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There is a time limit on injury claims in Virginia, and the insurance company knows exactly when it runs out. Answer five questions and we will connect you, free, with an independent attorney licensed in Virginia.
Limited
Time to file most injury claims in Virginia. Miss it and the claim is gone
Shorter
Government vehicle and public entity claims run on their own, tighter clock
Varies
Coverage carried by the at-fault driver is often well below the real cost
Pure
Virginia follows pure contributory negligence
This page describes Virginia law in general terms only. It is not legal advice, deadlines and rules change, and exceptions apply. Confirm anything affecting your own claim with an attorney licensed in Virginia.
Start with the fault rule. Virginia uses pure contributory negligence. This is the harshest rule in the country. If you are found even 1% responsible, you can be barred from recovering anything at all. It makes early statements to an insurer far more dangerous here than in a comparative-fault state.
There is a firm deadline for bringing an injury claim in Virginia, and a much tighter one for claims involving a public entity. The clock runs from the collision itself, not from the diagnosis, which is why waiting to see how you feel costs people claims.
What the at-fault driver carries is usually the practical ceiling on a claim, and state minimums do not survive contact with a hospital admission. Your own uninsured and underinsured coverage matters more than most people realise until they need it.
Virginia is a contributory negligence state, where being found even slightly at fault can bar recovery entirely. Very few states are this strict.
Fairfax, Virginia Beach and Richmond see the most volume, and the I-95 corridor and Northern Virginia commuter traffic produce constant congestion collisions.
Where a case would be heard changes what it is worth. Insurers evaluate the same injury differently depending on the county, the bench and the jury pool, which is why an attorney who regularly works your part of Virginia is worth more than one who does not.
Each one is common, and each one is avoidable.
The first offer usually arrives while you are still being assessed. That timing is deliberate: it is far cheaper to settle an injury before it has been properly diagnosed than afterwards.
In a contributory negligence state, admitting you could perhaps have braked sooner is not a qualification. It can be a complete defence to the claim, and it usually happens within the first 48 hours.
Claims involving a city, county or state vehicle run on their own much tighter clock. It is routinely missed by people who reasonably assumed the ordinary deadline applied.
Five questions from you. Everything after that is handled.
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There is a deadline, and a shorter one for government claims. Knowing which applies is the first thing an attorney establishes.
You are matched with an independent attorney licensed in Virginia for your type of accident. We do not give legal advice or evaluate the claim ourselves.
The insurer deals with them from that point. You stop being the person who has to answer carefully worded questions.
Valuation waits for the medical record, because that record is what the claim is ultimately worth arguing from.
Fault is argued properly. Under pure contributory negligence the percentage is not a detail, it is the outcome.
Contingency representation is standard for accident work in Virginia, and our service is free to you throughout.
We match you with someone licensed in Virginia who works your area.
Not on the list? We cover the whole state, including rural counties where fewer firms compete.
Virginia sets a firm deadline running from the date of the accident, and a separate, considerably shorter one where a government vehicle or public entity is involved. Both are strict, and missing either generally ends the claim no matter how strong it was. An attorney can confirm which applies to your situation before anything expires.
Virginia follows pure contributory negligence. This is the harshest rule in the country. If you are found even 1% responsible, you can be barred from recovering anything at all. It makes early statements to an insurer far more dangerous here than in a comparative-fault state.
As a general rule here, yes. Contributory negligence can bar recovery entirely where you are found even slightly responsible. Exceptions and doctrines exist that can preserve a claim, which is exactly why these should be looked at rather than abandoned.
No. What generally matters is where the accident happened. If you were injured in Virginia while passing through or visiting, an attorney licensed in Virginia is usually the right fit, and handling a claim remotely is routine.
Possibly. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may apply, including in hit-and-run cases where the driver was never identified. Many people do not realise they carry it.
Our service is free to you — attorneys pay us for the connection. Most Virginia accident attorneys work on contingency, so their fee comes from any recovery rather than from you upfront. Confirm the arrangement directly before signing anything.
Free, about a minute, no obligation. We connect you with an independent attorney licensed in Virginia.
ClaimMVA Now is a free matching service, not a law firm.