Charlottesville Personal Injury Lawyers

As a Charlottesville personal injury lawyer, we help people recover from catastrophic injuries and loss due to another’s negligence. A serious injury can turn someone’s life upside down. There are mounting medical bills, lost income, pain, and an uncertain future.

Our team stands up to insurance companies and tells the stories of our clients so they can return to their lives. By holding insurance companies accountable, we enforce the safety rules that protect our families and ensure a safer community for everyone.

Do You Need a Personal Injury Attorney to Settle Your Claim?

Facing insurance companies on your own can be overwhelming. Insurance adjusters may pressure you to settle quickly for far less than your case is worth. They know that unrepresented individuals might not be aware of all their rights under Virginia law.

Our team of personal injury lawyers in Charlottesville level the playing field. We handle all communications with insurers to fight for the full compensation you deserve. By hiring an experienced Charlottesville personal injury attorney, you benefit from professionals who know the local courts, understand state laws, and have a track record of success in cases like yours.

At MichieHamlett, we combine client-focused compassion with aggressive advocacy. You are not just another case – you’re a neighbor in our Charlottesville community. We take the time to listen to your story, answer your questions, and tailor our approach to your needs.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Below are some of the main types of personal injury cases our Charlottesville office handles:

Auto Collisions

Crashes can happen anywhere: on Route 29 or Emmet Street in Charlottesville to a wreck on I-64 or a rural Albemarle County road. There were over 127,000 motor vehicle crashes in Virginia in 2023 alone, about one crash every 4 minutes.

If you’ve been suddenly injured in a car accident due to the fault of a distracted, careless, or reckless driver, our attorneys can help ensure your claim is honored by insurance. We will make sure your medical care is covered, and your bills are paid, so you can recover.

Truck Collisions

Collisions involving tractor-trailers and other commercial trucks result in severe injuries due to the sheer size and weight of these vehicles. A collision with a big rig can leave victims with catastrophic injuries such as brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, or worse.

Truck accident claims are complex because they may involve multiple liable parties: the truck driver, the trucking company, maintenance contractors, and their insurance carries.

Our Charlottesville truck accident emergency response legal team has extensive experience handling trucking cases. We know how to quickly secure critical evidence such as the truck’s black box data, driver logbooks, maintenance records, and surveillance footage before they are lost or destroyed. We understand how to investigate trucking accidents thoroughly and have a proven track record of holding trucking companies accountable.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable on the road. A motorcycle accident can result in devastating injuries for the rider, from fractures and road rash to severe head or spinal injuries, even if the rider was wearing a helmet as required by Virginia law.

We have represented many injured motorcyclists and understand the unique challenges these cases present. We gather eyewitness statements and accident reconstruction. We document the full extent of your injuries, which can be life-changing and require long-term medical care, to demand appropriate compensation from the corporate insurance companies.

With our legal team on your side, you have advocates who understand motorcycle accident litigation and will fight for your rights. We aim to recover damages for your hospital bills, surgery and rehab costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses after a motorcycle crash.

Boat Accidents

Boating accidents can cause serious injuries or drownings. Charlottesville residents often enjoy trips to nearby bodies of water like Lake Monticello, Smith Mountain Lake, or the James River. Unfortunately, another boater’s negligence on the water, such as an operator driving a boat under the influence, speeding, or not paying attention to swimmers or smaller vessels, can lead to collisions and accidents.

If you were injured in a boat accident, whether you were a passenger, another boat operator, or a swimmer, you may have a personal injury claim. Our attorneys are familiar with Virginia boating laws. We will gather accident reports from law enforcement or the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, interview witnesses, and preserving any evidence from the vessels.

Our goal in boat accident cases is to hold negligent boaters accountable to obtain the resources our clients need to recover and ensure that Virginia’s waterways remain safe for everyone.

Premises Liability

Premises liability cases occur due to dangerous conditions on someone else’s property. Common examples include catastrophic injuries from broken decks, wet floors, icy sidewalks, or uneven surfaces, trip and falls due to poorly maintained carpeting or poor lighting, and injuries from negligent security, such as assaults in poorly secured apartment complexes or parking lots.

In a college town like Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia and many businesses, landlords have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors. If they fail to fix or warn of hazards and someone gets hurt, they can be held liable for the resulting injuries.

Our Charlottesville premises liability lawyers help students and clients who have been injured in stores, restaurants, hotels, private homes, or other properties on campus and throughout Virginia. These cases often require proving that the owner knew or should have known of the dangerous condition and failed to address it.

We will investigate, maintenance records, security camera footage, and incident reports; review building code violations; and, contact insurance carriers to ensure our clients can get back to their lives, and our community can be made safer and more secure.

