By C. James Williams III, Principal — Burnett & Williams

The time you are recovering from a car accident can be stressful, not to mention expensive. As a result, many accident victims hire a personal injury attorney to serve as their legal representation in court, hoping to recover some of what they lost.

When looking for a lawyer to handle your personal injury case, you don’t want to hire just the first law firm you hear an advertisement for on the radio. If they are going to hire an experienced trial lawyer, Virginia residents need to do their research and find the attorney best suited to handle their case.

One of the biggest reasons personal injury claims are on the rise is that the stigma of filing a lawsuit has started to subside. For years, the insurance companies have tried to paint a false picture of personal injury plaintiffs as greedy and money-hungry, but the truth is that these accident victims are simply trying to get what they deserve. A car accident is life-changing and life-disrupting, and victims deserve to be compensated for the damages they have suffered due to someone else’s negligence and no fault of their own.

Types of Compensation Common in Personal Injury Cases

The money that an accident victim receives in a personal injury settlement or jury award includes compensation for:

• Medical bills: The core component of a personal injury claim is medical bills. From emergency room treatment to rehabilitation and long-term care, medical expenses can add up to thousands of dollars after a car accident. A victim should not have to face this financial burden.
• Lost wages: While recovering, accident victims may have to take time off from work or may even face job loss after a serious injury. These situations can present a severe financial strain on the victim and prevent them from seeking and getting the care they need to recover in the future.
• Loss of services/companionship: It’s not just the loss of income that some victims face. In wrongful death or serious injury cases where the victim is a homemaker, with responsibilities like cooking or childcare, hiring someone else to do those duties in their stead could be costly. A personal injury settlement or award will seek to compensate them for this expense.
• Future earning potential: Victims may also lose future earning potential in cases of severe injury. For example, if an accident leaves a victim paralyzed or otherwise permanently disabled or incapacitated, they may never be able to work again. A fair settlement or verdict should include compensation for their inability to provide for themselves financially in the future.
• Pain and suffering: Finally, a personal injury settlement or award will often include compensation for intangible losses, namely pain and suffering. Injuries can prevent victims from doing the things that allow them to enjoy life. Although it can be difficult to quantify the value of pain and suffering, personal injury attorneys often apply a multiplier to the hard costs to determine a fair amount.

Why You Need an Experienced Trial Lawyer for Your Personal Injury Case

The truth is that a vast majority of personal injury cases never make it to court, as they are settled out of court. But to maximize your chances of getting a fair settlement for your personal injury claim, you want to make sure you hire the right personal injury attorney. Having the right counsel in your corner will help during the settlement negotiations process, as well as in the courtroom, if your case does end up going to trial.

In recent years, there has been an increase in what is known in personal injury law as “nuclear verdicts”: jury awards exceeding $10 million in damages. These are the big paydays that personal injury firms often advertise on billboards, through radio spots, or on TV ads. Sedgwick found that nuclear verdicts rose by 52% in 2024, with the average verdict now exceeding $51 million.

The fact that these nuclear verdicts are increasing is good news for accident victims because, even if their case doesn’t end up with a nuclear verdict, the insurance companies are often keen to offer a fair settlement out of fear that they’ll lose more in a nuclear verdict if the case goes to court. This is especially true for victims who hire an experienced personal injury lawyer with a record of success in winning big verdicts.

How to Find the Right Personal Injury Attorney for Your Case

If you need a lawyer to maximize your chances of getting a fair settlement or jury verdict for your serious personal injury case, contact a Virginia lawyer with extensive experience today. In a free initial consultation, an experienced trial attorney will review your case and determine if their legal team is the right fit to protect your rights and get you a favorable outcome for your case.

About the Author

Jim Williams is a summa cum laude graduate of George Mason University School of Law who began his legal career with a prestigious assignment as a law clerk to a US District Court Judge. He practiced at Gentry, Locke, Rakes, and Moore in Roanoke and at Morris & Morris in Richmond before becoming litigation counsel for Progressive Insurance Company. With Progressive, he gained extensive experience as a trial attorney, giving him wide-ranging expertise in the complexities of Virginia insurance law and knowledge of how the defense side approaches litigation. Jim Williams joined Burnett & Williams in 2006 as the lead partner in the Richmond area, with offices in Midlothian and Hopewell, Virginia.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended as legal advice. It provides general information about personal injury claims and the importance of hiring an experienced attorney. Each case is unique, and the specific details of your situation may require professional legal guidance. Always consult with an attorney to discuss your individual circumstances and legal options.