s filing deadline apply to a Richmond car accident claim?
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.
Notice deadlines can be much shorter. If a city, county, or town may be responsible, for example when a city vehicle or employee is involved, a written notice of claim may be due within six months (Va. Code § 15.2-209). Because the right deadline depends on who may be responsible, don’t assume the two-year period fits every claim. Check the facts early, while records and witnesses are easy to find.
How can partial fault affect a Richmond car accident 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.
The rule can be hard to apply, so the details matter.
Other drivers and insurers often argue that the injured driver contributed to the crash. Whether that argument holds up depends on the facts of each crash. The police report, witness accounts, and physical evidence such as skid marks and vehicle damage all matter.
Which car and truck crash claims does the firm handle for Richmond and Henrico County residents?
The firm handles car accidents, truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and wrongful death. It serves people from Richmond and Henrico County, the Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg, and across Virginia.
A Richmond crash that involves a commercial truck or other commercial vehicle falls within those practice areas. Serious brain or spinal cord injuries from a crash fall under the firm’s traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury practice areas.
Can a company be responsible for a driver’s crash?
What happens if a Richmond crash causes a death?
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. Family members do not file the action; it is brought by the decedent’s personal representative, within two years after the death (Va. Code § 8.01-244(B)). The cause of action is set out in Va. Code § 8.01-50.