Wrongful Death

Few things are more devastating than losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing. We extend our deepest sympathies if you are facing such a tragedy. Wrongful death cases are a special type of personal injury lawsuit in Virginia.

Under Virginia law, when a person’s death is caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another, the responsible party “shall be liable to an action for damages.” Wrongful death damages may include “fair and just” compensation for sorrow and mental anguish, loss of companionship, loss of the decedent’s income and services, medical expenses related to the injury, and funeral expenses​. In some cases, punitive damages may also be awarded if the defendant’s conduct was willful or wanton, such as a drunk driver causing a fatal crash.

Our attorneys are dedicated to vigorously pursuing justice for our clients in wrongful death cases, including fatal car accidents and industrial accidents to medical malpractice fatalities. We approach these cases with great care and sensitivity to hold the wrongdoer accountable.

Our Experience and Track Record of Success

When you choose MichieHamlett, you are choosing a firm with decades of experience and a proven history of success in personal injury cases. Our trial attorneys are highly acclaimed in Virginia for their skill, dedication, and results.

Here are just a few examples of what our Charlottesville personal injury lawyers have achieved for clients:

Multi-Million Dollar Verdicts and Settlements

Our attorneys have secured numerous seven- and eight-figure recoveries. For instance, attorney J. Gregory Webb obtained a $5.4 million jury verdict (one of the largest in Virginia) for the family of a teenager killed in a tractor-trailer accident​. He also negotiated a $10 million settlement in a complex product liability case involving a truck defect​.

Attorney Les Bowers has achieved some of the largest jury verdicts in Virginia’s recent history, including a $7,000,000+ verdict in 2017 (the top verdict in Virginia that year) and a $6,400,000 medical malpractice verdict in 2014​, among other substantial wins. Tony Russell in our Roanoke office (who also serves clients statewide) has tried over 100 jury trials with many $1M+ verdicts, and notably had the largest verdicts in Virginia in 2017, 2018, and 2022​ for his clients. These results speak to the firepower and experience our firm brings to the table.

Recognized Leaders in Personal Injury Law

Our trial team includes lawyers who are leaders in the field. Bryan Slaughter, a partner in our Charlottesville office, has 20+ years of experience fighting for those injured or who lost loved ones in accidents. He has successfully settled and tried numerous cases over $1 million throughout Virginia​– taking on major manufacturers, transportation companies, hospitals, and insurance giants in the process. Bryan is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (an honor extended to only the most elite trial attorneys) and a past president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, reflecting his reputation among peers.

Kyle McNew is not only an accomplished personal injury litigator but also a respected appellate lawyer. He is often called upon by other attorneys to handle complex legal issues in high-value injury cases, thanks to his deep knowledge of Virginia law and procedure​. Kyle has particular expertise in cases involving commercial vehicle crashes and workplace accidents, and he has argued cases before the Supreme Court of Virginia and federal courts – a testament to his wide-ranging skill set.

Whether it’s an accident on the road, an injury from a defective product, or malpractice by a healthcare provider, our lawyers have proven time and again that we can win against tough opponents.

Our success is built on hard work, thorough preparation, and fearless advocacy. Insurance companies and defense lawyers know that we won’t back down and that we have the experience to take a case all the way to trial and even appeal, if necessary. This reputation often helps us settle cases favorably out of court, but if the opposition won’t offer a fair settlement, they know we are ready to present a compelling case to a jury.

When you hire us, you send a clear message to the other side that you are serious about your rights, and you have a powerhouse legal team to back you up.

Free Consultation

If you’re looking to speak with a personal injury lawyer in Charlottesville, Virginia who will treat your case with the urgency, care, and skill it deserves, please contact our firm.

We offer free consultations to injury victims and families. This means it costs you nothing to speak with us about your case and learn your rights.

Furthermore, we operate on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases. You pay no legal fees upfront, and we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. If we are successful in securing a settlement or verdict on your behalf, our fee is a percentage of the recovery. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing for attorney fees. This contingency arrangement allows everyone, regardless of financial situation, to access top-tier legal representation. It also motivates us to fight that much harder for you, because our success is directly tied to yours.

Contact Us

Time is of the essence after an accident. Evidence can fade, and Virginia’s legal deadlines apply. Don’t delay in getting the help you need. Contact MichieHamlett Trial Attorneys today to discuss your personal injury case. Call our Charlottesville office or send us a message online to schedule your free case evaluation with a knowledgeable attorney. We will listen to what happened, answer your questions, and advise you on the next steps – with no pressure and no obligation.

We are ready to be your advocates, standing up for your rights, and helping you secure a brighter future after an injury.